Concerned about symptoms

[caledonianblues]

Hi there,

First off I would like to show my respect for all those on the forum who have fought and beat testicular cancer. Until recently this was a disease I gave very little thought to but I have read a fair bit lately and find the encouragement and support very promising.

At the moment I have not been given a diagnosis so I am at the stage where worry is my biggest enemy. About 2 weeks ago I first noticed some pain (actually more like discomfort) in my right testicle. I noticed it walking downstairs. I thought little of it during the first day but when it was still there the next day I started to pay attention. The pain was (and is still) only present when my testicle is touched, either when I examine them, or for example if I walk and my leg perhaps catches it.

When the pain was still there after 3 days I called my surgery to make an appointment. I saw a female doctor in the first instance who asked some background questions about sexual partners and so on (I have been happily married for 5 years). She gave me a physical examination, which was not very thorough but to be fair she did have a feel around. She could not feel any lumps or swelling and put it down as being a strain, despite me confessing to doing very little exercise. She told me to return in 10 days if it had not subsided.

So 10 days later I was back. The pain did subside for a couple of days then came back slightly worse than it had been before. I noticed it a lot when walking the dog, or when going downstairs. Sitting did not give me any problems. The second doctor asked me similar questions to the first but told me he did not think it was a strain on the basis that my testicle hurt when touched or moved around.

He has prescribed Doxycycline on the basis that it is probably Epididymitis. However he has also ordered an ultrasound scan. I recall him saying the words "to put your mind at rest" but I cannot be sure if it is actually to put his mind at rest also. He did say the ultrasound would confirm Epididymitis but I am worried that he perhaps has reservations also and may believe there is something more sinister going on.

So I guess my question is what should I be thinking at this stage? I am hoping the referral letter will arrive soon so I can know whether my problem is serious. I have and will continue to check for changes in physical appearance but honestly cannot find any lumps.

Did anyone else present with pain / discomfort when moving but no signs of lumps or swelling? Could this be something like Epididymitis or does it sound more like testicular cancer? If asked to rate the pain from 1-10 I would have to be honest and go for about 2. It is more a discomfort, like the uncomfortable sensitive feeling you get if you accidentally knock your testicles.

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I would also be interested to know if the sonographer is likely to confirm whether I have any lumps on the day of my ultrasound. I realise the are probably not at liberty to give a diagnosis but in the event of finding no lumps or anything untoward are they likely to put my mind at rest or will I have another lengthy wait while they contact my doctor? In the event of a lump being found, will the sonographer leave and find a consultant or doctor so I can be told straight away or will my diagnosis be sent to my doctor?

Sorry, a lot of questions. If anyone can answer any of them I would be very grateful.

Many thanks in advance.


Regards,
David

[Kiwi]

Mate Pain is "not generally" a symptom of a TC but. The doctor organizing an Ultra Sound is great as this will assist.

Can you feel any lumps or bumps on the testicle? When is you Ultra Sound.

Cheers

[caledonianblues]

Mate Pain is "not generally" a symptom of a TC but. The doctor organizing an Ultra Sound is great as this will assist.

Can you feel any lumps or bumps on the testicle? When is you Ultra Sound.

Cheers

Hi Kiwi,

Thanks for replying. I cannot find any lumps whatsoever. I have been checking a lot in the last couple of weeks. I guess i could be missing something though. The pain / discomfort is not constant. Only when I walk (and even then not always). I mostly notice when walking downstairs or if I am a bit less careful and perhaps knock it when washing or getting dressed.

I am waiting for my referral letter for the ultrasound so at the moment I have no idea when this will be.


Thanks,
David

[steveb_uk]

Hi David,

When I had my ultrasound, the sonographer didn't say anything or give anything away, but I didn't have long to wait as my results were available the next day.

In my case my GP referred me to a urologist at the local hospital (the Luton and Dunstable) who ordered the ultrasound, and I got the results from him over the phone. I had an operation to remove my testicle 2 days later.

The waiting for the results is the hardest thing, I remember it well.

Do let us know when your ultrasound appointment is.

Regards,

Steve

[caledonianblues]

Hi David,

When I had my ultrasound, the sonographer didn't say anything or give anything away, but I didn't have long to wait as my results were available the next day.

In my case my GP referred me to a urologist at the local hospital (the Luton and Dunstable) who ordered the ultrasound, and I got the results from him over the phone. I had an operation to remove my testicle 2 days later.

The waiting for the results is the hardest thing, I remember it well.

Do let us know when your ultrasound appointment is.

Regards,

Steve

Hi Steve,

Thanks for your reply and sorry to hear about your diagnosis.

