TC-Cancer.com - Testicular Cancer Information & Support Forum

Worried of recurrence, advice appreciated.

Dan23 — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:32:48 GMT

Hey,

Just a quick recap about my diagnoses. I was diagnosed with TC late April 2012, I had right I/O in early may. Pathology report came back as classic seminoma. I had a very large tumour (hardly surprising given the fact I left it for 13 months inside of me) measuring a whopping 8cm. Given the fact it was so large, I was very surprised and damn right lucky it was confined to the testicle. How this happened I don't know, as I know others on here with a tumour of the same makeup but measured about 4cm and it had spread.

So, in may, approaching my birthday I had a round of carboplatin, I had 1 dose. I believe I had a risk against me, which was size of tumour. Needles to say, the session was fine and only felt like I had a hangover for a few days.

I guess now, I'm worried about a recurrence because of the following:

A: the tumour was large
B: I only had one dose of chemotherapy, which some have had 2 rounds if their tumour has been fairly large.
C: I have been experiencing a slight discomfort in my abdomen for almost 3 weeks now, with a slight lower back pain, which does seem to come and go. These pains are not phantom.

I have recently been for my chest xray and CT scan. I will get the results on the 28th May when I see my consultant. Something tells me however, that if there was bad news, my consultant wouldn't ring me, it appears that he checks the reports before he calls me in for my appointment. My tumour markers never did raise although I did have an elevated LDH. My blood work always comes back as normal. I am slightly concerned. I know of many people on here who have relapsed with seminoma. Which is not reassuring to say the least. I'm familiar that the risk of relapsing is between 3-5% but this is just a number for me. Statistically there's only about a 3% chance any man will get TC. I along with many others on here was unlucky to be in that percentage so a 3-5% chance of recurrence is somewhat none reassuring.

Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Dan

Went to the docyor but sill worried

bea — Sun, 19 May 2013 05:33:27 GMT

I've had a lump on left testicle for as long as i can remember. It's been there for at least 5 years and has not grown. The lump is on the top and towards the back of my tesricle. Two weeks ago i had a pain start in my left testicle. that radiated to my stomach It only hurt when it was bumped and it wasn't an awful pain. The only part that hurt was the top and back of my testicle. I scheduled an appointment with my GP and got in a little over a week after the pain started. After about 5 days of having the pain it slowly went away and by the time i got to the doctor the pain was completely gone. He said it could have been just a strain because i had it start after working out one day. I haven't had the pain again and i feel perfectly healthy except for my anxiety levels. i still go for runs and have a lot of energy like i used to. If it were TC would the pain slowly go away like that? Or am i just worrying too much? I have a long history of thinking that everything is wrong with me but i want to hear what other people have to say about it. Thank you in advance.

Relapse in groin?

JesperH — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:37:56 GMT

Hi there

I have been written short time ago, because i was worried about relapse, since a node in my right groin started to grow.
Today i got an ultrasound + needle biopsy. Viewing the screen, the doctor said he thought the node looked "sick". He explained that the picture showed lots of blodwessels and activity which apparently were suspicius. The node is 2 cm!

I'm still confused about the whole thing because seminoma reccurence in groin seems to be very very rare and the node is at the opposite site of where i have been operated back then.
It makes me wonder if it is some other kind of cancer, even though it dosent seem realistic.
The CT recently performed only revealed that node - nothing else on scan or in blodtests.

What am i supposed to think - is there lots of differential diagnosis in this situation? I will get the answar og the biopsy next friday.

What do you think? Do you know any cases like this?

It's that time again!

Elmwood — Fri, 17 May 2013 02:57:43 GMT

Well, It's been pretty smooth sailing for the last year and 8 months, next week is blood tests and CT scan again. Husband was diagnosed with non seminoma in August 2011 and blood tests and scans have been clear/normal ever since, but just can't shake the anxiety in the few weeks prior to the tests and keep thinking about how much our life could change in a short time. I keep telling myself he is doing great and every month lowers the chance of any recurrence, but you all know how the minds wanders and anticipates the worst.

Thanks again for listening and hopefully we can go a little longer stretch this time since we are almost at the two year mark!

