Testicle Pain

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

When you see the surgeon Wes, ask about his success rate in treating your condition. Tell him what you have told us about what you read and listen to what he has to say. I have had 6 operations, 4 NHS and 2 private. All were successful with no complications and each one improved the quality of my life. Whatever your decision is going to be, weigh up the pros and cons with the surgeon and don’t be pressured. There is another member here who had his testicle removed for cancer last year. After the op, his biopsy results came back negative for cancer, he had a prosthetic ball fitted. He was very relieved with the outcome, his story had a happy ending and he had peace of mind. All the best with your decision.

Sometimes I wish they would find testicle cancer, at least then they would operate and remove the blooming thing. As it stands at the moment, both Urology and I are umming and ahing over the situation, both parties are indecisive.

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Yes, you can get copies of all notes, MRI scans, US scans everything just for the asking.


I was curious and asked for the brain MRI scan photos, I just had to fill a form in that the sent me and a CD was delivered.



I told a friend and he asked for everything, going back decades. It took them a long time to pull it all together, but they obliged. He had lots of issues over the years and it was quite a pile, delivered by a courier. It must have cost the NHS a small fortune


I am just wondering whether to request a copy of my recent US scan photos? The US was to check my kidneys, aorta and prostate. They said my kidneys looked fine, but my prostate was enlarged. So I'm waiting for appointments to investigate my kidneys further, based on my blood results and my prostate for potential cancer

Hope all goes well Harry.

I've had my prostrate physically checked twice now, its certainly not a nice procedure to go through. But, then I've also had a camera shoved up where the sun don't shine, when you've had that done, nothing is embarrassing after that.

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

I was told “we don’t do that anymore”. That peed me off. Clearly you have a different experience and it is one which may well differ from one Trust to the other.

How are you?

My understanding is that the law requires them to let you have it, it is your personal data, they just cannot refuse.

How am I? If you were asking me, I'm pretty good on the whole. My only slight issue is still one of going a bit dizzy. I have had two really bad sessions of it in the past year, then numerous slight dizzy spells. It feels like my BP just drops away, but I am struggling to actual catch it with a BP meter. I used to experience similar as a youth, sat relaxing, then suddenly deciding to get up. It feels the same, as if I am about to black out. It most often happens when I'm on a bus, sat relaxed, though I have never suffered motion sickness.


The docs seem very intent on finding something wrong with me, the number of referrals they are sending me on

[HarryM1BYT]

Originally Posted by Dallas

Hope all goes well Harry.

I've had my prostrate physically checked twice now, its certainly not a nice procedure to go through. But, then I've also had a camera shoved up where the sun don't shine, when you've had that done, nothing is embarrassing after that.

Thanks!


I had the 'digital' exam twice, in the early hours, when I was rushed into hospital with the blood loss into the oesophagus, in August. I was only semi conscious, due to loss of blood, but I half remember them saying it was to check for blood loss at the other end. I wonder if they might have checked my prostate at the same time?



I have been reading up on it and they check for size and roughness. I have had confirmation of the referral from the hospital, just waiting for the actual appointment now. The doctor sent a second letter on Monday, asking them to expedite the appointment as soon as possible.


The GP asked if I had any problems passing water, or needing to go often - so far I knew I have none, never need to get up in the night, ever.



I do seem to be pretty immune to pain, which worries me a little. Pain is the bodies way to tell you when something is amiss.

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by HarryM1BYT

Thanks!


I had the 'digital' exam twice, in the early hours, when I was rushed into hospital with the blood loss into the oesophagus, in August. I was only semi conscious, due to loss of blood, but I half remember them saying it was to check for blood loss at the other end. I wonder if they might have checked my prostate at the same time?



I have been reading up on it and they check for size and roughness. I have had confirmation of the referral from the hospital, just waiting for the actual appointment now. The doctor sent a second letter on Monday, asking them to expedite the appointment as soon as possible.


The GP asked if I had any problems passing water, or needing to go often - so far I knew I have none, never need to get up in the night, ever.



I do seem to be pretty immune to pain, which worries me a little. Pain is the bodies way to tell you when something is amiss.

Its all very quick having your prostate checked Harry, its just a bit uncomfortable and embarrassing. I had mine checked due to always getting up in the night for a wizz, also a frequent recurrence of epididymitis can indicate a prostrate problem. Thankfully all the tests came back ok, my PSA has always been low which is another good sign.

