Sorry what? It could be a tumor? What exactly is a tumor because they are bad I’m sure of it. All of a sudden Gonorrhoea doesn’t seem like a bad choice. But no he can’t know it’s a tumor just by looking at me. I’ll have to book in a scan and get an ultra sound at another hospital. An ultra sound was impossible to get within a weeks appointment and could cost me a lot of money in Brazil so I’ll wait until I land in Argentina.
My testicle was really starting to cause me some pain, especially when I would go to the toilet so I knew I needed to see another Doctor. I contacted my friend Nacho who was living in Buenos Aires as I had planned to fly there after visiting the Iguazu Falls. He said that I should see a Doctor in Argentina as the medical care there is better than Brazil. Of course, he would say that, he is Argentinian, just like he says Messi is better than Neymar and Maradona is better than Pele. He had arranged for me to see a consultant in Argentina for the following week so I would go there, get any medication I needed and continue the rest of my South America trip.
It was Thursday 8th September and my last night with Lais in my Copacobana apartment as she had to go home tomorrow. I wonder if I will ever see her again? I cooked for her and we watched the movie Deadpool on the big television. I was going to be sad to say bye to her that’s for sure but I’m happy to start travelling.
September 9th 2016
“You’re nervous, you’re nervous, calma calma” Lais was holding me while I was shaking and sweating in bed at 4am. I still don’t know why she’d thought I’d be shaking because of nerves at 4am but I think she was having a dream. I told myself that because I was sleeping under the air conditioning it had given me a fever and I was in a pool of sweat but freezing cold. I downed loads of painkillers and sat up awake until Lais would wake up to.
I was googling local hospitals and Lais made me an appointment at a local clinic 15 minutes walk away. We met the doctor who had many marathon medals on his wall and we were talking about the challenges marathons can teach you about handling life. The doctor checked me over and was very concerned and put me onto an IV drip for an hour while he phoned his ‘friend’ across town because he didn’t want me to leave Rio without seeing him.
I led in the clinic bed for an hour while Lais slept next to me, I took a snapchat of me on the drip with the caption ‘hope this isn’t anything bad #prayForAf.’
The doctor sent me across the city to Copa Dor Hospital to meet Dr Daniel Perpetuo. He was possibly the most handsome doctor I had ever met and his English was very good so that he could talk directly to me. “Call me Daniel” He said “I’m going to get someone to do an ultra sound on your testicles and then if there is a problem then I can do a biopsy later but first I have to perform an operation upstairs so I’ll leave you with my doctors.” Fantastic, a man with a plan I thought.
It was 8pm and Lais had to go to her lecture at University as she had been warned for missing so many classes lately. I sat in the waiting room on my own for over an hour and had a very large woman put a canula into my hand while I waited.
“Afsheen, come through sir”. This young man who looked about 25 called me through to an ultra sound room and began to put the cold jelly substance onto my balls and the scanner. I could see the screen so I was looking at the scan as he did it. He started with my right testicle the healthy one, Ok I don’t know what I’m looking at but at least I have a comparison. He moved over to my left testicle. It looked exactly the same, Yes I’m good to go surely. He went to my right testicle again and followed it up with my left. “Uno momento” and he walked off out the room.
He returned with another doctor also looking very young about 30 and he took the scanner and started to go over my right ball. Yep, I’ve seen that one already, then he went to by left testicle. Yep, looks exactly the same.
They told me I can pull up my pants and dry myself with some paper towels. “Is everything ok then?” I questioned. “The consultant will talk with you in his meeting room” the older doctor replied. “so am I all good to go then?” I asked again.
The younger doctor pulled me forwards towards him and started hugging me
“It’s all going to be ok”