by: anna junker
april is testicular cancer awareness month and survivor ty bettac is reminding other young men of the importance of regular screening.
in september 2018, at 23-years-old, bettac said he began feeling pain in his pelvic region. bumping up against kitchen counters felt funny and he also noticed one of his testicles growing larger.
eventually, he mentioned it to his fiancé who said he should get checked by a doctor. he was immediately sent for an ultrasound.
“i went and got my ultrasound but then after that, they called pretty quick and said this didn’t look overly good so i got recommended to a urologist,” bettac said.
within a week the fort saskatchewan man saw a urologist at the university of alberta hospital. he was scheduled for surgery on oct. 31, 2018, to remove his right testicle.
“he said they’re not sure if it’s cancer or not, they think the likelihood is it probably is cancer, but either way, whatever the issue is, they have to remove it,” bettac said.
following the surgery, the biopsy report confirmed it was cancer and bettac was referred to the cross cancer institute. his first checkup there went well, but by the second the cancer had travelled to his lymph nodes.