Last year I promised myself to get sorted regarding my health complaints, I've had a few over the years. I blame my younger years and not looking after myself as one should, burning the candle at both ends kinda thing. I was working as a builder with my father for many years, some seriously hard work which has obviously taken its toll on my body.

The amount of heavy lifting I have done through my work careerer has been extreme, why the hell I went onto work in the warehouse environment is beyond me. The fitness and weight training on its own if not done properly was enough to abuse the body, so you can see why I ended up having a sigmoidoscopy and a colonoscopy so soon into my prime, this was all due to suffering from hemorrhoids.

I was also diagnosed with a hiatus hernia several years ago, thankfully I haven't needed any operation as yet, losing the weight has certainly helped. I was becoming lazy and unfit, eating all the wrong foods etc. They say testicle pain, hemorrhoids, hernia are all signs of putting too much stress on the body, I am now paying the price for my stupidity it seems.

[MissMoppet]

I'm not recommending it but the man who shot John Wilkes Booth - one Boston Corbett - born in the East End, trained as a hatter - hence Mad as a Hatter, possibly through the use of mercury - and emigrated to the States. He got religion, cut off his balls with scissors in case he became tempted by prostitutes. (No record survives whether it worked).

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by Dallas

Roll on next week, but something is telling me even if they do offer me surgery, I'm most probably going to chicken-out, this would be due to the many failed success stories that I've read.

Originally Posted by Dallas

Sometimes I wish they would find testicle cancer, at least then they would operate and remove the blooming thing.

Some mixed feelings there Wes. If you are offered surgery, whats the worst that could happen? Or another angle is, will it improve the quality of your life and cure the problem? These are 2 questions you could ask the specialists when you see them next week. When is your appointment?

[Dallas]

Originally Posted by Gate Keeper

Some mixed feelings there Wes. If you are offered surgery, whats the worst that could happen? Or another angle is, will it improve the quality of your life and cure the problem? These are 2 questions you could ask the specialists when you see them next week. When is your appointment?

I original saw the Urologist team back in 2010 and again last year 2018, both times they said they would rather not take the surgical approach in case they make the pain worst. They said because they cant see what is causing the pain, they wouldn't know what operation to perform. They always refer back to my ultrasound scans which only show small less than 2mm in size cysts and varicoceles, they say the percentage of them causing the pain is small.

They have always told me for them to perform a varicocelectomy, the varicoceles need to be larger than 2mm in size, but if the epididymis is at fault due to cysts or tissue damage, they would need to perform a epididymectomy instead... and because they don't know, they rather not take the chance.

I have always said to them, the fact that these varicoceles and cysts exist, then this must be what is causing the pain, the size is irrelevant. Urology say different, they keep telling me because they cant see the problem, they cant fix what they cant see, that was their exact words.

I also had an MRI on my back a few years ago, just in case there was a trapped nerve that was causing the problem. They said just because I have pain in the right testicle, it doesn't necessarily mean the testicle is at fault, the pain could be referring from another part of the body... go figure.

Once you get told a dozen times that an operation could make the pain worst, and the fact that they don't know what operation to perform, this kinda makes one fearful. This is what leads me to say I wish they would find testicular cancer, because then they would know exactly what to do, they would be no hesitation for them or myself... they would just whip it off... job done.

I have even told them that I would rather lose the testicle than take the chance of the other two operations not working, you would think that would be logical wouldn't you, but no! They have said that they wouldn't remove the testicle because there's not enough reason or evidence for them to do so...

This is why they have held a multidisciplinary meeting Phil, to establish a better diagnosis, to discuss what they can or cannot offer me I guess.

[Gate Keeper]

Originally Posted by Dallas

I original saw the Urologist team back in 2010 and again last year 2018, both times they said they would rather not take the surgical approach in case they make the pain worst. They said because they cant see what is causing the pain, they wouldn't know what operation to perform. They always refer back to my ultrasound scans which only show small less than 2mm in size cysts and varicoceles, they say the percentage of them causing the pain is small.

They have always told me for them to perform a varicocelectomy, the varicoceles need to be larger than 2mm in size, but if the epididymis is at fault due to cysts or tissue damage, they would need to perform a epididymectomy instead... and because they don't know, they rather not take the chance.

I have always said to them, the fact that these varicoceles and cysts exist, then this must be what is causing the pain, the size is irrelevant. Urology say different, they keep telling me because they cant see the problem, they cant fix what they cant see, that was their exact words.

