So many of you have asked how did I get here? I somehow hope that one day this information is helpful to someone else who is starting to navigate this path. It is going to be different for everyone and it is important to remember that the most important takeaway is to always know your body and to pay attention to it.
Before I begin with the details I feel that it is important to say as someone who is in healthcare that just because you have pain in your testicles you do not necessarily have cancer. In fact generally speaking testicular cancer is painless. I can not help but think back to the Ebola outbreak, or the Bird Flu episode, or even just a salmonella outbreak and the influx of patients that would flock to the ED because they too had convinced themselves they had the very condition, virus or disease on the 5 o'clock news. See our brains are powerful and we can certainly convince ourselves of just about anything.
That being said it is more important to know your body. To listen to it and to pay attention, it will tell you when something is wrong or not just right. I for one consider myself in tune with my body and pay attention to it. I will even go as far as to say that to some extent hypersensitive at times.
Before I begin I have provided the information from the Testicular Cancer Society's website on Signs and Symptoms of Testicular Cancer, because as you read about my experience you will find little to do with these.
Signs & symptoms
- Any enlargement of a testicle
- A significant loss of size in one of the testicles
- A feeling of heaviness in the scrotum
- A dull ache in the lower abdomen, back or in the groin
- A sudden collection of fluid in the scrotum
- Pain or discomfort in a testicle or in the scrotum
- Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts
- Low back pain, from cancer spread to the lymph nodes (bean-sized collections of immune cells) in back of the belly.
- Shortness of breath, chest pain, or a cough (even coughing up blood) may develop from cancer spread in the lungs.
- Belly pain, either from enlarged lymph nodes or because the cancer has spread to the liver.
- Headaches or confusion, from cancer spread in the brain.
Men themselves, not doctors, find most testicular cancers as a painless lump or an enlargement or hardening of the testicle, this is why regular self-exams are so important. If you do notice any lumps or changes it is important to see a doctor immediately. Many men with testicular cancer do not feel ill and many times there is no pain involved.
The above was referenced from https://testicularcancersociety.org/pages/about-tc
So let us rewind back to the Summer of 2019. Life was normal, we went outside, took trips, gathered in large groups. We went places, people were not scared to hug or be close to each other. Those were the good ol' days. I remembered that I had tenderness in my testicles, mainly the right, but it was fairly diffuse and uncomfortable. It was not something that made you double over or even want to take something for. It just was there and I can remember thinking UGH. After about two days I decided to go to the doctor and make sure things were okay. Years earlier I had a similar episode and it was determined to be a hydrocele and something that could flair up from time to time but nothing to worry about.
The doctor said it could be a small infection and gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. Sure enough in a couple days discomfort was gone and things were back to normal. Then about 6 weeks later it was back. So I returned to the doctor on the second day this time. He said we should try a different antibiotic and we will do an ultrasound just to make sure it is not something else.
While we are on the topic let us talk about the ultrasound experience. Let me first say that it is not a bad experience. I have had young women both times and it was more awkward than anything else. But nothing to be worried about.
At that time the results of the ultrasound reviled Testicular microlithiasis (tes-TIK-yoo-lur my-kroh-lih-THIE-uh-sis). It is an uncommon condition — diagnosed during a testicular ultrasound — in which small clusters of calcium form in the testicles. A number of studies show a relationship between testicular microlithiasis and testicular cancer. At that time I was referred to urology. Who said there was nothing to worry about and nothing else to do but to just keep an eye on it. His recommendation was to repeat the ultrasound in 1 years time and to see if there were any changes.
Fast forward to June 2020. On the top of 2020, what a dumpster fire, this whole year has been the worst. I am sure that it could be worse, and generations before us lived through a different 2020. This CAN be worse and I am looking forward to normalcy in the world again. I am afraid that we are not going to see normalcy for a while. So for now we have to live with the mindset that this is as good as it gets.
Another interesting fact about June, I generally always get my bad news in June. It is the month of my birth which is GOOD news, but I also found out I needed my gall bladder removed in June. Was a few days shy of June when I was admitted to the hospital for the first time in my life. When I first had the discomfort that lead to the Ultrasound and here again the start of another chapter in my life.
So in June here we go again with the discomfort. Thinking again more epididymitis, but still never ignoring the signals my body was sending me. Doctor said well let's try some more cipro and were approaching the year mark so we can do that Ultra Sound too. I waited a month for the Ultra Sound just to get closer to the year mark. So on the 15th of July I arrived at the Imaging Center and received that annual ultrasound.
Till tomorrow ...
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