kw1994suede
20-10-15, 18:08
About 2 weeks ago I noticed a lump above my left testicle. At first I wasn't worried in the slightest, after all - as the various websites I've been looking at remind me - the fast majority of lumps turn out to be nothing. Also, a couple of years back I had a lump, and by the time I went to the doctors the following afternoon it had vanished.
But as time goes on and the lump hasn't disappeared yet I can't help but get increasingly worried that cancer might be the case. That's what's annoyed me about the various health websites I've looked at - while they describe the sort of harmless things the lump might be if not cancer, there is absolutely no mention of time in relation to what it's likely to be. What I mean is, does the fact that it's persisted for two weeks (at least) suggest at all that it is less likely to be something harmless? Would fluid buildup / inflamation or whatever normally persist this long (of course I'm going off the previous experience I had where when it was nothing it appeared and disappeared quickly)?
As for why I haven't been to the doctors, well unfortunately I have a massive phobia of all things medical, tubes, injections etc, so the way I see it if it isn't cancer, there's nothing to worry about so there's no harm in me not going to the doctors. If it is cancer, I'd LITERALLY RATHER DIE than undergo treatment (surgery, chemo - my idea of living hell), so I'd rather not have it confirmed. If I went and they said it wasn't cancer I'd be so relieved, but since "it isn't worth the risk".
At the moment my plan is this: I've begun treatment with a psychologist to try and get rid of my medical phobia (I haven't told him about the lump), which he predicts will take six weeks if I completely commit myself to the programme. By then I hope to be reasonably ok with the idea of hospitals surgery etc, so if the lump still exists I'll then go and see a doctor.
Of course the problem with that is I can only see my day to day stress getting worse between now and then (unless I have reason to believe there's a good chance it isn't cancer)
So, in the mean time given that it's been there for 2 weeks, how likely is it that it's not cancer?
But as time goes on and the lump hasn't disappeared yet I can't help but get increasingly worried that cancer might be the case. That's what's annoyed me about the various health websites I've looked at - while they describe the sort of harmless things the lump might be if not cancer, there is absolutely no mention of time in relation to what it's likely to be. What I mean is, does the fact that it's persisted for two weeks (at least) suggest at all that it is less likely to be something harmless? Would fluid buildup / inflamation or whatever normally persist this long (of course I'm going off the previous experience I had where when it was nothing it appeared and disappeared quickly)?
As for why I haven't been to the doctors, well unfortunately I have a massive phobia of all things medical, tubes, injections etc, so the way I see it if it isn't cancer, there's nothing to worry about so there's no harm in me not going to the doctors. If it is cancer, I'd LITERALLY RATHER DIE than undergo treatment (surgery, chemo - my idea of living hell), so I'd rather not have it confirmed. If I went and they said it wasn't cancer I'd be so relieved, but since "it isn't worth the risk".
At the moment my plan is this: I've begun treatment with a psychologist to try and get rid of my medical phobia (I haven't told him about the lump), which he predicts will take six weeks if I completely commit myself to the programme. By then I hope to be reasonably ok with the idea of hospitals surgery etc, so if the lump still exists I'll then go and see a doctor.
Of course the problem with that is I can only see my day to day stress getting worse between now and then (unless I have reason to believe there's a good chance it isn't cancer)
So, in the mean time given that it's been there for 2 weeks, how likely is it that it's not cancer?