Testicular cancer affects most men between the ages of 18-35, that means a lot of men either have not yet have children or are in their prime family building years when they are affected with the disease. I know not being able to have children was a big worry of mine when I was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2004.
To protect my options of being able to have children I donated sperm when I was first diagnosed. Most testicular cancer survivors are able to have children even if they have a testicle removed as their remaining testicle eventually compensates and increases sperm production over time and return to normal fertility. Men that go through chemotherapy and radiation for treatment are also, for the most part, able to have normal sperm counts even though when going through treatment fertility will be affected by the disease and by the treatment options. There is, however, a risk of permanent infertility due to treatment, thus, sperm donation is recommended to ensure the possibility of being able to have children in the future.
When I was diagnosed with TC I had a really low sperm count. I can't remember the exact number but I know the doctor at the fertility clinic at the University of Iowa where I donated sperm thought that my wife and I would not be able to conceive naturally with my fertility level at the time. After treatment ended and I was in remission for three years, I went in had had my fertility checked again. This time my fertility had rebounded and I was placed in the low-normal /normal fertility range meaning that it would be very possible for my wife and I to conceive a child naturally. Then in June of 2008 we found out that my wife was pregnant! So TC survivors that want to have children, keep the hope, and know that natural pregnancy is possible even if at first options looks bleak.
PS. The picture is an ultrasound picture of my boy at the sixth month of pregnancy.
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