About 3 years ago, whilst showering, I found 2 lumps - one on each nut.
It took me a good 6 months to man up and go and speak to a doctor about it - I kept thinking that they would go away.
The doctor diagnosed epididimal cysts, which while not in any way threatening, should be sorted out.
It took me another 6 months of worry gutting before I took the plunge. After all, who wants their crown jewels chopped about?
However during that 6 months, the right hand side grew and grew, til it was even painful to sit on the bog for the morning constitutional - things hanging down under gravity, a feeling of dragging and tightness in the groin etc - you get the picture.
So eventually, under BUPA, I had the job done - I combined the snip at the same time.
As the saw bones opened up the bag, I could see him frown and look at the other doctor present, with a sort of 'what the fcuk is this? look'.
'Hmm, need to get this off to the lab' says Dr #1.
Needless to say I almost crapped myself. But being that I was being done privately and was treated like a person, rather than an NHS lump of meat, the Dr filled me in on what he had found.
Seems that one of the cysts had started to grow and go hard (calcify or similar) - which, Dr said, 'was not a good thing'...
Lab analysis later showed clacification and some pre-cancerous cells.
What followed was 6 months of regular check ups, blood tests and regular grabbing and squeezing of my knackers by, it seemed, every doctor in the private health organisation.
I then had an 'all clear' for the big C - seemed that it was caught in time.
So, long story, but for me one with a moral - whilst it is embarassing to drop your trollies in front of a stranger - your GP and others know their stuff.
So if 'it feels different' down there, FFS get it looked at.
99.9% of the time, there will be nothing to report, but I am sure and so is my Dr, that if I had not gone to get my tackle looked at when I did the diagnosis could have been very different....