A fun-filled day turned into a stressful night, followed by an even more terrifying morning when I felt a lump
PUBLISHED March 25, 2018
Justin Birckbichler is a fourth grade teacher, testicular cancer survivor and the founder of aBallsySenseofTumor.com.
From being diagnosed in November 2016 at the age of 25, to finishing chemo in January 2017, to being cleared in remission in March, he has been passionate about sharing his story to spread awareness and promote open conversation about men's health.
Connect with him on Instagram @aballsysenseoftumor, on Twitter @absotTC, on Facebook or via email justin@aballsysenseoftumor.com.
Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 was field day for my fourth-grade students. It was a fun time, and I even participated in many of the activities with my students. The glory of capture the flag and beating my principal, Brian, in a tire relay buoyed my spirits. After the students let out, I had a flight to catch from my home state of Virginia to Kentucky for an educational technology consulting job, which would the first time I got to meet Donnie, who had been serving as my mentor for the past year. Between field day and the excitement of meeting Donnie, I thought it was going to be such an incredible weekend.
How wrong I was. I don’t often fly, yet 2016 was been the year I have traveled most. When I booked my flights, I chose what I thought was the closest airport. I was mistaken. However, I didn’t discover this until 10 minutes to departure at my gate in Dulles. Clearly, listening to an audiobook and chowing down on some Chipotle took more precedence over verifying distances. I discovered that the airport was 25 miles from my hotel and the hotel was 90 miles from the Bootcamp. Rightfully so, I started freaking out. Luckily, Donnie helped me to settle down and get arrangements made. I knew making it to the Bootcamp would require lots of driving, but in the end, it would be worth it. The weekend started looking up.
How wrong I was. I don’t often fly, yet 2016 was been the year I have traveled most. When I booked my flights, I chose what I thought was the closest airport. I was mistaken. However, I didn’t discover this until 10 minutes to departure at my gate in Dulles. Clearly, listening to an audiobook and chowing down on some Chipotle took more precedence over verifying distances. I discovered that the airport was 25 miles from my hotel and the hotel was 90 miles from the Bootcamp. Rightfully so, I started freaking out. Luckily, Donnie helped me to settle down and get arrangements made. I knew making it to the Bootcamp would require lots of driving, but in the end, it would be worth it. The weekend started looking up.
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