I had to have my epididymis on both sides removed becasue of cystes. I have discomforts/pain after this surgical operation. My urologist says it's an option to have both balls removed as well. What will be best for me.

Living with discomforts or having both balls removed as well.

Anyone who can give me advice?

Well in my opinion it is all up to you. It really depends on how intense the pain/discomfort is to you and if you can live with it. Also one of the things to ask your urologist is to make sure you can go on HRT and also get a few Blood tests done to get you current Testosterone levels checked so they can keep you at/near same levels.

The problems is testicles provide more then just testosterone so you may still have issues with depression even with HRT. Be prepared to find a good counselor.

But if the pain really does bother you and you are OK with them being removed and can go on HRT then there should be no problem.

If you cannot go on HRT then I'd be very hesitant, because that can lead to being lathargic and very depressed which is something most people cannot deal with.

I'm dealing with the worst of it right now as I have other medical problems and on medication which makes the problems worse so trust me you do not want to go there if you can avoid it.

thanks Luvpain for the information. I have to do a lot of thinking. It seems so easy to have my balls removed. I was even thinking of getting implants instead. Getting inactive and depressed is not something to look forward to.

Hope you have all the care in the world for dealing with your problems. It must be very hard on you to go through all of this.

I've had that before, and chronic pain for years. I was never offered either of those options. If he's offering it, research it and talk it over carefully. If there's chronic pain, you may have to go that route. It all depends on the pain levels and tolerance. Frankly, I'm insanely jealous of you for getting that kind of offer!

lave (imported) wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2004 5:24 am I had to have my epididymis on both sides removed becasue of cystes. I have discomforts/pain after this surgical operation. My urologist says it's an option to have both balls removed as well. What will be best for me.

Living with discomforts or having both balls removed as well.

Anyone who can give me advice?

Lave,

This is quite the decision to consider my friend...

Living life without your own personally produced testosterone, you know that good stuff your testicles produce, will change life forever. Please don't be fooled by Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT). It is not the same and in some ways, a pain in the ass.

My life has not been the same these last 6 years. I have lived life with TRT by injection and of late, by cream application. I experienced a year without Testosterone in my blood stream and that decision almost cost me my life.

Consideration of pain or removal of your testicles is most difficult as you and only you can make that decision. I know you will agonize over this decision as most of us do when making life changing choices.

Think about the following if you decide to remove the testicles:

Your body will change dramatically with or without Testosterone.

If you choose TRT, your body and mind will change. No question about it.

If you choose no TRT, seek out a personal support system in the form a warm human being close to you. You will need the help.

Even with TRT, you must look out for brittle bones, tooth decay, depression, weight gain, body mass reapportionment, did I mention depression...

Muscle tone change.

You may not experience any of the above, some of the above or all of the above. These are just simple insights to consider.

I live my life day to day. I am not the same person I once was when testicles were attached. My personality has changed. My energy level is much lower, my muscle mass is lacking and if I could undo my luck I would still have testicles attached.

Best of luck Lave, I do not envy your situation.

You also have a choice between testosterone and estrogen.

I personally think estrogen is the better of the two after having had testosterone naturally and estrogen synthetically.

A very low dose of premarin or estradiol is something to consider. Yes, you will feminize slightly, but you save yourself from osteoporosis and the aggression of testosterone.

For what it's worth, I would not worry about feminization. Gender presentation depends on a variety of physical cues and social behaviors. In many cases, it's very easy to switch back and forth depending on how you do your hair, pluck your eye brows, how well your clothes conform to the shape of your body, etc. (Same body, different clothes, different gender presentation) For example, the biggest difference between a man's shirt and a woman's shirt is that the woman's shirt is tailored to fit her curves while a man's shirt is often not much more than a tube with sleeves. Of the behavioral cues, these are not something one needs to worry about for the right combination for presentation as a woman requires a bit of practice.

There are a number of gender tests out there. http://www.thespark.com http://transsexual.org

Although these tests cannot tell you what your gender is, they can help affirm what you already know about yourself. Whether you take testosterone, estrogen (either estradiol or premarin), or no hormones at all in my opinion should depend on whether or not bone density loss is a concern for you (ask your doctor) and which gender you more closely identify with.

I am of course slightly biased towards feminization since I happen to be a transsexual woman.

Be aware that testosterone is very potent and that the "default" body form for most mammals in the absence of hormonal messengers is female.

awen

I would definitely talk to your urologist about the options and also check into what the insurance will cover while you are at it.

This is not something to rush into and you should really talk in detail to your urologist to see what he thinks are the pro and cons are to keeping or removing the testicles and taking testosterone afterwards.

Lave, Like its been said, Its your decision,Do some research,Each person is different.I had pain from both of mine, Both removed at different times. Dont like having pain.Glad both of mine are gone Im on Estradiol. I like it.You will need one or the other. dl.

thank you all for your responce. My urologist told me that when the balls are removed you need to have every other two weeks an testosteron injection. It's not something I have to get done but it's been offered as an option to take care of the discomfort and the pain in the testicles, ballsac and area around the sac. It's common to have pains in the testicles after operations like this. Having implants was something we could look at into the future. The discomforts and pain isn't pleasure but going depressed etc.etc. is also not something you're not waiting for. I am glad the epididymis were removed on both sides and was fixed that way. (it caused a lot of trouble at the time) but I never realised I had to deal with this afterworth. Still I am ambivalent. Thanks for advice and support.

I have to agree with Robby, natural and replaced hormones, or lack of them, will change you.

It's hard to adapt, trust me. I know - been there.

I've been through hormone production decreases, HRT, and the 'slide' down off of HRT to finally stabilize at naturally low levels. I don't know what my count is now, nor do I care, because I have adapted to it. BUT it took a few years. It's not going to happen overnight. For a long time, I was a strung-out, fatigued, and for lack of a better word, BITCH!

Read the boards here carefully about HRT and side effects of castration, and talk to your Doctor. Only YOU can finally make the decision you feel is right for you.

No one should have to live with chronic pain, but unfortunately, some of us do.