Hello everyone ~
I didn't know where else to post...please accept my apologies if I'm not in the proper area...but our situation is a bit odd.

We have three sons already...after our third son, DH had a vasectomy (regretfully, ever since he's wanted it reversed - should have been counselled beforehand).

After some research into vasectomy reversal, we discussed first having a check to make sure he wasn't one of the few men that had recanilization take place. WELL, sure enough, the test two weeks ago, showed sperm were present (his first test, a month post-vasectomy showed no sperm).

Well, we'd like to find out if any of you have any suggestions to what tests we should follow up with...DH has a appointment this Thrusday with a urologist, but I believe this doctor specializes merely in vasectomys and we are hoping for the opposite to take place (if anything we want a reversal and know where to go for that - have a doctor in mind). But, if there are motile sperm present we don't want DH to have to go through the pain of another surgery.

Is there anything y'all suggest to us on getting what little sperm he might have present to continue or become more motile if they aren't doing so well?

Thank you!

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Expecting our post vasectomy blessing, Cydney Noelle, August 23rd!

How long has it been since the Vasectomy? What were the numbers from your last SA?
What really matters the most is your motility. Even successful Vasectomy reversals may not result in pregnancy due to low motility.

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I agree...you need a formal SA that will really give you an exact count per mililiter and how much motility (if any) that you have. Did you realize that if total count is 200,000,000 (yes, thats Millions) in a single ejaculation with normal motility, only 40 sperm reach the egg? So you need numbers and they have to be swimmers, not floaters (as many are in recanalization). I still think your best bet is through reversal, even if you have some count. Obviously, you both regret the vasectomy and I chance to say your man has had problems from the vasectomy. We were not consueled either and made a very poor choice not knowing the consquences right after the birth of our son. My husband suffered many effects (which you probably now know about through researching reversal) and quickly reversed. He feels better now and we are just starting to ttc our 6th child and first reversal baby.

To help what counts you may have, you want to use a good men's multivitamin (like fertility blend for men) and add extra E (up to 1000 units total) along with extra zinc and selenium. Also try an anti-inflamatory medicine (such as naproxen or ib profen). He may want to add fish oil (good for motility and egg penetration) and a caffine drink 20 minutes prior to sex to help speed up the swimmers. Keep him out of the hot tub and make him wear boxers (sometimes men post V can't wear loose fitting underwear because of the pain). All these things help with counts, but really, you need numbers and you need 20 million per mililiter or more for a count. I think you really need to see a pro reversal person, not a vasectomist for a doctor.

You can also look at home under a 400X microscope at a drop of semen placed on a slide. At this power level, seeing 50 or more sperm swimming with tails is good. At only 100X power, you should see black specks that look like pepper moving with purpose (and lots and lots of them). Chances are they looked in the office and said "sperm present" "failed vasectomy" if they looked at 5 slides and saw any sperm live or dead in the 400X viewfeild. That is how they usually do a $30 in office SA. You need a formal SA by a good lab and over $100.

GL as you go on your journey and please post again as to what you find out.

Sue

Oh wow! I just saw you are a surrogate mother. How wonderful!

Again, gl on your journey.

Sue

JessandTodd ~ It'll be 2 years this October since the reversal. He hasn't had an qualitative SA yet.

Sue ~ Your information was very very helpful - thanks!! I'm still on the fence about having another and now DH is feeling that he isn't interested at all in a vas reversal, unless the infections and pain continue. Right now he feels that a little chance at TTC another is better then none at all...most of all, he's scared to go under the knife again, I think (plus, it's a costly indevor).

I've been a gestational carrier 3 times and really would like to do it once more...so that too is a consideration on how hard we work at TTC one more for ourselves.

I'm bound and determined NOT to get in the mindset of wanting another for myself (it seems selfish for me knowing how many others pray daily for half of what we have)...it really becomes all consuming.

Thank you for the support and information...I'll be sure to update when we find anything else out tomorrow.

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Expecting our post vasectomy blessing, Cydney Noelle, August 23rd!

I understand how your husband is leary of going under the knife again, but it is the best way to solve his problems from the vasectomy and to prevent future issues. But he's been lied to by these doctors, so it's difficult to think cutting on that part again could actually help. Things tend to work better though when you are truely "fixing" instead of "breaking" kwim?

My husband didn't want any more kids either, even at the time he reversed (which was over a year ago). He point blank told the reversal doctor that he was doing it for pain relief. Time has lead him to reconsider and I think he is actually very excited about our ttc adventure now.

