Heather Wishes Cancer Survivor Husband 'Happy Birthday'
- Selling Sunset star Heather Rae El Moussa wishes husband and cancer survivor Tarek El Moussa a happy 41st birthday, praising him as a partner and husband.
- Tarek survived testicular and thyroid cancer.
- Symptoms of testicular cancer include a lump in either testicle and a feeling of heaviness in the scrotum; perform self-checks to look for these things as it could be cancer.
Tarek El Moussa also survived Covid-19 during the pandemic, and he and Heather started expanding their family, too.
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Heather continues, “Words can't begin to describe how lucky I feel to have you as my person and as the father to our baby boy & to Tay & Bray. You've shown me what pure happiness is. I love this life that we've built together and there's truly no one I'd rather grow old with than you. You deserve to feel special everyday but I hope today you feel it a little extra 🥰 Happy birthday baby, I love you.”
Understanding Testicular Cancer
Tarek is a survivor of testicular cancer. Each year, approximately 10,000 new cases of testicular cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. This is a cancer that primarily affects young men aged 15 to 35. The average age at the time of diagnosis of testicular cancer is about 33, according to the American Cancer Society.
Dr. Edwin Posadas, the medical director of the Urologic Oncology Program at Cedars-Sinai Cancer, tells SurvivorNet in an earlier interview that this disease often presents as an unusual lump. "It's not uncommon to see men come in with masses on their scrotum and have inflammation of the scrotal wall; they develop pain as a result. A lump is the most common symptom of testicular cancer."
Related: 5 Important Facts About Testicular Cancer, Including How to Screen for the Disease
Dr. Posadas also says that testicular cancer doesn't often present with pain, but it can. "Most men will present with some sort of mass on their testicle. A sexual partner or spouse may feel the mass when they're being intimate." He also says some men may notice blood in their ejaculate as a result of testicular cancer, which is a less common symptom.
In an earlier interview, Tripp Hornick reflects on the potential embarrassment some men might feel after a testicular cancer diagnosis, as with other intimate-body-part cancers, such as anal cancer. He tells SurvivorNet, "Shame is an important topic when it comes to cancer. And I think we as men have an awful lot that we can learn from what women have had to go through in breast cancer."
"The most important thing is to never become the victim and not to empower yourself as a victim," says Hornick. "There's nothing good and nothing positive about sending a message as a victim and a culture of victimhood. The way to turn the shame upside down, if you have it, is to show how strong you are."
"Those of us, the vast majority of people who have had [testicular] cancer and gone on to live very successful and happy lives listen to those people. Listen to us. Listen to yourself."
Dealing With the Shame That May Come With Testicular Cancer
Supportive Partners Through Cancer
We love how beautifully Heather supports her testicular cancer and thyroid cancer survivor husband, Tarek.
Having a supportive partner or spouse through a cancer battle can help. In an earlier interview, actress and melanoma survivor Jill Kargman candidly expresses how she believes that cancer can be a litmus test for the strength of a relationship.
She says, "I think cancer is a great way to find out if you're with the love of your life or a shithead. I think it presses the fast forward button on getting to the bottom of that answer, because a lot of people in middle age are kind of at a crossroads, waiting for their kids to fly the coop."
Kargman continues, "And I think if you're with someone who is not supportive and kind of emotionally checked out or doesn't tell you you're still beautiful with that, this might not be your person."
Jill Kargman on Relationships and Cancer
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