It Takes Balls

Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation

It Takes Balls is a podcast for testicular cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and families. Through conversations with survivors, oncologists, urologists, and medical experts, we discuss testicular cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, chemotherapy, fertility, mental health, survivorship, and recovery. Our mission is to raise awareness, support men’s health, reduce stigma, and help people feel less alone during and after a testicular cancer journey. Early detection and self-exams save lives.

  1. 3d ago

    He Beat Testicular Cancer in Both Testicles

    When Carlos Payne felt a dull heaviness in his right testicle in 2019, he was 23, working night shifts, and days away from starting his LPN-to-RN nursing program. A urologist's blunt question — "how old are you?" — set off a whirlwind: an ultrasound and labs that same morning, elevated tumor markers by that afternoon, and surgery to remove the testicle the very next day. In this candid and inspiring episode of It Takes Balls, Carlos — a registered nurse from rural Arizona — shares a story that's as much about self-discovery as it is about survival. Carlos caught his first cancer early at stage 1A, and after a confusing back-and-forth between oncologists over whether he needed chemo, a second opinion put him on surveillance. For two to three years, his scans and labs stayed clear. Then, at the end of 2021, he felt the same unmistakable dullness in his remaining testicle. He knew instantly it was back — and though his doctors were hesitant, they trusted him to know his own body. He was right. This second, separate primary cancer was more malignant and had spread to a lymph node in his abdomen, requiring a second orchiectomy and four rounds of etoposide and cisplatin (bleomycin was ruled out due to his asthma). His urologist with 40 years of experience told him he'd never before removed both of a man's testicles. Carlos is honest about how much more than cancer he was carrying. At the time of his first diagnosis, he was still in the closet, and he hid his surgery entirely — recovering alone in a hotel for a week, telling only his father, because he wanted certainty before worrying his mother and the younger siblings he helped raise. But facing his own mortality became a turning point. Realizing he could have died without ever living as his true self, Carlos came out to his family. The people he feared would reject him didn't — and his younger siblings, the most supportive of all, simply told him they loved him either way. He describes the relief as a huge weight lifted. He doesn't sugarcoat chemo. The first cycle felt manageable, but by round three he was waking up throwing up bile, unable to keep down even water, and by round four sleeping 18 to 20 hours a day — all through the brutal Arizona summer heat. Yet Carlos kept moving forward. He navigated transcript mix-ups and a failed NCLEX attempt during his diagnosis, finally earning his RN in November 2024, his BSN this February, and he's now pursuing an MBA with plans for an MSN and leadership roles ahead. Now in his fourth year cancer-free with clear scans and one more year until he's discharged from the clinic, Carlos reflects on scanxiety, trusting the science, and the light at the end of the tunnel he couldn't always see. His message to anyone newly diagnosed — and to men who think it can't happen to them — is quietly powerful: check yourself, don't mess around, live your life for you, and know that things have a way of working out how they're meant to. Whether you're a patient, a survivor, part of the LGBTQ community, or simply need proof that a hard diagnosis doesn't have to stop you, Carlos's story is a moving reminder that you're not alone. Download the TCAF Connect app: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/tcaf-connect Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Carlos: https://www.facebook.com/carlos.payne.7 Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    He Beat Testicular Cancer in Both Testicles
  2. Oct 13

    Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer at 69

    Testicular cancer is often called a young man's disease, typically striking men between 15 and 44. So when Jim Mielziner — a retired air traffic controller and world traveler who's visited 69 countries — discovered a swollen testicle in the shower during a Mediterranean cruise a month before his 69th birthday, cancer was almost the last thing anyone expected. In this warm, funny, and deeply moving episode of It Takes Balls, Jim shares one of the most unusual and complex survival stories the podcast has featured. Jim recounts feeling no pain at all — just a testicle suddenly the size of a small kiwi — and his initial fear that it was testicular torsion. After the ship's doctor urged him not to wait too long, he saw his urologist (whom he was already seeing for prostate cancer on active surveillance) within five days of returning home and had his left testicle removed. Pathology showed 90% seminoma and 10% teratoma, and he went on surveillance — until suspicious lymph nodes appeared months later. Told he was too old for standard BEP chemotherapy because of bleomycin's toxicity, Jim opted for chemo over an RPLND, reasoning there was no sense cutting through so much tissue to reach two small lymph nodes if chemo might shrink them first. What followed was harrowing. Jim gained 17 pounds of water weight and was hospitalized during his first round. He had to put his beloved dog down on the first day of his second round. Then, four days after that round, he contracted COVID — landing him in the ICU for 14 days as his magnesium, potassium, and platelets went haywire. A misplaced pair of IVs led to a blood clot, and doctors had to remove an entire vein from his arm. After 14 days in the ICU and 18 in a skilled nursing facility — 32 days away from home — his oncologist, delivered sobering but wonderful news: they'd stop chemo because it had done too much harm, and Jim was in remission. Now approaching his four-year remission anniversary, Jim credits his wife as the advocate who very likely saved his life — and offers hard-won wisdom to younger patients. His two central messages: always bring an advocate to your appointments, because once you hear the word "cancer," everything else sounds like the adults in a Peanuts cartoon; and don't waste energy worrying about what you can't control. Jim also opens up about his ongoing prostate cancer surveillance, the lingering fatigue he's slowly overcoming (he's proud of his three-quarter-mile daily walks), the joy of his grandchildren, his love of Viking cruises, and his determination to keep exploring the world. Whether you're newly diagnosed, supporting a loved one, or think you're "too old" to be at risk, Jim's story is a powerful, humor-filled reminder that testicular cancer can strike at any age, that early action matters, and that mindset and support make all the difference. Download the TCAF Connect app: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/tcaf-connect Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Jim: https://www.facebook.com/jmielziner Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    Diagnosed With Testicular Cancer at 69
  3. Oct 6

    A Random Neighbor. A Life-Saving Conversation.

    For personal trainer Michael Autore, testicular cancer was never on his radar — until a chance conversation changed everything. In this episode of It Takes Balls, the founder of Slim Thick NYC shares how a neighbor he barely knew planted a seed that may have saved his life, and how he turned one of the hardest experiences of his life into a story of growth, community, and relentless self-advocacy. Michael, recounts the strange series of events leading to his diagnosis: getting drinks with a guy from his block who turned out to be a testicular cancer survivor (as was his father), then noticing his own testicular pain weeks later. He describes the excruciating night he felt something off at his parents' house, the ultrasound, and how his father-in-law's connections pointed him to Dr. Sheinfeld at Memorial Sloan Kettering — the very same surgeon his neighbor and his neighbor's father had used years earlier. He walks through his orchiectomy, his original stage, and his choice of surveillance — only to have his tumor markers reverse course and three lymph nodes enlarge right after Thanksgiving. That night, learning he'd need four rounds of EP chemotherapy, was the hardest moment for Michael and his wife. But when offered the chance to wait until after the holidays, his answer was immediate: "I'll start on Monday." A major theme is how Michael threw everything at his treatment alongside chemo — never in place of it. He hired a nutrition team that helped him cut inflammation and build immunity, learned to cook, used red light therapy for his tinnitus, and worked with a therapist and coach who transformed the language he used about his own healing. He's candid about the side effects that lingered — tinnitus, neuropathy, constipation severe enough to cause a hernia, and the under-discussed challenge of adjusting to life with one testicle — while refusing to let anyone, including himself, frame the experience as pure victimhood. Michael also shares how he scaled his coaching business remotely through treatment, hosted a men's retreat after finishing chemo, and competed in a HYROX event later. Now six months post-chemo and on close surveillance with Dr. Feldman, he declined a recommended RPLND after his lymph nodes shrank dramatically. His advice for the newly diagnosed is grounded and reassuring: you're going to get through it, protect your energy and mindset, bring someone with you to appointments, and don't be afraid to ask for help. Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Michael: https://www.instagram.com/michael.autore/ Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    A Random Neighbor. A Life-Saving Conversation.
  4. Sep 15

