Man, 21, diagnosed with cancer reveals the symptom that he initially thought was a gym injury

Doctors initially dismissed a man’s myriad of health symptoms, later discovering he was actually suffering with stage three cancer.

In 2024, Rob, who is now 21, was given a life-changing stage IIIC testicular cancer diagnosis.

According to the Testicular Cancer Foundation, Stage 3C testicular cancer means that the disease has spread beyond the testicle itself to more distant organs.

This could include the lungs, the liver, or even the brain.

Unbeknownst to Rob, a Delaware native, he began to experience common testicular cancer symptoms while discovering his passion for fitness during college.

“A big part of my day was going to the gym,” Rob explained to The Patient Story YouTube channel.

“I was going for a max squat and about an hour after leaving the gym my back started hurting really bad. I assumed it was weight-lifting related - an injury from my back.”

Rob, who went two weeks with progressively worse pain in his back, eventually sought out medical advice at school.

Rob believed his pack pain was caused by squatting too heavy (YouTube/The Patient Story)

Not understanding the gravity of the situation, the specialists prescribed the student pain medication to just ‘get him through’ the worst of his back troubles.

However, three weeks later, Rob’s back pain had still not vanished and he’d noticed his appetite had dramatically decreased.

“I was kind of thinking: ‘It’s because my back is hurting. I haven’t been going to the gym, I’m not using any of my energy’ and then the fourth week I’d gone to urgent care again and they just prescribed me another pain med.”

Rob alleges that the school doctors refused to do a blood test on him, claiming they ‘brushed him off to the side’ because of the late hour that he’d arrived at the practice.

“That next morning I had woken up and it was really early in the morning and I was throwing up blood and bile so I knew something was up,” the Pennsylvanian admitted.

Due to his worsening symptoms, Rob’s mom advised him to attend an Emergency Room where doctors put him through a CAT Scan, took his blood, and asked whether he’d ever had trouble with his testicles.

Rob said losing his hair during chemotherapy was 'challenging' (YouTube/The Patient Story)

Admitting he had issues with one testicle being ‘more firm’ than the other for ‘years’, doctors quickly informed Rob he was fighting cancer.

Within a couple of days of his ER visit, the college student was receiving chemotherapy for stage three testicular cancer.

Rob admitted he initially felt ‘nothing at all’ after his diagnosis, attributing his calm response to the nurturing approach of the doctor overseeing his treatment.

The cancer survivor however admitted that losing his hair through chemo was one of the most ‘challenging’ things about his diagnosis.

Remarking how ‘rough’ it was, Rob admitted he started to ‘trap himself’ in the house because he was worried what people would think of him.

“You just look sick. I hated the fact that I looked that way, but there was nothing I could do about it,” he told the YouTube channel.

After undergoing surgery and losing a testicle, Rob has finished his chemotherapy and has shared some advice for others going through a cancer diagnosis.

“It’s a really good time to realize how many people you have around you,” he admitted. “If you’ve ever felt lonely before… It’s a really good time to realize how many people do truly love and care about you.”

Symptoms of testicular cancer

It’s estimated that 9,720 new cases of testicular cancer were diagnosed in 2024, as per a report by the American Cancer Society.

With around one in every 250 males developing the disease over their lifetime, it’s so important to catch symptoms early before they develop.

These include back pain as Rob exhibited, lumps and swelling in either testicle, and a heavy feeling in the scrotum.

Mayo Clinic also stated that enlargement or tenderness of the breast tissue, a dull ache in the lower belly or groin and sudden scrotum swelling could all be signs of testicular cancer.

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.