New England Patriots offensive lineman Nate Solder started all 16 regular season and all three postseason games for the Super Bowl champions last year, despite leaving the team’s Week 17 game with a knee injury. I guess you could say he was used to overcoming adversity.
In April 2014, Solder was diagnosed with testicular cancer. He shared his story in a recent discussion with Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com.
“I knew nothing about it. It was a complete surprise,” Solder said. “You Google something like that and it kind of scares you, so I was like, ‘I’m not going to freak out about this.’ Had I not had a routine physical, I probably wouldn’t have checked it, saying, ‘Oh, it’s just in my head, I’m going to be fine.'”
Solder mentioned he had felt something around his left testicle during a routine physical at the start of offseason voluntary workouts last year. The Patriots’ medical staff immediately sent him for an ultrasound and he underwent surgery three days later.
Fortunately, the cancer was restricted to one testicle and hadn’t spread. Solder had to rest for two weeks and have doctors keep a close eye on his incision, but ultimately he hardly missed any time during the offseason.
April is Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, and Solder decided to share his story to stress the importance of early detection. He made it clear that he does not want to be viewed as some sort of hero for overcoming a cancer diagnosis and not missing any time during a championship season.
“I was completely healthy, I’m a professional athlete. It can happen to anybody,” he said. “Make sure you get yourself checked out, especially young men, because that’s who it’s really targeted toward.
“It’s more common than people realize. A lot of people are either afraid to do it, or they don’t think it’s important enough to get it checked. It’s a simple check. Six months, a year, and then it starts spreading and then you start to feel symptoms and it’s a more serious situation. So that’s a big thing; you can save lives with early detection.”
Doctors say there is no sign of cancer returning in the 27-year-old at the moment. We certainly wish Solder the best going forward and are glad the condition was caught early enough.
