Well you wanted honesty, pull up a chair, pour a stiff drink and cross your legs -
About 6 months ago I started to feel a bit of pain in my left testicle, on inspection I discovered a small swelling at the top of it. Fearing the worst I immediately went to the doctor. He diagnosed epididymitis and assured me it wasn't cancer. This is an infection in the tubes that carry sperm.Mine was triggered by a urinary tract infection. The treatment for this is months of oral antibiotics, It didn't work for me and the condition has gotten worse, I have now developed a whole bunch of cysts around the area. In fact the swollen part is now bigger than the testicle it is attached to.So for 5 months I have been in extreme pain and frankly am struggling to cope with it. Imagine being kicked in the balls every half hour and having your tubes flicked every ten minutes in between.
I have been on heavy painkillers for months now, which in itself is a bit of a worry, due to my past battles with narcotics but I realise I can't cope without them just now. I will just have to cross that bridge when I come to it.
I am scheduled for surgery on the 19th of this month, and if I'm honest, I am shitting myself. Here's a rundown of the procedure -
Treatment of epididymal cysts
You will usually only need treatment if the epididymal cysts cause you pain and discomfort.
Surgery
The most common method of treating epididymal cysts is to surgically remove them. The operation is usually done under general anaesthesia, which means you will be asleep during the procedure. Alternatively, you may be able to have local anaesthesia and sedation. This completely blocks pain in your *** and you will stay awake during the operation.
Your surgeon will make a small cut in your *** to reach the cyst. He or she will then separate the cyst from the tissue that surrounds it. The epididymis and the cut on your *** will be closed with dissolvable stitches. The length of time your dissolvable stitches will take to disappear depends on what type you have. However, for this procedure they should usually disappear in about seven to 10 days.
As with every procedure, there are some risks associated with the surgical treatment of epididymal cysts. The possible complications include an unexpected reaction to the anaesthetic, infection, excessive bleeding and accidental injury to the epididymis. There is also a chance the epididymal cysts may reoccur.
Sounds like fun eh?
So in conclusion, what I have described is far more common in middle aged men than testicular cancer. So guys, if you have any doubts whatsoever in that department, do not panic, but definitely GET IT CHECKED OUT!!