I got thinking about PVPS the other day and what it means to me. So basically, my whole world has been turned on its ear in the last several years because of a decision. The decision making process involved in my male sterilization procedure (aka: vasectomy) was so warped. I mean, why did I have it done in the first place? It's kind of silly.
I wasn't ever going to have a vasectomy, in fact, my wife was going to have her tubes tied with the delivery of our second child. Again though, why had we settled on any type of sterilization procedure? I mean, for 20 years, we had successfully managed to have children when we wanted to and not when we didn't. So what was it about vasectomy or tubes getting tied that seemed like a good idea? Why did we want to change our anatomy?
The simple answer is laid out in my book, but I'll give you a glimpse here. The answer is...it seemed like the right thing to do. That's it. Getting fixed is just what you do when you're done having kids. We do it to animals without any regard and are praised for it by the SPCA. When men are sterilized, we stand around the water cooler and high five about convenience, while scaring the other men with our bag of frozen peas stories. Women may have the benefit of no more monthly cycles, depending on their selection of sterilization.
I have to laugh, because if I don't I'll just cry, about the reasons why we did what we did. Like I said, the book goes into much more greater detail about our decision to make male sterilization our method of choice.
So what is the take home message? It isn't to talk you into or out of a particular decision. Rather, I just want you to think about why you are doing what you are about to do. Is it convenience, is it fear you'll have more kids, what? Remember, permanent sterilization for both the male and female are procedures wrought with the promise of ease in the bedroom, but can also have uncertainty, pain and life altering consequences. So ask yourself why and get informed. Then decide whether male sterilization is right for you. I hope this challenges you and makes you think hard about your future.
Showing posts with label vasectomy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vasectomy. Show all posts
Monday, July 22, 2013
Sunday, November 4, 2012
My Vasectomy
Well, here's the big announcement I've been leading up to in the last couple of weeks. Drumroll please.
Well, I've finished my book about my vasectomy experience. I have a picture link to it on the side bar. It's available at Amazon for $2.99 and is entitled, "Should You Have A Vasectomy? One Man's Journey of Discovery".
In this ebook, I talk about the decision making process and circumstances I went through that led us to the decision of my permanent sterilization procedure. I also discuss the scientific literature currently available on the subject of vasectomies, PVPS, and vasectomy side effects.
There are other books about the snip available, but they seem to be lacking the personal experience, which for me, is obviously a big part of the subject matter. Speaking as the author, I feel it is an interesting, informative and at times, even comical look at the world of birth control and male sterilization. I believe it is a must read for anyone thinking about having a vasectomy. It is also a great read for those who suffer from pain related to vasectomies. It was very therapeutic to write.
So this is the big announcement. Sorry if it seems a little anti-climatic. I hope you read it to your good health and enjoyment. Pass the word.
I'd love some feedback, so please come back and comment here after you've read it.
Well, I've finished my book about my vasectomy experience. I have a picture link to it on the side bar. It's available at Amazon for $2.99 and is entitled, "Should You Have A Vasectomy? One Man's Journey of Discovery".
In this ebook, I talk about the decision making process and circumstances I went through that led us to the decision of my permanent sterilization procedure. I also discuss the scientific literature currently available on the subject of vasectomies, PVPS, and vasectomy side effects.
There are other books about the snip available, but they seem to be lacking the personal experience, which for me, is obviously a big part of the subject matter. Speaking as the author, I feel it is an interesting, informative and at times, even comical look at the world of birth control and male sterilization. I believe it is a must read for anyone thinking about having a vasectomy. It is also a great read for those who suffer from pain related to vasectomies. It was very therapeutic to write.
So this is the big announcement. Sorry if it seems a little anti-climatic. I hope you read it to your good health and enjoyment. Pass the word.
I'd love some feedback, so please come back and comment here after you've read it.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Vasectomy and Hormones
Hormones are tough to figure out, even for men. "They" say that your testosterone levels do not change after vasectomy, but I know mine did. Numerous men with PVPS have had their levels checked post vasectomy and noticed significant drops in T levels. This is also a frequent topic of discussion on the forum board.
Since my reversal, my level never really picked up. It remains very low for a man of my age. I've thought about taking hormone replacement, but I'm still a little too scared because, quite frankly, hormones are kind of weird. There just doesn't seem to be enough scientific literature to make me feel comfortable.
Oddly enough, my hair has recently been falling out, so much so, my hair dresser said something the last time I got a haircut. Hormone problem?? Also, I'm getting stye's on my eyelids. I average one every 5-6 months. The eye doctor told me this too is related to hormones. They aren't exactly sure, but they know there is a connection.
