Testicular cancer deserves attention

News item: Colorado Rockies’ pitcher Chad Bettis was declared cancer-free and will prepare for the 2017 season. Bettis was diagnosed with testicular cancer in November. Some thoughts. Each year, high schools engage in fundraising for the fight against cancer, most notably breast cancer. Athletes wear pink shoelaces, pink hair ribbons, pink ribbon logos on helmets and uniform shirts — all in support of the fight against breast cancer. We report on it, features are

written about it and columns are filed, often telling moving personal stories. Everybody knows about the fight.

Many young people would be surprised to read that it was not a long time ago that one didn’t speak of breast cancer in polite company. The word “breast” wasn’t used on TV and much of the fight was largely under the radar.

So it is today with testicular cancer.

Every couple of years I write in this space about this cancer. The reality is it is usually difficult for a teenage boy to talk with his dad/male care-giver — and vice-versa — about one’s testes.

For the kid it’s often embarrassing. The kid and dad — or other male caregiver — often are self-conscious about these kinds of discussions and heck, it’s tough to begin the conversation. I mean, what does a 16-year old kid say? “Uhhh, dad, I need to talk with you about my b **** .”

Since there is hardly any topic that embarrasses me, and since this is a serious topic that needs discussion, here we go.

Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumor in males (obviously) from ages 15 to 35. It is rare earlier than that and rare later than that.

Next, if caught early, it is almost always curable. If allowed to spread, it will likely kill.

So guys — and especially guys in high school and colleges — check yourself out every couple of months. It’s easy. When in the shower or a warm bath, your scrotum will lengthen and your testes will descend a bit. That’s because sperm — your testes are sperm factories, which I figure you know — cannot survive at body temperature.

That’s why they are suspended outside of your body in the first place. Thoughtful body engineering, huh?

When that happens — and for a bunch of guys, the extra warmth isn’t necessary; anatomies are different, you know — roll each testicle in your hand. The surface should be smooth. If you find a lump — which is often painless — on either one of them, go to the doctor.

There are other symptoms which are painful, but they come later. Catch it early.

If you have a pediatrician, go there. If you have a family doctor, go there. If you have neither, go to a walk-in clinic. It would be cool if you went with you dad or uncle or older brother, but don’t stand on ceremony. Talk to a teacher you trust, go to the school health clinic, go to your coach ... go to somebody who will help. Do it now.

What will happen? The docs will check you out. Happened to me once. I went to the doc, he sent me to a urologist. Doc checked me out, determined it was nothing to worry about and sent me home. Which is what usually happens.

Did I feel relieved? Yes, like I had won the lottery. Was it a bit embarrassing to explain to a female receptionist on the phone why I was calling? Yes, but I figured she had heard it all. So I got over it. If they find something, they will do a biopsy. If it’s cancer, they will remove the testicle. Before you can say, “Oh no, they’re not doing that to me!”, pay attention. Caught early, that’s almost always it. You are cured.

Unless one waits, the disease is almost always confined to one testicle and hasn’t spread. But they will check for spread. Again, caught early, spread is highly unlikely. There might be other treatment, but it’s a highly curable illness. If you act.

Then, you might wonder, will I look strange with only one testicle? There are folks who pay attention to testes during sexual activity — so I hear — and you might also worry about your ability to have sex and father children.

Stop worrying. This is one body system in which one will do the job of two. Again, pretty smart of Mother Nature. You will be able to have sex — in whatever varieties you and your partner choose — and father children.

As for the cosmetic issue, that is, worrying about what it will look like to a partner or in the shower room — and I get that’s important — stop worrying about that, too. The docs will insert a fake one of the same size as your other one — yes, Virginia, they come in sizes — and no one will know.

So all young men out there, take care of yourselves. There are no big fundraisers for this. The football team, the soccer team, the softball team won’t hold fundraisers for testicular cancer. But maybe the day is coming that they will. Heck, they didn’t do fundraisers for breast cancer 20 years ago and now look.

So take care of yourself. Dads and caregivers, get past your discomfort and take care of your kids. Heck, hand them this column. Maybe high school coaches could discuss the topic with their teams. Hey, we’re talking about saving lives here.

Happy New Year!

Hockey news

Xavier’s hockey team is off to a good 4-2 start. Despite being hammered by LaSalle Academy of Rhode Island, 8-0, Saturday, the Falcons are 4-1 against some very good Connecticut competition.

Xavier has wins over Greenwich, Ridgefield and Hamden — the last two in overtime — and was ranked No. 3 in the coaches’ poll last week.

Brett and Austin Reid lead the team in scoring with eight points each and Jared Guidobono continues to excel in goal. The Falcons are at Darien Wednesday and home with Notre Dame of West Haven Saturday at Wesleyan at 6 p.m.

