Testicular surgery
Discussion
Was a bit reluctant to post this, but related threads are quite old and not quite on the topic, so f
k it, here goes.
I had a lump on a ball a few months ago. Did the right thing and got it checked.
It was a very common benign tube swelling thing, but due to proximity to the ball, a scan was booked to make sure it wasn’t attached and therefore something nastier.
A couple of weeks later I got scanned and it was already gone as predicted, but they scanned anyway - and found a lesion in the same ball but in another location - which was otherwise undetectable.
Skip through a couple months of of scans and blood tests and the advice was firm: it’s very early, but with only 5% ‘risk’ of being benign, removal was recommended.
I’m 42, have two kids, already had a vasectomy anyway, so impact on fertility isn’t a problem.
Anyway, it’ll be a few weeks before I find out if it was cancerous or not, and a CT scan is due before then; but now I’m a few days into recovery after a radical orchiectomy on one side.
What’s messing with me now is dealing with it after the event.
As someone who never had anything ‘done’ before, and was squeamish about the idea of a piercing or tattoo, this is…a somewhat traumatic experience.
I think I’m ok, but there are moments (like showering or dressing) when I wobble onto the side of losing my st.
Anyone else been through it? How did you handle the immediate aftermath?
k it, here goes. I had a lump on a ball a few months ago. Did the right thing and got it checked.
It was a very common benign tube swelling thing, but due to proximity to the ball, a scan was booked to make sure it wasn’t attached and therefore something nastier.
A couple of weeks later I got scanned and it was already gone as predicted, but they scanned anyway - and found a lesion in the same ball but in another location - which was otherwise undetectable.
Skip through a couple months of of scans and blood tests and the advice was firm: it’s very early, but with only 5% ‘risk’ of being benign, removal was recommended.
I’m 42, have two kids, already had a vasectomy anyway, so impact on fertility isn’t a problem.
Anyway, it’ll be a few weeks before I find out if it was cancerous or not, and a CT scan is due before then; but now I’m a few days into recovery after a radical orchiectomy on one side.
What’s messing with me now is dealing with it after the event.
As someone who never had anything ‘done’ before, and was squeamish about the idea of a piercing or tattoo, this is…a somewhat traumatic experience.
I think I’m ok, but there are moments (like showering or dressing) when I wobble onto the side of losing my s
t.Anyone else been through it? How did you handle the immediate aftermath?
Well done on getting it checked and doing the right thing, so many guys just ignore it hoping it go so respect to you pal, you've done the right thing by your family and fingers crossed all will be in order going forward.
Waiting to hear the outcome must be a stter but sure it won't be long 'til you get the all clear. If it's not all clear, then you'll cope, whatever that looks like. Keep talking and sharing, plenty here have been through similar. I recently found myself being felt up by the doc after finding a large swelling in my sack, thankfully after a scan it was confirmed as all fine but I certainly had a few wobbles too which is absolutely normal.
Waiting to hear the outcome must be a s
tter but sure it won't be long 'til you get the all clear. If it's not all clear, then you'll cope, whatever that looks like. Keep talking and sharing, plenty here have been through similar. I recently found myself being felt up by the doc after finding a large swelling in my sack, thankfully after a scan it was confirmed as all fine but I certainly had a few wobbles too which is absolutely normal. Well done going through the surgery. From my own experience I know how traumatic the whole thing can be, terrifying if you let your mind wander. Sometimes it can feel like when it's done they just boot you out. But there should be be a liaison nurse of some kind? I've spoken to other people post possible cancer surgery/biopsy and all agreed some sort of talk about how to prepare for this sort of thing psychologically would have been very useful beforehand. You'll be fine, don't worry.
My friend recently went through this, from our conversations there was a lot of support and discussion aside from just the mechanics of surgery. He was even offered aesthetic support too such as a prosthetic implant. Not having been through this personally but having been close to my friend who did, I would say be open and talk about your thoughts, worries and concerns, there are a lot of professionals involved in delivering a positive outcome and they are there to help you.
