I planned to use ice packs. But it was leaking so much blood that not wearing the "diaper" wasn't really an option while staying in a hotel room. With all that absorbent material, they provide too much insulation to allow the ice to do any good.

I'm a bit better this morning. I was able to get 2 hours of sleep before I needed another pain pill (it had been 4 hours since my last dose), and then another 4 until that pill wore off. That's more sleep than I got the previous two nights combined.

It still hurts even with the meds, but it's probably a 5/10 now. I can walk around the room, but I'm pretty slow and bow legged. I pulled out the drain and was surprised to find it was about 8" long, with 5" being inside. Even with all the drainage I'm still bruising up pretty good.

It's been a busy year. You are about the 15th new eunuch on EA this year. Let me add my congratulations. I used the heavy duty prescription pain meds for about three days but took them less frequently on the third day and then just took Tylenol. I wanted to get off the pain meds as soon as possible because they cause constipation. Best wishes for a speedy and uncomplicated recovery. Keep us posted on your progress.

nvrgag44 (imported) wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2015 3:40 am It's been a busy year. You are about the 15th new eunuch on EA this year.

Those are only the ones who have posted. How many more have actually had such elective surgery is anyone's guess but fifteen is indicative that the number is growing every year. For me, I'll soon be reaching my second year without testicles and it has had a positive influence on me. I am more aware now of needing to maintain a healthy lifestyle every day, which includes daily exercise and eating right and I am in better physical condition now than I was for many years prior. I am still sexually active but find I can better control my sexuality now so that it doesn't frustrate me like it did before. I am mindful that I now am this way, particularly when I wake in the morning, but for the most part I go about my daily life without thinking about it. I really haven't changed all that much it seems. Everything is good and I have no regrets. Actually, I am happy that I chose this path for me.

This might be obvious, but... Put a pad of toilet tissue against your wound dressing (if you have one, otherwise against your skin), then put the plastic bag of ice inside the underwear between that paper and the underwear. No insulation problem then, and you can dispose of the paper in the toilet when it needs changing. You don't want the bag of ice directly against the skin, so the tissue provides a barrier while letting the cold get through. It will help, trust me. I just had surgery in June, and being able to ice kept me sane.

--LT

Losethem (imported) wrote: Mon Oct 05, 2015 10:20 am This might be obvious, but... Put a pad of toilet tissue against your wound dressing (if you have one, otherwise against your skin), then put the plastic bag of ice inside the underwear between that paper and the underwear. No insulation problem then, and you can dispose of the paper in the toilet when it needs changing. You don't want the bag of ice directly against the skin, so the tissue provides a barrier while letting the cold get through. It will help, trust me. I just had surgery in June, and being able to ice kept me sane.

--LT

LT, for how long after your surgery did you use ice? I don't know it it's correct or not but I've heard that using ice is only effective after an injury or surgery for a short period of time and the sooner it's applied, the better. It supposedly is used to reduce swelling, not aid healing. Not disagreeing with using ice, just asking the question because I don't know the answer. My post-op instructions didn't say anything about ice and I didn't think to ask so used none. I was fairly uncomfortable right after surgery and just wanted to sleep anyway.

Jared, congratulations and buckle up! It's a little bit of a ride but for me currently at jut over 4 weeks from Dr. A's office, everyday mostly gets better. The first week was a challenge. Just standing and sitting were a challenge, and you will give your body a chance to heal with gentle/snug pressure, ice packs the first 4-5 days (after that they didn't do much for me).

You're about to develop some interesting bruising, too. Doesn't show up on the first day.

I was 100% pain free by maybe two and a half weeks... I hope that doesn't discourage you, there is light at the end of the tunnel! You can check out my posts where I've documented with photos and text the first few weeks of healing from Dr. A's surgery.

Word of caution: my incision seemed to bleed slowly as you described, slow drip the first couple of days. And then constantly leaked. (In fact, that's not completely gone, but is quite different now...) But around 10-12 days I felt it was much improved, and bending over and reaching for something, my shoes I think, I felt something shift on my scrotum and I apparently opened up a few of the little gaps, because it was like starting from scratch. So when you get healed up, take another few days of light/careful motion. Maybe a good time to reschedule that volleyball tournament.

Take some photos, even if you don't plan to share, so you can compare and be encouraged by the improvements. Rest and recover soon and way to go! It's an awesome experience.

** Regarding friend requests - It's not that I don't love you guys, but I don't really do the friends thing on bulletin boards. No offense. **

The post-op instructions said to use ice 15 minutes on, 15 minutes off for the first two days. I used a total of zero ice, and 12-36 hours after surgery was kind of hell.

So, I made it home yesterday afternoon, after a couple of VERY uncomfortable plane rides. I think I would have been in big trouble without the pain meds. I had about a two-hour layover in the middle which I was dreading initially, but I turned out to be a good time to lay down and recover. My first flight was four hours of constant pain and discomfort. However, by Sunday night the pain was starting to get less severe. Most of the pain in the kidney area subsided, leaving a pretty sharp ache where each cord was cut. Also, if I sit for more than just a few minutes it starts to feel like I'm sitting on the sutures. I'm obviously not, but I think it's caused by pretty good build up of pressure in the sack.

