Hey all,

Been a minute, hasn't it? I do apologize for my quietness over the last few months...even with me peppering a few art uploads here and there, much hasn't been said.

Previously, on Alan's medical journey! The last you all heard from me, I was prepping for surgery. I had discovered a mass on my right testicle. Got that checked, which led to an ultrasound, and landed in the office with a urologist. Right then and there, a week before the surgery, they told me they had to consider the mass cancerous and remove my testicle...so I did that.

The biopsy came back a few days later, and I had a "malignant mixed germ cell tumor." We caught the cancer before it could get more aggressive than it already was. The margins came back negative, which meant that most of the cancer remained in the tumor and hadn't spread...at least a lot. Because some cancer had been discovered in my CT scan and my bloodwork.

So off I went to chemotherapy. which went from mid-January to mid-March. Let me tell you, this was rough. I'm used to getting meds all the time because I've always been the problem child, but this was a big challenge. Each cycle lasted 21 days, with the first Monday-Friday having back-to-back chemo infusions. Most infusion sessions were 4 or more hours long. Then the following Tuesday, and then the next Tuesday, I would get another infusion...luckily this only lasted an hour to two hours.

I had to do three cycles of that shit. On top of it, one of the chemo drugs, Bleomycin, has been known to cause lung toxicity. So, my lungs were monitored throughout chemo. Everything was fine until the very last infusion, which seems to be when the lung damage began.

Unfortunately, my lungs have taken a bit of a hit. My function is a little less functional, although I can still breathe just fine and do normal activities on my own. When I do more strenuous tasks, I do have to be very careful.

Now, I am currently on two months of Prednisone. Corticosteroids that should help heal the damage to my lungs. Here's hoping it all works out come August....

Now for the good news! I had a CT scan in May and got some bloodwork as well. Bloodwork came back normal/undetectable! The cancer is seemingly gone. The single lymph node the cancer spread to had shrunk in size...a normal one. Right now, my lungs are the only concern, with a few surveillance check-ups every two months for the next 6 months (I think?).

Despite the challenging nature of...whatever the fuck all this is, I had so much support, which is still very present as I settle down from all this excitement.

My wonderful boyfriend,  Nostson, has kept me grounded, along with too many friends to mention here. As I write this through welled-up tears, I realize that I am where I am supposed to be: surrounded by my furry family. Each and every one of you know who you are, and please know, that I love you all dearly. Whether you checked in on me every day or wished me well, you kept me going. You KEEP me going.

Anyway, this ended up a little longer than I was expecting. Please remember to take care of yourselves and hold your loved ones a lot closer. Please do not be afraid to get things looked at if you think something is up with your body. It could save your life.

Now, where did I put that rogaine...

-HG