And the weirdest one of them all...my chest hurts. Okay, that doesn't sound too weird, in fact, many of you probably think I should go see a heart doctor. Well, I have and they tell me that it's not related to my heart. What then? Some other guy on the forum told me he gets a similar pain, except it is much more specifically located on his chest. This is kind of weird, so I'm warning you now, read on at your own risk.
Okay, if you're still with me then here goes. He identified the pain as being related to his nipple region. Sadly, this is the exact same kind of pain I get (although, mine is a bit more diffuse and may still have a cardiac component - as I haven't completely ruled that out yet as a possible cause). But when I heard him say that, it made me take a closer evaluation to the pain. Some of the pains I would have in the weeks to follow did seem to be located around my left nip; and when I'd push in on the tissue around it, the pain would change in intensity. The guy told me this is a hormone thing also.
So there seems to be a hole in the understanding of how your hormones change with the onset of the vasectomy (and apparently reversals). In the meantime, I treat my styes, changed my hairstyle and try not to worry so much about these randoms pains shooting across my chest regions, at least those in a very specific region of my chest.
Just another whole set of reasons as to why you shouldn't get a vasectomy. Hey, this is news you won't get anywhere else.
Since my reversal, my level never really picked up. It remains very low for a man of my age. I've thought about taking hormone replacement, but I'm still a little too scared because, quite frankly, hormones are kind of weird. There just doesn't seem to be enough scientific literature to make me feel comfortable.
Oddly enough, my hair has recently been falling out, so much so, my hair dresser said something the last time I got a haircut. Hormone problem?? Also, I'm getting stye's on my eyelids. I average one every 5-6 months. The eye doctor told me this too is related to hormones. They aren't exactly sure, but they know there is a connection.
And the weirdest one of them all...my chest hurts. Okay, that doesn't sound too weird, in fact, many of you probably think I should go see a heart doctor. Well, I have and they tell me that it's not related to my heart. What then? Some other guy on the forum told me he gets a similar pain, except it is much more specifically located on his chest. This is kind of weird, so I'm warning you now, read on at your own risk.
Okay, if you're still with me then here goes. He identified the pain as being related to his nipple region. Sadly, this is the exact same kind of pain I get (although, mine is a bit more diffuse and may still have a cardiac component - as I haven't completely ruled that out yet as a possible cause). But when I heard him say that, it made me take a closer evaluation to the pain. Some of the pains I would have in the weeks to follow did seem to be located around my left nip; and when I'd push in on the tissue around it, the pain would change in intensity. The guy told me this is a hormone thing also.
So there seems to be a hole in the understanding of how your hormones change with the onset of the vasectomy (and apparently reversals). In the meantime, I treat my styes, changed my hairstyle and try not to worry so much about these randoms pains shooting across my chest regions, at least those in a very specific region of my chest.
Just another whole set of reasons as to why you shouldn't get a vasectomy. Hey, this is news you won't get anywhere else.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Vasectomy and Dementia
A lot of guys who have vasectomy talk about the vasectomy fog. It seems like they have a difficult time focusing and remembering simple things. I just ran across an interesting article from Northwestern University in 2007 which describes a correlation between vasectomy and a type of dementia.
Here is a copy of it. I want to stress that this is not a clinical study, just an article. Further research is needed to analyze the validity of the observation. But it is interesting.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
CHICAGO, IL -- February 12, 2007 -- Northwestern University researchers have discovered men with an unusual form of dementia have a higher rate of vasectomy than men the same age who are cognitively normal.
The dementia is Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a neurological disease in which people have trouble recalling and understanding words. In PPA, people lose the ability to express themselves and understand speech. It differs from typical Alzheimer's disease in which a person's memory becomes impaired.
Sandra Weintraub, MD, principal investigator and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neurology at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, began investigating a possible link between the surgery and PPA when one of her male patients connected the onset of his language problem at age 43 to the period after his vasectomy.
At a twice-yearly Chicago support group for PPA patients Weintraub sees from around the country, the male patient rushed into the room and asked the men sitting there, "OK, guys, how many of you have PPA?" Nine hands went up.
"How many of you had a vasectomy?" he demanded next. Eight hands shot up.
Weintraub and her team of researchers surveyed 47 men with PPA who were being treated at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center and 57 men with no cognitive impairment who were community volunteers. They ranged from 55 to 80 years old.
Of the non-impaired men, 16% had undergone a vasectomy. In contrast, 40% of the men with PPA had had the surgery.
"That's a huge difference," said Weintraub, director of neuropsychology in the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center. "It doesn't mean having a vasectomy will give you this disease, but it may be a risk factor to increase your chance of getting it."