Post Orchiectomy Guidelines for Stage I Seminoma

BJL — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:16:43 GMT

Spotted this in a CNN article:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health...html?hpt=hp_t2

A second study looked at the efficacy of post-surgery chemotherapy and radiation for patients with seminoma, a common type of testicular cancer, versus follow-up monitoring of the patients. Researchers looked at 1,800 patients with stage 1 seminoma in Denmark, where the typical post-surgery treatment protocol calls for regular clinic visits, CT scans, X-rays and blood work -- not chemo or radiation.

However, many U.S. treatment centers do use chemo and radiation as part of post-surgery treatment. More than 80% of patients did not relapse after surgery, the study found, eliminating the need for follow-up chemotherapy or radiation. In those who did relapse, follow-up treatment led to a 99.5% survival rate.

"In this study, we see that surveillance alone was safe," said Dr. Clifford Hudis, president-elect of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Here is more info on the study:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/804287

Worried sick

anxious — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:45:24 GMT

I have been in a state of depression and worry over the past weekend. Randomly over the weekend I started getting anxiety/depression pretty bad again after months of quiet. All this seems to be cropping up because of a place on my left testicle I found several months ago. It has been around 8 months since I remember finding the place and over 4 months since I had a scrotal ultrasound that came back "unremarkable". I keep having off and on pain, which is pretty minor, throughout the day in my left lower back/pelvic area and in my left groin area. Over these 8 or so months, the place hasn't seemed to get any bigger, and my testicle does not feel enlarged or hard feeling, in fact poking and feeling at it last night, it feels totally normal to me other than that spot. I had a doctor and a nurse practitioner feel for it and one said I was feeling something that was supposed to be there and the other said he couldn't feel anything abnormal, this was before the ultrasound. I can clearly feel something there on the left one that isn't there on the right one. It feels like it is right next to the tube work on my testicle. It isn not really what I would describe as a frozen pea, and is sometimes easier to feel than other times. Since yesterday my chest has been hurting somewhat and my breathing feels.. weird, so of course now I think I've waited too long and it's spread to my lungs in addition to my lymph nodes which is causing my earlier described pain. I mean surely after months of it staying the same and other than the place, my testicle feeling normal, and a clear ultrasound, that pretty much rules out TC, right? Surely after that many months it would have changed and gotten much worse. Also, if the place is big enough for me to feel, the ultrasound wouldn't of missed it, right? I am already in hundreds of dollars in debt to the doctors from previous tests and can't afford more, but I feel like I am essentially dooming myself by not doing anything. Also would the pain of something spreading to the lymph nodes be one sided like I have, or my whole lower back? I appreciate any feedback, I feel like and idiot sitting around crying and depressed/anxious all day.

Edit: Wanted to add that the test was listed as "US TESTES W SCROTAL DOPPLER LTD" on my test records. I don't know what it means exactly though.

RPLND on 5/20/2013

parveenr — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:04:54 GMT

hello every one
ok so the time has come for my husband RPLND surgery with dr foster in indianapolis.
i request every one who reads this post to pray for his surgery to o smoothly , as we both are very worried. i know we made this choice by dr einhorns recommendation, so we do not even think if this is riht choce or not as he is our God father. if any one has any suggestion post RPLND please let us know.
we will be flying to indy on sunday may 19th GOd willing.we have plan to stay in indy for 1 week.so please any one again here pary for him.
thanks parveen

I remember these feelings....after the surgery.

roybatty — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:06:16 GMT

I have gotten off relatively easy both times. First time was radiation therapy. This time observation. But I remember for many years after the first time and treatement - when ever I felt a lump or weird symptoms - worrying about something else happening, spreading etc.

Last 7-10 days I have been suffering from fatigue and joint aches. Ya - I am 48 and just went through the surgery and I got major stress in other parts of my life, and I am trying to hit the gym hard again....but If I could -----like on weekends- I would be napping 1-2 times a day.... every day.

Its been about 7 weeks since the surgery. My endocrinologist was kind enough to order another standard blood count along with hormone levels just to check on me. I will go in tomorrow.

Hate this feeling I am not healed or something else is messed up or happening in my body.

