Sunday 24 January 2010

Quite a Week

The news that I had testicular cancer barely had time to settle in last week. After finding out on Tuesday afternoon, things moved rather quickly. On Thursday I had a CT chest/abdo/pelvis and on Friday I was admitted for an operation to remove the offending testicle.


It is probably a cliché to say that all this will make me a better doctor but it was a very peculiar experience to be in a hospital gown on a bed. It was a long wait in the morning before I was called down to theatre but when it finally came everyone was great. The anaesthetic trainee who put me to sleep was fantastic, I didn't feel her whack a huge cannula in the back of my hand and the next thing I remember was waking up in recovery. I was given IV fentanyl for pain relief which was the most bizarre experience of my life and wheeled back up to the ward where missbliss was waiting for me.

By that evening although I could barely move I wanted to sleep in my own bed, the surgeon had been to debrief me and was happy for me to go home and eventually I convinced the ward sister that I could walk without falling over and she let me hobble into a taxi.

I have a lot of sympathy for any patient having an operation, it is fucking painful. I spent all Saturday in bed and have just about made it to the sofa on Sunday with significant pain relief. I can just about stand up and hobble around. Although it is still very early days it feels good to be rid of my left testicle which was apparently mostly cancer. I have been told the CT scan was clear but I'd like to see the report myself.

In the midst of all this, as well as moving house, getting the car fixed and getting married I've just been offered an interview in London next Wednesday. I'm going to give them a call on Monday to see if there is any leeway to rearrange otherwise it will be a rather painful train journey. With regards to the cancer, repeat blood tests await and a review from the specialist oncology centre to advise on further treatment when my histology is back.

Finally, a big thanks for all the good wishes on my last post.

21 comments:

Jobbing Doctor said...

Hope it all goes well.

JD.

XE said...

Glad you're through your surgery and that the CT was clear. Wishing you an uneventful recovery and clear margins!

alhi said...

Glad to hear you've come through it all.
Hope you can get that interview postponed or even try for a telephone interview if you feel up to it.
Fingers crossed you'll need no more treatment.

madsadgirl said...

Well you're over the first hurdle and hopefully it can only get better from here. Make sure you take pain medication as there is no point in trying to be a hero and suffer pain unnecessarily. Pain slows down recovery. But then you know that. finally, I hope that you make a speedy recovery and that you are soon back to regular blogging as I have missed you very much. Yours was one of the fist blogs that I started to read and was probably the first that I ever commented on. Best wishes to you and missbliss.

GrumpyRN said...

When I had my testicle removed my brother appeared on the ward and gave me a bag of nuts and said it was because he could not find any plums to give me. My mother was not amused - I thought it was hilarious. You are about to learn what a jock strap is for, really helps.
Good luck with it all and keep us informed.

The Young Mummy said...

Hope you get the all clear and nail the interview

Sam said...

Me too. At least the ordeal is over. I hope everything else will be clear too and also hope your interview, whenever you take it, will will be successful. Concentrate on Missbliss, like yourself, she is a beautiful person too. I wish you both a loving, happy and very long fruitful life together.

Good to know you have had treatment quickly and that you are recovering well.

Best wishes with everything you both do :-)

Grumpy Biomed said...

Glad to hear that you're on the mend :)

Anonymous said...

Hey that's great news. I'm glad the surgery went well. Now it's just the waiting, which can be a pain. I hope it all pans out.

Jo said...

I'm glad that the surgery went well, and that the CT was clear.

Fingers crossed that you can postpone the interview, or that they can interview you over the phone or Skype.

Wishing you all the best for a speedy recovery!

Lily said...

Really pleased to hear that your operation went well. Glad to hear the CT was clear too.

Hope you feel better and pain free soon!

Dragonfly said...

Good luck buddy!! Thinking of you guys.

Food Addict said...

All the best to you both x

Dragonfly said...

Seconding what everyone else said. Thinking of you guys.

ditzydoctor said...

go little medic go!!! thoughts with you and missbliss

Milk and Two Sugars said...

:) Glad you're home. Good luck rearranging the interview, too.

Dr Michael Anderson said...

So sorry to hear about what's been happenning to you, TLM. I sincerely hope that everything goes well.

I'm thinking of you.

Michael

jysika said...

to be more superficial than everyone else: you will be married soon or you have already gotten married? I was super excited for you and Miss Bliss when the news first came out :)

good luck with your interview (whenever it may be) and i'm glad the surgery went well.

you and Miss Bliss are in my prayers!

PhD Scientist said...

Forgot to add my best wishes on last post. Glad to hear it all went quick and smoothly with the op. Try not to overdo it next week, but good luck with the interview if you do have to go. An eminent scientific friend of mine recently had a nephrectomy for renal cancer and he was commenting that post-op pain relief wasn't really much cop.

Always good to have accounts like Grumpy RN's from the folk who have been there. Don't know if you've read it, but the celebrity sufferer book for testicular cancer is Lance Armstrong's Its Not About The Bike.

Anonymous said...

Keep posting stuff like this i really like it

Philosoraptor said...

Bloody hell mate! Didn't know about this.... hope you're ok.
Just had an operation recently myself and was kept overnight. It sucked and definitely made me more aware of what it feels like to feel giddy, be constantly woken up and unable to eat hospital mush. :(