Follow-up: "How's it hanging?"

It's been three weeks to the day now since I had my varicocele surgery (or varicocele repair, or varicocelectomy, or whatever you want to call it). This morning I finally had my follow-up appointment with the urologist to see how things are going. It was also our chance to finally get some answers.

From the American Urological Association web site, about varicoceles:

What can be expected after treatment?

Recovery time after surgical repair is rapid. Pain is usually mild.

LIKE HELL IT IS. I was supposed to go back to work last Thursday; that didn't happen. I tried at the start of last week to quit the prescription pain pills and go to OTC Tylenol, but after a day and a half of that, it became apparent that the Tylenol wasn't doing jack squat to relieve the pain, so I stayed on the prescription pills and stayed out of work. I tried last Wednesday (the day before I was supposed to go back to work) to go out to lunch with my wife, but that was the first time I'd left the house since the surgery, and I quickly discovered that just sitting upright in the car was still quite a painful experience. So our nice lunch out turned into let's-hit-the-drive-thru-and-go-home.

The incision site seems to be healing well. It still aches sometimes, and gradually aches more the longer I sit up or stand, but that part isn't so bad and might be in keeping with the AUA's statement above. The part that the AUA (and virtually every other medical resource) fails to mention is the post-op pain in the affected testicle itself. "Mild"? No - anything but! For the first two and half weeks after the surgery, the slightest touch against the gland caused literally nauseating pain - like getting kicked in the balls every time you try to move - and while the incision was healing, the gland pain didn't decrease at all. I discovered that wearing a jock strap for support (WITHOUT the cup) at least allowed me to walk more or less normally, but showering and using the restroom and anything else that required moving the gland even slightly was still an excruciating experience. On the 10-point pain scale, this was at least an 8.

This past Sunday, however, I cautiously noted that the pain in the gland was beginning to show signs of lessening - while still not comfortable by any means, maybe it's a 6 now instead of an 8. Given that improvement, I decided to go ahead and return to work on Monday, which went okay - I was fuzzyheaded due to still being on the prescription pain pills, and my boss graciously agreed to let me leave an hour early, but the pain didn't get too bad until near the end of the day. My job involves sitting in a desk chair for 8 hours, though, and that was easily the longest I had tried to sit up continually since the surgery... so I hurt more when I got up on Tuesday than I had when Monday ended. I stayed at work all day on Tuesday, but the pain never went away, so I was only too glad to get home and lie down again.

That led us to this morning. I woke up hurting again (though at least less now than a week ago), and dreading another doctor visit (though at least I knew a little better what to expect this time). It was hardly less embarrassing than before - casually dropping your drawers to put your groin on display again, and this time with the promise that the exam will HURT - but at least this time it was over more quickly. No ultrasound, which surprised me, but I guess the doctor didn't need it. The good news is that the doc is overall pleased with the healing; in spite of the pain, he said that everything looks good, so he doesn't need to see me again for three months. The bad news is that, when asked how long the pain should be expected to last, he said, "Months. Weeks. At least a couple of months. There's a chance it could be permanent."

Yeah... thanks for that. Fortunately that's not a big chance, though, and with the signs of gradual improvement this week, that makes me hopeful that there will be an end in sight - even if it's still several weeks away. It would have been nice to know to expect this before the surgery, or even to be told afterwards without having had to call the nurse twice. As far as pain relief goes, he recommended Aleve for its anti-inflammatory properties, which also would have been nice to know before now. He said he wouldn't expect Tylenol to be able touch this (which it didn't), as Tylenol and even hydrocodone do nothing for inflammation. I speculated that the pain in the testicle was due at least partially to the remaining veins being forced now to handle increased blood flow, which the doc confirmed; he also said that the spermatic cord is inflamed after being messed with in the surgery, so that's why Aleve should help. I took my first dose a few hours ago, so we'll find out just how much it helps soon.

After yesterday's painful work experience, I came home to rest this afternoon, and the doc recommended that I talk to my boss about shorter workdays, at least while the severe pain lasts. All complaints aside, though... the general news we got this morning was exactly what I was praying we would hear: Healing well. Everything looks good. And now we don't have to worry about anything doctor-related again for another three months. That's a great Christmas gift.