It's been a while since my last update,
PET-CT
This was done in a lorry parked in Addenbrookes car park, quite odd. A radioactive glucose injection, then sit quietly for an hour for the glucose to be metabolised by active sites. Any active tumour glows on the PET-CT. Two weeks later, I got my results - "complete response" for the tumour (it was 14cmx12x12 and had shrunk to 4cm diameter at a previous CT scan), but the primary site (testicular) glowed brightly showing some activity still there.
In between the PET-CT and getting the results I had my orchidectomy, just as well knowing now what the PET-CT would reveal.
Orchidectomy
This was simple day surgery in at 2pm, out just after 6pm. I opted for a prosthetic as I thought I might as well whilst there, and the incremental risks of infection or complication seemed small. I'm very happy with the result. On the operating slab I was given a choice by the doctor - he held up two prosthetics. I reckon I would have won best of breed at the Norfolk County Fayre if I had chosen the larger one, so I modestly chose the smaller. Operation felt like it was over in seconds, and then off home. No real side effects, some natural soreness, but I went for a walk the day after, and went back to work 2 days later reasoning that it made no difference to sit in a chair at home or at work. I did however walk like someone had nicked my horse for a week.
Its now 4 weeks on, still waiting on the biopsy results from the orchidectomy (due next Monday), but hopefully everything now is pointing to surveillance rather than RPLND which is the nightmare that has been stalking me.