Had RPLND, Abdomen is tight as a drum though. Advice?

JCDNZ — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:40:39 GMT

Hey learned team,

I had my RPLND on Friday the 3rd of May. It was a 7.5hour operation and apparently quite complex.

Now, 10dys post operation my stomach/abdomen is as tight as a drum. This is apparently from the lymph nodes leaking. It is bloody sore and uncomfortable still. Is this normal? How long did this go on for, for those of you that have had the operation?

I can't stand up straight my stomach is sore from being so distended.

Did any of you find anything that worked particularly well to heal and repair?

Thank you very much for your help.

James in NZ.

Concerned

iwashcars — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:20:49 GMT

Hi Everyone'
I was diagnosed with testicular cancer just Under two weeks ago. I am having surgery on the 22nd at Memorial Sloan Kettering in NYC. The ultrasound showed a 4.5 cm tumor in my right testicle which the radiologist said was about 90% of my testicle. I am concerned about the size of this tumor and the chances that it might have spread. Does the size have any bearing on the chances of the cancer spreading. My cat scan showed that my lungs are clear. There were some borderline or subcentimeter lymph nodes on my pelvic area on the left side.
The waiting is the hardest part so just kind of trying to get some insight as to what I am in for.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Paul

12 Months and clear

Stoo48 — Tue, 14 May 2013 03:07:35 GMT

Had my scan and bloods done today at IU, 12 months clear, much relief in this household, the last month has been difficult. Enjoying a a good bourbon tonight!!

Thanks to all here for the help and support. Tomorrow based on your write ups I am starting TRT, here's to the next stage of my life.

Stuart

Where to go from here???

the wife — Tue, 14 May 2013 01:42:02 GMT

Hello
My husband and I are beginning our TC journey and the wheels are spinning.

He is 32
5/1/13 diagnosed / ultrasound
5/3/13 Left Orchiectomy
Blood work baseline on 5/2/13- AFP 28.4
Blood work one week out on 5/9/13- AFP down to 8.9
Blood work two weeks out scheduled for 5/16/13
5/6/13 CT Chest, Abdomen & Pelvis came back �clear�

Tumor was mixed Germ Cell
75% Embryonal Carcinoma
10% Yolk Sac
10% Seminoma
5% Teratoma
Spermatic Cord margin negative
Intratubular germ cell neoplasia with pagetoid spread of rete testes
No invasion of tunica albuginea
No definate lymphocascular invasion identified

His diagnosis at this time looks to be Stage 1A so we believe we will have to choose between RPLND and Surveillance. Through research we are a bit confused if the Chemo (1xBEP is how I have seen it) is an option for a 1a diagnosis; his urologist only mentioned chemo with a 1s diagnosis and we haven�t gotten into see an oncologist yet.

We are in Houston and MD Anderson is the hospital we have been referred to. With recent research we found that the RPLND treatment is less commonly practiced, and that makes us nervous for such a huge operation.

The surveillance option is appealing, but scary with the CT radiation and possible chemo at a later date. And honestly the waiting!

We are looking into traveling for second opinion and or treatment; we just wanted to throw this out there to see if anyone had any advice, insight, or specialist in our area not on the expert list we have seen.

We thank all of you in advance and wish you well on your journeys.

Jenn

Sick of getting scans!!!

clockworkjerry — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:13:44 GMT

Well just finished another recheck last week. I'm getting so sick and tired of having to drink contrast, not eat, get the needles stuck into my arms, and feeling that warm wet your pants feeling each time I get scanned! I guess the worst part is after my re laps, the five year surveillance starts all over! This August would have been the five year mark! Well at least I'm a year and a half out from radiation now! Oh and I did get all clears with my last check!!! So that is a positive!
It all just gets on my nerves so much when the re checks come up! Thanks all for letting me get this off my chest!

Afraid of relapse - questions..

JesperH — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:51:32 GMT

Hi Guys

I'm from Denmark, 38 years old - diagnosed in septemper 2011.
I was operated, they found that it was pure seminoma (2x2cm) without any invasion of blodwessels etc
Nothing on the ct scan and blodtests - therefor I was put on a surveillanceprogram.

