Click  here for last week's Silver Lining moment. This silver linings moment is brought to you by one of our dear readers in honour of all the men out there growing their Movember stashes in the name of prostate and testicular cancer. Sometimes in the midst of something horrible, it's so very hard to imagine there could possibly be a silver lining. November 1998 was one of those times.  Our son (our first child) had been born 5 weeks earlier and my husband revealed to me that he had been to his doctor because he had been concerned about a lump he'd found.  His doctor dismissed him as being a paranoid new dad and sent him on his way, without so much as an ultrasound to check it out.  We decided to get a second opinion from my doctor and the worst possible outcome was confirmed. This is a particularly timely story, given that it's Movember and my husband would go on to be diagnosed and treated for testicular cancer.  I can still remember that day vividly as we literally ran in the cold, driving autumn rain, with our newborn son, from the doctor's office, to the ultrasound office and finally to the Toronto General Hospital for confirmation of the diagnosis. Surgical removal of the testicle was scheduled for a few weeks later and we went home in a daze.  We were shattered. Normally, it is a huge physical and emotional adjustment to welcome a new baby into the world and keep it alive and happy.  These were not normal times and how we got through those weeks is beyond comprehension.  Nevertheless, the surgery was a success and we were blessed to have had access to the amazing oncologists at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, who were in the midst of developing a new protocol for Testicular Cancer patients. The silver lining to the story - besides the fact that my husband has been cancer free for 15 years - only really became evident long after that horrible time, when we realized that the 6 weeks post-op leave from work for my husband and my maternity leave, meant that our little family had an amazing opportunity to bond that we wouldn't have otherwise had!  Our priorities were set in stone at that time and we've gone on to follow the philosophy that we "work to live" and family always comes first!  17 months later, our daughter was born and our family was complete! Please spread the word that testicular cancer usually strikes men between the ages of 20 and 30.  It is very important that young men swallow their pride and have themselves checked regularly.  It could save their lives! Good luck to all the guys growing their moustaches, and my sympathies go out to their partners who have to endure it! Do you have a great Silver Linings story? I’d love to share it. Simply add your story to the comments box below or e-mail me at letters@canadianliving.com and I’ll include it here. I hope this blog helps us all look at some of our most frustrating moments and collectively share the beautiful silver linings through all the ups and downs of parenthood.