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Just thought I'd share my experiences and thoughts to date... i'm 26 and live in Bedford , U.K.
Mid December 2005 I was in the bath when i noticed that my right testicle looked a little larger than the left, i had a feel and noticed it was also hard, but not painful though. i asked for a second opinion from the Wife and she agreed it certainly didn't feel 'normal'. the next day i phoned the docs for an appointment and managed to get one an hour later which was good... the doc had a good feel and told me it was certainly swollen and there was also an epidydimal cyst at the back, which i didn't feel at first but now he mentioned it I could just about feel it!! He wrote me out a Medical Imaging Request form for an ultrasound which i was to take to the hospital and organise an appointment with.
I rang up the hospital and got an answer machine message telling me it was a walk in clinic and to come in anytime between 9 and 5. so the next day i went with my wife only to be told that a doctor would look at the form, decide how urgent it was, and get back to me with an appointment time. Some 'walk-in' clinic!!! After two weeks I still hadn't heard anything so I popped into the hospital to ask, and was told I was classified as non-urgent and it could be anything up to twelve weeks.... Oh well, I'd read up on epidydimal cysts and as they didn't seem too serious, wasn't too worried.
Fast forward 7 WEEKS... I went for my ultrasound last Monday, was asked if it had changed at all but wasn't sure as I had been feeling it pretty much everyday for weeks so couldn't really remember what it was like to begin with!
the ultrasound was performed, not too uncomfortable and was told by the radiologist that he had cause for great concern and was faxing over the results to my G.P. (to remove any postal delay) and i was to contact him and make an appoinment with the next day!
I was immediately reffered to the consultant urologist at the hospital by my G.P. and saw him on thursday afternoon. It turns out I have two masses in my tesicle one 5cmx5cmx3cm and one smaller 2x2x1.5. My left one appears normal.
Ask me about Epidydimal cysts and I'll tell you everything there is to know, ask me about testicular cancer and i'll look at you blankly. The hospital and all the staff were amazing! It seemed like the entire hospital was on standstill waiting for me to go round all the departments and get seen to. I think that I was in denial for a few hours, as I had all these people talking to me about how the cancer would do this to me, the chemo/radio would do that to me, I had to keep reminding myself they were talking to me. I'm not ill, well I certainly don't feel it!
I had my blood taken, an appointment for a CT scan made, a chest X-ray and some blood taken and am booked in for a radical orchiectomy next thursday. Once they find out exactly what type of tumours I've got I'll be referred to Addenbrookes in cambridge for the necessary treatments (chemo/radio).
That morning I felt fine, now i'm being told that from next thurday I may as well write off the next 3-6 months of my life and look back on 2006 as a 'blip' in my life.
I'm trying to be positive at the moment, It could be worse! It could be inoperable. The doctors are confident I'll be cured and so am I. the wife and I were first time buyers of an overpriced semi last year and it looks like my mortgage will be paid in full by the insurance so at least i won't have any financial worries. My only concerns are how this affects my wife, family and friends, i'm going through this whether i like it or not, they have to cope with me. Also fertility! The wife and I were trying for a baby, so that's on hold now, maybe indefinately who knows.
thanks for reading,
Mike.
Mid December 2005 I was in the bath when i noticed that my right testicle looked a little larger than the left, i had a feel and noticed it was also hard, but not painful though. i asked for a second opinion from the Wife and she agreed it certainly didn't feel 'normal'. the next day i phoned the docs for an appointment and managed to get one an hour later which was good... the doc had a good feel and told me it was certainly swollen and there was also an epidydimal cyst at the back, which i didn't feel at first but now he mentioned it I could just about feel it!! He wrote me out a Medical Imaging Request form for an ultrasound which i was to take to the hospital and organise an appointment with.
I rang up the hospital and got an answer machine message telling me it was a walk in clinic and to come in anytime between 9 and 5. so the next day i went with my wife only to be told that a doctor would look at the form, decide how urgent it was, and get back to me with an appointment time. Some 'walk-in' clinic!!! After two weeks I still hadn't heard anything so I popped into the hospital to ask, and was told I was classified as non-urgent and it could be anything up to twelve weeks.... Oh well, I'd read up on epidydimal cysts and as they didn't seem too serious, wasn't too worried.
Fast forward 7 WEEKS... I went for my ultrasound last Monday, was asked if it had changed at all but wasn't sure as I had been feeling it pretty much everyday for weeks so couldn't really remember what it was like to begin with!
the ultrasound was performed, not too uncomfortable and was told by the radiologist that he had cause for great concern and was faxing over the results to my G.P. (to remove any postal delay) and i was to contact him and make an appoinment with the next day!
I was immediately reffered to the consultant urologist at the hospital by my G.P. and saw him on thursday afternoon. It turns out I have two masses in my tesicle one 5cmx5cmx3cm and one smaller 2x2x1.5. My left one appears normal.
Ask me about Epidydimal cysts and I'll tell you everything there is to know, ask me about testicular cancer and i'll look at you blankly. The hospital and all the staff were amazing! It seemed like the entire hospital was on standstill waiting for me to go round all the departments and get seen to. I think that I was in denial for a few hours, as I had all these people talking to me about how the cancer would do this to me, the chemo/radio would do that to me, I had to keep reminding myself they were talking to me. I'm not ill, well I certainly don't feel it!
I had my blood taken, an appointment for a CT scan made, a chest X-ray and some blood taken and am booked in for a radical orchiectomy next thursday. Once they find out exactly what type of tumours I've got I'll be referred to Addenbrookes in cambridge for the necessary treatments (chemo/radio).
That morning I felt fine, now i'm being told that from next thurday I may as well write off the next 3-6 months of my life and look back on 2006 as a 'blip' in my life.
I'm trying to be positive at the moment, It could be worse! It could be inoperable. The doctors are confident I'll be cured and so am I. the wife and I were first time buyers of an overpriced semi last year and it looks like my mortgage will be paid in full by the insurance so at least i won't have any financial worries. My only concerns are how this affects my wife, family and friends, i'm going through this whether i like it or not, they have to cope with me. Also fertility! The wife and I were trying for a baby, so that's on hold now, maybe indefinately who knows.
thanks for reading,
Mike.
i did have a peek straight after the surgery before the real swelling started so I have a good idea of how lonesome it'll look when the swelling's gone!
testosterone implants May 2008
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