Fed
09-18-08, 06:53 PM
I was coasting through the last four months since my last surveillance appointment. The work and the new kid in tow have kept me distracted, and I was actually feeling normal again... until this past Saturday. The reason: dull ache on the left side, and I happened to be at work to boot, just like the first time. I did a self-exam, and I noticed no abnormalities with lefty other than a seemingly swollen epididymis, which looked to be the cause of the ache. Of course, without a frame of reference, there's no way to know for sure :o.
The ache had persisted since Saturday, and on Monday I contacted my GP; but Monday is her day off. I spoke to the doc that was covering for her, and I gave her my entire Hx along with my suspicion that this was not a contralateral presentation, but rather epididymitis or perhaps a varicocele; however, unless I had an ultrasound, there was no way to tell what was causing the wretched ache. Coincidentally, I originally had an ultrasound scheduled for the day I had my next set of surveillance bloodwork and scans, but those were not slated to take place until 09/30. The doc advised that I have the U/S done promptly. She contacted my oncologist, who moved heaven and earth, to have it done at once; I ended up having it a few hours later. Fortunately, the U/S was all clear. No epididymitis, no UTI, no varicocele. As of now (after a visit with my GP), it is likely to be a cremaster muscle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremaster_muscle) strain, possibly from cycling or spin class.
I was able to keep my cool through the weekend, but after I spoke to the substitute GP, the anxiety started to take over. While I was somewhat convinced that it wasn't TCx2, the uncertainty was excruciatingly painful. It was almost like going up a roller coaster without having seen how far down it went. This brought many bad memories back to light, and it sadly correlated with the adage that "cancer never leaves you." While I know that this ended up well, it serves as a constant reminder of the need to be vigilant. This experience sucked big time. Nevertheless, I wanted to bring it to light here. The best thing one can do under these circumstances is to be prepared. I can say for sure that I'm glad I'm off the ride now.
The ache had persisted since Saturday, and on Monday I contacted my GP; but Monday is her day off. I spoke to the doc that was covering for her, and I gave her my entire Hx along with my suspicion that this was not a contralateral presentation, but rather epididymitis or perhaps a varicocele; however, unless I had an ultrasound, there was no way to tell what was causing the wretched ache. Coincidentally, I originally had an ultrasound scheduled for the day I had my next set of surveillance bloodwork and scans, but those were not slated to take place until 09/30. The doc advised that I have the U/S done promptly. She contacted my oncologist, who moved heaven and earth, to have it done at once; I ended up having it a few hours later. Fortunately, the U/S was all clear. No epididymitis, no UTI, no varicocele. As of now (after a visit with my GP), it is likely to be a cremaster muscle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremaster_muscle) strain, possibly from cycling or spin class.
I was able to keep my cool through the weekend, but after I spoke to the substitute GP, the anxiety started to take over. While I was somewhat convinced that it wasn't TCx2, the uncertainty was excruciatingly painful. It was almost like going up a roller coaster without having seen how far down it went. This brought many bad memories back to light, and it sadly correlated with the adage that "cancer never leaves you." While I know that this ended up well, it serves as a constant reminder of the need to be vigilant. This experience sucked big time. Nevertheless, I wanted to bring it to light here. The best thing one can do under these circumstances is to be prepared. I can say for sure that I'm glad I'm off the ride now.