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10 days postop and the swelling subsided enough for me to poke around my scrotum to locate the new resident.

A few days ago I was able to locate my right testicle, but the left one felt like it was ascending up into my pelvic cavity. The pump is located low, a little left of center and a little bit in the front of my scrotum. My Surgeon gave me the go-ahead to start cycling if I felt capable.

My problem is that my left testicle is crowding right up against the pump bulb and I cannot reliably get hold of the deflate button (AMS) nor separate the bulb from my ball. If my fingers slip off the bulb, they will inevitably crush the ball (OUCH!).

Any advice on how to pry my left nut from the pump bulb?

I put in a call to my Doctor's office and expect a return call later today, or perhaps Monday. But there is no substitute for the experienced sage advice I hope for from here.

Is this a "grit my teeth" and yank it free, a "pry gently over time" or some other approach?

Thanks.

Are you sure it is stuck? Can you wait until activation?
After my surgery, everything in my scortum was mashed up and swollen like a big bag of Jello. By day 15, things started to clear up, but I thought that my testes were stuck too as the Jello feel was still there. At one point, I thought that my testes dissolved or something (silly me). By activation day (21 days), things seemed well defined. When I talked to my doctor, he told me that even the outside swelling subsides, the internal swelling could be still there and gives that "Jello" undefined feel.

Good luck
Matt

Thanks, Matt.

I know that if I wait, most likely, one of two things will happen. The testicle will adhere more or will loosen up. But I don't want to wait until then to start cycling.

The articles I have read on the benefits of early cycling convince me that if I can manage it, the total discomfort I will experience in the next year will be less in total. (Early cycling hurts in the beginning, but reduces the time before pain-free cycling and sex can be had; later cycling hurts less in the early weeks but makes for a longer rehabilitation time. And length loss for early cyclers is less than for later cyclers, though that is not a major concern of mine.)

So, breaking free and getting going is important to me as long as I can do it safely.

Hot bath and massage it. At 8 weeks drvsaid I still had fliod around pump

hturner12 wrote:Hot bath and massage it. At 8 weeks drvsaid I still had fliod around pump

Hugh, do you mean shower? my doctor told me not to sit in a bath until the incision is healed completely.

LostSheep, is it difficult to see your doctor on an urgent basis and let him deal with it?

Matt

medhatg wrote:LostSheep, is it difficult to see your doctor on an urgent basis and let him deal with it?

Matt

Yes. Part of the price for the decision I made to go with V.A. coverage. I have no second thoughts, though. I prepared with my research and found a world-class surgeon in Dr. Shaw. Putting up with the bureaucracy that presents what is essentially a minimal barrier is nothing next to getting a good surgeon. Dr. Shaw's nurse-assistant does call me back, usually only a few hours later and on the same day as I call.

Had I chosen to go to Baltimore, I could have, had the excellent telephone support from Dr. Kramer. But having followup here, (while it may be spotty and delayed, is reliable and with the same surgeon as did the operation) was a big part of my decision. That, and not having to travel away from home 13 hours in airplanes only days after surgery.

Anything urgent would be a trip to the Emergency Room.

Lost Sheep wrote:

medhatg wrote:LostSheep, is it difficult to see your doctor on an urgent basis and let him deal with it?

Matt

Yes. Part of the price for the decision I made to go with V.A. coverage. I have no second thoughts, though. I prepared with my research and found a world-class surgeon in Dr. Shaw. Putting up with the bureaucracy that presents what is essentially a minimal barrier is nothing next to getting a good surgeon. Dr. Shaw's nurse-assistant does call me back, usually only a few hours later and on the same day as I call.

Had I chosen to go to Baltimore, I could have, had the excellent telephone support from Dr. Kramer. But having followup here, (while it may be spotty and delayed, is reliable and with the same surgeon as did the operation) was a big part of my decision. That, and not having to travel away from home 13 hours in airplanes only days after surgery.

Anything urgent would be a trip to the Emergency Room.

Do you've access to a local urologist who can examine your scrotum and locate the testes.

medhatg wrote:Do you've access to a local urologist who can examine your scrotum and locate the testes.

Sure. Dr. Shaw at Elmendorf Hospital. The soonest he would be available is Monday, but I have an appointment with him Wednesday afternoon, anyway. This is not an emergency. I am just anxious to start cycling as soon as possible. I believe early cycling (if pain permits) leads to better outcome and sooner.

Wednesday afternoon is not too far. I read that AMS re-designed their implants few years ago to prevent tissue adhesion. So unless your surgeon did a sub-standard job, I believe you'd be ok. I feel for you my friend, healing comes with an emotional roller-coaster so please hang-in there.

medhatg wrote:

hturner12 wrote:Hot bath and massage it. At 8 weeks drvsaid I still had fliod around pump

Hugh, do you mean shower? my doctor told me not to sit in a bath until the incision is healed completely.

LostSheep, is it difficult to see your doctor on an urgent basis and let him deal with it?

Matt

True it may be best to do nothing till the follow up since it close.