The surveillance haven't ever revealed any suspicius things until a few days ago when I was told that i have an enlarged node in the groin (right side). The rest of the scan results were normal and blodtests as well.

I dont know what to think. I have studying on the internet and found that relapse in groin area are very rare. When i was about 12, i was operated because the left testiscle didnt naturally found its way to the scrotum. I can read that a previous operation in the inquinal area can elevate the risk of a reccurence down
there but stil it is very rare as i understand. And the swollen node (2cm) are at the opposite site of both my inquinal operations. At the same time I have had a long time problem with a sore heel in the right foot, maybe an infection that make walking hurtful sometimes - i guess that condition as well can cause a swollen node in that area.?

I'm getting a needle biopsy + ultrasound on friday. They have told me that many biopsy's not are revealing cancer but I have to prepare myself that it might be a relapse.
Does anyone in here have experienced something like this, please write.

Happy Mother's Day!

Scott — Sun, 12 May 2013 13:39:09 GMT

To all the mothers of men of all ages affected by testicular cancer, thank you for all your love and caring.

Happy Mother's Day to you!

3.5 years clear

val — Sun, 12 May 2013 00:35:59 GMT

John had his followup this Thursday just gone and got results Ct and markers both fine.

So... here i am.

BBallJunky — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:12:04 GMT

Hello everyone... wish we could meet under other circumstances but here goes my story.
I'm a 20year old university student / basketball player , got some weird sensation (something didn't quite feel right down there).
Went to the urologist , he did the examination , he couldn't feel anything so he sent me home telling me this "if you have ANY problem down there , i'll rip of my degree , this is 100% normal".

Still something inside me told me that something doesn't work right down there , so i went and did an ultrasound on my own.
Ultrasound had found a 3mm (unbelievably small) "thing" that could not tell if it was a cyst or a tumor or whatever.
So they gave me an MRI , same results , CT scan same results , all normal , all clear , BUT in the right testicle there was something , 3mm x 2mm circle.

Their last hope was to give me bloodwork , i did that aswell , everything was normal EXCEPT , b-HCG , it was supposed to be less than 3 , it was 9 in my case.

So... long story short i had an orchiectomy (right I/O) april 5th, put a prosthetic aswell , pathology came back as Stage 1 non-seminoma 60% germ cell 40% teratoma.
Good knews it was caught so early that it wasn't even a tumor yet , it would start to become a tumor in a couple of months.
My oncologist suggested to do adjuvant 2x BEP , he said that surveilance was an option , but a risky one , cause if there was to be a relapse , i would need 4 cycles of BEP and who knows what else.
I finished the first cycle yesterday -inpatient- and came back home late at night.
The 2nd and final one (hopefully) starts on May 28th.

So if anyone was at the same boat (in terms of stages/treatment like me) i would like some info on what to expect , my energy/strenght is fine , i don't feel any nausea , and my appetite seems ok , i'm just a little sleepy but that's probably because of the meds.

My doctor said to go easy at least for the first week , and then start some exercise regimen again (slowly , not even close to what i did before)
I was training 5 days a week for basketball and 6 days a week weight lifting/bodybuilding , so i guess that goes out of the question until i'm completely done with chemo.
I'm hoping for some light running / bodyweight exercises pull ups/push ups from next week.

Regards , Chris :)

Non-seminoma treatment options after orchiectomy

Cheesemanc709 — Fri, 10 May 2013 02:21:26 GMT

Hi Everyone,

My young brother was just diagnosed with a non-seminoma t-2 m-0 n-0. Following the orchiectomy the doctor recommended active surveillance as our main discourse right now. Following the next CT scan we will find out if the lymph nodes have increased in size which are currently a sub centimeter. If enlarged the next stage will be one round of chemotherapy. The thought of this is very terrifying to my younger brother. Initally the serum markers were substantial but decreased substantially following the orchiectomy with HCG 2500 and FP 1400, however they were reduced substantially to 0 and 170. However, we are not in the clear yet. The composition of the tumor is 66% yolk sac, 30% embryo and 5% teratoma. I just wanted to know if anyone has encountered similar circumstances. My brother has been assessed as a good risk, I am so worried about relapse and unsure of the probabilty. I am terrified for him and just seeking some reassurance that someone has had similar circumstances are was cured. He is only 23 and does not deserve to spend his early 20s in his prime going through this sense of urgency and fear.