In addition, the men who had undergone a vasectomy developed PPA at a younger age (58 years) than men with PPA who hadn't had one (62 years.)
While PPA robs people of their ability to speak and understand language, an unusual twist of the disease is patients are still able to maintain their hobbies and perform other complicated tasks for a number of years before other symptoms develop. Some people garden, build cabinets and even navigate a city subway system. By contrast, Alzheimer's patients lose interest in their hobbies, family life and may become idle. As PPA progresses over a number of years, however, patients eventually lose their ability to function independently.
Preliminary evidence from the study also seemed to connect another form of dementia to a vasectomy. In a smaller group of 30 men with a dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD,) 37% had undergone a vasectomy. The earliest symptoms of FTD are personality changes, lack of judgment and bizarre behavior. As in PPA, FTD usually starts at an earlier age, in the 40s and 50s.
One of Weintraub's patients with FTD was eating lunch in a restaurant with his family and excused himself to go to the bathroom. When he hadn't returned after 10 minutes, his sons went to investigate. They found him doing pushups on the bathroom floor. Other FTD patients begin shoplifting, compulsively gambling, misspending large amounts of money, or become sexually demanding.
The most common form of dementia caused by brain deterioration in individuals over age 65 is Alzheimer's disease. Weintraub did not find an increased rate of vasectomy in patients with Alzheimer's.
Many patients with FTD and PPA share a common brain disease that is completely different from Alzheimer's. Whether a patient will get the behavioral or language problems depends on where the disease causes the most destruction in the brain. In FTD, most of the damage is in the frontal lobes; in PPA, it's in the language centers of the left hemisphere of the brain.
Weintraub theorizes a vasectomy may raise the risk of PPA (and possibly FTD) because the surgery breeches the protective barrier between the blood and the testes, called the blood-testis barrier.
Certain organs ? including the testes and the brain ? exist in what is the equivalent of a gated community in the body. Tiny tubes within the testes (in which sperm are produced) are protected by a physical barrier of Sertoli cells. The tight connections between these cells prevent blood-borne infections and poisonous molecules from entering the semen.
After a vasectomy, however, the protective barrier is broken and semen mixes into the blood. The immune system recognizes the sperm as invading foreign agents and produces anti-sperm antibodies in 60% to 70% of men.
Weintraub said these antibodies might cross the blood-brain-barrier and cause damage resulting in dementia. "There are other neurological models of disease which you can use as a parallel," Weintraub said. Certain malignant tumors produce antibodies that reach the brain and cause an illness similar to encephalitis, she noted.
The next step in Weintraub's research will be to launch a national study to see if her results will be confirmed in a larger population.
"I don't want to scare anyone away from getting a vasectomy," Weintraub stressed. "It's obviously a major birth control alternative. This is just a correlational observation," she said of the dementia connection. "We need to do more research to find out."
The research was conducted as part of an Alzheimer's Disease Core Center Grant from the National Institute on Aging.
SOURCE: Northwestern University
Here is a copy of it. I want to stress that this is not a clinical study, just an article. Further research is needed to analyze the validity of the observation. But it is interesting.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Vasectomy May Put Men at Risk for Type of Dementia
The dementia is Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA), a neurological disease in which people have trouble recalling and understanding words. In PPA, people lose the ability to express themselves and understand speech. It differs from typical Alzheimer's disease in which a person's memory becomes impaired.
Sandra Weintraub, MD, principal investigator and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and of neurology at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, began investigating a possible link between the surgery and PPA when one of her male patients connected the onset of his language problem at age 43 to the period after his vasectomy.
At a twice-yearly Chicago support group for PPA patients Weintraub sees from around the country, the male patient rushed into the room and asked the men sitting there, "OK, guys, how many of you have PPA?" Nine hands went up.
"How many of you had a vasectomy?" he demanded next. Eight hands shot up.
Weintraub and her team of researchers surveyed 47 men with PPA who were being treated at Northwestern's Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center and 57 men with no cognitive impairment who were community volunteers. They ranged from 55 to 80 years old.
Of the non-impaired men, 16% had undergone a vasectomy. In contrast, 40% of the men with PPA had had the surgery.
"That's a huge difference," said Weintraub, director of neuropsychology in the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer's Disease Center. "It doesn't mean having a vasectomy will give you this disease, but it may be a risk factor to increase your chance of getting it."
In addition, the men who had undergone a vasectomy developed PPA at a younger age (58 years) than men with PPA who hadn't had one (62 years.)
