View Full Version : Prosthetics...
so hear i go again... [i wrote a whole post this morning for 45 minutes -- and it somehow never posted and is lost to the ether -- oh well, i guess you'll get the abbreviated version this time]
me:
Diagnosed: 11-26-07
Left Orchiectomy: 11-28-07
1st Appointment with Oncologist: 12-11-07
Age: 33
Otherwise very healthy and in good shape
my story:
well, i didn't expect bad news at all.
i went in to hear the results from the ultrasound from the urologist my primary care doctor sent me to, and 10 minutes later i am making plans for 2 days later.
he asked me about a prosthetic, and i said "obviously yes!"
[more on that later]
so the next day i went to another doctor for a second opinion -- and he totally agreed with the initial findings.
my father also asked his urologist who confirmed it yet again.
i guess as i was riding the bus home after the first doctor appointment -- you could say i was on another planet.
not really out of the fear of cancer -- but more because of the surreality of the moment.
due to my lack of ability to function clearly for the 2 days until my surgery - my wife / mom / dad did pretty much all the research and asked all the questions that i normally would have.
funny -- usually my friends and family always want me with them in stressful times due to my ability to remain calm and collected -- and always in control. i am always able to decipher facts and figures and be rational and logical when everyone else is overly emotional.
not this time -- i think i went in to pure protection mode -- and shut myself down.
i think it made it much easier to remain calm and detached ---- which i clearly was.
even sitting in my gown waiting to go to the OR -- i pretty much had a blank stare on my face.
which brings me to my reason for logging in and making my first post.
clearly my family, with my best interests at heart -- was more concerned with diagnosis and treatment and hospital details etc etc -- and clearly they weren't really thinking about my prosthetic.
i am sure i remember my wife asking about it -- and i just said i was gonna get it. and that was about it.
i never really discussed it and what it would be like with my doctor -- which i now regret.
you see, my "lefty" was always bigger than my "righty" -- and the doctor told me he would simply measure "lefty" before he put in "falsey" and i'd pretty much look exactly the same.
i guess that was good enough for me.
in hindsight i think i would have like to shoot for symmetry -- but i was far from thinking about questions regarding this very important aspect to all of stuff!
unfortunately since i didn't opt for symmetry, sure, it looks a little bigger than "lefty" did... but i guess i can live with that.
my wife hasn't really gotten a good look in the light yet -- i have been only just adjusting myself. i am sure we can both live with the asthetics [even if we start hanging at a nudist colony]
so it's been nearly 2 weeks.
what am i supposed to feel like?
what is it supposed to feel like?
i often feel like i have a constant "graze wound" -- but not always -- and it has been improving daily.
i have no one to turn to for this !!
i asked my doctor if the prosthetic being the size it is might be too big since even as it matched "lefty" -- "falsey" is made of silicon, not flesh and blood.
could it damage "righty" ???????
is it bad that it sometimes is wayyyyy up in the front?
is that why it still hurts sometimes?
should i just readjust it whenever this happens?
can it get tangled in ... well, whatever it can get tangled in?
he said its just post-op adjustment and i'd get used to it -- and i can always just take it out or resize it! with another surgery? egads!!! remember doc -- you still have both!
so what do you guys think...
does it take a while to get used to it?
will i truly get used to it?
when do i begin to worry that it's taking too long to feel aok?
etc etc etc
thanks for reading!!
i haven't talked about this really at all to anyone who could really understand - so i really went nuts here [pun intended]
so i really look forward to your responses!
Jay68442
12-10-07, 06:57 PM
Hi PNYC and welcome.
I didn't opt for a prosthetic so I can't offer you any advice there. Others will be along shortly with some answers for you. Good luck.
Jason
Welcome to the forums.
Have you gotten any information on the cell types in your tumor? If not, you'll probably get a lot of info when you meet with the oncologist. If you have any questions regarding treatment options or anything else, just post here and ask.
Regarding your prosthetic, I can't offer much advice. I've seen posts from some guys who really hate theirs, and other guys seen to manage just fine. I never considered getting them, not sure why, I guess I figured it was just something else to have problems with. Hopefully some of our members who have one will see you post and reply.
Best wishes.
PNYC,
Welcome and sorry. The fact that you are maintaining a sense of humor in the midst of chaos is a good sign.
yes - i am sure trying to be upbeat -- and to stay true to myself which is making light of a tough time and doing my best to stay as positive as i can be!
I'm sure some here have some tricks for getting the new tenant comfortable.
First order of business is to make sure you're completely up to speed on your diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment path. That takes an investment to make sure you understand and feel comfortable (as possible) with the plan.
Good luck. Heal quickly.
and thank you to both of you for your comments so far.
"Tenant" -- lol
still hoping for some positive responses from those with "new tenants"
you know even though my wife would have been ok with only "righty" -- there was a part of me that feels that i just would be more comfortable knowing it [the prosthetic] is there.
and you know, obviously i never got any chance to talk to anyone or see whats what in the net so i would have guessed that maybe 9 of 10 would have said "yes" to the falsey.
upon further research - it seems that is not really the case at all.
i wonder what the actual % is?
so any new landlords want to share ?