Thank you,

Courtney (very concerned sister)

Testicular Cancer mascot

metsscotty — Thu, 09 May 2013 19:18:53 GMT

Not sure if this has been posted as I have not been here in a while, but I immediately thought I should come here to share. :D

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthi...cer-named-mr-b

2 years clear - how to proceed with surveillance?

MK65 — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:41:41 GMT

Hello Everyone,

While I rarely post (not having anything meaningful to contribute), I visit almost daily and learn something new and useful all the time (big thanks to all who keep posting useful and supportive messages here!).

Just had my check up and I am still all clear 25 months after my initial diagnosis of stage I Seminoma. I switched to MRI last year (my insurance is willing to cover most costs so far). Today, my follow-up was with an assistant of my urologist -- I decided to interpret this as another good sign that they don't feel like I am worth much more attention anymore. They wanted to switch me to scans and blood tests once a year, but I asked them to keep me on a 6-month schedule and they agreed. My understanding is that with seminoma, recurrences after year 2 are not unheard of, and 12 month intervals for check-ups seem a bit too infrequent for my taste. Or should I switch to 12 months at this point? Recent MRI and previous CT Scan reports seem quite consistent, so I am comfortable with using MRI from now on. Are there any risks in relying exclusively on MRI scans during surveillance?

Wishing everyone speedy and complete recovery,

Mike

Bloodwork questions

sevenup — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:10:30 GMT

I had my I/O on Feb 21 this year and have been on surveillance since then. My pre-orch bloodwork showed the following levels:
bHCG 22. AFP 10.9. I had no reported result for LDH

I didn't manage to get my first post I/O blood results until today, along with the second set. All I was told previously is that are fine. Anyway, I got the results today and results were reported both times with LDH, which has increased slightly too.

Bloods taken March 28:
bHCG <1.1 AFP 0.8 LDH 111

Bloods taken April 25:
bHCG <1.1 AFP 1.1 LDH 122

Should I be concerned that LDH wasn't showing up but now is and is increasingly (slightly)?

Chest X-rays have been "unremarkable"

I'll have follow up bloods done in 2 weeks (I'm on monthy surveillance for Stage 1 non-seminoma).

Doctor just confirmed A couple hours ago it was testical cancer.

Mrb1992 — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:54:38 GMT

Hi there everyone... New to the site.... I joined a while ago, I don't have TC personally. It's my boyfriend, the father of my child who has just been diagnosed. About 9 or 10 months ago he noticed a lump.. He didn't say anything to anyone out of embarassment. Just recently he told his mother, who got him to book a doctors appt right away. He mentioned it to me in the past, But I always just brushed it off like it's probably a cyst, We just had our daughter 8 months ago i'm 20 he's 23, I could've never imagined this. Anyways, The lump grew and grew and is now fairly large. He has an appt with a urologist next thursday. Our doctor gave us as much information as he could, but were still left wondering.. What happens from here.. The doctor said he thinks we caught it in time but we won't know until he gets cat-scans etc to check for cancer that spread since they were only checking for testical cancer in the ultrasound. He said there will be surgery to remove the testicle and do a biopsy to confirm that it is TC although it would be highly unlikely a growth of that size would be anything but TC. What happens after the surgery? Will he have to do chemo? Or is the removal enough? Someone please give us some information, it's going to be a long week waiting to see the urologist. :(:confused:

All In The Family

joev — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:01:32 GMT

We need an "All In The Family" forum. My little brother is about to start his adventure with TC. Seeing Dr. Sheinfeld tomorrow. Wish us luck!

3rd day... on my first cycle!

Unbreak-able — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:59:23 GMT

Good afternoon Gents...

Thought I would officially register, and then drop in and say hi!

I have been reading a lot of the posts on this forums, leading up to my op of having the right offending testicle taken out... and then in between while I was waiting for my treatment to begin! I started my 6 weeks of BEP Chemo on Monday (6th May 2013)!

