First Night after Orchiectomy

[dkphoenx]

When my partner was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer last week, I stumbled across this forum and was so glad I did, i can' tell you how much reading through many of the posts helped prepare me for today, the Orchiectomy.

Treated as an outpatient procedure, the testicle was, of course, removed and a prosthetic was put into place all at the same time. he has his first follow-up appointment next Wednesday.

I am concerned however, at he degree of swelling and bruising not only in the testicle area but on his penis as well. While he has only been home from the hospital for some 8 hrs now, he has yet to urinate. Is this a typical MO after the procedure? The doctor said their would be swelling and bruising but I assumed he meant the groin or incision area, not those mentioned above.

I look forward to the replies of anyone who can shed light on this concern. And,again, thanks for maintaining this forum, its truly a wonderful resource.

[Margaret]

How wonderful that your partner has you to lean on during such a difficult time. The swelling is most likely normal; in fact the side that the testicle was removed from stayed larger than the side where he maintained a testicle for weeks post surgery. We questioned if an implant has been placed in there with out our knowledge. Since my husband has no implant, the swelling could be different, so I will allow someone with more experience here to address that.

In regards to urinating...I would have thought after 8 hours he would have gone...but I am sure it is nothing to be alarmed about. If I were in your shoes, call the after hours doctor line and leave a message and ask them to call you back if you have any concerns. That is what they are there for. If they seem concerned, you can take him in for medical attention. At the very least, it will ease your mind.

Good luck and a fast recovery to him!

Margaret

[Karen]

Welcome dkpheonix, glad you found us! The swelling and bruising can include the scrotum and penis, and will subside. Frozen bags of peas make great ice packs and help to reduce the swelling. My husband came home from the hospital at around 10pm and did not urinate for another 12 hours. If his bladder feels full and uncomfortable and he can't pee give the doc a call. If he's taking prescription narcotic pain meds try to get off them as soon as tolerable as they will cause decreased motility of the bowels. Warm prune juice and stool softeners will help with that. Please post the pathology when you get it if you need support or information.

[Fed]

Hey dkphoenx,
The swelling does last a while. My wife's company had a holiday party 6 days after my I/O last December, and dumbass me, I tried to shove myself into my suit so I could go to the shindig. Bad idea... I was still so swollen up from the surgery (near the incision, around my abdomen,...), I was miserable and uncomfortable the whole evening. The point being, it could be a while before it all subsides. Icy stuff (like the peas Karen mentioned) will help, but he should minimize the use of painkillers. The loopy feeling gets annoying after a while, but the constipation they bring about is far worse.
The urination issue should be resolved within 24 hours. If not, definitely call the doc. Have him drink fluids. Remember that he probably had not had any fluids to drink prior to surgery, so liquids could help out. Best of luck, and keep us posted,

[Scott]

While he has only been home from the hospital for some 8 hrs now, he has yet to urinate.

Did he urinate before leaving the hospital? That was a requirement after my orchiectomy before I was released to go home.

[fuse929]

My worst swelling was the area under the incision, and it was most promiment about 3 or 4 days after the surgery, and is only now almost completely gone (a little over 2 weeks later). I had no swelling of any kind on the penis, but I was and am still quite tender at the base of the penis on the side the testicle was removed.......it feels like possible a vein or two are swolen in that area.

Bobby

[Fed]

[...] but I was and am still quite tender at the base of the penis on the side the testicle was removed.......it feels like possible a vein or two are swolen in that area.

Some of the pain you describe may also be due to nerve regrowth. Surgical trauma can lead to the formation of a neuroma, which is an area of uncontrolled nerve regrowth. This or swelling may be the reason for the pain, but you can expect that to subside eventually.

[dkphoenx]

Day 2 - What a difference a day makes

Thanks so much for all of your responses.

I am pleased to report that, while the swelling and bruising has yet to subside to any degree, my partner, Dion, has been able to urinate since late last night (though #2 has yet to happen and we chalk that up to his muscles in the region being tender)

What's really inspirational is he has gone from needing help to get up and down out of bed yesterday to what I personally consider a remarkable degree of mobility. He can bend over, walk around the house on his own, entertained his Mother and Father when they visited us for Mother's Day today and even cooked his own dinner (despite my protests).

While he continues, of course, to take his antibiotics, he has already begun to reduce the regularity at which he is taking the pain medication.