    Platinum-Resistant Testicular Cancer: BEP, VIP, ToPCaT and a Stem Cell Transplant

    When Phil Mamwell first felt sharp, shooting pains, he did what too many men do — he told himself he'd be all right and hoped it would pass. By the time the excavator driver from rural Lincolnshire, England, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in his late 30s, it had already metastasized. In this raw and honest episode of It Takes Balls, Phil shares two years of hell — and the hard-won perspective that came with surviving against the odds.Phil's story is a powerful reminder of why early detection matters. Testicular cancer had never been on his radar, and he's candid that had he been seen sooner, he might have needed nothing more than an orchiectomy. He could feel the BEP working almost immediately as his tumor shrank — only for the cancer to return six weeks later, right around Christmas. From there, Phil faced relapse after relapse. His orchiectomy came after his first chemo, with tumor markers still rising. Second-line VIP chemotherapy followed, along with a stem cell harvest he was certain he'd never need. When the disease came back yet again, he was given a roughly 20% chance of survival and chose high-dose ToPCaT chemotherapy, followed by a stem cell transplant and, finally, an RPLND to remove the residual tumors. The pathology came back with no evidence of disease. Phil doesn't sugarcoat survivorship. He lives with chemo brain, ringing in his ears, and neuropathy, and his hair never fully grew back. He speaks movingly about the survivor's guilt he carries after losing a fellow patient from his own town — a young man with the same embryonal carcinoma diagnosis whom he'd befriended and encouraged. And he's honest about how disorienting remission can be, describing himself as "a dog on a lead" suddenly let loose, not quite trusting it's over until he reaches the ten-year mark at 50. Through it all, Phil credits his wife — who graduated as a nurse mid-treatment — along with his kids, parents, friends, and employer for carrying him through. His advice to men in their late 30s and beyond is simple and urgent: don't make the mistake he did. Check yourself, see a doctor, and don't leave it. Look after your balls. Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Phil: https://www.facebook.com/philmamwell Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    Platinum-Resistant Testicular Cancer: BEP, VIP, ToPCaT and a Stem Cell Transplant
  5. Sep 8

    Dr. Pam Swartz - Dealing With Hearing Loss After Cisplatin

    Cisplatin is one of the most powerful, life-saving drugs in testicular cancer treatment — but it comes with a lasting side effect that too few patients are warned about. In this episode of It Takes Balls, audiologist Dr. Pam Swartz unpacks how cisplatin damages hearing, why it's permanent, and what young survivors can do to protect their quality of life for the decades ahead. Dr. Swartz starts with the basics of how we hear — from the eardrum and the body's three smallest bones to the roughly 30,000 hair cells in the cochlea — and explains a key truth: we hear with our brain, not our ears. She then breaks down why cisplatin is classified as highly ototoxic (a "class five" medication affecting hearing, balance, and tinnitus), how it accumulates around and kills the outer hair cells, and why that damage can't be reversed. Roughly 40% of patients on high doses experience some hearing loss, often in the high frequencies first — which is why voices can start to sound mumbled, women and children become harder to understand, and the TV keeps creeping louder. This conversation is packed with practical, actionable guidance. Dr. Swartz explains why every patient should get a baseline audiogram before starting treatment (tested out to 20,000 Hz, not the standard 8,000) and a follow-up 6–8 weeks after finishing, how to protect the hearing you have from added noise damage, and how far modern hearing aids have come — now rechargeable, Bluetooth-enabled, and self-adjusting thousands of times per second. She also covers cochlear implants, listening strategies (sound bars, closed captioning, choosing the restaurant booth), and how partners and family can become better communicators. A large part of the episode focuses on tinnitus — the ringing so many survivors live with. Dr. Swartz, who has tinnitus herself, explains what it is, why the emotion you attach to it makes it louder, and why sound therapy is the most effective tool we have. She shares how a simple air purifier changed her own experience, common triggers to watch (salt, caffeine, alcohol, stress), and why CBT, deep breathing, and mindfulness genuinely help. She also recommends the ReSound Tinnitus Relief app — the same sound-therapy tool used by the VA — which runs all night and layers multiple sounds to help mask the ringing. Whether you're about to start chemotherapy, already noticing changes in your hearing, or supporting a survivor, this episode is an essential guide to advocating for your ears — because surviving testicular cancer means living well for the long haul. Resources mentioned: ReSound Tinnitus Relief app | American Tinnitus Association (ata.org) | Find an audiologist through ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) or the American Academy of Audiology Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Have a question for a future expert guest? Submit here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-question-submission Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.twitter.com/testescancer⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Dr. Swartz: https://www.easternvaent.com/providers/dr-pamela-swartz/ Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    Dr. Pam Swartz - Dealing With Hearing Loss After Cisplatin
  6. Sep 1

