Our family has been complete for years, and a vasectomy has always been our long term plan for birth control. Following a series of recent events, the timing made sense for my husband to finally undergo this minor outpatient procedure.
Our search for a urologist was painless; the doctor came highly recommended from a friend. The urologist’s office scheduled a consultation appointment first and then an appointment for the procedure two weeks later. My husband made sure to find a few days where he could clear his work schedule and be home to recover.
The Day-Of
I drove my husband to and from his procedure (to minimize his discomfort), but his doctor’s office told him that he could drive himself if need-be. The appointment took less than a half hour and a local anesthetic was used. He needed to bring along a pair of tight-fitting underwear, and they sent him home with an ice pack. Due to the high frequency of icing, plan to have a few more ice packs in your freezer. For pain relief, the doctor offered to prescribe pain killers, but my husband opted to take acetaminophen (Tylenol) instead.
The Days After
My husband spent the next few days at home, on a regular dose of acetaminophen and icing. The swelling and bruising were uncomfortable, but he was mostly fine. After 24 hours, he was allowed to shower. He was able to work from home, but glad that he didn’t have to go into his office. He returned to his normal self within a week or so.
Next Steps
Follow-up testing is a must. My husband’s urologist requires two follow-up samples to be brought in for testing after 8-12 weeks and/or 15+ ejaculations. Vasectomies are considered permanent procedures (reversal may be possible, but we won’t be finding out) and said to be 99% effective
Telling Our Children
No, we didn’t really tell our young children, but we quickly realized that we had to tell them something. We decided on a story like, “Daddy’s doctor had to work on his leg. He’s okay, but he needs to rest.” This explained why he was mostly lying down (the doctor’s suggestion), or else walking around slowly at first. The children also needed more than a few reminders not to climb all over him.
