I was seen by Dr P, at the Wessex Neurological Centre at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (the hospital where I work in the Informatics department) this morning. After numerous physical tests and questions, her findings were:
- No visual or speech problems
- No apparent coordination issues with the hands and arms
- Normal pin-prick response in left leg
- No pin-prick response in right leg up to the waist, and then ‘mild electric shock’ sensation on the right side above the waist to approximately naval level.
- Reduced strength in left foot.
Having summarised her findings, the neurologist told me the last thing I was expecting to hear. Having previously checked my symptoms on sites such as NHS symptom checker, I was aware of some things it could be, and had (from a layman’s perspective at least) potentially ruled out some things. Her first suspicion is that my condition is being caused by something related to the testicular cancer, possibly a growth on or near my spine around the T8 vertebra. This was a complete shock. Testicular cancer is one of, if not the most curable forms of cancer and so it had never occurred to me that this was even a possibility. As I start this journal I am awaiting an MRI of the spine and lower limbs so that hopefully a formal diagnosis can be made.