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Winning the Battle Together - Kevin: Patient Stories
Virginia Mason Franciscan Health offers screening and high-tech care to help beat testicular cancer
Could you have cancer and not know it?
It’s common for testicular cancer to progress without any symptoms, making the disease more likely to advance before you know something is wrong. Most often testicular cancer occurs in men between the ages of 20 and 34, but infants and elderly men can also develop this disease.
When Seattle resident Kevin Roundtree learned he might have cancer, he turned to Highline Cancer Center for answers.
Just that fast
One moment Kevin was finishing up at work and the next he was rushing himself to the hospital. The swelling he experienced made it obvious that something was wrong. The doctor said it might be a blockage or it could be testicular cancer. At 47 years old, and in good health, Kevin was stunned. “I’m kind of a ‘rough and tumble, busted up, been sewn up more than a pair of Levis’ kind of guy and this one caught me by surprise.”
Finding your way
“What it comes down to, what’s really most important isn’t my ego or my emotions, it’s my family. I’ve got three kids and a wife. I wasn’t ready to die. You really have to get fit with your emotions, figure out which way you’re gonna go, and then hit it.” Kevin didn’t want to waste time. He and his wife, Jodie, went to see a medical oncologist at Franciscan Oncology Associates in Burien, and a part of the Highline Cancer Care team.
Kevin was willing to do whatever it would take to get the cancer out of his body. The doctor explored the options with him and they came up with a treatment plan. Kevin has nothing but praise for the doctor and nurses at Highline who he says won the fight for him. “The nurses at the cancer center allowed me to function my way to get better,” he said. “I didn’t want to lie down and be sick. I needed to keep moving, keep working and keep living. They helped me to do that.”
Life after treatment
Now that chemotherapy is finished, Kevin still remains vigilant. He will continue to his doctor for regular follow-ups so that they can monitor his health and watch for relapse. "Follow-up appointments are essential," said the doctor. "We not only monitor for signs of the cancer returning, we also watch for treatment side effects. Blood tests and imaging tests such as X-rays or CT scans can help us to detect relapse at an early stage."