BALL VOYAGE
Man, 26, throws farewell party for his left testicle after shock cancer diagnosis
A FORMER advertising exec said goodbye to his left testicle following a cancer diagnosis by having a "ball-voyage" party.
In July 2016, Justin Robertson had just moved to London from Dorset when he noticed one of his balls felt bigger.
8
8
“One morning I noticed that my left testicle felt slightly larger than before, it seemed irregular but there was no lump and I decided to see how it felt after a week,” he said.
But life got busy and weeks turned into months before Justin was finally forced to confront his fears at a walk-in health clinic.
In that moment, Justin's life changed forever as tests revealed a cancerous lump.
"One minute I was walking into a routine health check-up and the next, I was being told I was losing a testicle," Justin said.
8
8
Determined not to let his diagnosis get the better of him, Justin's friends and family organised a surprise send-off for his testicle.
Justin, now 26, recalled: “I couldn’t believe it when I stepped through the door and all my friends and family were shouting, ‘ball-voyage,’ in honour of my soon-to-be-departed left testicle.”
As well as plenty of meatballs and stuffing, snacks included a selection of meat and one veg dishes and a variety of different shaped nuts.
And the playlist included Jerry Lee Lewis’ famous Great Balls of Fire and Miley Cyrus’ Wrecking Ball.
The simple 3-step guide to checking your balls for signs of cancer
“It was such a great do and it made such a difference seeing everybody who’s important to me before the big op,” said Justin.
“I was the butt of one too many ball-related jokes, but it was ace all the same.”
Just two days after, Justin was at St George's Hospital in Tooting, southwest London, having his testicle removed.
The surgery was a success and he was discharged the same day.
After six months of follow-up two bouts of chemo and radiotherapy, Justin was given the all-clear in May 2017.
8
To bring him "closure", he's had a prosthetic testicle fitted.
But despite how well it's all turned out, Justin says that he went through his ordeal unnecessarily and that it could have been avoided had he confronted his fears earlier.
“As fun as my ‘ball-voyage’ party was, you don’t want to have one thrown in your name – believe me,” he said.
“I wish I’d seen the doctor as soon as I noticed something was amiss, instead of waiting as long as I did.”
“Looking back, it’s clear that I could have made the time to see someone sooner if I’d wanted to – but I didn’t."
8
He said that he was "forever making excuses" but in reality was scared and embarrassed.
It was only in November that he finally plucked up the courage to see a doctor at a walk-in sexual health clinic.
After an initial examination, he was referred for an ultra-scan the next day, after which docs told him that they suspected he had a cancerous tumour.
“I didn’t know how to react when they told me the news,” he said.
“I knew it was a bit odd, being a bloke and getting an ultrasound, but I never could have imagined that it would be cancer.”
A week later, he was told that he had cancer.
8
8
He told his friends and family soon after, including his housemate who broke down in tears.
“He knew lads who were just 16 when they were diagnosed with testicular cancer, which really grounded me, as at least I have broad shoulders to deal with the burden.”
Justin said that his sister Penny, 30, refused to let his diagnosis bring the family down.
“Straight off the bat she was positive about the whole thing,” he explained.
“She used to work for the department of health and insisted that this was something we were going to beat.”
Following successful treatment, Justin has ditched his advertising job and has put his talents to more altruistic use as a senior marketing officer for the UK's leading health charity, Crisis.
He said: “After coming through the other side of my cancer battle reasonably unscathed, I knew I wanted to do something meaningful and to give back.
“My work at Crisis is so fulfilling and I know what I do is making a difference to other people’s lives.”
How to check your nuts
Sam Gledhill, global director for testicular cancer Movember, said: "With testicular cancer, it really is so important to understand what feels normal for you and to go see a doctor if something changes.
"An action as simple as knowing what feels normal and getting some medical advice if things change can, quite literally, save lives."
First things first then, it's important to work out what feels normal for you - all balls are different.
Step 1 - Get steamy
This might not be as exciting as it first seems, but stick with it.
A hot shower is the best place to get in the know, when it comes to your balls.
The warm temperatures will get your nuts in the mood for the next step.
Step 2 - Get handsy
Well, to be accurate, get your fingers on your balls.
The best way to have a good feel about is to gently roll your testicle between your thumb and fingers.
You'll get a sense of how they feel, their size and shape.
By repeating this every week or so, you'll get a good picture of what's normal means for your nuts.
Step 3 - Go again
Easiest step so far, repeat part two just on your second, as yet un-touched testicle.
This April, Movember are encouraging men to know their nuts for Testicular Cancer Awareness month.
MORE ON CANCER
He's now working with the charity Macmillan for their campaign.
“I’m a well-educated guy, but as with so many other men my age, despite being fully aware that our bodies are susceptible to health issues, I shut out that voice of reason,” he confessed.
“That’s why I’m working with Macmillan on this campaign.
"Silence is a killer and too many men are staying silent.”
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368. You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours
Topics