The Strength of a Child: Tristan’s Journey to Recovery after being Dismissed by Doctors for Six Months
In October of 2023, Tristan’s mom, Chasity Rodriguez, was putting his Buzz Lightyear costume on him in preparation for Halloween when she noticed that he had a marble sized lump on his left testicle. She asked him if it hurt and Tristan laughed and said, “No, silly Mommy!”
Nevertheless, Chasity called the doctor’s office for an appointment. The doctor did not get back to them in until November 28th, by which point the lump had already doubled in size. The doctor recommended an ultrasound and an appointment with a urologist.
On December 4th the urologist said that the growth was just fluid buildup in Tristan’s scrotum caused by constipation. The doctor prescribed MiraLAX twice daily, even though his mom said he went to the bathroom regularly and did not suffer from constipation.
By the end of December, the previously-potty-trained toddler was back in diapers due to the medication and his teste was now the size of a golf ball. Both the pediatrician and the urologist insisted that if did not hurt the young child that the lump was fine.
They returned for a follow up in January and by that point Tristan’s testicle was so enlarged it was only a little smaller than a baseball, and his sack was extremely distended. He had also developed an ongoing fever and a loss of appetite that had Chasity taking him in for treatment repeatedly; she was told that there was a virus going around and Tristan was given antibiotics.
In February, Tristan had yet another sonogram and the swelling had once again doubled in size. In March, after another bout of antibiotics for a “virus,” Tristan woke up screaming in pain, and his family rushed their precious son to the emergency room.
At first, the hospital staff wanted to get a urine sample and send him home, but fortunately they were in the hospital through a shift change. The day shift doctor came in and said she wanted to look at him before he was discharged. She immediately told Tristan’s family that she wanted to transfer him to Christus Children’s Hospital in San Antonio.
Something was wrong, and the doctor thought it was serious.
On March 17th, 2024, after six months of searching for answers and a day full of tests they finally had an answer; Tristan had testicular cancer, and he needed an emergency orchiectomy. The surgery was performed the next day, at which point they determined he had stage III cancer.
He had a port placed the following week and began chemotherapy shortly after. Tristan’s battle with testicular cancer was a journey filled with unimaginable challenges, from the harsh effects of chemotherapy to the physical and emotional hurdles he faced along the way. In addition to the physical toll that cancer and chemotherapy took on his body, Tristan faced unexpected side effects. One of the most difficult was severe hearing loss, a result of the cisplatin drugs that were necessary to treat his cancer. This side effect, while not uncommon, added another layer of complexity to his recovery, as he had to adjust to a world that had become quieter.
The pain from his cancer also led to another heartbreaking challenge: Tristan lost his continence during his treatment. The trauma of both the illness and the intensive chemotherapy treatments affected his ability to control his bodily functions, and he required re-potty training. It was a process that no child should have to endure, but one that Tristan faced with remarkable resilience.
After undergoing chemotherapy treatments from March through June 2024, Tristan’s cancer went into remission. At his five-month checkup on November 26th, everything looked great—his tumor markers are regulated, and next month, he’ll have his port removed, with scans scheduled for January.
Now, Tristan is thriving. He’s full of energy, spending his days playing with his three brothers, and he's eagerly looking forward to starting school when he turns five. Although chemo altered his taste buds and made him a picky eater—living mostly on chicken nuggets and waffles—his joy for life remains contagious. Tristan loves playing with Legos, watching Spider-Man and Toy Story, and cheering on the San Antonio Spurs with his brothers. A major milestone recently was getting back into the pool for the first time since his diagnosis—Tristan had an amazing time, embracing each new adventure with his usual excitement. When looking at him today, it's hard to believe that just a year ago, he was a 3-year-old starting treatment. Now, at almost 5, he’s grown into a strong, resilient little boy, and his journey continues to inspire all who hear his story.
What’s Wrong with Billy’s Balls? serves as an excellent resource for talking to your children about the early detection of testicular cancer or, in general, asking for help with something seems wrong.