I don't usually like posting personal stuff here, but ah, fk it.
In 2010 I found a lump. I hoped it'd be OK when I got it checked out.
It wasn't.
The next week I was having my right bk removed.
I had a squirt of chemotherapy to make sure the bd didn't come back to anywhere else in my body, and I've been OK since.
It's a head fk to begin with... And then you realise it matters less than you think. The other one gets bigger to make up for the one you've lost and everything looks OK.
Bad things? Tight trousers can be a sod because the remaining bk swings down where the seam is. They pull the dodgy ball out up and take it out of your groin crease so I've got a scar there and lost a little sensation over a tiny patch of skin a couple of cm wide just above my trouser pocket. That's about it. (Chemo was like the worst hanhover you've ever had for a couple of weeks.)
I thought about a prosthetic for a while then decided that (a) it's not exactly the prettiest but of me anyway (b) if anything went wrong or infected and damaged the other one I'd always regret it.
11 years later, I remain well and now have 2 kids. The future can be better than you think.
That fear that it'll come back one day never leaves you but you learn to deal with it.
k it.In 2010 I found a lump. I hoped it'd be OK when I got it checked out.
It wasn't.
The next week I was having my right b
k removed.I had a squirt of chemotherapy to make sure the b
d didn't come back to anywhere else in my body, and I've been OK since.It's a head f
k to begin with... And then you realise it matters less than you think. The other one gets bigger to make up for the one you've lost and everything looks OK.Bad things? Tight trousers can be a sod because the remaining b
k swings down where the seam is. They pull the dodgy ball out up and take it out of your groin crease so I've got a scar there and lost a little sensation over a tiny patch of skin a couple of cm wide just above my trouser pocket. That's about it. (Chemo was like the worst hanhover you've ever had for a couple of weeks.)I thought about a prosthetic for a while then decided that (a) it's not exactly the prettiest but of me anyway (b) if anything went wrong or infected and damaged the other one I'd always regret it.
11 years later, I remain well and now have 2 kids. The future can be better than you think.
That fear that it'll come back one day never leaves you but you learn to deal with it.
Edited by blearyeyedboy on Sunday 21st November 23:15
Haven’t even thought about the CT scan or prospect of further treatment yet - but yes, it’s a bit of a spectre hanging in the air until they come back with results.
The point about not being mentally prepared for it was spot on. I had 6 weeks or so of knowing it might happen but even so, when it came to the operation it was all a bit sudden. It was day-surgery so afterwards I was brought around, ate, drank, went to the loo, then patted on the bum and sent home with a sparsely filled in discharge sheet, and verbal instructions delivered while I was still high - and utterly traumatised - it was my first time having surgery or going under GA and I was absolutely terrified going in.
Declined an implant - since it’s just for aesthetics I didn’t think it was worth the infection risk or any other complications - especially since they couldn’t offer one that squeaks when squeezed.
The bit I haven’t been great dealing with was the fear and shock of discovering my undercarriage but it’s beginning to wear off a bit (it’s day 5 of recovery). The scar on my groin isn’t too awful, but it’s knowing a nut is missing, and that the sack is empty that side that really makes my stomach flip. It’s getting easier to accept with each shower or loo trip though.
Thanks so much for the responses, it really does help to hear from others who’ve been through it and can say it’ll get better!
The point about not being mentally prepared for it was spot on. I had 6 weeks or so of knowing it might happen but even so, when it came to the operation it was all a bit sudden. It was day-surgery so afterwards I was brought around, ate, drank, went to the loo, then patted on the bum and sent home with a sparsely filled in discharge sheet, and verbal instructions delivered while I was still high - and utterly traumatised - it was my first time having surgery or going under GA and I was absolutely terrified going in.
Declined an implant - since it’s just for aesthetics I didn’t think it was worth the infection risk or any other complications - especially since they couldn’t offer one that squeaks when squeezed.
