Hi M,

Sorry to read about your diagnosis. It's your choice whether or not to have treatment, or what sort of treatment to have.

I have no experience of cardiac care but as a cancer patient I can't complain and in my area the people who deliver private cancer care are exactly the same oncologists who work for the NHS. Going private gets the diagnostic stage over more quickly and if you need to go in as an in-patient the hotel-type services are better but that's about it. 

The fact it hasn't spread is relatively good news as you've a far higher chance of being alive in 5 years time if you have treatment than if you'd been diagnosed at stage 3 or 4. According to the recent stats "When diagnosed at its earliest stage, all men with testicular cancer will survive their disease for five years or more, compared with around 8 in 10 men when diagnosed at the latest stage." I've not seen any stats on survival rates without treatment as very few men choose to refuse treatment. 

I did stumble across this article though ... www.quora.com/How-long-can-you-live-with-testicular-cancer-without-treatment

Hope this helps

Dave

Hello Shimewaza,

There is so much going on for you and that must be really hard. It seems like you feel like you've hit a brick wall which is really understandable given the number of hurdles you are having to jump over in short succession. It is really good to hear that the CT scan shows no sign of the cancer having spread. It sounds like it would be very important to follow the advice of health professionals to remove the testicle if it means that this will prevent the cancer from spreading. Not following this advice could leave you with some potentially serious health consequences and reduce your chances of living a healthy happy life over the long term.

Having a part of your body taken away from you can feel really raw and unfair - especially if it's a body part that society teaches us is vital for us to have in order for us to be a man or woman Many times people worry that others will judge them or think of them as being less attractive. I think it's important to realize that many people who have surgery to remove a testicle do go on to have loving relationships and to do many of the things they enjoy doing in life. It is also possible to have surgery to replace the testicle. Perhaps you can arrange to speak with a doctor or nurse about this if you already haven't done this.

I'm sure you have had to make adaptations following having heart problems and perhaps you feel really fatigued at the thought of more changes being ahead of you.I think most of us would feel the same way. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a conversation with a good listener who you can air your concerns to about the care you are receiving, what having treatment would be like and how you anticipate life will be afterwards. There may be psychologists or counsellors available to do this with, so its worth checking to see if access to this kind of support is available under the team you are assigned to.

I wish you all the best with the decision you make.