Thought I'd throw my .02 in here for you. I opted to get a prosthetic, I lost lefty in January of 2007 (see my thread for the full story). There are days where it is annoying, but for the most part, I am happy I got it. The wound where the took the old one out and put the new one in has almost completely healed, and I have regained all of the feeling in that area due to nerve regeneration-- something the doctors said might not come back (and could just be numb the rest of my life).
The only time I don't like the prosthesis is when it kind of "rides up" and doesn't hang down the way it should. I have learned to not poke it and prod it too much because once I think I injured one of the veins or cords that is floating around where my testicle used to be by fiddling around with it too much.
I have learned to just let it be and 95% of the time, and I honestly don't mind having it. The doctor told me that men who are in a long term relationship or have a wife, usually don't opt to get one. Even though I fall into the former catagory, I still did because it makes me appear normal, and won't give me issues with self esteem or whatnot. In the mirror on a day-to-day basis it probably wouldn't bother me but it's nice to know that when I go skinny dipping at the lake my friends won't start asking questions.
Even though I fall into the former catagory, I still did because it makes me appear normal, and won't give me issues with self esteem or whatnot. In the mirror on a day-to-day basis it probably wouldn't bother me but it's nice to know that when I go skinny dipping at the lake my friends won't start asking questions.
that is basically my reasons exactly. [skinny dipping most importantly]
on the other hand -- when i got mine -- they put it in during my orchiectomy -- and thus the only scar i have is from the surgery as they used that to go down and place the falsey.
so the numbness etcetera is not a factor for me.
but what concerns me is the possible injury you may have sustained.
did you even have it confirmed / denied ?
did you have it checked out by your doctor?
that kind of makes my nervous... well, makes me very nervous... at least until we decide to have kids.
plus, could that put me in longer term pain / damage somehow?
might i damage good ole Righty during normal sexual activity???????
when it "rides up"... does it kinda look funny to you?
is that when it feels uncomfortable mostly -- or are they seemingly unrelated?
i am still too new to be sure - but i am trying to draw a bead on the correlation so i know if adjusting it will alleviate the pressure.
it sure seems when i was still wearing tighter bicycle shorts [i switched to boxers over this past weekend] and supporting it it hurt much more!!!
which stinks since i generally wear those for any athletic activity.
thanks Adam
on the other hand -- when i got mine -- they put it in during my orchiectomy -- and thus the only scar i have is from the surgery as they used that to go down and place the falsey.
so the numbness etcetera is not a factor for me.
I had my falsey put in during the same surgery as the orchiectomy. The numbness I am referring to was where the physical scar was, just below the abdomen, where they took the old one out and put the new one in. The numbness has completely subsided.
but what concerns me is the possible injury you may have sustained.
did you even have it confirmed / denied ?
did you have it checked out by your doctor?
that kind of makes my nervous... well, makes me very nervous... at least until we decide to have kids.
Yes, I spoke to my oncologist about it and he said that it probably came from lifting a heavy object the wrong way. He told me to refrain from heavy lifting for a little while, and the pain went away.
plus, could that put me in longer term pain / damage somehow?
might i damage good ole Righty during normal sexual activity???????
In terms of long term pain or damage, not likely, you shouldn't have anything to worry about it. And it would be really hard to damage righty during sex, unless you're doing something really crazy! :D
when it "rides up"... does it kinda look funny to you?
is that when it feels uncomfortable mostly -- or are they seemingly unrelated?
Pretty unrelated, actually. When it rides up, it looks a little weird, but it settles down eventually. The only time that you will experience ride-up is when your other testicle is hanging at its lowest point. Just don't try to force the prosthesis back down or you might injure yourself in the way that I described in my first post-- it will settle on it's own.
i am still too new to be sure - but i am trying to draw a bead on the correlation so i know if adjusting it will alleviate the pressure.
it sure seems when i was still wearing tighter bicycle shorts [i switched to boxers over this past weekend] and supporting it it hurt much more!!!
which stinks since i generally wear those for any athletic activity.
There shouldn't be that much pressure, but I think I understand what you mean. You will get used to having it there, and soon it will just become a part of you, rather than a prosthetic replacement. A week after my orchiectomy I was back on my feet sexually, and it felt slightly strange at first with the prosthetic, but I got used to it real quickly. You will too.
EyesWideShut
12-12-07, 07:06 AM
Hello :) My Husband recived a implant as well. At first it seemed to be huge!! He thought they had put in the wrong size! But it was just swelling and scar tissue. The dr. said it will become smaller as time goes on. It's been 4 weeks since he had it put in and it's already is smaller. Except he developed an infection and had to spend 3 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics! Everything is fine now.
Some things my Husband have told me about his implant:
-feels numb, but no pain
-he hates when it is cold out, because they are suppose to draw up close to the body and the implant just hangs low. He said it feels cold on his leg!! He hates this!!
It will eventually feel somewhat normal, of course never the same :(
Good luck with everything!
