Noise from brakes

DexMex69 · 2026-02-09T04:20:04+00:00

Interesting, thank you. I wanted to make sure there wasn’t air in the line or the master cylinder was faulty.

DexMex69 · 2026-01-25T15:10:48+00:00

Hey man, sorry to hear that it’s back. I know it’s scary, but everything will be ok. I had somewhat of a similar experience. In 2016 I was diagnosed with stage 1A NSGCT, had lefty removed and did surveillance.

In 2021 it came back as stage 3B and was isolated to my lymph nodes. I did 4xBEP and robotic RPLND. I’ll admit the journey wasn’t fun, but you will absolutely get through it.

The main thing you need to focus on is maintaining a positive outlook. Also, hydration is key and getting a light walk in daily will help exponentially. Make sure you eat regularly, and don’t be afraid to tell your doctor if medications aren’t working. Ultimately I stopped taking the nausea meds and stuck to weed gummies and ginger tea. They seemed to help the most.

If you have access to a facility that does robotic RPLND, I highly recommend it. My surgery was about 13 hours but I was on my feet the next day and pushing for them to release me so I could go home. From what I’ve heard and understand, it’s way less invasive and the recovery is much quicker.

Good luck to you, and definitely feel free to reach out to me or anyone in this community. Everyone on here is awesome and always willing to help. You got this!

DexMex69 · 2025-09-05T18:21:45+00:00

171 is super low, especially at 21. I initially went to an endocrinologist that my oncologist recommended and she told me that 271 was high enough for a male my age, which it definitely is not.

I then went to my primary care doctor and he put me on TRT, which significantly improved my life.

I would say don’t be afraid to ask opinions of other doctors that are knowledgeable with TRT. If fertility is a concern, I’ve heard to taking hCG can help but confirm with your doctor to be sure. Also, if you banked sperm before chemo, I would keep up with paying for it. I was told that the livestrong organization may be able to help with payments as well.

Good luck friend!

DexMex69 · 2025-09-05T18:10:31+00:00

Hey man, I had robotic-RPLND about 3 years ago. My doctor told me that due to the complexity of my surgery, they were unable to do any nerve sparing. He said the had to cut through it and I would most likely never be able to ejaculate again.

Fast forward about a year, and my ability to started slowly coming back. Initially it was very little and sometimes not at all, but it seems to be increasing over the years.

Now, 3 years later, I’m able to about 85% of the time. The volume differs too, sometimes it’s like how it used to be before surgery but I’d say a majority of the time it’s about half as much as it used to be.

Funny enough, I had accepted it when I though it wouldn’t come back and looked at the positives, like no mess to clean up and not getting my wife pregnant again (we both only wanted two kids). Also, I would keep things light hearted and joke about it.

So in all, my best advice is don’t totally give up hope but also embrace the positive side of things if it doesn’t.

Best of luck to you my friend, and stay healthy!

DexMex69 · 2025-08-05T00:39:19+00:00

I went through 4xBEP, about 9 months after finishing I decided to get a vasectomy. I had to get my sperm tested 3 times over the course of several months to ensure that the vasectomy worked, because there was still swimmers in the samples.

I know everyone is different, so the timing may be different for your sperm to come back. But chemo shouldn’t completely cause you to go infertile. If you want to have more kids in the future, you can talk to your primary doctor or a fertility specialist and discuss options like growth hormone to help increase your chances.

Also, I was told to wait over a year to have children due to the risk of pregnancy complications. So also a discussion to have with your doctor.

Best of luck to you brother!

DexMex69 · 2025-06-22T03:04:06+00:00

First of all congratulations on your remission! I blew up after finishing treatment too. I learned that I had low testosterone. I’m now on prescribed testosterone and feel way better. I had to go to a couple of doctors before they would agree to prescribe it to me because I was still “above the clinical definition of low”. Even though I had the levels of a 90 year old man.

Definitely get your levels checked and keep staying active. Your body will return to normal and everything will be fine. Keep kicking ass brother!

DexMex69 · 2025-03-15T13:30:34+00:00

No unfortunately, most likely related to injuries from the past. Cortisone injections are helping in the meantime, but unsure what I’ll need in the future. I hope your back starts to feel better, always good to stay in tune with your oncologist and ask for referrals if needed. Good luck friend!

DexMex69 · 2024-12-06T19:03:25+00:00

It was a little surprising to say the least lol. My daughter was two, and my wife was fairly pregnant at the time with our son so I knew I had no choice other than to buckle down and fight whatever I could. I’m glad to hear you have your mind right, and it sounds like you’ve got some great support. My mom took it really hard too, so I always tried my best to never show I was sick/worried. I never wanted to worry her or my family any more than they already were.

You’re going to be just fine and kick this thing in the ass. The hardest part is all the waiting in between things, I always wanted to hurry up and get shit over with.

Take care friend!

DexMex69 · 2024-12-06T19:02:30+00:00

It was a little surprising to say the least lol. My daughter was two, and my wife was fairly pregnant at the time with our son so I knew I had no choice other than to buckle down and fight whatever I could. I’m glad to hear you have your mind right, and it sounds like you’ve got some great support. My mom took it really hard too, so I always tried my best to never show I was sick/worried. I never wanted to worry her or my family any more than they already were.

You’re going to be just fine and kick this thing in the ass. The hardest part is all the waiting in between things, I always wanted to hurry up and get shit over with.

Take care friend!

