Elective Orchiectomy--Better Off or Worse Off?

[moi621 (imported)]

My castration was beyond my control. I actually didn't know it had occurred until 8 days later. Talk about a shock to the system!

Castration was something we did to livestock, it was never something I had thought about or even imagined happening to me. Yet, here we are!

It's been 3 years 4 months and 11 days...not that I'm keeping track or anything. The first year was brutal. Accident, financial crisis, then divorce and even more financial crisis.

Not knowing what was going to happen to me physically was one of my biggest problems. I've come to the conclusion that I'm vain. It's not intentional, but I am. I've always been built well, and I guess I'm proud of it...and I REALLY didn't want to lose that in a short time.

Guess what, with proper HRT I haven't, I'm probably ahead of the game at this point. I'm leaner and stronger than I was a year ago, I know that for certain.

So when it comes down to it, yes I'd rather have my testicles back, but in actuality I can survive just fine without them. The only problem I have with it is other people knowing.

There's this strange stigma attached to being a eunuch. To some it might be a turn on, for me it's something I try desparately to keep secret. Not because it's really a problem, simply because I don't want to be looked at as different. That's probably insecurity on my part, but that's the way I feel.

I'm not a loner in a big city, I'm a country bumpkin in a small community were I know everybody and they know me. I'm seventh generation on the same farm!

So in answer to the original question....physically I'm probably better off, but the mental aspect of having this stupid secret eats at me, so mentally I'm worse off. Does that make any sense?

Thanks to this site, I get to vent and let the stupid secret out...that has helped me incredibly, I want to thank anyone who has listened, read, or given me advice or information! You guys can't imagine how much I've come out of my shell the last year or so! I thank you all.

Thank You for the post & sharing

I had wondered how it might be similar and different for guys who do it

1) voluntarily

2) legally required vs incarceration,

3) sudden & unexpected.

Thanks again

Moi The Curious

[raymar2020 (imported)]

After suffering for nearly 30 years with relatively undeveloped non functional, and painful testicles, I finally got a medical professional to remove them in 2008.

Mine has been a long journey, and one that was filled with pain , disappointment, and confusion. As a guy who had really small, usually hidden balls, I was quite comfortable with the appearance that I had, and found very few objections from my sexual partners, so that was not a real issue.

I did struggle with the finality of it all, for a while, but the potential of being pain free, won out in that argument. I can now say that I made the totally right decision, and my only regret is the years I spent in pain, when it could so easily have been eliminated.

I know many here have fantasies that revolve around castration , or other de-sexing ideas, and there seems to be a pervasive feeling that simply snipping off the nads, will create "calm", well thats certainly not the case for me.

I do use HRT, but at a fairly low dose, and now find that I have as much or more libido than I did when intact, and still having some natural function.

I am more energetic, and have more stamina, than I have in years. Pain has a way of sapping your strength, that can not truly be seen until the pain is removed.

Am I better off? Hell yes!!! I could not be more pleased with the result. I feel better, perform better, and the fact that I am no longer in pain , all contribute to a vastly improved quality of life.

Unlike others, I am totally open about my status, even with those I deal with at work. No one has showed even the slightest change in the way they interact with me, and I surely am easier to deal with now that I am not grouchy from pain all the time.

As to physical relations, my partner, is quite content with my partial package, and even prefers it . While he does not lord it over me, I think subconsiously he likes being the one with balls in the house. Our situation is very balanced, no submissiveness at all, as a matter of fact , if there is any it is NOT on my part.

I have always been a take charge type person, and that has not changed at all.

Oh, and one other benefit. I seem to be much better able to express my emotions than ever before in this life. I don't do crying jags, but I can get teary if something saddens me, and when I laugh it is with all of my being.

To anyone who suffers pain and needs HRT anyway, pressure the doctors to do the orchiectomies. Your life WILL change, but for the better.

Ray

[Riverwind (imported)]

before castration I felt like I was being kicked in the nuts 4 or 5 times a day, Life is much better today.

River

[hazbalz (imported)]

Ray, I had read your posts before and how much pain you put up with for years. It is really great to hear the pain is gone and you feel good about yourself with no regrets. I can relate to you somewhat, I had a serious degeneration of my hip that was very painful for many years until I finally had surgery to fix it. You are correct, pain really does sap at your strength and energy. I certainly understand the vastly improved quality of life. Thanks for sharing such a positive experience.

