These are my random musings. Hopefully they will be witty, insightful, and frequently updated.
Ooh, my achin' groin!
Published on December 23, 2005 By singrdave In Surgery
Here I sit, peas on crotch. The deed is done: the vasectomy has been performed. Luckily for me, the pain is not too bad. It was recommended that I have ice on 30 minutes, off 30 minutes... but I haven't been willing to take the ice off for longer than it took for someone to run upstairs for the other bag.

Let me tell you about the surgery (this is the point where the faint of heart are supposed to stop reading and click off this site):

Started with a nice shearing o' the scrotes, since pubic hair has a fair number of germs hiding inside. Then a betadine scrub to disinfect. The doctor then examined the scrotum to find the vas deferens inside. Once located, the doctor shot up the inside with the "stick and burn" (as I learned from the dentist, the novocaine is worst part of the whole thing).

From there, it's kind of a guess, since the doctor insisted that I not look at what he was doing. (Good advice.) I could feel some tugging and pressure as he made a small (about 1/4 inch) incision in the right side of the scrotum just over where he had pinned the vas deferens with his fingers. Went in with very small forceps (or tweezers, I guess) and cut off a section so it couldn't get back together on its own, cauterized the ends with what I think was an electrode, sewed each end back on itself, and then used a very small surgical "bag" to cap the ends. Yeah, there is no possible way those suckers can grow back together. The risk of that is somewhere in the vicinity of 1 in 250,000.

I was getting quite sick to my stomach during the procedure, and just regulating my breathing did not help. Unfortunately, I think the stress and the novocaine were going straight to my stomach and making me very nauseous. But the nurse titled my head down towards the horizontal, and I was able to regain some blood to my head and feel better.

So after he was done sewing up the right side, he went to the other side of the table and proceeded to do the same thing. Took about twenty five minutes from start to finish.

How do I feel now? Sore, a little less spring in my step... nothing a couple of days on the couch won't solve.

How do I feel emotionally? Kinda sad, honestly. Sad that I won't be fertile any more. That's the great thing about being a guy - you get to leave your "mark" where ever you go. No more kids for me, and I am disappointed about that. The vasectomy reversal may one day be an option, but not with this wife! "Maybe if you get a young, hot wife" were my wife's exact words.

I haven't peeled back the gauze packing yet to see the actual damage. I plan on leaving the site alone until I try to shower tomorrow morning. Then I will have assessed the damage.

So... send me a get well reply, guys! Heck, send me MANY get well replies! Don't you think I have earned it?

Comments (Page 1)
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on Dec 23, 2005
Please excuse me if I just stay home and cringe. Good luck......eunuch boy.
on Dec 23, 2005
~Cyber pat~

You took one for the team, so get better soon!
on Dec 23, 2005
I watched them do mine since it wqas taking them so long. Wuss! Bwahahahahaha!
on Dec 24, 2005

I forgot to tell you about the shave.  But they wanted me to do it before hand.  I guess I was lucky!  I hope it is not a couple of days!  Like I said, it was only one for me!

Get better soon?  And after 4 children, I was not too upset.  I think I have obeyed the dictates of my church better than 90% of the other CE Catholics!

on Dec 24, 2005
I'm very proud of you for not only going through with it, but also for saying that you feel a bit sad that you won't be able to have any more babies. a lot of men wouldn't have admitted that ... I think that it speaks volumes about your character.

I'm worried about the amount of time you're keeping the ice on your groin, though. You need to taqke it off for longer than a few seconds or even 5 minutes, or else you run the risk of tissue damage (think along the lines of frostbite)to a very sensitive area.

Take it easy, enjoy your family and your Christmas...and I'll check in via here and email every so often, ok? If you have any questions, Dave's here and can answer them. Oh, and btw....the incisions aren't usually anything spectacular. Dave's were almost invisible.
on Dec 25, 2005
Merry Christmas, and get well soon.
on Dec 26, 2005
Third day and feeling okay.
Things are still a little sore down there, but I am wearing jeans for the first time since the surgery. And we're planning on going out and about after lunch. We'll see tonight just how bad I feel.
The gauze is off and I'm covering the incision sites with bandaids. Not bad at all, but I still need the bandaids.
on Dec 26, 2005
I'm glad it all went well and that you are feeling better.
on Dec 26, 2005
Owie. May I ask why on Earth you would do that so close to Christmas? Good for you and your family though. Glad to hear you are wearing jeans already. Have a very happy new year.
on Dec 27, 2005
May I ask why on Earth you would do that so close to Christmas?

My wife asked the same question, almost verbatim. My thoughts:
1. three day weekend.
2. Christmas doesn't require a lot of movement, unlike Halloween (trick or treating).
3. family in town to help take care of our baby.

Feeling good today, back at work. Loved the three day weekend, really helped to not have to go back to work yesterday. Just doing light work today, nothing strenuous. Probably watch some training videos in a little while and have lunch with a buddy of mine.
Bandaids are still doing the trick, as there is still some oozing from the incision sites. Though I have abandoned "scrotal support" (jock strap), I am wearing supportive underwear (not my usual boxers).

Yesterday I walked around a mall, usual day-after-Christmas stuff. For a couple of hours... no major problems, though by the end of the day I had some swelling and needed to ice myself down when I got home. I felt pretty good afterwards, no lasting effects.

The reason that I am so dutifully grossing you all out is that I wish to be a beacon for any and all future vasectomy patients. I will be happy to answer questions and let you know how my experience went. I am quite happy with the surgery and its aftereffects.
on Dec 27, 2005
No more boxers for you! Ever!
Unless you decide you like feeling like you were kicked in the junk.
on Dec 28, 2005
Glad everything came apart ok, hehe.

Apart and back together again, thanks. Except I am still pretty swollen after a long day's walking and moving about. Feel like the guy from "Johnny Dangerously" with elephantitis of the nuts, waddling slowly while cradling these two huge beach balls in his trousers.
on Dec 28, 2005

Yesterday I walked around a mall, usual day-after-Christmas stuff. For a couple of hours... no major problems, though by the end of the day I had some swelling and needed to ice myself down when I got home. I felt pretty good afterwards, no lasting effects.

2 Thumbs up!  Some of us really dont have major problems!  I did 8 hours of on my feet for work.  Given your scenerio, I prefer mine!

on Dec 29, 2005
Today is an okay day; there was some swelling and discomfort. It's been the seventh day since the surgery, and I am still a bit swollen in the scrotes. But feeling all right, and the incision holes are almost closed. I was very sore last night, but after some icing down and resting I felt much better.
I became active down there earlier today... twelfth wedding anniversary, you know... and there was zero discomfort. Excellent to find out the equipment still works.
on Dec 29, 2005
became active down there earlier today... twelfth wedding anniversary, you know... and there was zero discomfort. Excellent to find out the equipment still works.


Dude! We waited 2 weeks before that!! You got busy a WEEK after surgery?! Damn. You're either incredibly brave or incredibly....umm...yeah.

Congratulations, not only on the anniversary, but also on a successful test run.
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