Testicular cancer

3 replies
33 subscribers
210 views

So last Tuesday my son went to urology to check and over enlarged testicle which turned out just to be be fluid. They checked other one and are really concerned he has a suspicious mass whatever that means and a 2.5cm lump. My whole world has been turned upside down is only just turned 18 any advice or comfort would help my anxiety so bad I’m being sick with worry.

latchbrook 1 month ago

Hi Chappell and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.

I’m Anne, one of the Community Champions here on the Online Community, and I know how a potential cancer diagnosis can affect the whole family.

The online community is divided into different support groups so I'm going to recommend that you join the testicular cancer group, which is a great place to ask questions and share experiences around tests and diagnosis, and also the family and friends group where you can share your worries and emotions.

To join, just click on the links I've created and, once you've joined, you can start a new post in the same way as you did here and join in with existing conversations by clicking on 'reply'.

It would be great if you could put something about your son's recent tests into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.

"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"

PippaP 1 month ago

Hi there. I am sorry sorry that your son and your family has this situation. We are 4 weeks ahead of you, so I hope I can offer some comfort. Mid April our son went to the urologist regarding a lump. We didn't realise that back end of last year, he had had the odd symtom that could easily be put down to anything but cancer as he had no lump. By the time the lump arrived early April, it was 2.5 by 5 cms. He then had surgery 2 weeks later. He was supposed to have a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis pre-surgery but this was not communicated to him. The surgery was straight forward and he had very little pain, only one codeine and then paracetamol a few times a day for the first few days. He said it was more discomfort than pain. I also got him laxatives and prunes as had read constipation could be unpleasant. So no problems there either. A few days later he had a CT scan but only of his pelvis. Appointments came via text or reception staff phoning, so we didn't have an opportunity to ask questions. I believe the biopsies can take 11 to 12 days to be dealt with. Our son started phoning oncology for results as he wasn't due his what we thought to be his informative appointment until mid June, we simply couldn't wait that long for results. He had blood tests prior to surgery and a week after, these were and are in normal range. He now has a urologist appointment the first week of June, which probably will give him the results( which we have in brief). He has been very lucky that it had not spread to his Lymph glands or metastased and he had seminoma. He will have one round of carbo chemo and clearly be monitored for 5 years. The lack of the full CT scan prior to surgery, gave us a lot of stress, particularly as it was a more limited after. They clearly, professionally felt this was sufficient. We are now 3 weeks post surgery and he is returning to work on Tuesday, he was signed off for another week. Speaking to our son, he said that nothing really feels or looks any different and he had 2 lots of sperm frozen as a precaution. It was a horrendous shock for us all and an innocence has gone from our lives but we pulled together and thankfully our NHS have got us this far and we are blessed for this outcome. I wish you much love. Your a mum and your strenghth will really help your son. Pippa P.

Sean P 28 days ago

Hi Chappell I am so sorry to hear about your son. My name is Sean, I’m 35 and last year was diagnosed with testicular cancer. I am thankfully in remission as of October, and wrote a blog externally (I am brand new to this McMillan platform) about my experience with the hope that it might help others going through something similar.

https://sdporta.wixsite.com/limeade

If it’s helpful, I am happy to connect with you or your son via whatever medium makes sense.

It is an incredibly daunting diagnosis to receive, but I hope the doctors have also explained how treatable it is as well. You and your son have got this! And if you need anyone to talk to, please reach out as mentioned.

- Sean