[gandalf (imported)]

Before I was able to get relieved of my testes, I was having so much pain, I was actually contemplating going out in the woods with my .38 and ending it all. fortunately, I found a urologist who did not think it was all in my head. Of course, he does not like castrating men unless cancer was involved. Cancer was NOT involved in my case, just pain that could not be relieved. I am much better without them. It has been four years now and I have enjoyed every minute of it. This Aug will be a year since I had the empty sac removed. Very comfortable. I am on 5gm tube of AndroGel every other day and The Dr is pleased with where my Testoswterone level is. When I was on it daily, I told him I was having the drives of a 15-16 year old and at my age didn't need it. He agreed and made it every other day. So that is where I am at. I am trying to convince him to put me on 2.5 daily since that would make the levels more even. He thinks that the 2.5 is only avbailable in the pump, but I have the info that it also is available in a pack. I see him just beofre going to a family reunion so will let him know and see what he says.

[DavidB (imported)]

I just set the date this afternoon. August 12th puts an end to 34 years of physical, emotional, and psychological pain. Now I've just gotta finish with the fund raising and I'm all set.

Who did you find to do the surgery?

[clysmaniac (imported)]

I feel much better off after my testicles were removed. I had a vasectomy about 20 years ago and had absolutely no discomfort arising from it and wasn't even aware until recently that so many had pain from it. But I did have a very active libido that didn't match my wife's at all. We did a long stint of chemical castration (2 1/2 years) where my testosterone level was under 100. I was generally very happy at this level. My libido had mostly disappeared and while I could still masturbate and ejaculate a few drops, I didn't get erect atall. My doctor was unaware of my chemical castration and discovered my testes were shrunken and very firm. This led to a biopsy where they were found to be atrophied and infarcted. He waited 3 months to see if there would be any improvement in my testosterone level indicating my testes were improving. I added Androcur to the Depo Provera I was taking at at the end of 3 months my testosterone was down to 44 and he said he would remove them. But I wasn't as happy at this level as I was at the previous 95 level. Now I had absolutely no sexual desires and couldn't ejaculate at all. My skin was very dry and itchy, I lost a noticable amount of strength, became more intolerant of cold temps but didn't have any depression as some claim they have had. I was unaware of bone loss issues with low testosterone so wasn't taking any calcium. A bone density test revealed the slightest case of osteopina- the precurssor to osteoporosis. He said it would improve with either calcium or testosterone. Estrogen would work, too but I didn't opt for that.

So now I am castrated and take a limited amout of Testim gel. I'm kind of at the same level that Gandalf is. One tube is 5gm just like Adrogel. I have a lot of flexibility because my doctor gave me a prescription for 2 tubes a day so I could play with it to see how I reacted. He initially recommended one tube a day and I did about half that. My testosterone level then was 165 which I felt was higher than I'd really like. For the last month I tried 1 1/2 tubes a day and am awaiting the results of a test I took yesterday. I was plenty horny at that level, could ejaculate and had very oily skin again. This month I am going to try Gandalf's idea of half a tube every other day and see how that works. I think I'd be content with a T level of about 110-125 and that should get me just about there.

I has been fun seeing how much testosterone effects things other than just sex and adjusting the level to get it right for me. I know my doctor would like me higher but I am satisfied at about half of the lower range for normal for my age. The only bad thing about the gel is the cost. The current cost at my local Walgreen's is over $600 a month for 60 tubes of Testim. Yes, I can get it cheaper directly from our health plan but they have a $20 co-pay for 3 months. The plan pays the higher cost at Walgreen's but my co-pay is $20 a month. But my doctor gave me a card from Testim that pays for the co-pay at Walgreen's but not mail order through the plan.

Do you think the drug plan in obamacare will be so flexible? Oh, that's right, they won't release the details

[streetglide (imported)]

Gandalf,

When I got home from the hospital I was pretty beat up and hurt all over anyway, add to that the idea that I was now a eunuch and deeply in debt. I didn't know

what was going to happen to me

and hadn't had any T in my sytem for almost a month thanks to a LITTLE oversight by the hospital.

Believe me if I could have gotten downstairs to the gunsafe it would have been a 44 MAG, and I wouldn't be typing this! It got that bad, so I for one know exactly were you're coming from!

[gandalf (imported)]

Streetglide

I sure hope that I don't have to have any prolonged hospital stays. Things could get dicey. BUT, I guess that is one of the things we face as eunuchs. I would have thought that the Dr. would have ordered the T gel for you while you were recovering. Unfortunately, doctors only think of what was done by them, not what has happened before they got their knives into you and your billfold.

[gandalf (imported)]

I guess I am fortunate. Medicare has taken care of everything so far.