My urologist: cooler than I thought! (7 month update)
Giraud
feel free to post this to "Giraud."
As I've said in some previous posts, I feel slight aching sometimes in
(especially) my right testicle, but sometimes the left one too. It has
varied over the months since my vas (even day to day or hour to hour), and
my feelings on it have been to wait and watch the trend to see if it
becomes less and less over time. Much of the time, the ache is not there
at all.
For the most part, it is hardly noticible. Sometimes it starts to get
"bothersome," but it never interferes with my life. Last week, however, it
started to feel just a bit worse, so I decided to make an appointment to
see the urologist who performed the op. I just wanted to make sure he was
aware that I still noticed some discomfort at times, and should I be
alarmed (or could it be an infection). After hearing all of the stories
here about how urologists react (not wanting to deal with it, etc.), I
wondered how he'd react.
If you read my story, you'll see that my urologist insisted on a
closed-ended, and although I wondered if that was a good idea, I went with
it. Since he did not mention open-ended as an option, I wondered what he'd
say regarding helping residual pain. I remember he had mentioned that
there were things that could be done in the event of pain, like
epididectomy (he did not mention reversal).
Anyway, I really liked my intereaction with him this time - he seemed very
frank and realistic, and he spent the time to talk to me about it. He did
an exam, feeling the tubes, etc. and asking if anything he did felt tender.
Actually, it didn't. He said everything down there feels fine.
What he suspects is going on is that I have some congestion down there, and
it's taking longer than usual to subside. He said that the sperm I produce
has no where to go, and one's body will usually adapt to break down and
absorb the sperm, and even that the sperm production will usually decrease
a little over time.
He said that about 5% of men have some pain that lasts longer than others,
and maybe 1 in 400 have pain that never goes away due to the pressure. And
then he said if that happens, it "sucks." I appreciated his candor in this
- from this message you can't read his tone, but it was basically backed by
a caring but sincere attitude (i.e. not trying to placate me, but being
honest).
Following that was the most interesting thing. He suggested seeing how it
goes for a while and if it improves. I stressed that it was fairly mild.
He also said there were things he could try if it does not improve. The
real shocker was that he said he could go in there again and basically cut
off the testicular ends and leave them open! An open-ended conversion!
I guess this shocked me, since he seemed so in favor of the closed-ended at
first. In some ways, you could wonder why he did not give me that option
initially, but I guess what I am pleased about is that he is suggesting a
possible fix (if I later need it) that goes along with what people are
saying in this group. No suggestions of reversal or more drastic measures,
which just basically makes sense (I have found it odd to hear of reversals
being the suggestion - makes we suspicious that whoever suggests that may
see dollar signs, as it is much more expensive).
So I continue to hope that the days I feel aching become fewer and fewer,
which has been the slow trend in general, but it's nice to have a
*realitively* simple option with this same urologist, and it's nice to hear
that not all urologists say, "it's in your head so go away," etc.
Giraud
David
"Giraud" <gir...@spamsucks.com> wrote in message
news:Xqjla.731$np5....@news.uswest.net...
> Here's a little update to my situation (about 7 months post-vas). David,
> feel free to post this to "Giraud."
OK - will do.
You may have read that I'm updating the stories section and am part way
through it. I'll certainly add this update to your story, and it will be
available when the new section comes online fairly soon.
Problem I currently have is I can't even work out how to make a Win98 Boot
disk tonight, having spent the last hour arguing with the kids over
something really trivial :( So it's not a good time to do anything that
requires thought.
I'll add it soon, and thanks for the update!
David
Dave
How long are you going to give it, before going down the surgical route again ?
Not too long if I were you.
When I first saw a Urologist about my pain, he said that "it happens", and
that in most cases it goes away eventually after some months or years !!!
Best to do nothing he said. Work on a wait and see basis.
In some cases if the pain doesn't go away, the testicle has to be removed.
This had the intended effect of making me go away (almost in tears !).
5 years later, I had had enough of waiting and had a reversal.
This has fixed the pain.
David,
I'll put my story together soon and send it to you for posting.
Dave (miami_vice_1999)
----------------------
David
>
> I'll put my story together soon and send it to you for posting.
>
>
>
> Dave (miami_vice_1999)
OK - but I STILL can't get my PC to create a boot disk :( I'll sort it
sometime.
David
> ----------------------
Giraud
> Giraud,
>
> How long are you going to give it, before going down the surgical route
> again ? Not too long if I were you.
>
> When I first saw a Urologist about my pain, he said that "it happens", and
> that in most cases it goes away eventually after some months or years !!!
> Best to do nothing he said. Work on a wait and see basis.
>
> In some cases if the pain doesn't go away, the testicle has to be removed.
> This had the intended effect of making me go away (almost in tears !).
>
> 5 years later, I had had enough of waiting and had a reversal.
> This has fixed the pain.
Dave, thanks for the advice. Sounds like you waited 5 years, had a
reversal, and had good results. I assume a conversion to "open-ended"
would have the same basic effect of relieving pressure. But why do you say
not to wait long? Sounds like his threat of having a testicle removed was
"if the pain doesn't go away." Or was it time-based? 5 years in your case
is pretty long.
It's been 7 months for me, and I may give it up to 1 year, assuming the
pain is in a downward trend. If it the trend, over the next few months,
goes to higher pressure/pain, I may attack it earlier. Still I would opt
for the open-ended route first and see how that goes - should be the same
or less traumatic than the original vasectomy, which was pretty easy.
-Giraud
Steve Lupton
"David" <david...@tesco.net> wrote in message
news:y0Bla.1358$Za6...@newsfep1-gui.server.ntli.net...
> OK - but I STILL can't get my PC to create a boot disk :( I'll sort it
> sometime.
Hi
Visit http://www.bootdisk.com/bootdisk.htm. You can download a single file
from there.
All you need to do is double-click it with a blank floppy in the drive and
it'll do the business for you!
All the best,
Steve
Steve Law
The reason reversal might work better than open ended is that sperm
are no longer exposed to anti-bodies and therefore no inflammation, no
granulomas, etc. An open ended does not make these factors better,
could make them worse as more sperm are released into the scrotum.
Has the doctor detected inflamation or granulomas?
God's Speed
Steve L
trifold
>
> It's been 7 months for me, and I may give it up to 1 year, assuming the
> pain is in a downward trend. If it the trend, over the next few months,
> goes to higher pressure/pain, I may attack it earlier. Still I would opt
> for the open-ended route first and see how that goes - should be the same
> or less traumatic than the original vasectomy, which was pretty easy.
>
> -Giraud
I had very mild soreness on the right side for about a year, esp. the
day after a long-delayed ejac. or multiple ejacs. But it was never
very bothersome--more like a "sex hangover." And after a year, it
went away.