At age 17 it can be easy to think you are young and unstoppable, but life doesn’t always follow your plans. During spring time a few months after my 17th birthday I was diagnosed with stage two testicular cancer. A week later I had surgery to remove the tumor and 6 weeks after that I went through four rounds of chemotherapy. I didn’t know how to feel, all of a sudden my whole life changed and there was nothing I could do but fight it. I remember not feeling sad or worried, just determined to not let this beat me. As an athlete I am competitive and my mind went to football, it was my dream to play college football and I was not about to let this get in my way. I trained during chemo and refused to let it bring me down even as it poisoned my body, which made me weak and fatigued. What helped me get through this experience was my family and friends, trying times show you what really matters in life and who is most important to you. The support I had gave me strength and the most important advice I would give to someone going through similar situations is to stay positive. Your mental state is your weapon and being positive is what will help you get through a bad situation.
-Drew
