May 1, 2010 ends up being the "day of infamy" for me. I had just come home from a long day of networking down in Philly. After I had taken a bath to soothe my tired legs, I noticed that one of my testicles was much larger than the other...which after an ice bath to attempt to reduce swelling, my wife, Adina, and I took a trip to St. Clare's near us to have it checked out. The medical staff there, after an ultrasound test, suggested we see a urologist, and an appointment with Dr. Ware was made on Monday. At the hospital, it was suggested that there may be cancer in play.
Monday's appointment with Dr. Ware further added to the cancer confirmation, and that removal of my testicle was needed immediately. A quick 2nd opinion from Dr. Werner in Manhattan confirmed it, and on May 6th I was under the knife having my testicle removed. During the surgery, Dr. Ware had also discovered a hernia that he repaired.
Recovery took 6 weeks...the first couple of them rather uncomfortable! As time went on, I started moving around more and more and started feeling myself again. During that time, we did sperm banking in the event of radiation knocking out my fertility temporarily, but at the same time Adina and I were trying again to create a baby naturally. Then a double dose of reality hit.
During Adina's trip to the hospital for severe neck pain, the nurses there told us that she was pregnant. You could imagine how overjoyed we were! Magnesium to help reduce the pain, and we were on our way to MemorialSloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan for my verdict. However, on the way, Adina developed complications. We met her mother so that she could get back to Sussex County and the GYN she was using. In the meantime, I was driving solo to Manhattan to get my news.
Adina's came about 20 minutes before mine, though the answers were unclear. What it turned out to be is that she had a chemical pregnancy...meaning she got pregnant, the fertilized egg implanted, and then the body rejected the egg, causing the lost pregnancy. So heartbreak number 1 there.
Then it was my turn. As it turns out, the tumor responsible for testicular cancer is in the back of the abdomen. The cancer cells then work their way into the bloodstream downwards to the testicle. And, if undetected, they'll then get into the lymph nodes and start working their way back up to the rest of the body. Good news is that I caught it before they started the voyage upwards. Bad news is that I still have that dang tumor. No radiation, instead chemotherapy was needed here. Heartbreak number 2!
So that's how we got here today. The target for me (and us) is November 2010. Then I'll be back on the ice, and also when Adina and I will resume our attempt at becoming parents.
During these coming days, weeks, and months, I'll be blogging here to let you know how things are going. If I can figure out everything here, I'll leave it open for comments to be posted. I may answer some, but not positive. Either way, keep 'em coming!
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