Hello :) My Husband recived a implant as well. At first it seemed to be huge!! He thought they had put in the wrong size! But it was just swelling and scar tissue. The dr. said it will become smaller as time goes on. It's been 4 weeks since he had it put in and it's already is smaller. Except he developed an infection and had to spend 3 days in the hospital on IV antibiotics! Everything is fine now.
Some things my Husband have told me about his implant:
-feels numb, but no pain
-he hates when it is cold out, because they are suppose to draw up close to the body and the implant just hangs low. He said it feels cold on his leg!! He hates this!!
It will eventually feel somewhat normal, of course never the same :(
Good luck with everything!
thank you.
i can relate to much of that.
the cold leg feel [yuch! it's very odd! i kept wishing it was summer!] ... how big it looks...
it doesn't feel numb -- because i can't feel it!
it's odd when my urologist is examining it -- b/c i know he's messing around -- but i really can't feel it!
i haven't been told anything about it "shrinking" so far...
BUT when the other doctor i used for the 2nd opinion examined it - he said he felt a post-op hematoma with some blood etc -- so that gave me a lot of hope for the next few weeks to adjust and feel less "graze wounding" so to speak.
i was also given a 5 day treatment of Keflex for any possible Infection...
ADAM25 : Your post was awesome.
so much good information!!
i do thank you.
on another note:
some other newer sensations i have been feeling:
my left leg at the inner thigh is kinda pins and needly -- a little numb maybe -- not quite a muscle ache -- but along those lines.
the scar is healing very well - but it gets very itchy.
and there just ain't no wearing tight pants!!! :p ...yet
overall -- since i stopped wearing tight bicycle shorts -- the "graze wounding" has much much improved.
when i get a wedgy -- mostly while i am sleeping in boxers -- i often wake up uncomfortable [and yes, i mean different then it use to be pre-op!]
i guess i wonder if that pain will simply return when i wear bike shorts again for working out / sports / etc -- but only time will tell.
and like i said to eyeswideshut -- i do have more hope since the hematoma was pointed out to me.
thats all i have to report for now... time for my horseback riding lesson [just kidding!!!!!] :D
so it's been nearly 2 weeks.
what am i supposed to feel like?
what is it supposed to feel like?
i often feel like i have a constant "graze wound" -- but not always -- and it has been improving daily.
i have no one to turn to for this !!
i asked my doctor if the prosthetic being the size it is might be too big since even as it matched "lefty" -- "falsey" is made of silicon, not flesh and blood.
could it damage "righty" ???????
is it bad that it sometimes is wayyyyy up in the front?
is that why it still hurts sometimes?
should i just readjust it whenever this happens?
can it get tangled in ... well, whatever it can get tangled in?
he said its just post-op adjustment and i'd get used to it -- and i can always just take it out or resize it! with another surgery? egads!!! remember doc -- you still have both!
so what do you guys think...
does it take a while to get used to it?
will i truly get used to it?
when do i begin to worry that it's taking too long to feel aok?
etc etc etc
I opted for Implant(s) having had it done twice. Pain wise it gets better and better. I'm months past the last Orchiectomy and I don't have any pain issues. I want to report that I expected them to feel "alien" like a marble between the cheek and gum but they feel very much part of me. I honestly think you will get used to it. Part of it maybe mental. I had my surgery due to Orchialgia (Chronic Pain from Damaged Testes) and I was very happy to get the old ones out and the new ones in. I also had serious Atrophy and my male ego was taking a huge beating because I a pair that was hanging like a 7 year kid.
I would say give it all 6 months at least before you get worried.
I don't think its possible for them to become tangled. Both your natal Testicle and (probably) your implant are anchored to the scrotum.
thanks for the response!
i am happy to say that it's been 2 full months now -- and i feel pretty close to as normal as you can feel.
i have just about fully adjusted to the prosthetic !! no more pain to report in a couple weeks!
and i dont even think about it anymore - and i no longer treat it specially [like flinging soap at it in the shower rather than a good ole fashioned scrub! ; )
now as far as the 3 1/2 weeks of radiation.......... thats another story [and thread]
AdrianB1971
01-28-08, 03:09 AM
In my opinion the prosthetic is not only useless but dangerous too...a countinous source of problems [infections, re-surgeries, discomphort and so on]. From my tc diagnosis i had many, many sexual adventures and never had problems regarding my missing testicle. I feel very confortable and the great psihological shock has passed 1-2 years after. Well, finally, its your choice. Good luck
In my opinion the prosthetic is not only useless but dangerous too...a countinous source of problems [infections, re-surgeries, discomphort and so on]. From my tc diagnosis i had many, many sexual adventures and never had problems regarding my missing testicle. I feel very confortable and the great psihological shock has passed 1-2 years after. Well, finally, its your choice. Good luck
have you had an infection / re-surgery / discomfort ?
a fairly cold response.
i was really asking for opinions of people who had one - since i do now.
not to be told the sky is falling by someone who doesn't
AdrianB1971
01-30-08, 04:44 AM
well, i've considered, like you, the posibility of having an artificial one and i've spended o lot of time to study this dilema. Finally i've reached the conclussion that i've shared to you.
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