Testicular Lump

Lizard

Not much to add that has not already been said except I am sending good thoughts your way and be sure to LET US KNOW once they say it is NOTHING!!!



Take care.

kcherub

Get the tests, f*ck the job. I know that might sound bravado of me, as everyone's financial situation pretty much sucks at this point (mine included), but you GOTTA GET THAT CHECKED AND OUTTA THERE!!!

I'm not going to go all into the in and outs of TC, because hopefully that is not the case. However, having a lump there is NOT normal and it needs to be evaluated.

Take care,

nick1977

Get it checked out NOW!!!!!!!!!!

Screw your job. If you wait, it could turn into something huge, something you or your family cannot afford. If they threaten to fire you because you need a biopsy and they will not give you the time off, threaten a lawsuit.

_Crazy_Mary_

One week ago today, my friend's husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer (he'd had an enlarged testicle). Yesterday, he had both balls removed. :eek: He went under the knife expecting one, but when they were in there realized they needed to take both... Poor guy woke up ball-less. :(

edpearson

EvilMerlin, take everyone's advice on here and get it checked out ASAP. Your job is worthless compared to your health. I found a lump at the very bottom of my left testicle and it freaked me out for about a month. I saw my doctor and said it was quite normal (see RedBurrito's response, my situation was similar to that), then demanded to see a specialist for such issues, and they also said it wasn't TC and that the lump was actually quite normal. Turned out that I was under some severe stress and that's most likely how the lump evolved. After being reassured that I was fine, the lump went away within a week. I felt extremely lucky, but extremely happy that I didn't sit on my ass worrying about it and actually saw two experts on the issue.

I did a lot of research on TC and it seems that it's more common in younger men than in older men. I'm 40 (was 38 at the time of the incident) and my doctor said it's rare for men in their late 30's and 40's to get TC (I said "rare" so it's possible). So now that I'm 40, TC is behind me and now I can say hello to prostate cancer! Anyway, just go get yourself checked. It's quick and painless. Also, if it is TC, I'm 99% sure that it's one of the most curable cancers -- assuming it's caught early! I think Lance Armstrong went 2 years before he saw a doctor, but at the time he finally did see one, he was already in Stage 3 or 4 and given a 40% chance to live. You'll see tons of links to his story when you Google "testicular cancer".

I hope you're OK, and please keep us posted!

facepollution

I can only reiterate what everyone else has said: your job is not more important than your health, no matter what. All the best though, hope it turns out ok.

ACCBootlegGoddess

Holy shit dude...is that even LEGAL for them to fire you because you had to miss time for MEDICAL reasons??
I know up here in Canada, they'd be in a LOT of shit for doing that.

That said...up here we can get those tests with our universal health care so its much easier for us to say fuck the job.

Just the same, I'd look into the labour laws for your state...they may not be LEGALLY able to fire you for this...in which case...get to the fuckin Dr NOW!!!!! lol

CHANGEinWAVES

EvilMerlin wrote:

I found one on me. I have two lumps now actually, one in my chest as well, that I'm not as worried about, because it's painful and feels more like a tissue growth, but my doc wants it checked out anyway due to my first biopsy about 5 years ago, family and personal history etc.

So anyway, back to the testicular one, that one scares me. But my situation right now is that I'm on a job assignment in bumfuck nowhere and for something of this nature, with two lumps, they want me going to my personal doctor at home, and I'd be most comfortable with that as well. Basically they said they have no places for me to go up here that'd be authorized for a full procedure with the visits, and anything that leads to a biopsy and beyond if necessary.

So my question, as I have no personal experience or know anyone with any knowledge of testicular cancer...how quickly does it move if it does mestasize? I understand that it's an easilly curable one, but even if it's nothing, how long is it safe, well not advised safe, but just okay to wait? Because I've got about two months, that's when I can go to someone and get released to go home(hopefully). That's when I'll be able to tell them I have personal issues that need to be attended to and need to be released from the job. If I were to pull the personal problems excuse right now, I'd probably burn a bigger bridge than I can handle and probably get laid off pretty soon after this.

Any first hand knowledge on the beginning steps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

it's not what your asking but I thought i'd add my experience:
I know my "husband" found a testicular lump a few years ago and it was quite scary, but after going to the Dr. and a few tests we found out it's just a cyst. We were really nervous since his father died of prostate cancer, and cancer highly runs in his family. Just stay positive and hopefully things will turn out for the best.

LONGRD

Your health is much more important than the job. They're not gonna fire or lay you off for significant health reasons.

hope it's nothing serious.

vedder_soup

my boss (male) just had breast cancer.
get it checked out, he caught it early, the cut it out, and didnt even need to take a lymph node
the sooner the better

EvilMerlin

For anyone interested in an update:

Well I'm flying home two consecutive weekends. I was able to make appointments on August 29th, and another on September 5th, to get this started and see my doc for the two lumps. They're going to treat them as two seperate cases obviously, since they're in two different locations. But these count for my two weekends off for two months, and I have to wait five weeks before they'll let me go home again and work up another weekend off. But having two open cases like this could cause quite a bit of a schedule as far as making appointments.