While PPA robs people of their ability to speak and understand language, an unusual twist of the disease is patients are still able to maintain their hobbies and perform other complicated tasks for a number of years before other symptoms develop. Some people garden, build cabinets and even navigate a city subway system. By contrast, Alzheimer's patients lose interest in their hobbies, family life and may become idle. As PPA progresses over a number of years, however, patients eventually lose their ability to function independently.
Preliminary evidence from the study also seemed to connect another form of dementia to a vasectomy. In a smaller group of 30 men with a dementia called frontotemporal dementia (FTD,) 37% had undergone a vasectomy. The earliest symptoms of FTD are personality changes, lack of judgment and bizarre behavior. As in PPA, FTD usually starts at an earlier age, in the 40s and 50s.
One of Weintraub's patients with FTD was eating lunch in a restaurant with his family and excused himself to go to the bathroom. When he hadn't returned after 10 minutes, his sons went to investigate. They found him doing pushups on the bathroom floor. Other FTD patients begin shoplifting, compulsively gambling, misspending large amounts of money, or become sexually demanding.
The most common form of dementia caused by brain deterioration in individuals over age 65 is Alzheimer's disease. Weintraub did not find an increased rate of vasectomy in patients with Alzheimer's.
Many patients with FTD and PPA share a common brain disease that is completely different from Alzheimer's. Whether a patient will get the behavioral or language problems depends on where the disease causes the most destruction in the brain. In FTD, most of the damage is in the frontal lobes; in PPA, it's in the language centers of the left hemisphere of the brain.
Weintraub theorizes a vasectomy may raise the risk of PPA (and possibly FTD) because the surgery breeches the protective barrier between the blood and the testes, called the blood-testis barrier.
Certain organs ? including the testes and the brain ? exist in what is the equivalent of a gated community in the body. Tiny tubes within the testes (in which sperm are produced) are protected by a physical barrier of Sertoli cells. The tight connections between these cells prevent blood-borne infections and poisonous molecules from entering the semen.
After a vasectomy, however, the protective barrier is broken and semen mixes into the blood. The immune system recognizes the sperm as invading foreign agents and produces anti-sperm antibodies in 60% to 70% of men.
Weintraub said these antibodies might cross the blood-brain-barrier and cause damage resulting in dementia. "There are other neurological models of disease which you can use as a parallel," Weintraub said. Certain malignant tumors produce antibodies that reach the brain and cause an illness similar to encephalitis, she noted.
The next step in Weintraub's research will be to launch a national study to see if her results will be confirmed in a larger population.
"I don't want to scare anyone away from getting a vasectomy," Weintraub stressed. "It's obviously a major birth control alternative. This is just a correlational observation," she said of the dementia connection. "We need to do more research to find out."
The research was conducted as part of an Alzheimer's Disease Core Center Grant from the National Institute on Aging.
SOURCE: Northwestern University
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Ask Your Doctor About Vasectomy Side Effects
I wish someone would have told me to ask my doctor about vasectomy side effects. I'd been curious about his response. The more I read on the forum, the more I'm understanding how urologists don't typically warn their patients about PVPS before the procedure. It seems that would be something the patient would want to know about.
I'm not sure if I would have changed my mind, but at least I would have known about it beforehand. Some how, that makes it seem better. We all want to make intelligent decisions and we rely on the experts to help us with those decisions.
Next time you go for a physical or check up, ask your doc if they've ever heard of PVPS. It will be the rare doc who is familiar with it I'm sure.
Anyway, my wife and I were together last night - YEA!! That was about 5 days after my last E.J. I have to say, the pain has been better since my EJ and this morning, I feel pretty good. I do not have pain during sex, thank goodness. There are some on the forum who report pain, which I find unimaginable. The bad thing is my wife is back on the pill after a 10 year lay off. But a small price to pay I guess in comparison to the pain that many men and women have from surgical interventions like vasectomy or hysterectomy.
I just have a little pain when I sit in a scrunched over position in this dreaded computer chair. Otherwise, not much to report. Thank God. I hope I'm in another long cycle of no pain. I can only pray that is the case. God bless you for reading this blog and I pray you don't have to experience the pain many of us face. If you are undecided about having a vasectomy, then read some of these blogs or read on the forum. You'll quickly come to a good decision you can live with.
...if it aint broke, don't fix it.
I'm not sure if I would have changed my mind, but at least I would have known about it beforehand. Some how, that makes it seem better. We all want to make intelligent decisions and we rely on the experts to help us with those decisions.
Next time you go for a physical or check up, ask your doc if they've ever heard of PVPS. It will be the rare doc who is familiar with it I'm sure.
