# I'm about to have an orchiectomy. What to expect? \[Now out of chemo\] **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 27, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877 "2018-06-27T23:07:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2018, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/1 "2018-06-27T23:07:52Z")
Long story short: About 1.5 months ago I experienced severe pain in my right testicle. I went to an acute care clinic, they found nothing odd during the exam, and gave me antibiotics for epididymitis with instructions to see my PCM is the pain continues. About a week later, I went to the ER for an unrelated issue, and the ER Doc offered to give a second opinion. His opinion was that I needed a sonogram ASAP. The sonogram showed a mass. After some fighting with the insurance company, I got a referral to a urologist. His opinion is that the sucker’s gotta come out. My surgery is scheduled for next Friday. I have the literature from the urologist, and I’ve done some research. I would appreciate some input from those who have actually had the procedure. Oh, and my right testicle is now like the Grinch’s heart at the END of the Grinch. Shit’s uncomfortable. ---
**Author:** ![LordHarry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@LordHarry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordHarry)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/2 "2018-06-28T00:16:15Z")
I have not had an orchi. However, I have multiple transgender friends who have. They indicate it is not as terrible as one might expect. Certainly, the discomfort you experience will be greatly lessened once that swollen grinch is removed. Are you have a prosthesis implanted, or just leaving one testicle solo in the pouch? Good luck. It will get better. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/3 "2018-06-28T01:04:22Z")
I had one in 1999 for testicular cancer. Recovery is uncomfortable, but not excruciating. Try not to sneeze or cough, that was the worst. I took the Percocet for a few days, but it caused constipation, so I just took aspirin. I went back to work in ten days, but I had a physical job that could have exacerbated it. A sedentary job should be no problem a little earlier. Long term, no problems. I did not get a prosthetic, and it doesn’t seem odd at all. One ball, so what. Everything works the same. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/4 "2018-06-28T01:31:50Z")
> [@LordHarry](#): > > I have not had an orchi. However, I have multiple transgender friends who have. They indicate it is not as terrible as one might expect. Certainly, the discomfort you experience will be greatly lessened once that swollen grinch is removed. Are you have a prosthesis implanted, or just leaving one testicle solo in the pouch? > > Good luck. It will get better. Just leaving the one. > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I had one in 1999 for testicular cancer. Recovery is uncomfortable, but not excruciating. Try not to sneeze or cough, that was the worst. I took the Percocet for a few days, but it caused constipation, so I just took aspirin. I went back to work in ten days, but I had a physical job that could have exacerbated it. A sedentary job should be no problem a little earlier. > > Long term, no problems. I did not get a prosthetic, and it doesn’t seem odd at all. One ball, so what. Everything works the same. Unfortunately, I can’t take aspirin or any nsaids. ---
**Author:** ![pool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pool/32/4152_2.png) [@pool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pool)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/5 "2018-06-28T01:34:28Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > I had one in 1999 for testicular cancer. Recovery is uncomfortable, but not excruciating. Try not to sneeze or cough, that was the worst. I took the Percocet for a few days, but it caused constipation, so I just took aspirin. I went back to work in ten days, but I had a physical job that could have exacerbated it. A sedentary job should be no problem a little earlier. > > Long term, no problems. I did not get a prosthetic, and it doesn’t seem odd at all. One ball, so what. Everything works the same. Did your remaining testicle grow larger? ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/6 "2018-06-28T01:36:35Z")
> [@pool](#): > > Did your remaining testicle grow larger? Not that I noticed. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/7 "2018-06-28T01:41:31Z")
The interesting thing was that the procedure is done through an incision in the lower abdomen, not the scrotum. The testicle and spermatic cords are pulled out of the scrotum through the inguinal canal. ---
**Author:** ![CharmaChameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CharmaChameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharmaChameleon)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/8 "2018-06-28T04:04:47Z")
In my experience, epididymitis is not something to mess around with. One (or both) of your nuts hurt/s, you need to get something done about it. From the first time, it took about six years of antibiotics (two penicillin based, two sulfa based) to get the thing under some kind of control. The worst part was on a business training trip to Dallas, and my sack just started hurting and swelling. I called my doc, who advised he couldn’t prescribe pain killers across State lines, but gave me a scrip for antibiotics. Well. Glenlivet and Glenmorangie helped a lot back in 1996. Twenty-four years later I still have to be very careful washing my nether regions. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/9 "2018-06-28T16:02:55Z")
> [@CharmaChameleon](#): > > Twenty-four years later I still have to be very careful washing my nether regions. Good luck. :eek: What happens when you try? Is there discomfort or, worse, pain when you move things about? ---