I also had an MRI on my back a few years ago, just in case there was a trapped nerve that was causing the problem. They said just because I have pain in the right testicle, it doesn't necessarily mean the testicle is at fault, the pain could be referring from another part of the body... go figure.

Once you get told a dozen times that an operation could make the pain worst, and the fact that they don't know what operation to perform, this kinda makes one fearful. This is what leads me to say I wish they would find testicular cancer, because then they would know exactly what to do, they would be no hesitation for them or myself... they would just whip it off... job done.

I have even told them that I would rather lose the testicle than take the chance of the other two operations not working, you would think that would be logical wouldn't you, but no! They have said that they wouldn't remove the testicle because there's not enough reason or evidence for them to do so...

This is why they have held a multidisciplinary meeting Phil, to establish a better diagnosis, to discuss what they can or cannot offer me I guess.

They are restricted by their codes of practice and clinical guidelines. One way around this is talk with them about the psychological impact, the unbearable pain has made on your life and how your activities of daily living are suffering. I am wondering if they have a criteria which allows them to break away from the clinical guideline of 2mm. If you make enough noise, scream a lot, they might take more notice of the distress you are in. If they want you to see a shrink, it will be another delay which you will not want to buy into.

I faced the same things with my 5 aneurysms with a similar criteria. One of them has to be 5.5 cm before it can repaired with a graft, the others: 2 cm. There is no pain, but they have the potential to end my life quickly should any of them burst, it will be quick. I got a second opinion at the Christian Barnard Memorial Hospital in Cape Town from a Heart Transplant Vascular Surgeon. He told me he would operate privately if for psychological reasons I was really worried about it and not sleeping. He showed me the artificial graft they use and it is expensive at 30,000 USD per graft, as it is not one off the shelf, it has to be custom made. The 30K does not include the costs of his fees and the hospital admission, ICU etc. Because there is no pain, I live with these things and they are scanned every 6 months.

My advice Wes, is to lay it on thick when you see the specialists. From my own experience of working in the NHS, it is the noisiest patients, the most troublesome ones, the ones who threaten legal action - are the ones who get the most notice and action quick. Not everyone can speak up, but if you have those characteristics, then use them.

[Dallas]

Well! That was another wasted urology appointment, what was the point of them holding a multidisciplinary meeting if they are just going to tell me the same as before, that they don't see a justifiable cause to operate.

I even had another examination, this time it was by one of the head surgeons, a female this time. She tells me my balls are normal, that she will not perform an operation as she thinks it will make the condition worst. She tells me testicle pain is very common and performing an operation without actually seeing what is causing the problem never works, we end up putting the patient in more pain she tells me.

She has now referred me back to the pain clinic for a ilioinguiinal nerve block.

One of the strangest things happened while the wife and I were waiting in the waiting room. We got chatting to another couple, the fella only had the same name as me, and he also suffered from right testicle pain. What are the chances of meeting another fella with the unusual name 'Westley' in the same hospital on the same day, around the same time in the urology clinic who also suffers from right testicle pain?

This guy had a epididymectomy 9 years ago, this is where they remove the epididymis, the operation was a success. The reason why he got the operation was due to his scans showing a blockage, he had the operation in Dorchester hospital. My GP actually said to me last year that he could refer me to Dorchester hospital, so does Dorchester hospital specialise in mens balls?

[COLVERT]

Originally Posted by Dallas

Well! That was another wasted urology appointment, what was the point of them holding a multidisciplinary meeting if they are just going to tell me the same as before, that they don't see a justifiable cause to operate.

I even had another examination, this time it was by one of the head surgeons, a female this time. She tells me my balls are normal, that she will not perform an operation as she thinks it will make the condition worst. She tells me testicle pain is very common and performing an operation without actually seeing what is causing the problem never works, we end up putting the patient in more pain she tells me.

She has now referred me back to the pain clinic for a ilioinguiinal nerve block.

One of the strangest things happened while the wife and I were waiting in the waiting room. We got chatting to another couple, the fella only had the same name as me, and he also suffered from right testicle pain. What are the chances of meeting another fella with the unusual name 'Westley' in the same hospital on the same day, around the same time in the urology clinic who also suffers from right testicle pain?

This guy had a epididymectomy 9 years ago, this is where they remove the epididymis, the operation was a success. The reason why he got the operation was due to his scans showing a blockage, he had the operation in Dorchester hospital. My GP actually said to me last year that he could refer me to Dorchester hospital, so does Dorchester hospital specialise in mens balls?

With the problems you have had anything has got to be worth a try.--