Anyway, my wife and I were together last night - YEA!! That was about 5 days after my last E.J. I have to say, the pain has been better since my EJ and this morning, I feel pretty good. I do not have pain during sex, thank goodness. There are some on the forum who report pain, which I find unimaginable. The bad thing is my wife is back on the pill after a 10 year lay off. But a small price to pay I guess in comparison to the pain that many men and women have from surgical interventions like vasectomy or hysterectomy.
I just have a little pain when I sit in a scrunched over position in this dreaded computer chair. Otherwise, not much to report. Thank God. I hope I'm in another long cycle of no pain. I can only pray that is the case. God bless you for reading this blog and I pray you don't have to experience the pain many of us face. If you are undecided about having a vasectomy, then read some of these blogs or read on the forum. You'll quickly come to a good decision you can live with.
...if it aint broke, don't fix it.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Becoming Mentally Stronger
Despite the racking pain I had yesterday, I decided not to take any ibuprofen. Toward the end of the day, I was still having pain, but it wasn't effecting me mentally like it usually does. Normally, I get despondent and have a little pity party for myself. Then I start wishing I had never had a vasectomy in the first place. Then I reply what my life would have been like if I had only gone with my gut and not had the vasectomy.
Yesterday was different though. I fought through the feelings of regret - it doesn't mean I didn't have them. I just didn't let them overcome me. I think the Lord has really helped me in that area. It is easy to live a life of regret, especially when your decisions are what got you in the mess you are currently in. Hopefully, I still have a whole life in front of me and that needs to be my focus, not the past 6 years.
So I had a hot bath last night. I went to bed. Took my kids to school this morning and now I've got stuff to do. I can't dwell and look back. Life is going too fast for that.
Today is still too early to say what kind of pain I'll have. So far, so good.
Yesterday was different though. I fought through the feelings of regret - it doesn't mean I didn't have them. I just didn't let them overcome me. I think the Lord has really helped me in that area. It is easy to live a life of regret, especially when your decisions are what got you in the mess you are currently in. Hopefully, I still have a whole life in front of me and that needs to be my focus, not the past 6 years.
So I had a hot bath last night. I went to bed. Took my kids to school this morning and now I've got stuff to do. I can't dwell and look back. Life is going too fast for that.
Today is still too early to say what kind of pain I'll have. So far, so good.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
The Uneasy Feeling You Get When Something Isn't Quite Right
I think the title of this is perfect. PVPS gives you that uneasy feeling. Even when it isn't flaring up, you still get little reminders throughout the day that all isn't quite right. Yesterday for instance, I was trying to find a comfortable position at the computer from which to get some continuing education - 6 hours of credit. So needless to say, sitting for 6 hours will not do my PVPS any good. I tried laying down, sitting on a bean bag, etc. Throughout the day, my pelvis and scrotum gave me little reminders that something was wrong. My body was rebelling against the idea of such prolonged inactivity and sitting. I tried to move around during those six hours. I stood, stooped, knelt, walked around, but the uneasy feeling just wouldn't leave me.
I've said it before, but PVPS is as much mental as it is physical. Little reminders are always shooting up your nervous system into your brain to remind you that yep, you still have vasectomy pain. After a while, the regret over having the vasectomy in the first place starts to creep in. Then the depression and questions about whether you'll ever get better.
It seems like we've had a new member join the support group every week for the last several weeks. I hate that because they all say the same thing. It starts with, "I had a vasectomy a few weeks ago and the pain just won't go away. The doctor tells me it's normal, but this pain seems different." My heart just goes out to each and everyone of them. Some are in the US, some are in Europe, but the symptoms and experience and sense of desparation are all the same.
Seriously, why would you want to put yourself through this. Trust me and others in the same boat as I, just don't get the vasectomy in the first place. Condoms and the pill will work just fine. Why put yourself at risk?
I believe this is why I chose to have an "online vasectomy journal". I want to get the word out to the unknowning public. Shine a spotlight on this thing so others won't make the same mistake I did. Granted, the risks of developing this are 1 in 10. But that 10% carries a debilitating lifestyle. Full of pain and doctor's appointments. Mental anguish, stress, pharmaceutical dependence and all the other "stuff" that comes with a chronic pain-like life. Hey, I'm giving you an out that you can tell your wife about. I don't think any guy wants a vasectomy in the first place, I know I didn't. So here's your excuse - PAIN spelled with PVPS: that is post vasectomy pain syndrome.
I've said it before, but PVPS is as much mental as it is physical. Little reminders are always shooting up your nervous system into your brain to remind you that yep, you still have vasectomy pain. After a while, the regret over having the vasectomy in the first place starts to creep in. Then the depression and questions about whether you'll ever get better.