My BEP Chemo cycle is as follows:

Monday - Friday
Monday
Monday
Monday - Friday
Monday
Monday

So far doing alright... a bit queasy and battling with veins already! But only 2 more sessions this week... and then 2 days break for the veins until the 1 session on Monday so hoping all will be alright!

I would like to chat to guys going through the same treatment, any advise, tips, etc... would be much appreciated!

Damm relapse

Stuey — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:30:59 GMT

Hello everyone... I was first diagnosed with Seminoma in my left testicle April 2012, I had surgery to remove the bad guy a few days later and have been perfectly healthy since, or so I though.

I've been on surveillance since and have had the all clear for the first three then come number four, I get the bad news A re-occurrence in one lymph node. I believe they said it was under 2cm?

I had a CT scan guided needle biopsy and this confirmed the diagnosis.

I start my first round of chemo this Thursday at Columbia University Hospital in NYC. My doctor started me on 3 rounds of the BEP regimen, 1 week on, 2 weeks off, with a blast of Bleomycin every week. I feel so confused about this situation. It feels like everything is coming at me so fast and I'm not 100% clear on anything that is going on.

I don't have any family close by so I have to rely on friends to help out but I live alone and I have to do a lot of this on my own which sucks.

I assume they will explain a lot more before treatment starts as when my doc first told me I kinda went into shock and didn't really hear a thing he said.

I was just wondering if you guys could shed some light on my treatment tips etc. Did the chemo cure anyone out there in a similar circumstance to me? Does my regimen seem right? Too strong? I am really nervous this time, the surgery wasn't fun, but this is definitely worse. The uncertainty of it all is the worst part.

Our Story

spleshakov — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:08:53 GMT

Dear group,

I have been reading the posts in this forum since last year and it has been tremendously helpful so I wanted to share a little bit of our story � my husband�s story � here.

I met my husband in 2008, just a few months after he had finished chemo after having gone through his first orchiectomy a few months prior. Five years later we are married and have a wonderful little boy who is 16 months now. Last fall, on the eve of his five year, post-cancer anniversary we were shocked to find out he had a new primary cancer in the other testicle (nonseminoma again), and he underwent another orchiectomy. Unfortunately, in January, we learned that the cancer had spread to the lymph nodes just like the first time. He went through three cycles of chemo this spring and his tumour markers are now normal, hurray, however there is still a 10cm mass. His oncologist � who has just been stellar these last five years � recommended surgery and he is scheduled for an RPLND on Monday. They are taking out a �full template� � I think you call this an open RPLND? We are nervous of course and I�m trying not to think too much about it. Luckily he has been working too hard at work these days to overthink things. We see this as an important step in the cure process, but we are still concerned about potential complications and side effects. The surgeon said they can�t do a nerve sparing procedure and that he would most likely end up with retrograde ejaculation. We thought that this was a permanent effect, but from what I�ve read here it seems it could be temporary?

Mainly I want to post here just to say hello and to say we are doing really well all in all. My husband has been working out a lot � even in between cycles � and feeling pretty much back to normal. His medical team here is first rate and we feel lucky to be benefitting from our Canadian medicare system. We have wonderful support from friends and family and our little boy keeps us laughing. My husband has the most incredible attitude. He leads us all by example. I�ll try to send an update again soon.

Widow who needs some supprt

RiosLove — Wed, 08 May 2013 03:39:52 GMT

Its been over one year since I have been on this website, but nobody understands more than any of you. I had great support during my fianc� and I's cancer journey but I have returned again. My fianc� lost his cancer journey in March 2012. We froze his sperm to continue our family dreams and after a year I feel strong enough to follow our dreams. I have been to the doctor and have started my testing to plan to try IUI to conceive a child. I was wondering if anyone has been through this or could shed some light on my new journey?

