Back From Camping Weekend

My son and I had a great time camping and fishing. We're very happy that our church was able to put this up as part of their father/son ministry. We basically fished for bass and perch all weekend and mixed in a little s'mores, bonfire, snipe hunt, and the usual stuff that goes with camping.

I did a lot of walking and was surprised that my pain levels were pretty low to non-existent. Until last night, when the nerve pain woke me up out of a peaceful slumber. I don't remember nerve pain waking me up before, so yet another new pain experience to catalog. Then, as I got into the car to make the hour drive home, I had another episode of nerve pain. Both of these pains were on my left side.

Just when I think my left side won't bother me anymore, something like this happens and "pow", the remains of the vasectomy side-effects hit me like a ton of bricks. Someone posted in our group that his post-reversal time seemed like 10-12 months, but it's only been about 8. I can understand his perspective. It seems like my reversal was about 6 months ago, but it was only back in late December (about 3 months ago). I also feel like my vasectomy and subsequent reversal for pain and chronic epididymitis has aged me about 10-15 years.

That might be the lower testosterone levels or it might be because of all the worrying and frustration I've had to endure over the last 5.5 years. I think I have a better handle on what chronic pain people go through, because I've become one. Sometimes it's not always the pain that gets you, but the threat of pain. You're afraid to do stuff because it might result in terrible pain. I was very scared to go on this church campout, for fear of being in a ton of pain afterwards.

So the rest of my day will look like this. Reclining in the chair, walking around the house and fretting about doing anything else that may cause added stress to my already stressed pelvic region. That is the other devastating side effects of vasectomy - the lifestyle changes.

I'll be back tomorrow with another installment of my online post vasectomy side effects journal.