It seems like we've had a new member join the support group every week for the last several weeks. I hate that because they all say the same thing. It starts with, "I had a vasectomy a few weeks ago and the pain just won't go away. The doctor tells me it's normal, but this pain seems different." My heart just goes out to each and everyone of them. Some are in the US, some are in Europe, but the symptoms and experience and sense of desparation are all the same.
Seriously, why would you want to put yourself through this. Trust me and others in the same boat as I, just don't get the vasectomy in the first place. Condoms and the pill will work just fine. Why put yourself at risk?
I believe this is why I chose to have an "online vasectomy journal". I want to get the word out to the unknowning public. Shine a spotlight on this thing so others won't make the same mistake I did. Granted, the risks of developing this are 1 in 10. But that 10% carries a debilitating lifestyle. Full of pain and doctor's appointments. Mental anguish, stress, pharmaceutical dependence and all the other "stuff" that comes with a chronic pain-like life. Hey, I'm giving you an out that you can tell your wife about. I don't think any guy wants a vasectomy in the first place, I know I didn't. So here's your excuse - PAIN spelled with PVPS: that is post vasectomy pain syndrome.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Fear and Faith
The last 24 hours have been an emotional roller-coaster. I woke up yesterday feeling pretty good. That is until I stood up, looked downward or bent over. The pain wasn't as bad on my right side as the horrible experience, but I could tell that I'd been through something unpleasant. I got dressed and put on an athletic supporter at my wife's suggestion. I then drove 45 minutes to pick up my kids from their aunt's house.
The drive was okay. While I was at my sister's house, my right side would intermittently hurt in flashes of pain. Again, nothing like the terrible pain I had the night before. I stayed there about 3 hours before driving home. No problems on the drive home.
When I got home, I started feeling pretty good. I didn't dare do anything though, for fear of hurting myself. I eventually started dinner and we all had a decent evening together. But I needed to go to Lowes to look at their carpet. I removed the athletic supporter and drove to Lowes. By the time I came home, I was in pain on the right side, probably a level 3. I put the supporter back on again, took another hydrocodone and the pain subsided. I went to bed without the supporter and this morning has been like yesterday morning. As long as I have the supporter on, the pain isn't as bad (level 1).
I can walk and sit without too much discomfort. I'm really getting tired of this PVPS. I don't know how people with chronic pain survive over the long haul. I know God will get me through this, but I'm tired of always being the person who has something bad happen. In my early 30's I developed lower back problems. In my late 30's I developed heart failure and had my vasectomy/epididymitis problems. In my early 40's I'm now having nerve pain issues from my reversal. During all the time, my mother was dying from Alzheimers and my dad died from a heart attack, while caring for my mom.
I think I'm ready for a season of good stuff. Will it ever happen? Am I destined to be in pain my whole life? I hope not. I think God can still use me, despite all the bad stuff that has happened to me. You'd think I would be angry at Him for all the bad stuff I've had to deal with, but I'm not. I get angry at myself sometimes and it spills over into my prayer time with God. But it's more like me complaining about my decisions and why I can't get out of my own way, not because of anything He's done. If I had a "redo button" I'd make lots of different decisions. Number one on that list would have been never having the vasectomy.
I can't even imagine how different a person I would be right now if I had just said "NO" to the idea of a vasectomy. But sadly, I can't cry over that spilt milk. I just have to keep plowing forward, despite the regret I feel. If it means I have to wear a jock strap the rest of my life, then so be it. If it means I have to take a pill to handle the pain, then so be it. I can't change how the dice come up. It is what it is. I just have to trust God to get me through it. It would be easier to blame him and I know that's what many who read this blog might think. But I can't do that. He's too good. He doesn't want this bad stuff to happen to me. But we live in a fallen world where bad stuff happens to good people. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but that doesn't change the fact.
I feel like I was supposed to have this reversal. Even though I'm now having nerve pain, I still feel like I am where I am supposed to be. I don't necessarily like it, but it is what it is. Something good will come of it. I just need to stay focused on the Lord and He'll get me through this season. Like I said before, my faith in Jesus is all I have left. If I didn't have that, I'd probably look for an easy way out or I'd turn to addiction or who knows what.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to be pain free. I would love to be a healthy 43 year old husband and dad. But since I'm not, I just have to make the best of it. Everyone suffers, why should I be any different.
The drive was okay. While I was at my sister's house, my right side would intermittently hurt in flashes of pain. Again, nothing like the terrible pain I had the night before. I stayed there about 3 hours before driving home. No problems on the drive home.