However if they need to pursue further, which I'm sure will be the case with at least one of them as far as an MRI, Biopsy, etc, it's just time for me to ask to be released from the field and go back home to work in the office again so I can get this taken care of. Because as of right now the earliest it looks like this field assignment will get done is November/December time period for when I'd be back home full time again but would more than likely be after the first of the year.

vduboise

EvilMerlin wrote:

For anyone interested in an update:

Well I'm flying home two consecutive weekends. I was able to make appointments on August 29th, and another on September 5th, to get this started and see my doc for the two lumps. They're going to treat them as two seperate cases obviously, since they're in two different locations. But these count for my two weekends off for two months, and I have to wait five weeks before they'll let me go home again and work up another weekend off. But having two open cases like this could cause quite a bit of a schedule as far as making appointments.

However if they need to pursue further, which I'm sure will be the case with at least one of them as far as an MRI, Biopsy, etc, it's just time for me to ask to be released from the field and go back home to work in the office again so I can get this taken care of. Because as of right now the earliest it looks like this field assignment will get done is November/December time period for when I'd be back home full time again but would more than likely be after the first of the year.

I would tell you not to wait any longer. Don't want to scare you. but my tennis coach found out he had cancer. At first they thought it was not too bad. He wanted a second opinion. 2 days later, he is in the hospital. It had gotten so bad that his percentage of survival was very low. He made it, he was lucky.

Take the time.

eyedclaar

EvilMerlin wrote:

I found one on me. I have two lumps now actually, one in my chest as well, that I'm not as worried about, because it's painful and feels more like a tissue growth, but my doc wants it checked out anyway due to my first biopsy about 5 years ago, family and personal history etc.

So anyway, back to the testicular one, that one scares me. But my situation right now is that I'm on a job assignment in bumfuck nowhere and for something of this nature, with two lumps, they want me going to my personal doctor at home, and I'd be most comfortable with that as well. Basically they said they have no places for me to go up here that'd be authorized for a full procedure with the visits, and anything that leads to a biopsy and beyond if necessary.

So my question, as I have no personal experience or know anyone with any knowledge of testicular cancer...how quickly does it move if it does mestasize? I understand that it's an easilly curable one, but even if it's nothing, how long is it safe, well not advised safe, but just okay to wait? Because I've got about two months, that's when I can go to someone and get released to go home(hopefully). That's when I'll be able to tell them I have personal issues that need to be attended to and need to be released from the job. If I were to pull the personal problems excuse right now, I'd probably burn a bigger bridge than I can handle and probably get laid off pretty soon after this.

Any first hand knowledge on the beginning steps would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Merlin - I am sorry to hear about this. Get yourself checked asap. My father died of this very thing because it metastazised so quickly he was done for. I'm not looking for any sympathy replies. My father was a mean motherfucker and our family was better off without him, but you seem like a nice guy. Get checked.

Edit: I just read your update. Good move.

Lizard

Thanks for the update--I WAS concerned!

HOOKER

Hey merlin, how ya doin amigo?

EvilMerlin

eyedclaar wrote:

Merlin - I am sorry to hear about this. Get yourself checked asap. My father died of this very thing because it metastazised so quickly he was done for. I'm not looking for any sympathy replies. My father was a mean motherfucker and our family was better off without him, but you seem like a nice guy. Get checked.

Edit: I just read your update. Good move.

You seem so out of character with this post. Thanks for the concern though.

Lizard wrote:

Thanks for the update--I WAS concerned!

I figured someone would. You're welcome.

HOOKER wrote:

Hey merlin, how ya doin amigo?

I believe I'll be doing better in a couple months, so I'd rather not answer that right now. I'll take a rain check.

How are you?

HOOKER

EvilMerlin wrote:

You seem so out of character with this post. Thanks for the concern though.



I figured someone would. You're welcome.



I believe I'll be doing better in a couple months, so I'd rather not answer that right now. I'll take a rain check.

How are you?

im okay... You be safe ok?

EvilMerlin

HOOKER wrote:

im okay... You be safe ok?

I'm trying.

I guess I did have a bright spot over the weekend.

I was out at the gorge...I took a few pics while walking down the hill to get to the front haha. Never pulled my camera out again.

But yeah, other than that...just trying to make it home alive.

eyedclaar

EvilMerlin wrote:

You seem so out of character with this post. Thanks for the concern though.

Oh, I'm not always wishing pestilence and death on my fellow man, just most of the time.

HOOKER

EvilMerlin wrote:

I'm trying.

I guess I did have a bright spot over the weekend.

I was out at the gorge...I took a few pics while walking down the hill to get to the front haha. Never pulled my camera out again.

But yeah, other than that...just trying to make it home alive.

I u evilmerlin