    Kicking & Screaming Through Seminoma

    Bray Hansel thought he was done. After a swollen left testicle led to an orchiectomy and a pathology report showing an eight-centimeter pure seminoma contained to the testicle, the 37-year-old financial advisor, husband, and father of three from outside Philadelphia went on surveillance feeling like a survivor — proud of what he'd gotten through and ready to move on. But testicular cancer had other plans. In this episode of It Takes Balls, Bray shares a story that captures just how unpredictable seminoma can be. What started as a borderline stage 2B diagnosis became months of confusing scans: a scan showing no active cancer, a blood test reading 0.00 cancer DNA, and normal tumor markers — all while a lone lymph node in his abdomen quietly kept growing. His care team's honest conclusion was that the cancer was declaring itself, landing Bray in the group of seminoma patients who need further treatment after an orchiectomy. Faced with several paths — BEP chemotherapy, carboplatin plus radiation, or a robotic RPLND — Bray walks through one of the most difficult decisions of his life. He explains why he had concerns about the long-term risks of chemo and radiation, and chose a robotic retroperitoneal lymph node dissection Penn. Of the 15 lymph nodes removed, five contained cancer — more than expected, but still low-volume, with no adjuvant therapy needed and roughly an 80% chance of staying recurrence-free at two years. Beyond the medicine, this is a conversation about perspective, humor, and community. Bray talks about coaching his undefeated soccer team through treatment, making an "RPLND playlist," showing his testicle to his buddies in a parking lot before surgery, and how a whole network — from his wife and friends Brandon, Alex, and Ryan to strangers who never knew they were helping — carried him through. He reflects on the phrase "a problem shared is a problem halved," how cancer deepened his marriage and relationships, and his desire to follow in the footsteps of TCAF's Jordan Jones by being a resource for the next guy. Whether you're navigating a seminoma diagnosis, weighing treatment options after an orchiectomy, or supporting someone through testicular cancer, Bray's story is a moving reminder that survivorship can add depth, connection, and even joy — and that no one has to face it alone. Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Bray: https://www.instagram.com/haaaaaaaaansel/ brayhansel@gmail.com Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    Kicking & Screaming Through Seminoma
  7. Aug 15