**Author:** ![Alpha834](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Alpha834](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha834)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/10 "2018-06-28T18:51:24Z")
I had it done back in the late 80’s for the same reason, epididymitis. I don’t remember any physical discomfort aside from normal post-operative tenderness and soreness but it was fairly short term and much easier t deal with than the pain and discomfort experienced before the surgery. The mental adjustment actually took a little longer than the physical and it took a little while to get comfortable in intimate situations where the missing body part would be noticeable :). Not that it was a long process and would probably be an easier adjustment if you were in an intimate relationship at the time of the surgery which I was not. As Fear Itself commented, long term it’s no big deal and everything works like it did before. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2018, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/11 "2018-07-23T23:45:27Z")
I had the surgery a couple of weeks ago. The first two days were kind of bad, mainly because getting in and out of bed was pretty damn painful. By the third morning, I stopped taking the pain meds. I had some swelling, which was uncomfortable, but not painful. It did freak me out a little, as the day after the surgery it looked like I was smuggling a Dali painting but the following day it was full again. My doctor called me today with the pathology results. It was cancer. I’ll have some more tests in a few weeks to ensure that it’s all gone. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/12 "2018-07-24T00:04:00Z")
Glad to hear about your recovery, but sorry to hear about the cancer. Please keep us posted. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/13 "2018-07-24T00:12:13Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > I had the surgery a couple of weeks ago. The first two days were kind of bad, mainly because getting in and out of bed was pretty damn painful. > > By the third morning, I stopped taking the pain meds. I had some swelling, which was uncomfortable, but not painful. It did freak me out a little, as the day after the surgery it looked like I was smuggling a Dali painting but the following day it was full again. > > My doctor called me today with the pathology results. It was cancer. I’ll have some more tests in a few weeks to ensure that it’s all gone. Glad to hear everything went normally. Did your doctor say what kind of cancer it was? Mine was pure seminoma, and was confined to the testicular capsule. I had CAT scans for two years following my surgery, but no other tumors were ever found. I had no chemo. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/14 "2018-07-24T00:13:28Z")
It’s a darned good thing you got that 2nd opinion. I hope your tumor was localized and your recovery is uneventful. StG ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/15 "2018-07-24T03:19:43Z")
> [@Wolf333](#): > > I had the surgery a couple of weeks ago. The first two days were kind of bad, mainly because getting in and out of bed was pretty damn painful. > > By the third morning, I stopped taking the pain meds. I had some swelling, which was uncomfortable, but not painful. It did freak me out a little, as the day after the surgery it looked like I was smuggling a Dali painting but the following day it was full again. > > My doctor called me today with the pathology results. It was cancer. I’ll have some more tests in a few weeks to ensure that it’s all gone. I don’t have any testicles, but I do understand how it feels to hear those words “You have cancer” and in addition, be grateful that thing’s out of you! Keep us all posted on your progress. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2018, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/16 "2018-07-24T04:07:46Z")
> [@Alpha834](#): > > The mental adjustment actually took a little longer than the physical and it took a little while to get comfortable in intimate situations where the missing body part would be noticeable :). Not that it was a long process and would probably be an easier adjustment if you were in an intimate relationship at the time of the surgery which I was not. Just one woman’s opinion, but all men look so different (in my somewhat limited experience), that one being a little more lopsided than usual wouldn’t look that odd to me, and a guy having two balls is really not what you look for in a partner. It’s certainly not any kind of dealbreaker. It wouldn’t be for any woman I know of. (Not having _any_ balls might be for a woman who wanted a big family, but from what I understand, one or two, you are just as fertile.) Also, FWIW, I know several women who would probably admire the OP’s honesty in not getting an implant. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2018, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/17 "2018-09-24T22:15:20Z")
Well, my first set of blood tests post-surgery showed that my markers were still a little high. The second set of blood tests show that the markers were going back up. I finally got to see an oncologist (fuck you, insurance companies), who ordered a new CT scan. The new scan showed new growths: one small one in my left lung, once 6.5cm X 3.5cm in my abdomen. Luckily, the big one is in a relatively empty area (I didn’t know I had that), not in any major organs. So, I started chemo today. It’s only day one, so no ill effects, yet. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/18 "2018-09-25T01:19:20Z")
Sending all the good thoughts your way, man. ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/19 "2018-09-25T01:30:50Z")
positive, healing thoughts/prayers/vibes sent your way ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2018, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/20 "2018-09-25T02:05:30Z")
What **Cub Mistress** said. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877.md?page=2)