When I got home, I started feeling pretty good. I didn't dare do anything though, for fear of hurting myself. I eventually started dinner and we all had a decent evening together. But I needed to go to Lowes to look at their carpet. I removed the athletic supporter and drove to Lowes. By the time I came home, I was in pain on the right side, probably a level 3. I put the supporter back on again, took another hydrocodone and the pain subsided. I went to bed without the supporter and this morning has been like yesterday morning. As long as I have the supporter on, the pain isn't as bad (level 1).
I can walk and sit without too much discomfort. I'm really getting tired of this PVPS. I don't know how people with chronic pain survive over the long haul. I know God will get me through this, but I'm tired of always being the person who has something bad happen. In my early 30's I developed lower back problems. In my late 30's I developed heart failure and had my vasectomy/epididymitis problems. In my early 40's I'm now having nerve pain issues from my reversal. During all the time, my mother was dying from Alzheimers and my dad died from a heart attack, while caring for my mom.
I think I'm ready for a season of good stuff. Will it ever happen? Am I destined to be in pain my whole life? I hope not. I think God can still use me, despite all the bad stuff that has happened to me. You'd think I would be angry at Him for all the bad stuff I've had to deal with, but I'm not. I get angry at myself sometimes and it spills over into my prayer time with God. But it's more like me complaining about my decisions and why I can't get out of my own way, not because of anything He's done. If I had a "redo button" I'd make lots of different decisions. Number one on that list would have been never having the vasectomy.
I can't even imagine how different a person I would be right now if I had just said "NO" to the idea of a vasectomy. But sadly, I can't cry over that spilt milk. I just have to keep plowing forward, despite the regret I feel. If it means I have to wear a jock strap the rest of my life, then so be it. If it means I have to take a pill to handle the pain, then so be it. I can't change how the dice come up. It is what it is. I just have to trust God to get me through it. It would be easier to blame him and I know that's what many who read this blog might think. But I can't do that. He's too good. He doesn't want this bad stuff to happen to me. But we live in a fallen world where bad stuff happens to good people. It doesn't make a lot of sense, but that doesn't change the fact.
I feel like I was supposed to have this reversal. Even though I'm now having nerve pain, I still feel like I am where I am supposed to be. I don't necessarily like it, but it is what it is. Something good will come of it. I just need to stay focused on the Lord and He'll get me through this season. Like I said before, my faith in Jesus is all I have left. If I didn't have that, I'd probably look for an easy way out or I'd turn to addiction or who knows what.
Don't get me wrong, I would love to be pain free. I would love to be a healthy 43 year old husband and dad. But since I'm not, I just have to make the best of it. Everyone suffers, why should I be any different.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Bad Pain Day Today
Well, I guess camping and hiking was too much for my groin nerves. Lots of pain today, from right out of the gate. I woke up and had to go to the bathroom. While I was doing my business, I had this nerve pain shoot to the end of my penis. Then 1 hour later, I had to go pee again. Same result. This repeated itself 2 more times.
I had always heard about people have nerve pain in their penis, but I was hopeful that I wouldn't experience it. Lucky me I guess. With each passing day, I develop a growing hatred for this syndrome. That is saying something because I already went into this thing hating it pretty badly.
I don't understand the nerve pain thing at all. I never experienced it after my vasectomy. It's a new thing for me since my reversal. Prior to my reversal, I JUST had epididymitis every 6 months. Now I've got this constant companion of nerve pain. I get a day off from it every now and then, but for the most part, it's like a bad habit I can't shake.
Today I had pain while going #1. I've heard people having nerve pain while making love to their spouse, which totally ruined the experience for both husband and wife. I pray that doesn't happen to me. However, it has only been a couple of months since my reversal and everyone says to be patient. I can't tell you how difficult that is for me. I want this to be in my rear view mirror so badly. My wife does too.
For me and others who suffer from PVPS, the following definition applies:
Regret equals vasectomy.
I had always heard about people have nerve pain in their penis, but I was hopeful that I wouldn't experience it. Lucky me I guess. With each passing day, I develop a growing hatred for this syndrome. That is saying something because I already went into this thing hating it pretty badly.
I don't understand the nerve pain thing at all. I never experienced it after my vasectomy. It's a new thing for me since my reversal. Prior to my reversal, I JUST had epididymitis every 6 months. Now I've got this constant companion of nerve pain. I get a day off from it every now and then, but for the most part, it's like a bad habit I can't shake.
Today I had pain while going #1. I've heard people having nerve pain while making love to their spouse, which totally ruined the experience for both husband and wife. I pray that doesn't happen to me. However, it has only been a couple of months since my reversal and everyone says to be patient. I can't tell you how difficult that is for me. I want this to be in my rear view mirror so badly. My wife does too.