    The Tumor Was Near His Aorta, Not His Testicles

    Attend the 2026 Testicular Cancer Conference: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/tcc-indianapolis-2026 At just 24, personal trainer Andrejs Lejietis was building a business and living what he thought was a healthy, active life in Stockholm, Sweden — until a strange abdominal pain that kept returning after lunch led to one of the most confusing diagnoses in testicular cancer. In this episode of It Takes Balls, our first-ever Swedish guest shares a remarkable story about an extragonadal germ cell tumor: testicular cancer with no primary tumor in the testicles at all. Andrejs describes months of uncertainty as recurring pain near his aorta sent him from ultrasound to CT scan to a bone marrow biopsy, with doctors ruling out lymphoma before finally landing on a testicular cancer diagnosis. Encouraged by his girlfriend Emily to stop putting it off, he learned the value of self-advocacy the hard way — and discovered that a "good cancer to have" still hits hard when you're 24 with corporate clients lined up and a future you'd just started building. He opens up about four rounds of BEP chemotherapy at Karolinska University Hospital, an initial AFP tumor marker of 21,000, and stage 2C disease. Andrejs shares the realities of inpatient chemo, losing his hair, sperm banking and stem cell harvesting before treatment, and the unexpected gift of community — meeting other young men going through testicular cancer treatment at the same time. The conversation also covers his open RPLND (retroperitoneal lymph node dissection), a surgery Sweden has centralized to two hospitals for the best outcomes. Andrejs recounts a tumor wrapped around a vein near his left kidney, a difficult six-week recovery, neuropathy, retrograde ejaculation, and being discharged on Christmas Eve. Fourteen lymph nodes were removed — all clear. Andrejs and host Steven Crocker also dig into the Scandinavian healthcare system, where treatment, surgery, sperm banking, and even taxis to chemo are largely covered by taxes — and how testicular cancer, one of the most common cancers among young men, is treated across Europe. Now cancer-free and back to work, Andrejs reflects on how the journey reshaped his path toward becoming a physical therapist, the scar he wears with pride, and his advice for anyone newly diagnosed: take it one day at a time, stay as physically active as you can, and don't wait to get checked. Whether you're a testicular cancer patient, survivor, caregiver, or want to understand rare presentations like extragonadal germ cell tumors, Andrejs's story is a powerful reminder that early detection saves lives — and that you should never ignore symptoms that keep coming back. Provide your feedback on the podcast:https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room:https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with Andrejs:https://www.instagram.com/stepsforimprovement Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    The Tumor Was Near His Aorta, Not His Testicles
  8. Aug 8

    Legally Blind Athlete Fights for His Testicular Cancer Care

    Attend the 2026 Testicular Cancer Conference: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/tcc-indianapolis-2026 When David Smith woke in the middle of the night with searing lower-back pain, he was two weeks out from the Beep Baseball World Series and in the best shape of his life. A legally blind wellness coach, nurse, and competitive adaptive-sports athlete, David assumed it was a kidney stone. Instead, an ER scan revealed a large mass near his kidney — and with no primary tumor found on ultrasound, doctors diagnosed him with testicular cancer at 41. In this episode of It Takes Balls, David shares one of the most powerful stories of self-advocacy the podcast has featured. Determined not to miss the World Series, he delayed treatment two weeks, then began BEP chemotherapy that quickly went sideways: a wiped-out immune system, terrifying bone pain from shots no one warned him about, and a blood clot in his lung. When bleomycin proved too dangerous, David — drawing on his own nursing knowledge and relentless research — pushed his oncology team to change his regimen himself. David doesn't hold back about the gaps in his care, from "factory"-like bedside manner to Googling his way to a nearby cancer center and an experienced surgeon he'd never been told about. His post-chemo RPLND removed 21 lymph nodes (all negative) but left him navigating a brutal recovery that nearly broke him. But this episode is really about what comes after. David opens up honestly about survivorship — the fear of recurrence, the identity crisis of remission, faith, and the ongoing work of figuring out who he really is. His message to anyone facing a diagnosis: advocate for yourself, do your research without letting it consume you, and hang tight — because far more people survive cancer than don't. Provide your feedback on the podcast: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/itbsurvey Join The Ball Room: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/theballroom Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://www.testicularcancerawarenessfoundation.org/it-takes-balls-submissions Connect with David: https://www.instagram.com/dcsmith1006 Follow Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation: ⁠https://www.testescancer.org https://www.x.com/testescancer ⁠https://www.instagram.com/testescancer https://www.facebook.com/tca.org Follow Steven Crocker: https://www.instagram.com/stevencrocker https://www.facebook.com/steven.crocker2 Theme song: No Time Like Now - Tom Willner www.tomwillner.com

    Legally Blind Athlete Fights for His Testicular Cancer Care
5
out of 5
21 Ratings

About

It Takes Balls is a podcast for testicular cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and families. Through conversations with survivors, oncologists, urologists, and medical experts, we discuss testicular cancer symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, chemotherapy, fertility, mental health, survivorship, and recovery. Our mission is to raise awareness, support men’s health, reduce stigma, and help people feel less alone during and after a testicular cancer journey. Early detection and self-exams save lives.

You Might Also Like