At 31 years old my right testicle was removed in November 2018 after noticing a small pea sized lump. After the operation the C.T scans and blood tests were all clear up until February 2019 when chemotherapy was necessary. I had to go through three rounds of chemotherapy. In early 2020 more CT scans discovered that one of my lymph nodes was still enlarged after the chemotherapy treatment and I was admitted for robotic pelvic lymph node dissection on the 29th of May 2020. This operation to remove my lymph nodes was successful and I was discharged from hospital the next day.

Getting devastating news like this can really be a good thing if you have a positive outlook on the situation. I now feel that if you choose to go through something challenging in life or if it's forced upon you like this was, then you can use the experience to your advantage.

That day I decided that I would not stop running and working out so I organised a workout plan. I made sure to keep active everyday and eventually made it through 9 weeks of intense chemotherapy. I made sure to workout early in the morning before a fresh dose of chemotherapy was circulating through my body because after those brutal 4-5 hour days, all I could do was nap and do very little around the house. I found that by sweating and moving my body I was able to feel less lethargic and think a lot clearer. Towards the end of treatment I developed a bad cough and shortness of breath so running was becoming a lot harder for me. Four weeks after my last chemotherapy session I was able to run 44km’s along the Great Ocean road in Melbourne, Victoria for the marathon event with my good mate, Wes.

I will always look back at this part of my life and think if I could do all these things throughout this exhausting treatment then why can't I do more now while I'm healthy? This was life changing news and my mind is stronger for it.

Working out was the greatest tool in dealing with side effects and there is substantial evidence and research suggesting how beneficial it is to keep active throughout treatment.

In December 2019, after CT scans my doctor discovered that one of my lymph nodes was still enlarged after the chemotherapy treatment and I was admitted for robotic pelvic lymph node dissection on the 29th of May 2020. At the start of the new year in 2020 I decided I would train to do a 100km run before my surgery. My mindset was much stronger after chemotherapy and I knew this would be an achievable challenge now. On the 4th Of April 2020 I ran around Braeside Park until I reached 100km’s in 12 hours and 38 minutes. I donated $10 for each km I completed to Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation.

Now that I’m currently recovering from surgery, I plan to complete a 100km run in November this year to raise money for Movember. The plan is to run at Lysterfield lake park. Everyone is welcome to get involved and it doesn’t matter how far you run. If you feel like donating on behalf of my run then I would be very appreciative! More details will be available in the coming months and a November date confirmed. Date Saturday 21st of November. BYO food and drinks. BBQ's are available for free use at the park next to the lake.

Full story - https://www.artworksbytimmarr.com/chemo-story