It Takes Balls - Podcast

Af Marseh is a testicular cancer survivor from England. Af talks about catching his cancer while working 7,000 km away from home at the Rio Olympics in 2016, receiving BEP chemotherapy after orchiectomy, support from his network and beyond, writing his book, and more!

Dr. Helen Bernie is a board certified, fellowship trained urologist and the Director of Sexual and Reproductive Medicine at Indiana University. Dr. Bernie talks about what testosterone is, various types of testosterone replacement therapy and their pros and cons, men's health clinics, testosterone ranges, and much more!

Brian Sluga talks about being diagnosed with testicular cancer over 40 years ago, having his orchiectomy and lymph nodes removed in his torso, getting a lymphangiogram, the life he’s lived in the last 4 decades, going back to school later in life, writing about his TC, and more!

Trent Melsheimer talks about missing his best friend's wedding because the back pain he was feeling ended up being testicular cancer, having an HCG level well over 100,000, Dr. Einhorn telling him he needed to start chemo "yesterday," having 4xBEP and a post-chemo RPLND, survivorship, and more!

John Rezendes is a member of the US Navy Reserves and a testicular cancer survivor. John talks about being diagnosed when he returned to the US after having a vasectomy while deployed in Bahrain, having a large hydrocele, getting his RPLND done at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center by Dr. Sean Q. Kern, survivorship, and more!

Ken Lane is a testicular cancer survivor living in Oklahoma. Ken talks about detecting his testicular cancer at "stage 0.5" as a hypochondriac, meditation and exercise post-cancer, survivor's guilt, raising awareness through running, and more!

Dr. Geo Espinosa is a doctor of naturopathic medicine at NYU. Dr. Geo talks about endocrine disruptors, the importance of clean eating, natural approaches to healthier sperm and increased free testosterone, and more!

Jason Hogeboom is a testicular cancer survivor living in California. Jason talks about being diagnosed at 16 years old in 1988, being homeschooled during treatment, having a stroke in his 30s, gives advice for guys who are going through it who might not be able to see the big picture, and more!

Brian Vesall is a testicular cancer survivor in Minnesota. Brian talks about being diagnosed with testicular cancer in his 40s, working at a nut company, retrograde ejaculation after RPLND, raising awareness through hockey, and more!

Brandon Aversano is a testicular cancer survivor and CEO. Brandon talks about being diagnosed with testicular cancer after years of being dismissed, discovering an M&M-sized mass, leaving his corporate job and creating a business to avoid medical debt, and much more!

Owen Murphy is a 19 year old college student from Texas who was nearing the end of his BEPx3 chemo regimen at the time of the interview. Owen talks about sharing the news of his diagnosis with his parents while they were out of town, meeting with Dr. Nick Cost in Colorado after hearing him on this podcast, how he's felt and currently feels in the midst of chemo, and more!

Dr. Sunil Patel is a Urologic Oncologist and the Director of Testes Cancer Program at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Patel talks about the status of research taking place into the environmental causes of testicular cancer from what we know about risk factors to what he would like to see in 5-10 years, including how you may be able to get involved in the future.

John DeAngelo is a testicular cancer survivor from Connecticut. John talks about catching his cancer after watching YouTuber Furious Pete, his treatment options with stage I disease, cancer returning during surveillance, and more!

Jon Fox is a testicular cancer survivor from New York. Jon talks about visiting the ER after persistent testicular pain and a painful night's sleep, being treated with BEPx3 after a second opinion from Dr. Einhorn changed his trajectory, having the RPLND and Whipple surgeries at the same time, and more!

Alex Tothill-Brown is a testicular cancer survivor and geologist from Canada. Alex talks about being diagnosed with "poor risk non-seminomatous germ cell tumor with extensive lung metastasis, brain metastasis, and primary tumor in situ" nearly 10 years ago after his professor noticed him not looking well; being treated with VIPx4, orchiectomy, and 2 lung surgeries; having his mom with him for his journey; and much more!

Alex Volynsky is a physician's assistant at UPenn and a testicular cancer survivor. Alex talks about being diagnosed with stage 1B testicular cancer after having cared for Alex Bartlett, the impact that Alex Bartlett had on him, being treated with orchiectomy and primary robotic RPLND performed by Dr. Pierorazio, having a baby after testicular cancer, and much more!