TIP Regimen

Tarc79 — Tue, 07 May 2013 01:50:46 GMT

I decided to start a new thread to document the TIP process. I started today. It has been two years and I am a little rusty regarding the routine. I am doing this an an outpatient. The first day, I was only given Paclitaxel (=T). Prior to that you are getting nausea, steroids ( not my favorite) and the typicals. Taxel can cause severe allergies. Therefore, you are given a big shot of Benadryl, which knocked me out. I was in an out of sleep in 10 minutes. I literally felt Benadryl in my brain neurons in the cerebral cortex! :p

Otherwise, the first day is uneventful. I am feeling OK. Tomorrow is a very long day of Ifosfomide and Cisplatin. "I" is toxic to bladder. Therefore, you need to be hydrated very well. I will probably have no sleep due to bathroom breaks. I am not doing any "T" tomorrow and for the rest of the week as I understand. I asked Dr. Einhorn to confirm this regimen.

Also, on the CT scan news, my latest one from Friday showed slightly larger (it went from being 3x4 to 4x5 mm) nodule in my lower right lobe of my lung. And, to my surprise this new radiologist, whom I trust the most, reports that last years scan did not have it!!! So, it makes me wonder if this is nothing short of the cultrip we were trying to find in the first place. The other lung nodules that were previously visible are no longer visible. So, this seems to be the only spot with some question marks. I asked this to Dr Foster. My AFP was 66 as of last week in Indiana.

If my markers do end up getting normalized, I am discussing an opportunity to do lung surgery. I don't know if there is an RPLND-like surgery for lungs. Lung surgery is much more complicated and difficult compared to RPLND, but I came to appreciate the peace of mind and curative potential of the surgery option. I am valuing peace of mind much higher than before. Without it, it is almost impossible to plan for a future, which frankly sucks.

Last question, I do have anxiety and cannot sleep well. My doctor gave me Ativan 25 mg. Does this work? I had Xanax and it never worked. I also had Dilaudid and Percocet for almost 7 months because of my complications from right I/O. So, after them, nothing really helps. I am in a tough spot. I don't do any drugs and I dislike chemical dependency. However, I also want to be more relaxed as I don't think worrying will make anything better. I am trying to write a novel for fun and learning R and Visual Basic as a side project. I watch lots of Sci-Fi. I talk to my family and friends. They all help. Do you have any suggestions for me to bring up with my doctor?

2013 NHL Playoffs Mud Slinging Thread

Aegean — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:35:38 GMT

Ok. Here I am. Wide open. The Habs played to a pitiful performance last night in both the hockey portion and the non-secheduled MMA spectacle they gave us. If they would only rack up goals like they did penalty minutes, Lord Stanley would rise and give us the cup himself. If they can get it under control, I think they can still get this done and advance. As for the Ottawa coach, he just makes it very easy not to like him.

So take you best shot and let's get this thread going as a bit of distraction to the serious stuff elsewhere on the forum. It's all in good fun so keep it mostly clean.;)

Recently been told I have Testicular Microlithiasis

robertdd — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:03:06 GMT

Hello everyone, so I guess i will begin with a little bit of a background of myself.

I am 21 years old, healthy and fit and sexually active individual.. this all started about a month ago when out of know where my left testicle started to hurt really bad. Nothing triggered it. The pain continued and it was a very dull and not so painful but annoying pain...I did some research and started freaking out thinking it may be testicular torsion. Luckily, that was not the case. I went into see my family doc about 4 days after I started noticing the pain.. she prescribed me an antibiotic (cipro) and I began taking it as prescribed by her instructions. The pain still was not going away so I went to the ER and they ran an ultrasound test and took a urine sample. The doc there said its just a minor inflammation and gave me anti inflammatory pills. The pain went away after about a week on the new prescription. About a month later my family doctor called me and said I had to come in to follow up on the ultrasound results. This is when I heard the bad news... she told me i had testicular microlithiasis aka calcium deposit in my testicles.. Now this made me very mad because the odds of getting such a rare disease is about 5% of the male population..Why me?!?!?! Anyways, I have SO many questions that I did not even think of when I went in to go speak with my family doc, like: Will this increase my likelihood of being infertile? Does this increase my odds of getting a germ cell tumour? Does this increase my odds of getting TC? Do the calcium deposits go away? Is it going to worsen and result in me having to get my testicle surgically removed? As you can see I am very apprehensive about this whole situation and If anyone on this forum could shed some light on my condition that would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

Paranoid TM Person