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Describing it as a hassle, Nate Mens, an Honorary Chair of the upcoming 2010 Relay for Life of Chisago County, candidly talks about his ordeal with testicular cancer.

In February of 2009, he became ill with flu like symptoms and after going to the doctor, figured he would be better in just a few days. When he wasn't, he went back to the doctor and was referred to a specialist where he was diagnosed with Stage 3C testicular cancer. He describes it as, "Scary at first but I just went with it and took the position that I would fight it and beat it from day one. I spent more time calming down my mom!" His positive attitude and sense of humor served him well during treatment.

Mens, who was 25 immediately underwent surgery at the University of Minnesota to remove the tumor and the surrounding tissue. He had 12 weeks of chemotherapy and then two rounds of high dose chemotherapy at the Bone Marrow Transplant Center last summer. For the high dose therapy, stem cells were harvested followed by five days of continuous chemotherapy and then replacement of the stem cells two days later. One month later, the process was repeated. In December of 2009, he had retroperitoneal lymph node dissection surgery, where one kidney and numerous tumors and lymph nodes were removed in a 12 hour surgery requiring an incision from the sternum to several inches below the naval. Because testicular cancer spreads in well known patterns, the lymph nodes in the back part of the abdomen are primary landing sites when the cancer spreads. Within one week of the surgery, his tumor markers were down to zero. He celebrated his 26 birthday in December, and figures that was a pretty good birthday gift. He was out of the hospital in time to spend Christmas with his family.

During the ordeal, Mens says he only missed about one month of work and he never got sick from the chemotherapy. He always shaved his head so the bald look was no different, he just didn't have to shave his head for awhile. He is confident he has beaten the cancer and looks forward to a long and healthy life.

What advice would he give other young men? "Do the self check. Stay positive. It's a beatable cancer. It's all mental."

Mens moved from Hutchinson to North Branch two years ago and is employed as the Loss Prevention Manager at Shopko. He is engaged to Rachel Marks and they plan to get married next year. Every three months he goes in for a check up.

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