Hi, 

My son was diagnosed with testicular cancer at 18 years old. His cancer was advanced to lungs but still the first doc we saw was very positive said don't worry if you gotta have cancer this is the most curable. My son has anxiety and some autistic traits but loves life and was so determined throughout his treatments to survive this. They did not do an orchidectomy first thay waited 2 weeks and then decided to start BEP chemo. He never had much reaction to this no sickness just abit of fatigue but AFP marker was unstable near the end of treatment. Op for orchidectomy and lymph nodes followed 9 weeks later as his bloods were too low for surgery on the 5th week as planned and surgery did not go well (his mass was the biggest they'd ever seen)he ended up 18 hrs in surgery and then over night had to go back to surgery for another 6 hrs.

His marker then moved again but this time it was the HCG so they put him on the tiger trial and he received the normal arm TIP(we'll never know if the other would have been better).Markers went down after first cycle they were really pleased but surgery was delayed 10 weeks later we saw surgeon who then took out small lump in right lung and said that this was best then within 4-6 weeks the large lump in medistinuim and left lung could be done.

Markers were taken 4 weeks after surgery still normal but surgery didn't come and another 8 weeks later HCG marker started to rise again they chose not to do the surgery and move for high dose etopiside and carboplatin regime with own stem cell transplant. His HCG normalised again after this but yet again surgery was delayed and just as he had his surgery date he got a line infection again but they said no problem took it out and cleared it up in time but as they took markers before we left hospital the HCG has risen.

We were told with no grace (as his professor is not a great person with people) that he was going to die and he should average around 6 months go do want you want as in a couple of months you'll started to be ill and then feel very verypoorly take to your bed and shortly after about a couple of weeks you'll die. There has been no care and no compassion, no truths in my sons treatment a constant change in what they were telling us along with mis-treatment and delays.

I am now tortured to watch my son die before my eyes with no support, no care or help the healthcare system is missing the care side. Oncology seriously needs to look at different aspects of someone's cancer like the diet side instead of constantly telling my son to eat everything and anything, get as fat as possible was the moto from his cns. We need oncologist nutritionalists of which I kept asking for but apparently don't exist. These people protest about being passionate but there is no passion just just numbers and money.

To all those that have survived well done don't take your eye of the ball and remember them so young that haven't.