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"The idea that the American Indians, or this person or that person... would accidentally stumble upon some herb that would cure cancer is rather far-fetched. It's like the idea that if you put three billion mokeys in a room, one of them might write a Shakespearean sonnet." William Grigg, Public Information Officer, Food and Drug Administration.
The information and opinions, gleaned by a person with a cancer diagnosis and published on these pages, are protected under Freedom of Speech Rights in the USA. Regardless, here is our required "medical" disclaimer: "The material herein is provided for information only and may not be construed as personal medical advice. No action should be taken based solely on the contents of this information." The author is not a licensed medical care provider. Your reading this does not construe a health-care practitioner/patient relationship. This web site is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability, effectiveness or correct use of information you receive by reading it. The FDA has not evaluated these statements. None of the information or products discussed on this site are intended to diagnose, treat, mitigate or cure any disease."
Pain After Vasectomy
"This is a BIG problem and if I knew about any of this before the vasectomy I would have never, never had it. Things only seem to get worse instead of better. Having constant unrelenting phantom testicular, vas deferens, prostate, seminal vesicle, pain down the legs, etc. All of this is something the next unsuspecting man needs to hear about before he has a vasectomy. Also the whole attitude of the medical profession and their lack of investigative fervor and analytic sense and their fear of medical-legal issues all cause the problems to worsen and last longer and longer. They are too busy protecting themselves or too unwilling to say they don't know to aggressively address the problem early on. I have been told 10 times by various doctors 'We don't do surgery for pain.' Yet all the articles from the journals around the world advise to do revisions as soon as possible. Let's band together and get this information out there in the hands of men and their wives to help prevent them from going through what we have. I'm researching journals and getting information from patients (you) to put together an expose on this horrible problem…. Still hopping mad after 9 years."
"Charlie" as quoted from the Urology Forum, posted May 16, 2000.
Pain After My Vasectomy
Copyright 2006 Jim Thomas
I am a prostate cancer patient who had a vasectomy when I was 26.
The argument to have one was easy to listen to. It was in the 1960s and birth control pills were in their infancy, this experimentation with female hormones. In my wife's case the pill was causing her to grow lumps in her breasts, regularly. This was of great concern. As soon as she went off the pill the lumps, and the surgeries to remove them, stopped. It seemed like a simple, even moral, option at the time to step up and have a vasectomy.
The explanation at the time by the urologist was exceedingly simple. "We cut the tube so your sperm cannot be ejaculated, they are simply absorbed by the body and you are essentially sterile. It's an outpatient procedure and after a week of recovery you return to a normal life, in particular a normal sex life. There are no noticeable side affects." That was easy.
Yes, there is anxiety on the day of the surgery. I recall that they provided me with some kind of sedative. My surgery took about 35 minutes and it was painful in spite of several pain relieving injections directly into my scrotum during the procedure. I became aware that in my case the pain of the Vas deferens on my right side somehow connects to my brain just behind my right ear. This was a clue to things to come, I just didn't appreciate it at the time.
It was done and I went home to rest emotionally and physically. Ice was my friend. I was advised to buy an athletic jock strap which I did. The next morning I appreciated this advice. My scrotum and everything within it was the size of grapefruit and purple from bruising. "Tender to touch" is an understatement. I was very fragile, even walking was deliberate and never close to anything nor anyone. In about three weeks I slowly returned to what appeared as normal.
As the swelling reduced and the purple bruise healed I considered the return to sexual activity. The urologist encouraged this with the intent of evacuating any remaining sperm in my system. After about six weeks I was required to bring in a sample of my ejaculation for microscopic examination. I'll never forget the judgmental tone of the woman's voice who called me with my lab results, "You are sterile now Mr. Thomas, I hope you're happy."
That's the story on the surface as far as the initial event goes. It seemed like a wise decision as the original objectives of having a "normal" sex life without pregnancy was achieved. You forget the pain as time goes by, confident in the wisdom of modern medicine. Birth control in all its forms was a new thing then and it seemed to bring greater happiness and freedom to a frustrated people. Looking back now I also realize that cancer was never mentioned once. It was too soon, medicine didn't know enough yet. As always, practicing medicine is just that.
Within ten years I began to realize that not all was as explained nor predicted. And this was way before I took an interest in the patient myself and began studying alternative solutions and naturopathic attitudes about healing and how disease is instigated. More on this later.
My first symptoms were simple congestion in my Epididymis and Vas deferens. The process of creating sperm and hormones continues and there's no place for them to go now.
This condition is very well illustrated by this cartoon. A pea sized balloon appeared on the upper side of my right testicle, where it remains to this day, too tender to touch. I've had it examined, it is not cancer, it is just swollen membrane from internal pressure. The spaghetti-like tubes of the Epididymis swell up occasionally to this day and are very painful. In recent years the right testicle itself can expand to twice its normal size and completely incapacitate me from physical activity. Yes, gentlemen, there are side affects to a vasectomy! And not one of my doctors knew how to deal with it.
Thus, in my mid-thirties began the nearly annual visit to my doctor for a diagnosis and treatment, which never came. This went on until my cancer diagnosis and my own intervention. (See below)
In nearly every case I was diagnosed with having an infection and I was put on one or another antibiotic prescription drug. And in every case this did nothing but exhaust my immune system (I know now). Essentially I just suffered. Exercise, like hiking, helped. I did become aware of one mind body phenomenon that I learned to curb somewhat. Eroticism is a stimulant. It stirs the entire sexual apparatus, causing sperm production and my problem to become worse. I learned to avoid certain movies or fantasies. I learned to shorten foreplay, anything that created anticipation in the mind. As exciting as this is for an adult to indulge in it became bittersweet for me. If it was good it was to become pain later. Sex had to become expedient. Like enjoying a really great meal with less spice or sauce or aroma beforehand. The thoughts have power to turn on the entire endocrine system, just as great fear does, and this chemistry MUST be able to move or pain and disease will appear!