Melissa Hooper, MS, RDN, is a registered dietitian and nutritionist in Los Angeles, California and the founder of Bite-Size Nutrition. Melissa answers several questions from the Testicular Cancer Support Group, talks about what antioxidants are and what they do, provides her thoughts on sugar and cancer, maintaining weight during treatment, and more!

If you have any questions regarding your own diet and nutrition, consult your cancer center's registered dietician and nutritionist.

Anthony Garnot is a retired corrections officer in New York. Anthony talks about being diagnosed with testicular cancer at 27 in 2002, being treated with chemo and RPLND, having his son using IVF, being diagnosed with testicular cancer again in 2023, and much more!

David De Wilde is a testicular cancer survivor in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. David talks about dealing with cancer as a bipolar person on the autism spectrum, discovering that his testicle was atrophying, changing providers, his advocacy work for men's health with Man Up to Cancer, and much more!

Burke Miller is a 2x testicular cancer survivor in Baltimore, Maryland. Burke talks about being diagnosed in 2016 and 2020, being treated at Johns Hopkins the first time, seeking several opinions after the recurrence, ultimately deciding on Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, becoming a runner and raising funds through his team, and much more!

Kristin Flanary (also known as Lady Glaucomflecken) was the caregiver to her husband, Will (also known as Dr. Glaucomflecken), during both of his testicular cancer diagnoses. Kristin talks about not being acknowledged by the doctor breaking the news, her questions about what the future was going to look like at the time, dealing with Will's fluctuating testosterone, performing CPR on Will, and much more!

Dr. Ajay Nangia is a professor and vice chair of urology at University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Nangia explains the life cycle of sperm, the relationship between the germ cells of sperm and testicular cancer, fertility as it relates to testicular cancer, sexual health, and much more!

Paul Savage Jr. is a testicular cancer survivor and author. Paul talks about his orchiectomy, BEP chemo, and RPLND; blogging during his journey; writing several Amazon best-selling books about his journey, and much more!

Torsten Koehler is a testicular cancer survivor living in South Africa. Torsten talks about being diagnosed while preparing a sex ed lesson for his students, treatment, sharing his experience with his students in the following years, starting Love Your Nuts Foundation, his plans for raising awareness in the future, and much more!

Alex Nichols is a Stage III testicular cancer survivor in Colorado. Alex talks about being devastated after being diagnosed following a series of sports injuries, the compounding feeling of BEP chemotherapy, having his RPLND to remove a mass wrapped around his ureters, the benefits of TCAF's online support group, advice for others facing a testicular cancer diagnosis, and much more!

Trevor Maxwell is a stage IV colon cancer survivor and the founder of Man up to Cancer. Trevor joins us from the other side of the taint to talk about the importance of men not isolating after a cancer diagnosis, the inception of Man up to Cancer, and what it means to redefine "manning up."

David Yadush is a licensed counselor (LPC/LPCC) from BetterHelp.com. David talks about coping with cancer from diagnosis through assimilation into "normal" life after; how patients, survivors, and caregivers can recognize when it's time to seek help, dealing with "shame;" maintaining relationships; and more!

Juan Alatorre is a testicular cancer survivor from North Carolina. Juan talks about noticing something different about his testicle during his normal self-check, being diagnosed and treated in his 40s, testicular cancer in the LGBTQ+ community, experiencing scanxiety 5 years out, and more!

Justine Benoit was a caregiver for her husband and testicular cancer survivor, Kyle, during his treatment in Kansas. Justine and Kyle each share their perspective as a caregiver and survivor on being diagnosed shortly after the birth of their son, the effect Kyle's treatment had on their daughters, work on the family farm while battling and recovering from cancer treatment, being in surgery vs. in the waiting room, and much more!

Josh Robson is a testicular cancer survivor from Melbourne, Australia. Josh talks about feeling something wrong for about 18 months, the empty feeling after being diagnosed, being a triathlete and trying to stay active to a degree during treatment, competing an Ironman and Ultra Ironman after treatment, Turning Up every day, and more!