Just had an orchietomy - general questions

Thorne

Hey all, thanks for all the great advice and comments here. I have just had an I/O of my right testicle yesterday, and I'm in recovery now. I have a few general questions that I hope you can help me with. I'm doing pretty well, but I'm a bit freaked out. Probably will be until the tissue and CT results come back later this week. Some of these might be better aimed at my physician, but everyone is on vacation for memorial day weekend here, and they're not exactly communicative folks at the best of times. Any help with this stuff is much appreciated. I'm doing pretty well with the diagnosis, doc said probable stage 1 seminoma, so I feel pretty good about my chances. I'll feel better in a week if everything is well... But of course, like anyone in this situation, I'm still oscillating between handling it and freaked out.

Here goes with the long, long list of questions:

1.) How long is it going to feel like someone socked me in the groin ? I'm ON the pain meds, and while it's tolerable, it's not exactly a comfort

2.) Can I sleep on my side ? For some reason I'm afraid that the fetal position I usually sleep in will be bad for things down there. I've been on my back, but I have trouble sleeping that way.

3.) How long til I start weening myself off the hydrocodone ? The pain is getting more tolerable slowly here, and I don't want to risk addiction or anything. That runs in my family.

4.) I have a big trip planned in a couple of weeks to a conference for work. I have a blast there every year and look forward to it for months. The doc said I can schedule radiation or whatever treatment I end up with around it, but I'm wondering if anyone tried anything like that 2 weeks after recovery ? Will I be too beaten up to get around ? Mostly it's meet and greets and sitting watching presentations, walking around down town a bit. I've already shelled out about 5k for tickets, flights, hotel, etc, an I really want to go, but not if it will compromise my health. Especially worried as I've heard some things about clotting and flights, although less important for abdominal surgery than some others.

5.) I feel a lot of energy, I want to be up and about, but it's only day 1 of recovery here. I should probably ignore that urge, right ? I have a lot of natural energy and staying in bed is a PIA.

6.) They say I can take the main bandage off come Monday. How bad is the wound gonna be ? Should I be prepared for some jekyll and hyde nightmare down there ?

7.) They gave me a sling thing, kind of like a jock strap, to wear. They said I could replace the gausse, but no guidance on how tight I should pack the thing. If it's to put pressure on my testicle (ha! Only one) to prevent bleeding in other parts, wouldn't this have to be tightish ? They packed it pretty loose themselves...

8.) I have a little redness next to the wound where the ice pack was sitting, and where the crease in my leg is, and where the band from the jock strap apparatus attaches. I'm thinking this might just be irritation, but how worried should I be about infection ? I'm not running a fever and I'm watching for it to worsen. I don't even know who to call about it if it is infected, since everyone is MIA, and my normal care givers are basically charging me up front for everything (I don't have insurance).

9.) I don't have insurance. Anyone have any experience with PCIP ? Any gotchas there ? I can handle some bills with help from my family, but not likely the ongoing cost of this thing.

This next one is about going to the bathroom, so you MAY want to skip it.

10.) I'm basically afraid to poop. I haven't felt the need to go since I got back from the hospital, and it seems odd to not have to go after about 36 hours. I'm on a stool softener to counteract the hydrocodone. But I'm afraid if I put pressure down there that I might tear or hurt something. Usually I tense my whole abdomen to go, and this'll be worse if I'm consipated at all.

11.) How worried do I have to be about tearing my wound by making odd movements ? I've been treating it really gingerly, but sometimes I get up and move around without thinking about it.

12.) As for a long term perspective, will I ever feel normal again ? How long until I'm back to my normal self ? And how long am I going to be living in fear of this thing coming back ?

Roddyesposito

Stay Calm
My recovery after this surgery was about two weeks till I was comfortable walking, sleeping on side, and so forth. That whole area was totaly numb for me, for several months but the over all pain was only for a month or so max. I stayed on the pain killers for about a month which helped with sleeping and the fears of moving around or pulling something. Its really not to bad all in all. I just tried to sleep as much as I could so time would go by quicker and to let my body do its work.

Roddyesposito

Stay Calm
My recovery after this surgery was about two weeks till I was comfortable walking, sleeping on side, and so forth. That whole area was totaly numb for me, for several months but the over all pain was only for a month or so max. I stayed on the pain killers for about a month which helped with sleeping and the fears of moving around or pulling something. Its really not to bad all in all. I just tried to sleep as much as I could so time would go by quicker and to let my body do its work.

Jml87

I had my orchiectomy last yr
I had my orchiectomy last yr in august 2011 im only 25 so my recovery was like a week and I was walking that was jusr the beginning tho since then I have done 5 cycles of chemo 6 different chemo drugs the first three cycles were bep then I did vip ive had rplnd and also last month I jad open chest lung surgery removing about 15 tumors after the rplnd they didnt spare any nerves and at 25 I cant even get it up or ejaculate its horrible I was diagnosed with stage 3 believe my man the rorchiectomy is just the beginni.g you should be thinkong about whata gunna come next chemotherapy os easy In the beginning but gets harder each time Im doing two more cycles in two weeks yay cant wait all I can say is this cancer took away my innocence what little I had I feel like a robot now im only 25 yrs old and I cant even have sex I thonl id be better off dead oh well good luck with everything and by the way I supposedly went to the best hospital in the country/world mads general boy was I wrong

gatorboy

gen. orchiectomy ?s

i am 16 and i had my left testicle removed about 3 weeks ago due to a tumor about the sam size, if not half a size, bigger than my testicle itself. i was surprisingly already walking very well right afterwards, and i am still numb on the left side of my inner thigh. i just finished my first of four chemo treatments and now i am a lil concerned. i had my port put in about a week ago and it was not healing badly, it just looked kind of infected. i figured i would put neosporin on the wound. i feel a little short of breath, and kind of light headed and i ddnt know if it was from applying neosporin or something else

FDS

Hang in there

A day will come very soon when you will continue on with your life.