NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas – Phillip Tieman had a recurring lower back pain that wouldn't go away.
When physical therapy and chiropractic treatments didn't get rid of the pain, Tieman had more tests done.
“Actually, I wasn’t even home from the lab yet when (the doctor) called to tell me to come in and talk to me. And then (he) sat me down and told me I had testicular cancer,” Tieman said.
Despite not feeling any lumps, Tieman learned his cancer had reached Stage Three.
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The news not only shocked Tieman, who was 31 at the time. His wife and mother couldn’t believe it either.
“Well, at first you kind of go, ‘Wait, are we talking about my Phillip?’ Because no,” said Laurie Tieman, his mother.
"We've been together since I was 17. So I just couldn't think of my life without him. And so I start going to the worst possible things you can think of," said his wife, Katrina Tieman.
Despite the news, the three were determined to fight. Four days after getting the life-changing news, Tieman underwent surgery to remove the affected testicle followed by three months of chemotherapy.
Tieman is in remission, gets regular checkups and is focused of being a survivor. After all, one in 5,000 testicular cancer patients die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society.
He has a warning for other men, especially those in their 30s.
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"Just get checked, you know. Go do your physicals. Don't skip your physicals. They check for that every time," he said.
In an effort to raise awareness and money for cancer research, several men at KSAT 12 News are growing their facial hair in November, as part of "No Shave November" or "Movember."
You can click here to read more about the campaign and make a donation.
Testicular Cancer Information by David Ibanez on Scribd