Alex’s experience: Childfree bachelor’s story

This is the story of a successful vasectomy. I’m a 42-year-old bachelor who has long known he didn’t want to have children and decided that now was the time to get a vasectomy owing to a job change and impending loss of medical insurance. “Now or never” was my way of looking at it.

I had one short visit with the urologist to whom I was referred, mostly to fill out paperwork and ask a few questions about the procedure. He didn’t think too highly of the “no-scalpel” method, preferring instead to use the old-fashioned scalpel method, of which he told me he had done about 1000 in his career.

I was scheduled for outpatient surgery at a nearby hospital and walked there the day of the procedure. I can honestly say that the worst part of this whole experience was feeling nervous as I approached the hospital, realizing that I was about to have something rather permanent done to my body.

The hospital experience was one of professionalism and courtesy; the operation was performed under local anesthetic, and the only discomfort I suffered during the procedure was that my hands got cold after lying on the table for a while.

I felt a little weak and odd as I sat up to leave the operating room; even if you’re not in pain, your body knows that something has happened to it, or so it would seem. But a half-hour of relaxing in the post-op room with some juice and crackers and I was ready to leave. A friend picked me up from the hospital, definitely a good idea as even though the anesthetic hadn’t worn off I was hobbling around slowly wearing an athletic supporter stuffed with gauze. Hailing a cab would have been possible in this state, but a trifle inconvenient, and it’s always nice to have a sympathetic person show you to your door.

The operation was on a Friday; I had that day off from work and took the following Monday off as well to recuperate. Having this extra day was a good idea. And all I did that long weekend was lie on the couch and watch movies all day. Once the anesthetic had worn off, the discomfort, it wasn’t really strong enough to be called pain- was akin to a pulled muscle or sprain from a sports injury. The doctor had only prescribed Tylenol or Ibuprofin for any pain I might experience. During the whole three and a half post-op days, I took a total of two ibuprofens. While inconvenient to be lying around all day (though some would call that an excellent vacation) at no point was I in anything resembling serious pain. The other testimonials on this web site saying that getting a tooth extracted is a more painful procedure are quite correct. I had the recommended bags of peas in the freezer but didn’t even wind up using them, as the cold from the bag was more uncomfortable than the mild soreness I experienced.

While I was back at work on the Tuesday after the operation, the doc wouldn’t allow me to ride my bicycle for two whole weeks. So for a week or so I hobbled around like an old man (more out of concern that I might tear open a suture than from discomfort) and rode the bus to work. After two weeks I was back on the bike and continued to wear the athletic supporter until week three. That garment definitely was helpful, IMHO.

There was some slight bruising on my scrotum within a week or so, and the one time I took a brisk walk (a couple of miles) around the third week there was a twinge of pain on the left teste, but again, nothing horrible. Just a gentle reminder that not everything had healed up completely and something probably got a little irritated. So I didn’t go for any more long walks for a couple of weeks and my body didn’t complain.

This doctor’s handiwork was very good: within a month I could find absolutely no scars and would be hard-pressed to identify where the incisions had been made. Within a month I was out in the country, doing construction, moving large rocks around, digging holes, etc., without the slightest problem. And it is now month five and besides the memory, it is as if the operation had never happened. I actually got the doctor’s office to send me a copy of the operation report so I’d have a souvenir, strange as that may sound.

I’m very happy to have had this procedure performed, and would tell any man who seriously wants to have a vasectomy that it’s is about as pain-free a surgical procedure as one could imagine. The hardest part is the anxiety one might suffer prior to the event, but if you’ve got a good doctor that anxiety is completely unfounded. I can wholeheartedly recommend this procedure, and feel very satisfied and, in a way, liberated. Don’t let fear keep you from doing this, fellas.

Submitted by Alex