What were the symptoms that prompted you to go to your GP in the first instance? Did you notice a lump, or did you experience any pain / discomfort?

Hopefully the referral letter should come in the next few days. I have read that if the sonographer finds anything untoward then they are not at liberty to say anything. However apparently, if there are no lumps or masses found, they can advise you that there is nothing. I guess it all comes down to the sonographer on the day. I will let you know when I get my appointment.

What was your experience of the operation? Were you in a lot of discomfort afterwards? How long were you in hospital and are you now all clear, or have you had to have follow up chemo / radiotherapy? I hope you are well.


Regards,
David

[Sean Sean]

I also had discomfort in the testicle, but I could feel a bump or ridge as well. I went to the dr about a month after I first noticed the lump; the discomfort started about 2 weeks after I found the lump.

The ultrasound is definitely the first important diagnostic test. Please let us know how it turns out,

Sean

[muli_pr]

hi Caledonianblues

The easiest way to examine a testicle is to have nice long hot shower and you will examine perfectly (thats how i find my lump),i just past that 4 weeks ago, until i had my Ultrasound they founded 3 lumps inside. was hard to find lumps to my testice as they ware normal.

I had surgery and went well no pain or any compication after 2 days i stopped all pills and no swallowing, went back to work after 1 week, 3 week from surgery back to normal, now just waiting for bloody pathology results.

(Ultrasound + AFT,LDH and HCG blood testes) will tell if you have TC or no. as per my knowledge.

Good Luck my Friend all the Best.

Muli

[jay_bee]

Did anyone else present with pain / discomfort when moving but no signs of lumps or swelling? Could this be something like Epididymitis or does it sound more like testicular cancer? If asked to rate the pain from 1-10 I would have to be honest and go for about 2. It is more a discomfort, like the uncomfortable sensitive feeling you get if you accidentally knock your testicles.

I had my appointment, got an ultrasound and received the results in the same day; so I didn't have much time for research on various symptoms until after the diagnosis was basically confirmed. I initially presented with pain and no lumps/swelling. Difference is the pain was closer to 7 or 8. It started as a dull throb but got worse throughout the day. Best of luck.

[caledonianblues]

I had my appointment, got an ultrasound and received the results in the same day; so I didn't have much time for research on various symptoms until after the diagnosis was basically confirmed. I initially presented with pain and no lumps/swelling. Difference is the pain was closer to 7 or 8. It started as a dull throb but got worse throughout the day. Best of luck.

Hi jay_bee, thanks for your reply. Thus far I've been taking a tiny bit of hope from the fact most people present with a painless lump. In your case the opposite was true so I guess there really is no way to know for sure until an ultrasound has been carried out.

I have my ultrasound on Monday, which is only 5 days from now, so hopefully the waiting should be over pretty soon. I have continued to take my antibiotics and I have to say the pain is now completely gone. Therefore I have no symptoms now whatsoever. No pain, no swelling and absolutely no lumps that I can detect. I have tried not to check them too much as I don't want it to turn into an obsession.

I will update once I've had my ultrasound. Sorry to hear about your diagnosis but glad to see you have been given the all clear, and thanks again for taking the time to respond, much appreciated.

[JeffX]

My lump was kind of painful. My doctor rushed the ultrasound though. I saw my doctor and had the ultrasound the same day with results a half hour later. I hope for your sake that it's not testicular cancer. Please keep us informed.

[caledonianblues]

Just a quick update to let everyone know I had my ultrasound scan this morning. This was done by the consultant radiologist. Before the scan started I asked when I would get the results and whether he would be able to give me any information during the scan. He said he could tell me whether there were any issues if I preferred to hear the results there and then. I obviously told him I would rather know straight away, so he was very talkative during the examination. He told me what he was looking at, what he was looking for and was very reassuring in general.

The good news is that nothing abnormal was found. The original diagnosis from my GP was epididymitis and by this morning I had already finished the 2 week course of doxycycline (which gave me terrible heart burn and a foul taste in my mouth - just incase anyone else experiences this). The radiologist said if this was the cause of my discomfort then the chances are the course of antibiotics could have cleared up any infection. Both testicles checked out fine as did both epididymides.

I would like to thank everyone for their support and comments and wish everyone in the future the very best of luck. This has been a very worrying time and whilst my outcome was the best one could hope for, it has still brought it home to me that everything can change in an instant. I will now be very more aware of my own anatomy and will definitely continue to self-check on a monthly basis.

My thoughts and sympathies go to anyone who has been or is in the future tested positive for testicular cancer.


Regards,
David

[ColdCanadian]

Congrats! Good news is wonderful.