Back in this thread about my testicular cancer, the surgeries and chemo I went through, etc.
Since then, I’ve had another lymph node that was slightly enlarged. We kept monitoring it, and the size never changed and my tumor markers were negative. Well, it got bigger, big enough o worry my oncologist. We consulted with the same surgeon who did my last surgery, and decided it needed to be removed, since a biopsy would be just as intrusive.
I was actually scheduled for surgery a the beginning of this month, but my insurance declined the referral because the surgeon is out of my network. After some wrangling by my oncologist and primary care manager, we found a surgeon who can do the surgery and is in network. Of course, this means I get to redo all of the tests that I had for the previously schedule surgery again.
It is most likely a teratoma, which does not affect tumor markers. So, if my tumor markers are negative, I get surgery. If the tumor markers are positive, I get chemo, and then probably surgery. The big difference this time is that I might also have a vascular surgeon involved, as the lymph node in question lies on the posterior tibial artery, which supplies blood to the leg.
You certainly are growing your vocabulary, too.
Sounds like you have a good oncologist anyway. Best of luck however it goes and be sure to keep us posted.
Recurrences are hard emotionally. You probably thought you’d put this thing to bed for good. As with your first go-around the only thing I can say is the emotional roller coaster tends to have much more violent swings than does the actual medical situation.
I remember what you were going through the first time around. I’m really sorry to hear that this has come up again, and am wishing you well through this.
My fingers are crossed for you. Any chance it could be a seroma? I found a lump near where breast cancer was removed three years ago, and it turned out to be a seroma–not too uncommon near surgical sites where tissue was removed. Some become calcified, which was the case with mine.
My surgery is scheduled for Monday. I have a long day of… checks notes… two appointments tomorrow, 4 hours apart. One is just a covid test, the second is with the anesthesiologist due to the whole randomly going into anaphylaxis for no reason thing. The appointments are 4 hours apart.
Honestly, this surgery worries me more than all the others I’ve had. Not because of the surgery itself, but because these folks just don’t seem to have their shit together. Not the surgeons, but the hospital system.