July 7, 2003. Comment by Richard 3:-
Hey Guys, coming up on the eleventh month anniversary of my vasectomy. No regrets at all! Only problem is I have had two episodes of granulomas in the past 6 months. Each episode was fairly painful (even when walking) and lasted more then a week. During the first episode the granuloma got so big it felt like I had another ball in there. Doctor said nothing can be done except take ibuprofen and wait for body to reabsorb accumulation of sperm. Second granuloma wasn't as big, but was just as painful. I just hope this isn't a regular occurence every few months.
July 22, 2003. Comment by Trifold:-
Hey Richard, Thanks for posting your story. It's very complete and also fun to read. I'm wondering about the granuloma pain you've been having and whether it might be related to the kind of procedure you had. Did you have the open ended or closed version. (BTW, congrats. on having the . . .urmmm. . .balls to watch. I was too chickenshit, and just stared at the ceiling.) I meant to say, too, thanks for the description of the variocele treatment--which made vasectomy sound easy! And how did you get your wife to change her mind about the vasectomy?
September 30, 2003. Comment by Greenfeather:-
I had a closed-end vasectomy and I believe that the likelihood of granulomas may be greater than with an open-ended procedure. Fortunately (knock on wood) I haven't had any problems for the last 6 weeks or so, and it feels like the granulomas have all but disappeared (I can still feel two small lumps in the cord presumably scar tissue where they were cut-but there is no pain).
I think my wife made up her mind when she saw how determined I was to become sterile. My motivation was partially selfish (not wanting to wear rubbers anymore)but more then that, I didn't want any more children. In her heart my wife didn't want any more kids either, but I think she had a hard time coming to grips with the finality of the procedure. I wasn't phased by that, so I reassured her that I was comfortable, in fact excited about becoming sterile, so this made it easier for her. Now 13 months later one of my wife's girlfriends is pregnant with her 5th child at the age of 38, and my wife is counting her blessings that she doesn't have to ever worry about that again!
September 30, 2003. Comment by Richard 3:-
Greenfeather: I can't remember anything in particular happening before the onset of the granulomas. My life is full of stress (I'm a lawyer); on weekends I like to work around the house so I'm always lifting something; and when everything was feeling good "down there" I would have increased sexual activity. The tell tale sign of the granulomas developing was a pain before ejaculation...it seemed that as my balls pulled up before I came they put pressure on the tubes where the granuloma was developing, so I felt it. Let me know what your research shows. You said you had an open ended vasectomy, which I thought made one less prone to granulomas.
October 11, 2003. Comment by Greenfeather:-
Richard, Everyone that has a vasectomy gets granulomas, it's the healing tissue that forms, kind of like a scar. From everything I've read the open ended is more likely to develop the granulomas as they form a relief valve of sorts to vent off the sperm as it's produced.
I talked with 3 Urologists and 2 Immunologists at university last week and they said that the test would be cost prohibitive and would take approximately 4 weeks to form and maufacture the serum and then to wait to see if you're allergic to your own sperm. I still think there's a better way to build this mousetrap. It really bothers me that you can test for everything else, dust, animal dander and a myriad of other things and a simple sperm antigen test can't be manufactured in mass quantity to say "Richard or Trifold or Greenfeather you are allergic to your own sperm and a vasectomy isn't an option for you." It would save a great deal of pain and suffering to be able to test for this and say if you do it there is a greater likelyhood of developing PVP.