In 2005, Mike Craycraft thought he might have testicular cancer, but waited seven months to seek medical attention. After experiencing a scrotal ultrasound, being checked out for preoptive tumor markers and undergoing an inguinal orchiectomy, he was relieved to learn that while he had been diagnosed with testicular cancer, it was Stage I and very treatable.
A clinical pharmacist by trade, Mike Craycraft of Cincinnati, Ohio, was living in South Florida when one night he felt a lump on his testicles. Immediately he had a feeling it was cancer.
Seven months later, he saw his primary care physician, who ordered a scrotal ultrasound. Its results were enough for the doctor to send Mike to a urologist. A week later he was seen by the urologist. That night he received a call from the urologist asked Mike to come in the next day.
When Mike came in, he was told of his diagnosis, but there was still more work to be done. The urologist looked at preoptive tumor markers, followed by CT scans. Next he scheduled an inguinal orchiectomy, in which the groin area is viewed to determine the stage of the cancer. Miraculously, despite Mike waiting so long to be seen on the matter, his testicular cancer was diagnosed as Stage One.
Mike Craycraft was given the option of following through on active surveillance, and that’s the option he chose. From that point up until the present, Mike has gone in for his scheduled CT scans and blood work, and he has been fine.
Mike says his health is very close to what it was prior to his diagnosis. In 2013, to celebrate his seven-year ‘cancerversary,’ he climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro.
In another way, Mike’s life has changed. He founded the Testicular Cancer Society. He says in 2006, when he was diagnosed, there were very few support avenues for those diagnosed with testicular cancer. TCS offers support in-person in the Cincinnati area or via the internet through https://www.testicularcancersociety.org. It works in three main areas, those being increasing awareness, access to care and quality of care.
By way of advice, Mike Craycraft says if you are diagnosed with testicular cancer, or any type of cancer, to take a deep breath, take a step back and get some perspective to formulate a gameplan, and avoid making rash decisions.
Additional Resources:
The Testicular Cancer Society: https://www.testicularcancersociety.org