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Actually I got back on the 14th 
Had the orchiectomy on August 24th and left the clinic on the 26th or 27th (don't remember) and stayed in a hotel while waiting for the pathology report. Got the pathology report on the 30th - mixed germ cell tumor (seminoma and embryonal carcinoma).
Lab results:
AFP 4.9 ng/ml
HCG <1.3 iU/l
CEA 0.7 ng/ml
PSA 0.29 ng/ml
Went back in on Sept. 1st and had the RPLND on the 2nd, left the clinic on Sept 9th. The results: "Rapid histological diagnosis indicated micro metastatic spread in one of the lymph nodes. However, all lymph nodes were tumor free in the final histological analysis. Nevertherless, adjuvant chemotherapy with two cycles BEP is indicated for the embryonal cacinoma stage IIa."
I've sent the report to my urologist in Boise to deciper the above and hook me up with an oncologist.
In the meantime I'm moving around, but not too fast. The biggest problem is the darn chest and pubic hair growing back, creating discomfort whenever clothes or blankets rub. My mother drove down from Washington state and picked me up at the Boise airport and has been helping me out.
Of course the whole thing has been a nightmare, but I only attribute the travelling to another country for 10-15% of the nightmare. One of the worst parts was getting back through US immigration at the Denver airport. Unless you run from the plane to immigration you end up near the end of a over hour-long line, resulting in missing my connection to Boise. So, nothing has changed in the last 10 years
Just for reference here are the costs:
Orchiectomy:
Clinic : 5200 Euro
Airport pickup, assistance by translator : 337 Euro
Total: 5537 Euro (about 6640 US dollars)
RPLND:
Clinic : 8050 Euro
Airport dropoff, assistance by translator, other assistance : 500 Euro
Total: 8550 Euro (about 10260 US dollars)
Air travel was $2200 (booked only 3 days before leaving, and the jerks at Untied airlines charged me $200 to change the return flight to accomodate the second surgery).
Hotels were 675 Euros ($810), Food was something above 64 Euro ($77), Long distance calls to the US were about 100 Euros ($120), bus passes probably about $25.
Had the orchiectomy on August 24th and left the clinic on the 26th or 27th (don't remember) and stayed in a hotel while waiting for the pathology report. Got the pathology report on the 30th - mixed germ cell tumor (seminoma and embryonal carcinoma).
Lab results:
AFP 4.9 ng/ml
HCG <1.3 iU/l
CEA 0.7 ng/ml
PSA 0.29 ng/ml
Went back in on Sept. 1st and had the RPLND on the 2nd, left the clinic on Sept 9th. The results: "Rapid histological diagnosis indicated micro metastatic spread in one of the lymph nodes. However, all lymph nodes were tumor free in the final histological analysis. Nevertherless, adjuvant chemotherapy with two cycles BEP is indicated for the embryonal cacinoma stage IIa."
I've sent the report to my urologist in Boise to deciper the above and hook me up with an oncologist.
In the meantime I'm moving around, but not too fast. The biggest problem is the darn chest and pubic hair growing back, creating discomfort whenever clothes or blankets rub. My mother drove down from Washington state and picked me up at the Boise airport and has been helping me out.
Of course the whole thing has been a nightmare, but I only attribute the travelling to another country for 10-15% of the nightmare. One of the worst parts was getting back through US immigration at the Denver airport. Unless you run from the plane to immigration you end up near the end of a over hour-long line, resulting in missing my connection to Boise. So, nothing has changed in the last 10 years
Just for reference here are the costs:
Orchiectomy:
Clinic : 5200 Euro
Airport pickup, assistance by translator : 337 Euro
Total: 5537 Euro (about 6640 US dollars)
RPLND:
Clinic : 8050 Euro
Airport dropoff, assistance by translator, other assistance : 500 Euro
Total: 8550 Euro (about 10260 US dollars)
Air travel was $2200 (booked only 3 days before leaving, and the jerks at Untied airlines charged me $200 to change the return flight to accomodate the second surgery).
Hotels were 675 Euros ($810), Food was something above 64 Euro ($77), Long distance calls to the US were about 100 Euros ($120), bus passes probably about $25.