The bit I haven’t been great dealing with was the fear and shock of discovering my undercarriage but it’s beginning to wear off a bit (it’s day 5 of recovery). The scar on my groin isn’t too awful, but it’s knowing a nut is missing, and that the sack is empty that side that really makes my stomach flip. It’s getting easier to accept with each shower or loo trip though.
Thanks so much for the responses, it really does help to hear from others who’ve been through it and can say it’ll get better!
BS62 said:
Was a bit reluctant to post this, but related threads are quite old and not quite on the topic, so fk it, here goes.
I had a lump on a ball a few months ago. Did the right thing and got it checked.
It was a very common benign tube swelling thing, but due to proximity to the ball, a scan was booked to make sure it wasn’t attached and therefore something nastier.
A couple of weeks later I got scanned and it was already gone as predicted, but they scanned anyway - and found a lesion in the same ball but in another location - which was otherwise undetectable.
Skip through a couple months of of scans and blood tests and the advice was firm: it’s very early, but with only 5% ‘risk’ of being benign, removal was recommended.
I’m 42, have two kids, already had a vasectomy anyway, so impact on fertility isn’t a problem.
Anyway, it’ll be a few weeks before I find out if it was cancerous or not, and a CT scan is due before then; but now I’m a few days into recovery after a radical orchiectomy on one side.
What’s messing with me now is dealing with it after the event.
As someone who never had anything ‘done’ before, and was squeamish about the idea of a piercing or tattoo, this is…a somewhat traumatic experience.
I think I’m ok, but there are moments (like showering or dressing) when I wobble onto the side of losing my st.
Anyone else been through it? How did you handle the immediate aftermath?
Hi there, I found a lump on my right one in 2018, I was 33, diagnosed a couple of weeks later via ultrasound as cancerous. k it, here goes. I had a lump on a ball a few months ago. Did the right thing and got it checked.
It was a very common benign tube swelling thing, but due to proximity to the ball, a scan was booked to make sure it wasn’t attached and therefore something nastier.
A couple of weeks later I got scanned and it was already gone as predicted, but they scanned anyway - and found a lesion in the same ball but in another location - which was otherwise undetectable.
Skip through a couple months of of scans and blood tests and the advice was firm: it’s very early, but with only 5% ‘risk’ of being benign, removal was recommended.
I’m 42, have two kids, already had a vasectomy anyway, so impact on fertility isn’t a problem.
Anyway, it’ll be a few weeks before I find out if it was cancerous or not, and a CT scan is due before then; but now I’m a few days into recovery after a radical orchiectomy on one side.
What’s messing with me now is dealing with it after the event.
As someone who never had anything ‘done’ before, and was squeamish about the idea of a piercing or tattoo, this is…a somewhat traumatic experience.
I think I’m ok, but there are moments (like showering or dressing) when I wobble onto the side of losing my s
t.Anyone else been through it? How did you handle the immediate aftermath?
Two weeks after I was in hospital having it out, following a CT scan and blood tests (I think the blood tests and CT only really look at potential spread). The operation is called an orchidecotmy, the surgeon goes in through your groin and removes the testicle and connecting lymph nodes.
My operation went well, if you are nervous they will give you diazepam, I took it and within 10 mins I felt great
. No infection and the scar healed really well. I didn't opt for a prosthetic. It turned out that I had a T1 seminoma, no spread.As for aftermath, it was very painfull to go to the toilet (due to the fresh scar) for a couple of days after but this soon subsided. I opted after about two days not to take the Co-codamol they gave me as it causes constipation and I didn't want any further toilet trouble. The post anaesthetic dizzyness lasted about 2 weeks for me, I also had numbness down to my knee for about 6 months, but feeling has more or less come back 3 years later.
I was back mountain biking 3 weeks post op.
I'm on the NHS screening program now, I had CTs twice a year up until year 3 and now it is only once a year.
Remember, testicular cancer (if that's what this is) is curable, 80% of people don't need any further treatment after the operation.