This simple illustration shows the anatomical connection between the testicles and the prostate gland. Their functions are enter twined, they depend on each other. What this drawing does not show is the neurological connection with the brain. Every man knows of the physical and chemical response in his genitals resulting from thought alone. Beneath the obvious blood flow and mucous response there are thousands of other unseen reactions to the idea that sexual activity is imminent. Sperm production is increased. The fluids in the epididymis and the prostate are cranked up. Everything enlarges and responds to thought and expectation. This natural process supports the healthy "movement" of everything, fluids, sperm and emotions. A vasectomy creates "blockage." Also what is not shown in this illustration is the "energetic" connection to the chi or meridian lines in our body which is the basis of acupuncture. Modern medicine is finally acknowledging the validity of this modality, even though it can't be seen under the microscope. Its purpose is to release conflict, congestion or "blockage" which causes all pain, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you've ever undergone an acupuncture treatment for genitourinary pain than you know the power of this procedure and that these meridians exist. I once was in the early stages of my acupuncture session for prostate pain (without any conclusive medical diagnosis) when the practitioner placed a needle in my left abdomen between my hip bone and my naval. The response in my body was electrifying! The pain in my prostate gland was immediate and as if someone had just stuck an ice pick into it. I turned beet red all over and the fright on my face was so alarming that she ended the session claiming that, "No one had ever had a reaction like that before!" It took about 20 minutes for all of this to subside. I've not had the courage to agree to another session for this issue (although I still use it for other problems), but I'm forever convinced now of the subtle energetic wiring we have in our bodies that allopathic medicine ignores. Everything is connected to everything, it functions as a whole. Harm to one part is probably harm to all parts on a level less understood.
In the past six years my entire medical philosophy has changed, thanks to my prostate cancer diagnosis. This education is just one of my many blessings as a result of needing to deal with this situation. What I learned became the underpinning of this section of this web site.
In the simplest terms I've now acquired an understanding about the principles beneath well being. I've also become aware that in modern medical training they are not taught this model. The "disease" is their expertise, not the patient. The problem is always referred to as the enemy, the thing to be destroyed with chemical or mechanical intervention. It MUST be removed.
In wholistic thinking an understanding that "movement" means being well and "blockage" means being ill. The entire human body is a series of systems where energy or fluids must move in harmony with each other. A heart attack is blocked blood, etc. A blocked bowel is an extreme emergency.
I look back now and realize, with my new understanding, that a vasectomy is the most UNHEALTHY thing one can do. To voluntarily agree to mechanically create blockage of primary fluids, hormones, human sperm and who knows what else we don't understand on an energetic level that is vital to our human well being! Pain from congestion may be the least of my manifestation, things unseen.
To what extent this surgery increased my chances of prostate cancer is another hot debate by "practicing medicine." Dr. Andrew Weil officially is bound by research as an MD and therefore reports a small increase, and I consider him the most open minded MD out there. But I question this conclusion.
Family physicians should be aware of the potential effects and complications of vasectomy so they can appropriately counsel patients seeking sterilization. Vasectomy produces anatomic, hormonal and immunological changes and... has been reputed to be associated with atherosclerosis, prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and urolithiasis [kidney stones]. Complications of vasectomy include overt failure, occasional sperm in the ejaculate, hematoma, bleeding, infection, sperm granuloma, congestive epididymitis [post-vasectomy pain syndrome], antisperm antibody formation and psychogenic impotence.
Complication of Vasectomy, by Dr. R. F. Raspa, the Journal of the American Family Physician, 1993. |
THE GOOD NEWS!
Once I realized that I am on my own regarding how I deal with my prostate cancer everything else fell into place. This is not about saving my life, it's about fixing it. Dealing with my after-vasectomy pain became a personal priority. With my head now filled with information about herbs and natural healing I began my own experimenting. I am unable to reverse the surgical impact myself. I'm unable to stop the production of my sperm and other chemicals in my testes. I am left with finding ways to help the inflammation, instigating movement, like it is naturally.
This is my solution:
During times of pain I take a small amount of pure castor oil, say three tablespoons, and put it in a small glass bowl. To this I add three or four full dropperfulls of tincture of cayenne pepper (about 80 drops). These proportions are a matter of personal trial and error and how much heat you can stand. Make a mild batch first.
Stir these together and you have the greatest pain relieving balm you can imagine.
Yes, gentlemen, drop your shorts and apply this directly to your painful scrotum. The relief is nearly instant. In time you will increase the amount of cayenne to the highest level you can bear, or enjoy, and use it often. It is your best friend at bed time. Pardon the expression, but when in pain, sleep is much easier when you have "warm balls" and no pain. Try it before you criticize.
Now, once the humor dies down let me explain. This simple recipe is based on very sound science, not modern medicine. Castor oil has enormous absorption qualities, soaking into the skin and helping the lymph system flow like a river, removing inflammation and any congestion. Cayenne is famous for increasing blood circulation. The warm feeling is a nice side affect. The net affect is that things get moving. Sperm does get absorbed and congestion is flushed away. Pain relief and true healing.
In my case, two or three days of doing this and all is well for a long while. Sometimes I do it as a preventive. Hope this helps! JHT
Unsolicited testimony from an online forum:
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