Albert Banks, Jr. - Acute Testicular Cancer
Hindsight is always 20/20—and if Albert Banks had known that his body was riddled with cancer, he would have sought help much sooner. "For about eight months, I was getting steadily weaker and couldn’t keep any food down," he says. "I finally had to quit working." Albert’s mother and girlfriend became so concerned about his failing health they rushed him to M. D. Anderson, complete with a police escort. He awoke the next day to discover he had advanced testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and kidneys. "My doctor said be prepared to spend about 11 months in the hospital," he says. "When I went in, I weighed 238 pounds. When I left, I was down to 92 pounds and in a wheelchair."
It took Albert six years to become cancer-free. During that time, he found strength and inspiration from God, his two children, and the nurses at M. D. Anderson. "Those nurses pushed me hard," he says. "When I didn't want to get out of bed, they made me walk. They weren’t about to let me give up."