Testicular cancer: recommendations

[ --- Nota bene: Unless stated otherwise all information listed on this page was written and provided by a TC patient and not by a doctor. Although it was collected with great attention it cannot and shall in no way replace your visit to your local doctor! --- ]

This page is intended for people who have been diagnosed with testicular cancer, their relatives and friends or people who are just interested in coping with the disease.

The tips listed here have not come from doctors or any serious medical background.
They are gathered from patients who went through it. Some tips may help you, others may not. The tips aren't in any particular order. Of course, if you have something to add, please drop me a line.

• General: Become your own expert.
  It's quite important that you understand what is going on. You may come to the point where it's not just science any longer. You may have to face the situation that members of your medical team have different opinions. Then it's you making the final decision. And then you have to be prepared.
  
  
• Chemotherapy/nausea: Use a hot water bottle.
  It turned out for me that a hot water bottle can help against any feeling of spasm of your stomach. Although nausea due to chemotherapy is not really caused by your stomach, but by your brain, it's worth a try.
  
  
• Chemotherapy/nausea: Consider fastening.
  I didn't eat anything during the days when Cisplatin was given. Sounds hard, but the fastening was not only very helpful in terms of nausea, but also in the way that my blood could concentrate on the important things; it didn't have to digest; it could focus on the chemotherapy.
  
  
• Chemotherapy/change of taste: Drink cola. Drink milk.
  When my way of tasting things changed, cola and especially milk helped a lot. The awful taste of the cytotoxica was suppressed for a few minutes.
  
  
• Chemotherapy/mouth sores: Ask for a dietician.
  There are sophisticated people used to patients with side effects of chemotherapy who can help you. They know what meals are best for you depending on your mouth condition.
  
  
• Blood samples: Use your finger tips, not your veins.
  If it's just a regular check of the few normal blood cell types, ask your doctor whether the lab assistant can take it out of your finger tips. It's much easier and your veins are protected.
  
  
• Psyche: Consider visiting a psychologist/psychooncologist.
  It's a hard time. You will start questioning why, why you. You will start thinking about death. You will start thinking about your body, about your sex life. Professional experts, even outside of your normal relationships to your partner and friends, can help a lot.
  
  
• Psyche: Don't be afraid of your feelings and mood.
  Allow yourself times of anger, hate, sorrow, pain, frustration. It's important that you do have these feelings. I am a strong opponent of the stop worrying, start living approach. Life's not always just positive feelings. It's about balancing both types. If you neglect the negative feelings they will somehow sink into you, your body and your soul.
  
  
• Treatment: Utilize your creative impulses.
  Listen to music. Express yourself in dancing, painting, sculpting, writing, etc. Listen to yourself. You are your best doctor, a kind of inner healer.
  
  

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