Jcat My Cancer Journey

[jcat (imported)]

It is good to know that you have gotten some relief from the pain and discomfort no matter how it was managed. --FLO--

Thanks Uncle Flo, I am feeling rather good at the moment!

[jcat (imported)]

Wow! How the years pass by!!

Recently I found myself getting shivers, I mean the whole body shaking like something from a sci fi movie and then going from low temperature to sky high and becoming delerious and dehydrated. I ended up in emergency where they put me on a drip, took blood and urine and determined I had a UTI. They gave me CoAm oxiclave anti-biotics and sent me home.

A few days later the same thing happened and back to emrgency same diagnosis and sent me home

A few days later the same thing occurred only I started hyper ventilating and thought I was going to have a seizure or heart attack and I was home alone. Somehow I managed to bring my breathing under control my sheer will power driven by the the energising thought that I did not want to die.

So back to emergency and this time they admitted me to hospital, putting me on IV Tazocin. After a CT scan they determined that my prostate was inflamed diagnosing prostatitis and epididymo-orchitis.

The cyst I have had for many years on my epididymis was 3 times its normal size and the inginual canal was very tender to the touch.

The remarkable thing is that I have had none of the pain associated with Prostatitis or painful urination or a restriction of urine flow. When I say I have had no pain bear in mind I have lived with testicular pain for years and for me it is normal and I may have developed a higher tolerance to pain as a result.

Sometimes, Prostatitis is painless until the epsodes of shivers etc start.

After 7 days of IV antibiotics my white cell count came down to the normal range and they switched me to a tablet CiproFloxacin because whilst the Tazocin can keep the white cell count down it cannot penetrate the prostate and kill the infection. The prostate is very difficult to get anti-biotics into and there are only a handful of drugs that work.

After just 3 CiproFloxacin tablets a really painful mottled rash started to develop all over my chest to my neck and upper stomach and across my back. They decided to stop it and put me back on a genral anti biotic tablet and imediateley my white cell count started to rise.

So back on the IV Tazocin and I am sitting here waiting hoping the the hospital can find a drug that I am not allergic to that will work.

CiproFloxacin is a very powerful drug and can have severe side effects like tendon pain and even rupture, but only in a small number of patients. Only 1% of patients develop a rash allergy.

Worst case scenario is what worries me if they cannot find a drug that will treat the infection.

Interestingly, the cyst on my testicle has shrunk considerably, I cannot remmber it being so small and I reckon it has been infected for years and all the pain I have had to bear has been a localaclised infection that has not until now spread to the urinary tract and prostate.

This thread started as a cancer thread, as at the time that is what I thought I had, for the sake of continuity I have updated it because it may well help others

Posted after 11 days in hospital

[jcat (imported)]

Day 14 of hospital.

After 13 days they have now put me on Trimeprothim, day 14 so far after 3 tablets no adverse effects. I am also told the abscess in the prostate is about 3cm. Te hope is that 6 weeks of drugs will fix it.

The alternative is drianing the cyst with surgery and or 'shaving' of the prostate. The risk of this is that it could prevent erectile function and cause incontinence. It would be the latter that I fear.

[jcat (imported)]

20 Days in total in hospital.

I developed an adverse reaction to Trimeth and had to take tablets to counter that. The good news is that 29 days later I am doing ok and the abscess is getting small according to the scans. The worrying thing is that my kidney and liver have pain and the docs have no explanation for this. I will be taking the Trimeth until mid Feb. I had bloods done last Friday and it all within the normal range.

[Hash (imported)]

20 Days in total in hospital.

I developed an adverse reaction to Trimeth and had to take tablets to counter that. The good news is that 29 days later I am doing ok and the abscess is getting small according to the scans. The worrying thing is that my kidney and liver have pain and the docs have no explanation for this. I will be taking the Trimeth until mid Feb. I had bloods done last Friday and it all within the normal range.

I can only wish you well. Sounds like you've had quite the ordeal. Take care and persevere, don't give up and be proactive for yourself. Best wishes. Hash

[jcat (imported)]

I can only wish you well. Sounds like you've had quite the ordeal. Take care and persevere, don't give up and be proactive for yourself. Best wishes. Hash

Thanks Hash, each day I get closer to my scan in January that will show whether the drugs are working or just keeping the infection under control. The cyst on my testicle is getting bigger again... Merry Christmas/Happy Holiday!!

[jcat (imported)]

Well I had the MRI scan. What a noisy machine! I just have to wait for the results to come through. I am still getting intermittent pain in my Kidneys as well as both testicles the right side is now also more painful, but not as painful as the left and I get stabbing pains in the inguinal canal, which I presume is the spermatic chords...