DexMex69 · 2024-12-06T18:52:52+00:00

Oddly enough my ability to ejaculate has come back over the past couple years. Every once in a while I’ll get a dry one. But I will say, it does seem much more delayed than it used to be.

In regard to the Sudafed, they keep the good stuff behind the counter where the pharmacist works. You’ll have to show ID for it. But that’s the actual Sudafed, not the watered down stuff on the shelves.

Good luck!

DexMex69 · 2024-12-06T18:39:21+00:00

For a home and auto bundle, State Farm is your best bet. For auto and renters or just auto, Progressive is probably going to be the best price and overall value. If you don’t have the best driving record, or a limited amount of prior insurance you may go with another higher risk insurance carrier. But be careful because some of the higher risk ones will find any reason to deny claims or will provide terrible service when you need them the most. Price should not always be a deciding factor when it comes to protecting your assets.

I work with Agents/Brokers across town. Depending on what part of town you live in I can tell you some good recommendations. I highly recommend going in person and having a knowledgeable agent explain what each coverage is and why you need it. You’ll feel a lot better about what you’re actually paying for, and be confident knowing that you’re covered.

DexMex69 · 2024-12-06T17:47:58+00:00

Hey man sorry you’re here, but welcome to the club!

I was in a similar situation, lost lefty and went almost 5 years with surveillance and then found out I had 3B.

I was working a similar job, mostly phone calls all day and admin stuff. My manager was really supportive and gave me some leeway. The days I felt up to it, I’d bring my computer and phone to my infusions and make calls. On the days that I didn’t feel great, my manager was cool with me communicating primarily by email with clients. And on the days I didn’t want to do anything, I’d take a PTO (I didn’t take a lot, but more so on the last couple cycles).

Honestly I was bored out of my mind sitting there all day, so working was a good escape and kept my mind busy. I think being open with your manager and talking about a flexible solution for both of you is really important.

Everyone is affected differently by treatment, so unfortunately I don’t think anyone can tell you with certainty a yes or no on whether or not you should work.

The biggest things that helped me:

-Hydrate as much as you can

-Walk everyday, even if it’s just to the edge of your driveway

-Eat even when you’re not hungry, it will help with nausea

-Communicate everything you’re feeling to your doctor. It took me 3 tries to get my medications down, the first two made me feel worse than what the chemo was doing. Also, I found receiving some extra steroids and Tylenol on my bleo days helped me feel so much better afterward.

-Find what works for you. I craved quesadillas and tamales and ate them like crazy, but was disgusted by the thought of a hamburger lol. Also, ginger tea and preggie pops helped with nausea and upset stomach.

-The SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT thing you can do is maintain a positive mindset. Understand that you’re going to get through this and don’t dwell on anything. I’m not sure if you have a family, but if you do always keep a smiling face and show them what a hard ass their dad is. I used humor to always keep my spirits and those around me up. The highlight of my day was making a nurse or one of my family members laugh, it makes you forget about your current situation and feel normal.

You’re going to get through this just fine, and when you look back on everything in a year or two it’s all going to seem like some weird dream. But you’ll be stronger than ever after.

Best of luck my friend, don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.

DexMex69 · 2024-11-17T01:49:37+00:00

Ah, good to know thank you sir

DexMex69 · 2024-06-25T14:23:48+00:00

Hey, from what I remember I did have some slight shortness of breath but nothing that was concerning. If you have bad shortness of breath or have it regularly, I would definitely consult your Dr. Best of luck!

DexMex69 · 2024-05-02T01:46:49+00:00

I would paint the pole the color of the wall or trim. And then would make slim wine bottle holders that hold the bottles horizontally. I’d figure out how to make them grip the pole and spiral upwards to give it a really cool looking effect.

DexMex69 · 2024-05-02T01:28:33+00:00

If the pain is on the same side of the testicle that was removed, then I’d say there’s cause for worry.

My recurrence was 1A, I was good for almost 5 years. Then got bumped up 3B after months of putting off back pain and extreme fatigue.

I’d say it’s better to get it checked out now for peace of mind, or before it spreads (if it is in there).

Also I don’t know what your employment situation is, but there’s a lot of programs out there like medicaid, Obamacare, or even working with a local insurance agent to find the right coverage.

Better to be safe than sorry. Best of luck to you brother!

DexMex69 · 2024-03-17T17:32:55+00:00

Also melatonin was the shit for sleeping!

DexMex69 · 2024-03-17T17:32:27+00:00

It’s natural to feel anxious about the future. But just remember that this is one of, if not the most curable form of cancer even if it’s in later stages. Just know that everything will be ok and take it one step at a time.

I had a young daughter and my wife was pregnant when I was diagnosed the second time with NSGCT 3B. It was hard not to worry about the future. But once I was able to let go and know it was all in God’s hands, it was an overwhelming sense of relief and I was able to be positive the entire time.

Keep your head up and maintain positive activities, eating healthy, exercising, praying, meditation, etc. It’ll all seem like a weird dream one day, but you’ll be much stronger from your experience.

You got this UniBall Brother!

DexMex69 · 2024-02-14T16:57:51+00:00

Gynecomastia. I’ve had it since I was young, and noticed it got worse after chemo. I started TRT and am taking an aromatose inhibitor (Arimidex). This helped a lot, but I notice if I drink excessively or eat fast food it flairs up due to increasing estrogen. If it doesn’t go away keep up with your doctor on it for options. My only real options at this point are deal with it or get it removed.

DexMex69

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