Let me make a little wager...the doctor your dh sees today will tell your dh that he experienced a recanalization because of a sperm granuloma. He will say that his complications are rare, but do happen. He will tell your dh that a good dose of antibotics will "cure" him along with ib profen and perhaps soaking in a hot bath. If it doesn't cure him, he will offer your dh the option of an in-office surgery to extract the granuloma and to tie off and caterize that side's vas deferns (I'm also betting your dh had the newer open ended V). He will say that pregnancy can result right now because it takes "only one sperm, ya know!" He will be very friendly, want to keep you two sterile, and will act like nothing is seriously wrong.

I know these situations and I'm telling you what is really happening. Your dh most likely had the open ended V...I say this because early sperm granulomas are common. They feel like a pea, a hard lump, at the end of the vas deferns (bottom part) that was cut. They form because the body reacts to the free flowing sperm...it's in a place it wasn't meant to be...so the body seals it off. Infections are introduced at the time of the V, and since the vas deferns is open on the bottom, they travel readily to the testes. Closed V's are no better. Instead they too cause infections because the sperm is trapped and builds up in the testes. This stretches the epididymis (the small coiled tube attached to the testicle before the vas deferns) until it "blows out"...rather painful...and it results in what?...infections and sperm granulomas at the blow out site. Infections of any kind in general happen more often after a vasectomy because of auto-immune responses (sperm antibodies) and the affect it has on the male body. Microphlage production goes into overdrive trying to clear the released sperm. I have studied vasectomies extensively since our V and VR and feel confident in what I say.

Your husband will get relief, but IMO it will be short lived. He will have reoccurring problems and pain. Please read about PVPS and research yourself. Reversal is expensive...but it's worth the money IMO. Now the vasectomy, that's worth a plug nickle. Vasectomizing doctors should pay us for the damage they have done. There are many other negative aspects of vasectomy other than these obvious visable problems. They cause an array of health issues and auto-immune responses.

Either way, I hope you find resolution in your situation.

Sue

Sue ~
Again, your information and support has been invaluable! I've now had DH start reading over here too, LOL.

Your explaination of what we found out today was right on...in fact, the urologist did Dx DH with PVPS and recommended another redo of the vasectomy (his specialty)...of course we refused and after another (more accurate, albeit not as accurate as an RE could provide though) SA will be done on Monday afternoon by the urologist. We should know a bit more about our situation.

AF still hasn't shown today on CD30 (and I almost NEVER have cycles longer then that)...sooooo, maybe a miracle has already happened...hmmm, we'll see...I guess stranger things have happened in my life, LOL.

Thanks again for the support and information...after reading your posts Sue, I feel like reaching through the computer to hug you!

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Expecting our post vasectomy blessing, Cydney Noelle, August 23rd!

Hello Heather,

I was just wondering if AF stayed away for you and what your hubby's SA results reveiled. I'm hoping it was good news on both parts.

Keep an open mind about the reversal though, and have your hubby research VR's and what men who have went through VR say about the experience.

It's true what you say about "not getting too caught up in the ttc another baby"...but just because you have been blessed with children doesn't mean you shouldn't want or have another. You and your husband seem like well educated, intelligent, caring individuals that are undoubtedly great parents. Hope to hear from you and also, you'll find me most times on this site under the TTC after Tubal/VasReveral board (for some reason it is usually found under the heading TTC After Loss...I don't know why....maybe because being sterile is almost like losing your "pre-conceived" children. I think it kinda takes away from the ladies there that are ttc'ing after m/c or still birth though...)

Sue

Hi Sue ~
Thank you for checking in with me. I've meant to get here before today...life is always getting in the way of my "fun".

DH had an in office SA done...wasn't very accurate, 'cause the urologist only looked at 14 slides. But, it showed that DH didn't have any motile sperm in those slide...only 7 dead ones seen. So, he said there is still a very small chance we could conceive, but not likely (as we suspected) - especially since none were motile.

He suspects DH has a microscopic regrowth or tunneling taking place, allowing the sperm to get through in the ejaculate. So, if we were to pursue having another baby, we should look into getting the reversal.

Thank you for your comments about our feelings on going through this process. We are still very much on the fence about it right now. I'm actually in the initial process of helping another couple as their GS. I think DH have decided (for now anyway, 'cause our feelings change from week to week it seems, LOL) that if this surrogacy is unsuccessful (which it could be due to my choice in a couple with several infertility issues) then we may pursue a baby for us.

So, that's my update! I might be around, trying to stay up to date in researching reversal...and I'll certainly update if we pursue that route.

Thanks again and God bless you in your journey too.

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MySpace Blog, Pictures, & More: http://www.myspace.com/hfoco
Expecting our post vasectomy blessing, Cydney Noelle, August 23rd!