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Help for caregivers

Cancer doesn’t only affect the person with cancer; it affects the lives of the people who surround them as well. When someone we know is diagnosed with testicular cancer we often find ourselves filling our role as a caregiver. The caregiver role comes with its own unique challenges but you are not alone and there are some things that you can do to help not only your testicular cancer fighter but yourself as well.

Learn about testicular cancer

A little knowledge about testicular cancer can empower caregivers with the information they need to be able to provide an array of support to the testicular cancer fighter and alleviate some fears.

To get more information about testicular cancer, visit our page About TC and for more detailed information visit our Guidelines and Experts page.

1-on-1 support

Your needs as a caregiver and those of your testicular cancer survivor can be vastly different and our website can't possibly meet them all. That is why we are here on a 1-on-1 basis to support you and help connect you to available resources. However, you'll never know how much we can help until you reach out to us and let us know a bit more about what is going on.

Being a caregiver can be a long process. Many times, when the treatments are over, is when your survivor can suddenly face difficulties and even suffer from the long-term effects of treatments, which puts added stress on you both. Whether you want to connect with us via email, phone calls, or text, we are here day and night, weekends and holidays, to support you for the long-haul.

Being a caregiver is no easy task and it comes with its own unique emotional challenges, but you are not alone, and you can learn from others that have been in your situation.

Online communities

Forums and email lists

Being a caregiver means that you are going to have a lot of day-to-day stresses and coping with them is not an easy task. One of the best ways of coping is to share your experiences and learn from others who have been through similar situations. The good news is that you are not alone — there are many supportive communities available.

TC-Cancer.com Forum

Our TC-Cancer.com Forums, the largest testicular cancer forums in the world, have a specific Caregivers Space with over 400 topics and 12,000+ posts. You can learn from others or join the discussion in this incredibly supportive community.

Join the TC-Cancer Caregiver Forum

Help from friends, family, and people around you

MyLifeLine.org

Caring for someone with testicular cancer can feel overwhelming, especially when you're trying to manage daily responsibilities while keeping everyone updated. MyLifeLine.org, a free online community from the Cancer Support Community and Gilda’s Club, can make things easier.

In just a few minutes, you can help your loved one set up a private site to share updates, communicate with family and friends, and organize practical support. The built-in helping calendar makes it simple for others to sign up for meals, rides, childcare, or errands, so you're not carrying everything alone.

MyLifeLine also offers discussion forums where caregivers can connect with others facing similar experiences. It’s available in English and Spanish and completely free.

Join MyLifeLine

Financial support

The majority of those touched by testicular cancer face the financial hardships of having to take time off work and the associated costs of treatment. If you are facing financial difficulties, please realize you are not alone. Unfortunately, financial support directly related to testicular cancer can be difficult to find and many times unavailable. Asking a case manager or social worker at your survivor's treatment center is often the best place to start as they may know of local resources we are not aware of. Reach out to us directly as well and we can work with you 1-on-1 to find resources that you and your survivor need.

Asking friends or family for financial support during this difficult time may be a huge challenge. But crowdfunding makes it simple for friends, loved ones, and others to support you and your survivor during your time of need. It isn't easy to ask others for financial support, but you can also use your page to post updates along the way. That way you are not having to spend all of your time updating everyone and the donation function of the page can be an added bonus.

Gofundme.com is a FREE fundraising platform that allows you to raise much needed money so you can stop worrying about financial barriers. You can start a page for yourself or a loved one to help pay for treatments costs, travel expenses, and more.

You can start a campaign for a loved one at gofundme.com

Triage Cancer has a toolkit to help guide you through some key topics that may impact your survivor’s financial situation. Whether newly diagnosed or years past active treatment, this site can help you navigate financial issues.

Check out the Cancer Finances toolkit

Local support programs and services

There may be free or low-cost support programs available in your community. These programs can help with things like transportation to appointments, financial assistance, food access, housing support, and other practical needs during treatment and recovery.

Search for local programs using FindHelp.org, a national database of community resources used by healthcare systems and nonprofit organizations across the United States.

Search for programs in your area.

Tip: If you don’t see many results when searching by diagnosis, try searching by the type of help you need (such as transportation, financial assistance, food, housing, or counseling), or use the filters after entering your ZIP code. Availability varies by location and program. Please contact providers directly to confirm services.