Posted 12/31/2011 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Knowing that there are quite a few newbies here, I thought that I'd take the time to repeat the harrowing adventure I experienced a year ago today. I hope it serves as a poignant lesson in picking your doctor carefully, and upon insisting on getting a second opinion.
In summary. G6 T1C diagnosis on my birthday in Sept. 2010. make 1 visit to Danbury, CT uro who performs robotics. Schedule surgery for 12/31/11. Neither the uro or the hospital perform the pre-op physical, so off I go to my GP. I have terrible scrotal pain and have had difficulty peeing for over a month (I think nothing of it, as difficult peeing has been ongoing now for 3 years). GP orders a scrotal ultrasound (which proved inconclusive for testicular cancer) and insists I see the uro ASAP. Uro "too busy", defers me (10 days before surgery) to his female PA. PA says pain due to stress. I was asked for a urine sample, tried and failed....the request was not repeated.
So, I arrive at the hospital a 5 am for a DaVinci. Doc shows and asks if the pee situation is still bad, I sad yup. Asks if I'm still in pain...another affirmative.
Doc demands a urine sample, this after no food or water for 12 hours, an enema and a good pee as I arrived at the hospital. He offers a catheter. His, or my dead body was offered as a prerequisite for that procedure. I manage 10 minutes later to give him a sample which reveals I have a raging UTI. Had he operated, septicemia is the highly likely result, as would be my demise.
I fire this doc, go down to Yale in New Haven, and on my first visit he looks for and finds a 2.5 inch inguinal hernia, which was the source of my pain.
Think I wasn't kicking myself?
On the happy side, I am 10 months post op with virtually no challenging side effects and 0's on psa's.
Happy New Year to you all......especially Purg!