The cooperative program of Wethersfield, Middletown, Rocky Hill and Plainville — which goes by WMRP — is also off to a very good start. The team is 4-1 and ranked No. 5 in the CIAC Division III rankings. Everybody says that MHS goalie Stephen Vaughn is very good.

The team’s latest win was a 3-2 decision over the co-op of Lyman Hall, Haddam-Killingworth and Coginchaug.

Wrestling news

Both Xavier and Middletown have solid wrestling programs that produce winning teams year after year. This season is no exception.

Xavier’s powerhouse program finished third in the Battle of the Bridge Tournament in Virginia over the holiday break. The team wrestles at Shelton Tuesday.

Middletown is 6-3 with its latest win 54-28 over Maloney last Wednesday. Its next dual meet is home with Bristol Eastern Wednesday at Keigwin Middle School at 6 p.m.

Middletown, Xavier hoop news

Middletown, winners of four in a row and ranked No. 11 in the New Haven Register/GameTimeCT poll, has a big week ahead. The Blue Dragons are at Platt tonight, home with Maloney on Thursday, then have a big one at Windsor (6-1) on Saturday at 6:45 p.m.

Windsor’s only loss was a 102-98 decision to Weaver. Windsor had a 19-point lead in that one and blew it. Middletown lost to Weaver in the season-opener 65-64.

Much was made — and correctly so — of Middletown challenging itself by opening with Weaver and Hillhouse. But Xavier also had a tough opening, taking on Hillhouse in New Haven and facing Notre Dame-West Haven last week. Those clubs are ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively.

Xavier’s win over West Haven Friday was ugly, but it positioned the Falcons at 2-3 to have a big week. They are at Cheshire tonight in a very winnable game, home with Sheehan Wednesday in another winnable game, before welcoming highly-regarded Hamden to the Art Kohs Gym Friday.

The Falcons got some balanced scoring against West Haven in its muchneeded win.

Here and there

Middletown High’s girls team is now 8-0 after an exciting 75-70 win over a good Bristol Eastern team Thursday ... the Blue Dragons are threatening to break into the Top 10 which would be a milestone for the program ... the girls are home to Platt tonight at 6:45.

To clarify ... Mercy has a hockey team, but it is a non-CIAC sanctioned sport ... until there are enough girls hockey teams, the CIAC doesn’t recognize it ... so it is with Ultimate Frisbee and crew.

The East Hampton girls lost their first last week, but rebounded with a win and are 8-1 ... the East Hampton boys are still unbeaten at 7-0 ... the Cromwell girls are rolling at 6-2 as are the Cromwell boys at 6-1, who are third in the CIAC Class M rankings ... the boys are home with North Branford Tuesday.

The Xavier pep band was terrific Friday night at the West Haven game ... it was its first appearance of the season and let’s hope it shows up many more times ... added a lot to the atmosphere.

Mercy has straightened things out ... like there was any doubt? ... and have won five in a row ... Vinal Tech’s boys are 2-3 and have a chance to reach sea level tonight hosting Two Rivers on Daniels St.

Middletown’s swim team lost to Hall in West Hartford 100-85 Friday ... Trevor Charles’ team has depth, but lacks experience ... it is also not as strong in the sprint races as it has been and like all teams experience from time to time, is a bit below the level of recent years ... its schedule is unforgiving and with Glastonbury, Conard, Wethersfield, Farmington, Berlin, and Xavier coming up, might this be the first losing season in 32 years?

On the positive side, the turnout is tremendous with 38 kids.

Xavier’s swimmers are 3-1 with wins over Jonathan Law, H-K and West Haven ... however, one has to search to find scores as there are no Xavier swim scores posted on the CIAC website ... Glastonbury and Haddam-Killingworth don’t bother to post their scores, either ... Xavier’s wrestling scores are also not posted.

WCNXRadio.com, the local Internet station, will carry three games this week ... North Branford at Cromwell boys Tuesday, Coginchaug at Cromwell girls Friday and Enfield at South Windsor girls Saturday ... some 840 devices tuned into the Mercy vs. NFA broadcast and 520 tuned in to the Lauralton Hall game Friday according to station owners Judy and John Clark.

Condolences to local football official Ralph Tosto on the passing of his mother Mary at age 90, and to the Battle Family on the passing of their matriarch, Addie Battle, at age 97.

Son Bill was the dynamic sixth man on the 1964 state championship Middletown High basketball team ... that Class M title (called Class B then) was the first of seven state championships won by MHS ... brother George also played for the Middletown High basketball team in the mid-1960s ... their dad, the late Rev. George Battle, was pastor of the Cross St. A.M.E. Zion church.

Congratulations to MHS swimmer, baseball player, Blue Prints’ student newspaper reporter and member of the crackerjack MHS band, Stephen Lombardo, for attaining Eagle Scout status ... the ceremony was Saturday ... Lombardo wins this week’s Way To Go Award.

As you stare out your window at the frigid winter wonderland, be encouraged that Yankee pitchers and catchers report in just 35 days.