I'm on my lunch at work which is why this post may seem rushed, feel free to ask any questions and I'll get back to you.
I underwent a bilateral orchiopexy for intermittent testicular torsion almost ten years ago. As a patient, there is not much to fear (strictly from the procedural perspective - the possibility of a cancer diagnosis will always be daunting). The anaesthetist will insert a cannula and administer propofol. You'll be out - it isn't termed milk of amnesia for nothing.
Post-operatively, you'll be groggy and nauseated from the general. Be prepared for soreness to persist for a while. However, you must try to be mobilise yourself. It is a big factor in hastening recovery. There are a few other things that can be factors in urological procedures but these will all be discussed with you by the team administering your care - it would be inappropriate for me to talk about it further.
You'll be fine - you'll crush it man.
Post-operatively, you'll be groggy and nauseated from the general. Be prepared for soreness to persist for a while. However, you must try to be mobilise yourself. It is a big factor in hastening recovery. There are a few other things that can be factors in urological procedures but these will all be discussed with you by the team administering your care - it would be inappropriate for me to talk about it further.
You'll be fine - you'll crush it man.
Eleu said:
You'll be fine - you'll crush it man.
Hopefully not, he'll only have one left! Had a lump myself a few years ago although turned out to be benign and was removed was still a worry though, although to be honest I was more worried when they were "shaving" me and the nurse asked if I was nervous as my heart rate had gone up, apparently it isn't normal for your heartrate to shoot when a stranger approaches your b
ks with a razer... Thought I'd do a quick follow-up.
It's good news: while I went through the removal surgery and am still dealing with the recovery and getting used to what I'm left with, I've since had all the blood tests and a CT scan and they've given me the all-clear.
The phrasiology used is always backwards (tumour was considered 5% risk of being benign; they tested it and won't say it wasn't cancerous, just that it lacked a particular cell pattern so appears to have been benign, etc), but to be told there's no need for anything further is better than I dared hope for.
So while it may not have been strictly necessary to take out the bk, there was no way of being sure without actually doing it - and if it had turned out to be actively malignant, the consequences of not taking any action don't bear thinking about.
Thank you everyone who replied. When I started the thread I was in a very dark place, miserable about what had been done to me, in a lot of pain, and terrified of what the results of the testing might be - but your contributions and sharing what you'd also been through were an enormous help to me, and I hope will be to anyone who finds this thread in a future search.
It's good news: while I went through the removal surgery and am still dealing with the recovery and getting used to what I'm left with, I've since had all the blood tests and a CT scan and they've given me the all-clear.
The phrasiology used is always backwards (tumour was considered 5% risk of being benign; they tested it and won't say it wasn't cancerous, just that it lacked a particular cell pattern so appears to have been benign, etc), but to be told there's no need for anything further is better than I dared hope for.
So while it may not have been strictly necessary to take out the b
k, there was no way of being sure without actually doing it - and if it had turned out to be actively malignant, the consequences of not taking any action don't bear thinking about. Thank you everyone who replied. When I started the thread I was in a very dark place, miserable about what had been done to me, in a lot of pain, and terrified of what the results of the testing might be - but your contributions and sharing what you'd also been through were an enormous help to me, and I hope will be to anyone who finds this thread in a future search.
Well done on being honest and reaching out, not easy as a bloke. 
Glad to hear it's working out for you. Please keep sharing if it helps you. A lot of us will be happy to offer support.I had a right orchidectomy 25 years ago. Long story short I had backache and ended up with a tumour “the size of a small loaf of bread” in my abdomen. It had wrapped itself around the main artery and the right kidney. I had chemo for 5 months then the kidney removed. Then it came back and started metastasising around my liver resulting in high dose chemo and a stem cell transplant which was quite pioneering in 1997 apparently. I lost nearly 5 stone, had chemo on and off for 15 months and a morphine overdose later I am still here. I went back to the hospital every month in year 1, 2 months in year 2 etc until we called it a day 17 years later. I do not miss my right nut at all after all the grief it gave me
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