# 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:** 2
**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, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/21 "2018-09-25T12:03:48Z")
duplicate ---
**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:** [October 15, 2018, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/22 "2018-10-15T17:43:21Z")
Starting chemo round 2 today. Round one was bad, but not horrible. I did not experience any nausea, diarrhea, or constipation, but there was a lot of killer heartburn. It was also fairly difficult to sleep. On the Sunday following the first week, I felt like I had weights tied to all of my limbs. I took out the trash, and that pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the day. My hair started falling out this past weekend. Not a huge deal, as I normally shave my head. It is kind of weird, as it comes out with no effort at all. The worst part so far is that it’s boring. I’ve been here for 4 hours, and still have 3 to go. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**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:** [October 15, 2018, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/23 "2018-10-15T17:56:48Z")
How many rounds are you scheduled for? And how many days constitute a round? Hope you get through this one even better than the last. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/24 "2018-10-15T18:53:13Z")
Three rounds. Week 1: five days, 3-5 hours per day for the infusions, an extra hour on day one for doctor consult. Week 2 & 3: one infusions per week @ about 45 minutes. Repeat. They will check tumor markers after each round. I did get a port installed, which makes it so much easier. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/25 "2018-10-15T20:22:30Z")
Best of luck to you. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2018, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/26 "2018-10-15T23:42:09Z")
Ugh. Just seeing this thread now, **Wolf**. Cancer is a fucking bastard. That’s not eloquent or even terribly insightful, but it’s how I feel. Kick its ass on behalf of yourself and all of us who’ve had loved ones taken from us. ---
**Author:** ![CharmaChameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CharmaChameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharmaChameleon)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2018, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/27 "2018-10-16T03:47:58Z")
> [@DesertDog](#): > > :eek: > What happens when you try? Is there discomfort or, worse, pain when you move things about? Not so much pain as just the apprehension and/or discomfort from knowing I might stir things up too much. Still, you gotta wash down there. Looking back on it, the old guy, Dr. B, never minded grabbing hold of that testicle and stressing the internals a little bit, just so long as I never passed out or something. The replacement guy, Dr. S, wouldn’t touch a scrotum to save his life is my guess. I fired the replacement guy more than a year ago. No big loss, except I miss Dr. B. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2018, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/28 "2018-10-20T10:21:50Z")
Good news! My tumor markers dropped from 61 in August to 9 this week. Also, I shaved my head on Monday and it hasn’t grown back at all! Think of all money I’ll save on razors! As of right now, the worst side effects are hiccups, heartburn, and the steroids make me very twitchy. Makes sleep a little difficult. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**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:** [October 20, 2018, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/29 "2018-10-20T12:42:09Z")
Glad to hear the good news. Hope you keep right on going down. Er…markers that is. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2018, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/30 "2018-10-20T15:13:59Z")
Excellent! Keep it going (down)! ---
**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:** [November 1, 2018, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/31 "2018-11-01T03:35:50Z")
Thanks everyone. Not a huge update (hopefully that will come next week), but I’ve had two straight weeks of good blood counts (adjusted for a chemo patient). My red count is low, but within expected ranges (if that makes sense), so I’ve been really tired and wheezy for the past two weeks. Odd side effect: I also happen to have a blood disorder called mastocytosis. Technically, I have cutaneous mastocytosis with systemic symptoms. Basically, I sometimes just go into anaphylaxis. This was all under control (I take large doses of antihistamines, daily) for two years, but I’ve now had three attacks since may. The latest was today. Most likely, the attacks were not directly caused my either the cancer or the chemo drugs, but by stress. The good news is that I’ve become pretty adept at handling these attacks. Today, I was in a coworkers vehicle. We had just left a restaurant, and I told him “John, we need to turn around and head towards the hospital. Find a good place to turn around… don’t speed, stop tailgating, we’re good, we’re fine”. The whole time, I’m taking hits on my inhaler and watching my Fitbit (when my heart rate hits 130, I use the Epipen. Gotta draw the line somewhere). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/32 "2018-11-01T03:48:45Z")
Thanks for the update. Chemo is a miserable experience, and it’s good to see that you’re doing relatively well so far. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/33 "2018-11-01T13:41:27Z")
Positive and healing vibes headed your way. ---
**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:** [November 1, 2018, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/34 "2018-11-01T14:09:12Z")
Very glad to hear the blood count news. With the mastocytosis, is there any need to adjust medications, at least while you’re under the increased stress? Or are you just stuck dealing with additional attacks in the interim? Definitely sounds like no fun, but I’m glad to hear you’re so calm in managing them. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2018, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/35 "2018-11-01T14:17:11Z")
Sorry to have missed this the first time around. I had the same (orchi) procedure done for the same reason in the same way; all went well. I was lucky to have caught it very early and thus no need for chemo, although I did a course of preventative radiotherapy which wasn’t much fun in itself. My elderly mother went through a fairly serious course of chemo earlier this year and made it through with flying colors. While it’s a miserable experience it’s important to remember that there is an end to it and if everything works out it’s worth it. Positive thoughts/good vibes/warm fuzzies to you and hang in there, man. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2018, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/36 "2018-11-03T00:36:13Z")
All best wishes sent your way. So sorry about the diagnosis, good news that the markers are heading the right way. I had testicular torsion 30+ years ago, misdiagnosed in emerg, then misdiagnosed as cancer, the unilateral orchidectomy revealed the torsion. Didn’t get the fake ball; I told them I wanted an iron one, or none. My brother kept calling me Captain Nemo… You know, the commander of the “Nutless.” Warm thoughts and best wishes being sent your way! ---
**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:** [November 3, 2018, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/37 "2018-11-03T17:45:30Z")
> [@Kropotkin](#): > > Didn’t get the fake ball; I told them I wanted an iron one, or none. But isn’t brass more traditional? ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/38 "2018-11-06T23:01:11Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Very glad to hear the blood count news. > > With the mastocytosis, is there any need to adjust medications, at least while you’re under the increased stress? Or are you just stuck dealing with additional attacks in the interim? Definitely sounds like no fun, but I’m glad to hear you’re so calm in managing them. I can go up on the Doxepin, but my allergist is hesitant to do so, as it can have some nice side-effects of it’s own (it was originally developed as an anti-depressant). I only have a few weeks of chemo left. ---
**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:** [November 6, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/39 "2018-11-06T23:05:24Z")
Thanks for the well-wishes, everyone. More good news: Tumor markers - August 62 9 October 9 \<1 November 3 \<1 I’m relatively normal! (Normal is 8.4 and \<1). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-about-to-have-an-orchiectomy-what-to-expect-now-out-of-chemo/816877/40 "2018-11-06T23:19:49Z")
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