Is my paranoia justified?

[Karinov]

Well today (Monday) I can't notice any pain, kind of left them alone for a couple days. Later last night I checked very extensively, albeit gently, for anything odd and could not find anything. I do notice that the right testicle is maybe 1/4 larger than the left, but I think I remember it being that way for a long, long time. It does not feel swollen, although there is a firm little tube that feels noticably larger on the right than the left.

I'm still seeking a doctor's appointment just to be sure but i'm not confident i'll be able to get one anytime before a month and a half =/.

[Scott]

Your discomfort certainly sounds self-inflicted. I hope things have improved over the weekend. How are you feeling now?

[Don]

Doesn't sound like you have to much to worry about but always remember"when in doubt,go to a doctor".... Good luck in college!!!!!

[Karen]

Hey Karinov,
Welcome. Take a deep breath. Stop poking at your testicles for a few days and go the this site to read up on a proper self exam and normal anatomy http://tcrc.acor.org . My guess is that you are anxious about starting college and this wikpedia seach sent you into an added panic. Looking up TC for any reason? If you have NO symptoms and feel no lumps and had no discomfort before you started squeezing yourself I'm confident you are fine. Seriously, DO NOT check yourself for a few days to allow any self-induced sensitivity to go away and do an exam. Keep in mind TC is rare.

[Karinov]

Yesterday I was reading wikipedia and out of chance I happened upon the article on Testicular cancer. After reading it and the accompanying suggestion to perform self checks, I did so... and this is when my problems started.

You see, before I read this article I have never had any problems at all with my balls until I started to feel around. I scoured them for several minutes until I found a firm tube on the back of my right nut which I found to be just that- a tube. For the rest of the day I proceeded to scour the area for any abnormalities and could not find anything... except I had fiddled with it so much it started to feel uncomfortable. Now when I probe the area I get a mild sense of discomfort which only makes me want to probe it more. I can never find anything that leads me to suspicion.

This leads me to my first question: Is this all in my head? It is now the next day and the idea is still sitting in the back of my head, nagging me. I've checked it thoroughly and have found no lumps- which appear to be the staple of TC- but now it feels uncomfortable to touch my right nut. Will this go away if I stop poking at it?

There is also one more problem. I am 18 years old and live with my parents. I am going 500 or so miles away in about a week and a half to college. Taking your guys' advice in other threads i've concluded I want to get a physical or a testicle-check just in case, for safety-sake. But the thing is, I don't really have a doctor down where I'm going to college... our insurance and doctor and everything is up here, and I'm not coming back until Thanksgiving break in November, 2 1/2 months from now.

Which invariably leads to my second question: How would I go about getting a testicle-check down where I'm going to college and don't have connections to their medical system? And if I can't, does my problem seem urgent enough to drive back up during the weekend or cut out of my class on a weekday? Or would it be relatively safe to wait until November.

To sum things up, I havn't found any lumps and I've driven myself crazy over it with anxiety. I can't be sure now what is in my head and what is not. Any help or guidance would be appreciated.