I slept pretty much straight through from 5:30PM Sunday to 6:30AM Monday, which was awesome with the dearth of sleep I'd been through the last two nights. I took a half Lortab at 9:30PM and that's been enough to get some rest. My head and back hurt pretty badly when I got up, but I think it's more from laying down for 13 hours than from the surgery. I'm really missing ibuprofen, because I'm not crazy about how the Lortab is treating my digestive system. I did end up taking a half Lortab after being up for a few hours, but I'm quickly running out of patience with the lack of movement in my gut. I feel like nothing is digesting, and just bloated in general. I took 3 stool softeners, so hopefully by tonight I'll get some relief. I'm really wishing I'd thought to take them yesterday! This has actually been more of a discomfort than the surgery pain today, unless I'm up and walking.

So, I never knew my scrotum could possibly stretch so large! I've got a ton of bruising down the sides and on the bottom, and it's somewhere between a tennis ball and soft ball in size. The bleeding has almost stopped. So I ditched the depends after my morning shower and instead got some tight briefs on with an adhesive 2x3" wound pad to soak up whatever is left. I hope they make it more comfortable to walk. With my sack being so huge, it rubs both thighs pretty good and moves around a lot when I walk. Hopefully, the slight pressure of the briefs will help keep the swelling under control and keep things from moving around while I walk.

Regarding the photos I've taken... I'm grateful for those who have been willing to post up very candid photos of their post-op results. But for the time being, I'm not terribly comfortable with posting my own online. I didn't really get any good "during" photos, mostly because I was at a bad angle and also I was not willing to look while I was snapping pics. I was also a little preoccupied with trying to keep from passing out, while breathing from the oxygen mask and occasionally sniffing an ammonia packet. Again, I'm not a fan of needles and blood.

monkey50 (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2015 8:46 am Jared, congratulations and buckle up! It's a little bit of a ride but for me currently at jut over 4 weeks from Dr. A's office, everyday mostly gets better. The first week was a challenge. Just standing and sitting were a challenge, and you will give your body a chance to heal with gentle/snug pressure, ice packs the first 4-5 days (after that they didn't do much for me).

You're about to develop some interesting bruising, too. Doesn't show up on the first day.

I was 100% pain free by maybe two and a half weeks... I hope that doesn't discourage you, there is light at the end of the tunnel! You can check out my posts where I've documented with photos and text the first few weeks of healing from Dr. A's surgery.

Word of caution: my incision seemed to bleed slowly as you described, slow drip the first couple of days. And then constantly leaked. (In fact, that's not completely gone, but is quite different now...) But around 10-12 days I felt it was much improved, and bending over and reaching for something, my shoes I think, I felt something shift on my scrotum and I apparently opened up a few of the little gaps, because it was like starting from scratch. So when you get healed up, take another few days of light/careful motion. Maybe a good time to reschedule that volleyball tournament.

Take some photos, even if you don't plan to share, so you can compare and be encouraged by the improvements. Rest and recover soon and way to go! It's an awesome experience.

Thanks, I've been following your experience pretty closely and have been grateful for your posts. I'd agree that getting up and down are the hardest things to do right now. Sitting up in bed is just about unbearable currently, but I can tell it's getting easier. I still have to roll over to my front first, and stand up like I'm doing a push up. I'm already getting the bruising, which is spreading into my perineum and probably into my lower butt cheeks. I'd bet the added pressure of these undies is going to push even more leaked blood to the surrounding areas.

My wound looks a lot like yours did. The spot where the crazy-long drain was placed is where all the leaking is still taking place, and it left a pretty good gap with no stitches. It looks like that's where yours opened up. I'm hoping to avoid having mine split back open like yours has.

How long does it take for the major swelling to subside? I know the cords will take months to shrink down, but I'm wondering about the tons of fluid in my scrotum.

[G]

Jared_in_UT (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:10 am etting up and down are the hardest things to do right now. Sitting up in bed is just about unbearable currently, but I can tell it's getting easier. I still have to roll over to my front first, and stand up like I'm doing a push up. I'm already getting the bruising, which is spreading into my perineum and probably into my lower butt cheeks. I'd bet the added pressure of these undies is going to push even more leaked blood to the surrounding areas.

My wound looks a lot like yours did. The spot where the crazy-long drain was placed is where all the leaking is still taking place, and it left a pretty good gap with no stitches. It looks like that's where yours opened up. I'm hoping to avoid having mine split back open like yours has.

...I'm wondering about the tons of fluid in my scrotum.

Mine were removed inquinally and I didn't have the experiences that those here who had them done scrotally. i was driving the next morning. My initial desire was though the scrotum because, I assumed, that the healing process would be quicker, but after reading that this method leaves behind the cords, which sometimes causes further issues, I chose the abdominal route. Plus my scrotum still looks natural, albeit somewhat deflated.

Jared_in_UT (imported) wrote: Tue Oct 06, 2015 9:10 am How long does it take for the major swelling to subside? I know the cords will take months to shrink down, but I'm wondering about the tons of fluid in my scrotum.

Hmm, I think my hugely swollen cords were implicated in my swelling, but for the first week or so I wasn't at all sure if I had a big hematoma or it was the cords. My scrotum was probably the size of an average orange at first, and then big but not abnormally so after the first week. Normal sized after 14 days which is to say, similar to a scrotum full of testicles, not a "normal/empty" scrotum.

Good luck, hope you have some time to lay on the couch/bed!