My Testicular Cancer Story - Chapter 1

I was diagnosed with Testicular Cancer on May 4th 2010.  I’ve only told some people and didn’t tell others.  If you are just finding out about this, I’m sorry and it’s not that I was trying to keep this from anyone but I really wanted to be able to inform people and answer questions that anyone might have but I can’t do that when I’m asking those very same questions.

Today was an important day because the ball is finally rolling.  I met with my Urologist today and he answered some of my fears with “More than likely it’s not” type of answers, which is very good.  The tumor is located on my right testi and has attached itself to my bloodstream.  What this means is that my right testi must be removed and then sent to a lab to see what type of cancer it is.  Depending on the type will determine the type of treatment I will receive afterwards.  The other thing that is dictating the type of treatment is if the cancer has spread anywhere in my body.  I have some lumps on my chest and neck.  A CT scan was done earlier this week and the lumps don’t appear to be cancerous and the Urologist felt the lumps on my neck and he said that usually when this type of cancer has spread that it isn’t where my lumps are and would be more likely to be located near or around my collarbone.  The unfortunate thing about the CT scans is that I had an allergic reaction to the CT fluid which seized my body and made it difficult to breath.  I have yet to get a good answer from anyone on if not being able to take this fluid is really inhibiting their ability to determine if the cancer has spread or not.  I did have another CT scan today which covered my entire mid section.  I should hear about the results by the 18th or 19th.

My surgery is on May 20th.  5 to 7 days from there is when we will find out what type of cancer cell this is.  With this information plus the CT scan of my midsection, they will be able to determine the type of treatment.  The two types of treatment are radiation and chemotherapy.  The more common result is chemotherapy from what I researched.  Either method I will get the chance to put my boys in the freezer because while the surgery doesn’t effect my fertility, either treatment types do.

I plan on updating everyone through this blog, so if you want to know what’s happening be sure to follow it or just look on my twitter or facebook for a new update.  Whenever I write here, it gets Buzzed, Twittered and Facebooked automatically.

My experience and suggestions for anyone else going through this

My experience through this has been a bit rocky.  I wont lie, it’s a bit of a mind fuck.  When I was at the doctors the general physician was squeezing my nut so hard it hurt(the physician was female, so she doesn’t know any better) and prescribed me antibiotics for two weeks.  She also put in a consult for my ultrasound, two weeks out, and urology, four weeks out.  I felt that was a bit absurd.  This is the 21st century and we have the technology to find these problems fairly quickly and completely painless.  Because I am a Vet I am afforded a bit more luxury to medical treatment.  Since she put in the consult I went up to the ultrasound department and explained my situation and asked if they could fit me in, and they did.  This was the best thing I did for myself.  I suggest anyone else going through the same thing to do this as well if they are being put off as if it’s an infection.  While testicular cancer is very treatable, 98% survival rate, it still is not something to hold off on.  Those two weeks could mean that you could have avoided doing chemo.  So sure as shit, there is this huge mass on my testicle.  You should have seen her face when I went back down there.  Needless to say she canceled my antibiotics.

After that, they had me go to x-ray.  My x-ray’s showed two masses on my lung (can’t remember which side ATM).  So I did a CT at that point.  Well let me back up.  Once they told me they saw these two masses on my lungs, I went into panic mode.  The research I’d done thus far said that if it’s gotten there that’s when your survival rate drops and that the cancer spreads much faster.  So remember I told you about the reaction to CT fluid?  Well, they have me go back to do a chest CT scan.  The tech there started ripping on me.  Mind you all of this, the ultra sound, xray and CT scan are done in one day with all this news and crap I was pretty much hanging my head low and in a dark place.  This CT tech harassed me about not knowing my actual condition to what happened with my allergic reaction with the CT fluid, as it’s really helpful in finding cancer that’s spread.  I tried to explain to him what happened but he just kept being a fucking ass wipe to me.  Telling me how I need to fix this and do that and blah blah blah.  I was pretty down and out at the moment and normally would have told him to fuck off, I just took it and left.  I really hope that no one else has to experience that on what could be one of the worst and most emotionally draining experiences in their life.

From there it’s been a waiting game.  I didn’t have a doctor call me back the next day or the day after telling me my CT results.  I got a letter… yes, a fucking letter.  It basically just said that they are lymph nodes.  No details besides that.  I also had blood work done that same day of the CT scan.  No call about the results of that either.  Gah!  Then my Urologist appointment is one month out!  Luckily I was able to beg enough to have them push the appointment up.  So from here on out it seems like the ball will be rolling and things will happen as they need to.

I just want everyone to know that I’m not dying nor do I think I will die.  It’s just the Larsen luck and it sucks to have to go through this, but I will and I will be fine.  With that being said…. To my Marine family, I don’t think I’m going to be able to make the reunion.  This is probably the worst thing for me to deal with right now because I have wanted nothing more since the beginning of this year than to see all of you again.  Maybe things will change and will allow me to go.  I will pay anything for a ticket to get up there but it all depends on what really happens after the surgery.

I love you all and I will post again once there is new news to be said.