Thanks again for all the support through what hopefully will turn out to be the roughest patch of this ordeal.

I will keep everyone posted as his situation continues to develop, particularly after his first doctor's visit next Wednesday, when the biopsy results come back (We already have the CAT scan results back, with no metastasis evident!)

[Fed]

This is great news!

And yes, #2 might take a while, especially if he has been taking pain-killers. Just make sure Dion doesn't strain too much (that could potentially lead to hemorrhoids... not fun ).

It is also great that he's going about his business as best he can. I realized after my surgery that one of the best strategies that helps recovery is to feel a sense of normalcy. Although he shouldn't over-do it, trying to get back to the usual routine does wonders for recovery.

Take care and a big kudos to you all,

[ronniereb]

I know what you mean by the swelling. I am slightly over two weeks past my orch and the side where the testicle was removed looks and feels like there was still one there. I asked my urologist about it at my follow up and he said it was a hematoma that had formed and would eventually go away. The only issue I am still having is that my incision became infected and I had to have it re-opened so it could drain. My wife has to "pack" and dress it twice a day.

[dkphoenx]

Day 16 - The Long Slow Ascent

Boy-o-boy, both Fed & ronniereb's posts couldn't have been more on the money .

At his follow-up with the Urologist, Dion was told he had indeed had had a hematoma (that coagulated on Day 2, the doctor estimates), which accounted for some of the exacerbated swelling and for the darker / wider bruising. Needless to say, despite the Doctor's initial indications, Dion was unable to return to work at all during the first week after surgery.

On Day 10, Dion had his second follow-up appointment and had decided to also go back to work. However, that was nipped in the bud, when hey suddenly told him that it was time to remove the staples. This, folks, is the reason they make pain killers. And while the discoloration had begun to subside, the swelling in the scrotal sack had not really come along way.

He took himself off the pain killers, when the pain began to subside. We had the oncologist follow-up and, indeed the 2 centimeter mass had not metastasized. We were given folllow-up treatment options, of which he chose to undergo the radiation. (99.8% chance to remain cancer free in the region). So you'd think everything would be all wrapped up......

But now we sit on Day 16, its two days until Dion makes his 2nd attempt to go back to work and, I really have to agree with him the swelling is still very, very significant. He had a prosthetic put in at the time of surgery, but in terms of size, you would think they installed 4 of them.

Is this normal? He's sticking to all of the doctor's orders but maybe someone could help reassure him (or raise a flag) by letting us know what are normal parameters for the swelling (time/size).

As you can imagine he feeling quite a of frustration with this, so what comes in today's mail to add insult to injury. the bill for $20,000 for the surgery. Thank God for health insurance,

but I gotta say, for $20,000, he should be up and dancing by now, not still all swollen like a balloon.

PS. Despite all this, I must say "Yahoo" about the overall prognosis. What a 2 week rollercoaster this has been, and I wanna say thanks again to you all for being here.

[fuse929]

$20,000?!?!? I didn't have a prosthetic implanted, which I assume is some of that cost, but regardless my I/O was only about $3,000........either things are way different where you live, or that fake nut cost almost as much as my car!

Bobby

[dkphoenx]

Live in Los Angeles and procedure took place at Cedar Senai. And that is strictly for the surgical procedure without a hospital stay mind you.

So when they say hospital bills are out of control...theres the example you can point to.

But, truth be told, I'd pay that and more, if it means keeping him alive and healthy.

[Fed]

Hey DK,
The swelling does take a while to go away. About 10 days after my surgery, my wife had a formal holiday company party, and I tried to fit into my suit... no go... I was still too bloated and swollen that there was no way I could fit into regular clothes. It took at least 4 weeks or so before I could wear regular clothes comfortably.
$20K for the whole shebang sounds about par for the course. In my case, the hospital fee alone was about $13K, and the surgeon's fee close to $4.5K (and I didn't have a prosthesis put in); hence, I'm not surpised. It does make you think about the struggles of people that don't have good insurance... but, like you said, you can't put a price on someone's health.
Hope the swelling subsides and things get better. Cheers,

[fuse929]

Mine may have been cheaper because I didn't have the operation done in, or stay at a hospital. I went to the clinic at 10 and was home by 1. I was surprised when they told me they could do the operation right at the urologists office, but since my current insurance is 80/20, I'm pretty thankful I didn't have to deal with the hospital fees you guys are talking about!



Bobby