Boy puberty...help!

[Traveller]

DS1 will be nine in September and is starting to be a bit more private with his body, which is fine, so I haven't seen him naked in a few weeks as he likes to shower independently.

Tonight he stripped off naked with the other kids and was waving his bits around (as you do lol) and I noticed his right testicle is all of a sudden massive, easily twice the size of his other one. At first I thought he must have been kicked but he said no, it just happened. Dear lord, is this puberty already? And is lopsided development normal? I'm scared to Google the issue in case I end up in dodgy websites.

Just to add, he hss a puberty book because I thought this might be coming in the next year or so and ds1 is therefore quite blasé and thinks this is jyst normal, it's only me freaking out about the lopsidedness and the fact he's not even nine yet.

[glorious]

i dont think uneven growth like that would be puberty... maybe hydrocele??
Have a chat with his dad (if he isnt keen to chat with you) and perhaps get it checked out.

I just googled "do testes grow unevenly in puberty" and came up with some helpful info no dodgy sites

[Traveller]

Thanks, am off to Google He had bilateral hydroceles at birth which resolved a few weeks later so maybe it's connected?

[Caz_88]

Hydrocele was my first thought too

[glorious]

yeah it can be connected (hehe)

[Traveller]

The thing I'm really anxious not to do is to rush him off to the doc if it is normal, thus mortifying his start to puberty. How would I tell if it's a hydrocele?

[glorious]

by feel :/
is it fluid? if he squeezed around the teste does the swelling go away..
i think no matter what you have to chat to him about it.

Also by going to the Dr you can make it a wellness check up have the dr discuss with him checking himself too as it is just as important for boys/men to check as it is for women to check their breasts

[Traveller]

Oh I like the idea of a wellness check, I'll ask the doctor on Wednesday and see what she says.

[Traveller]

So I spoke to the boy and discussed how one side is a fair bit bigger. He's not worried but wouldn't let me check. He did let dh have a feel though and it feels like the other side, just bigger. There's no pain or redness. We had a chat about the importance of self checking and letting myself or dh know if there is any pain or if lumps appear. Other than that I guess I'll keep a subtle eye and if the other one doesn't catch up within a few months then I'll broach the subject again.

[Trillian]

Hmmmm, he's a bit young to be starting to change like that I would have thought? I know the testes can change in size, but it seems sudden. It could just be early development, and be nothing, but I think keeping an eye on things would be best.

[Traveller]

Hmmmm, he's a bit young to be starting to change like that I would have thought?

Yes this! Dr Google says it can be the first sign of puberty though, and 9 is the lowest age for normal male puberty. I've also posted before about my suspicions he would be early, mainly his shy interest in girls that seems to have changed slightly from his innocent early girlfriend relationships.

[Traveller]

I'm so proud of my boy. We told him he would see a doctor this weekend and if anything changed how important it was for him to tell us. So last night he told dh that it was around three times bigger. The gp was closed so we went to ed where he was seen quite quickly and he has a patent processus vaginolis (I think that's how you spell it) and he needs a surgical repair.

[Tinks]

Yikes! Good on him. Hope it goes well and he recovers quickly.

[glorious]

I am glad you had that discussion with him
Hope his recovery goes well.

[Traveller]

Thanks I'm so proud he came to us for help. I'm still waiting to hear from the surgeon but it's not urgent atm so he's home