For me and others who suffer from PVPS, the following definition applies:
Regret equals vasectomy.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Vasectomy Side Effects and Vasectomy Reversal Surgery
Yesterday brought with it a return of the nerve pain on my right side. I had a good night sleep and this morning I feel only a slight little twinge on the right side. We have some landscaping to do tomorrow and I have a lot of errands to run today (that means lots of car time), so we'll see how I'm doing on Monday.
Someone asked me the question if I was happy that I had the vasectomy reversal surgery. I told them I wasn't sure yet. The new pains are just as worrisome as the pre-surgery symptoms of swelling and pain. My activity levels are still dictated by pain. But I feel better mentally. They say your testosterone levels drop off with vasectomy surgery. My level two years ago was 441, which might be on the low side for someone who is 41 years old.
So perhaps my levels are higher than before my surgery and that is causing my energy to perk up a little bit. I won't know for sure unless I get it tested. Still not sure I'm going to do that yet.
Just remember, before you have that vasectomy, there is a chance you can have horrible nerve pain which can manifest as the following: continuously, when you ejaculate, intermittently, every once in a while and the pain can be anywhere from a dull ache to such intensity, you want to cry all the time. I've heard stories of people who have suffered all the above.
Or you could have epididymitis like I did. That means your epididymous swells and you feel like you have a third testicle. The pain radiates into your stomach region and makes it very uncomfortable. This swelling can be intermittent or continuous. Mine was intermittent and then turned continuous after 5.5 years. It also was one sided and then became bilateral after 5 years.
So, have a vasectomy if you are willing to take the risk. I would say that if you've had a previous pelvic surgery (hernia repair, appendix removal, etc.) or if you have had lower back pain, you definitely don't want to have the vasectomy. Lots of guys in my support group have had these, however, lots haven't. So there may not be a correlation, but nobody knows. That's the problem, it isn't studied in the urology community, despite it being such a devastating syndrome.
Imagine, your pain ranking an 8-9 on a 1-10 pain scale. Imagine, the pain being continuous and you requiring a pain management doctor to help you get through your life. Your activity becomes nothing, your testosterone sinks to low levels, your sex life becomes almost non-existent. And you did all this in the name of birth control. Trust me, if I had to do it over again, I'd never had the vasectomy in the first place. And neither would thousands of men who suffer various degrees of post vasectomy pain syndrome.
Please, don't have it done. I know, thousands of men have it done and nothing happens to them. But if it does happen, your life will be turned upside down and your regret will last a lifetime.
Someone asked me the question if I was happy that I had the vasectomy reversal surgery. I told them I wasn't sure yet. The new pains are just as worrisome as the pre-surgery symptoms of swelling and pain. My activity levels are still dictated by pain. But I feel better mentally. They say your testosterone levels drop off with vasectomy surgery. My level two years ago was 441, which might be on the low side for someone who is 41 years old.
So perhaps my levels are higher than before my surgery and that is causing my energy to perk up a little bit. I won't know for sure unless I get it tested. Still not sure I'm going to do that yet.
Just remember, before you have that vasectomy, there is a chance you can have horrible nerve pain which can manifest as the following: continuously, when you ejaculate, intermittently, every once in a while and the pain can be anywhere from a dull ache to such intensity, you want to cry all the time. I've heard stories of people who have suffered all the above.
Or you could have epididymitis like I did. That means your epididymous swells and you feel like you have a third testicle. The pain radiates into your stomach region and makes it very uncomfortable. This swelling can be intermittent or continuous. Mine was intermittent and then turned continuous after 5.5 years. It also was one sided and then became bilateral after 5 years.
So, have a vasectomy if you are willing to take the risk. I would say that if you've had a previous pelvic surgery (hernia repair, appendix removal, etc.) or if you have had lower back pain, you definitely don't want to have the vasectomy. Lots of guys in my support group have had these, however, lots haven't. So there may not be a correlation, but nobody knows. That's the problem, it isn't studied in the urology community, despite it being such a devastating syndrome.
Imagine, your pain ranking an 8-9 on a 1-10 pain scale. Imagine, the pain being continuous and you requiring a pain management doctor to help you get through your life. Your activity becomes nothing, your testosterone sinks to low levels, your sex life becomes almost non-existent. And you did all this in the name of birth control. Trust me, if I had to do it over again, I'd never had the vasectomy in the first place. And neither would thousands of men who suffer various degrees of post vasectomy pain syndrome.
Please, don't have it done. I know, thousands of men have it done and nothing happens to them. But if it does happen, your life will be turned upside down and your regret will last a lifetime.
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