BigMamaBird Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Tomorrow Dh is going in for the Big V. The office where he is getting the procedure done requires that I be there. So what should I expect? How long does this take? Am I in the room with him while they do this? How sore is he going to be? The place has been quite vague about the details. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenn- Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 They probably require someone to be there to drive him home. My DH was given a Valium and local for his surgery. I was nowhere near the procedure room. I don't recall how long it took (9.5 yrs ago). Make sure your DH follows doctor's orders regarding rest. He will prolong his own discomfort if he does too much in the beginning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waa510 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 For us, they wanted me to be there to ensure he'd have a driver. I hung out with him for about 10 minutes while he gowned up in a separate room in the back and then got his IV. They then wheeled him back to the OR. I went back to the waiting room, went to the bathroom, poured myself a coffee and piled up a nice stack of magazines. I got through 3-4 pages of the first magazine when someone came in to tell me DH was done!! I was shocked! I remember saying, "Already?" They led me to the back where he was sitting in a wheelchair munching animal crackers. We helped Dh get some clothes on while they told me to NOT let him drive and gave me a prescription for pain meds. He was *extremely* loopy and out-of-it, which surprised me. They put a 'cup' on him while dressing him which he later said really helped with support. He slept on the couch the rest of the day with frozen peas on his parts. The next morning he was sore and tired. He said he felt similar to the body aching during a cold. TMI, but there was a lot of very dark (like black) bruising and some swelling so don't be surprised by that. Walking was uncomfortable. The bruising persisted for about a week, swelling went down in a few days. He kept parts iced (peas work really well), taking pain meds and worked from home (he's an IT guy) a couple days afterward. I believe he had it on a Thursday and went back to work, driving himself the following Wed?? Maybe Thurs?? He says it was tough but overall worth it for the results. He had to bring in a sample later and that was so embarrassing for him. But it's important!! Make sure he follows up and sees that it's worked! They also told us to wait until we had TeA a certain amount of time, but we waited a couple extra weeks just in case. He felt fine but I wanted to make sure he was really healed before going there. His mileage may vary. I've heard of some men going back to work the next day!! I hope your husband has an easy time of it! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hellen Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My husband was able to drive afterwards since he just had local anesthesia. It took him weeks to heal but he went back to work a few days later. He said they were rougher on one side and that is the side that took longer to heal. He had an open wound for about a month. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I had to drive DH home too. I waited in the waiting room but I don't remember how long I waited. That was 17 years ago! Wow, time goes by fast. I do remember that he was sore for 3 days. He had the procedure done on a friday and was back to work on monday. The bruising looked horrible but it actually didn't bother him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I am opposed to having surgery in doctors offices, but that is done commonly in the USA. I had a Vasectomy, in approximately 2007 so the details are vague and my wife isn't up yet so I can't ask her. I had my surgery done in a very large private hospital. My wife was not with me in the O.R., but she was there waiting for me. My Urologist was in the O.R. and a Nurse as I recall. I do not believe there was an Anesthesiologist involved. Normally, here in Colombia, if there is a surgery where an Anesthesiologist will be in the O.R., the insurance companies require an office visit with the Anesthesiologist, before the day of the surgery. My wife's OB-GYN had had a Vasectomy and he suggested that I buy a tube of Anesthetic Cream for the surgery. I bought a tube of that and brought it into the O.R. with me but when I handed it to my Urologist, he told me that I would have needed to apply the cream, awhile before the surgery for it to help, so it wasn't used. After the surgery, I wasn't able to ride my bicycle for a month or two. I can't remember how long that was. We came home after the surgery. It was a little uncomfortable, since I was awake and he was cutting, but my wife had been awake for a scheduled C section and there was far more cutting and time involved for that and I assume that was far more uncomfortable. Before I had that done, that year or the year before, I'd had a Biopsy on my Prostate done. That was uncomfortable, but not as much as the Vasectomy. I think we walked a couple of blocks from the hospital to a restaurant, after the Biopsy. There was no way I was going to ask/suggest to my wife that she have her tubes tied, which is very major surgery, compared to a Vasectomy. GL to your DH. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I stayed in the car with the kids, doing some school. IIRC, he walked out less than an hour after he walked in. I've heard the timeline for soreness varies, which makes sense. It's like asking how long a woman recovers after birth. We're all pretty different in that way. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camelfeet Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I stayed in the waiting room. DH had a local anesthetic and actually watched the procedure being performed. It was pretty quick. Ew. Afterwards, he drove 1 hour to my grandmother's house for a spaghetti dinner. He was a bit sore after the local wore off, but no issues otherwise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solascriptura Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My Dh only had a local so he drove himself home. He was pretty apprehensive about it, but the benefits have been worth it for both of us. 😉 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 Thanks everyone! Oh the things we ask the Hive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butter Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My husband had it done in an ambulatory surgery suite. I sat in the waiting room while he went in. It only took maybe 45 minutes total. I was only there to drive him home. It was done with just local anesthetic, but they still didn't want him driving immediately. He wasn't super sore. An ice pack for a couple hours and he was fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My wife, Chelle in MO, was in the waiting room while I had mine done at the doctor's office. I was the first patient of the day, and it didn't take very long. I had it done on Friday, laid around all weekend and went back to work on Monday with no problem. The key is to take it very easy for 2 or 3 days. In this case, a bag of frozen peas is man's best friend. I know a guy who didn't, and his recovery was very painful and much longer. While he was getting ready to do the deed, my doc said, "You're the first patient today. That means you get the clean instruments." There was something kind of unsettling about him joking around while he had sharp and pointy things near my business. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeachyDoodle Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I went with dh, although I don't think it was required, and he insisted on driving us home afterward (he wasn't on any meds, just a local anasthetic). He preferred that I wait in the waiting room, so I did. The whole thing took probably 30 minutes. He was sore for a few days but no big deal. Lots of ice and rest over the weekend, and he was fine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I stayed in the car with the kids, doing some school. IIRC, he walked out less than an hour after he walked in. I've heard the timeline for soreness varies, which makes sense. It's like asking how long a woman recovers after birth. We're all pretty different in that way. I, too, sat in the car with kids. We had 2 in school and the 2 youngest at home at the time. I didn't think they'd appreciate me turning their waiting room into a toddler derby. Dh was in for less than an hour. They gave him a Valium to take before we left home and he giggled for the last 20 minutes of the ride. At one point he looked over at me and said he hadn't felt like that since high school, lol. All humor was gone after he came out. I treated him like a king for a few days, and he was up and moving about 3 or 4 days later. I wouldn't call his recovery smooth, but I also wouldn't call him the most positive, bounce back patient. There were other factors unique to our experience, but they wouldn't be relevant to you. He healed wonderfully and we have had no regrets. It's a wonderfully freeing thing to not have to worry about contraception. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Dh's doctor required I be there too. I had to sign papers agreeing to the proceedure. I found that kind of odd. I waited in the waiting room to drive him home afterward. I don't think he would have driven very well. He kept ice on the area for a few days after. He was much more sore than he anticipated, but he doesn't handle pain or illness well at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livetoread Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 My dh said the procedure was quite painful (which is unusual) and he was shaky afterwards. His recovery was longer than we expected too. Some guys breeze through it with just some soreness for a couple of days, but some don't. He's still glad he did it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 My dh said the procedure was quite painful (which is unusual) and he was shaky afterwards. His recovery was longer than we expected too. Some guys breeze through it with just some soreness for a couple of days, but some don't. He's still glad he did it. This was our (his) experience, too. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joker Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I had to be there as well to sign paperwork saying I agreed. It took about an hour. Dh had it done on a Friday morning and took the following Monday off. He was sore but nothing major. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I strongly disagreed with the decision, so dh drove himself to and from. It was fine. I assume if they give him something like valium that they'll want a safe driver. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasmama Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 Tomorrow Dh is going in for the Big V. The office where he is getting the procedure done requires that I be there. So what should I expect? How long does this take? Am I in the room with him while they do this? How sore is he going to be? The place has been quite vague about the details. The prep and surgery took an hour total maybe? Short. I stayed in the room during the procedure. This is optional. Dh took pain meds and sat with a bag of frozen veggies on things for 24 hours or so. He went to work on Monday but was still walking a little funny. It is generally a fast recovery. My dh had what I like to call the "triple threat" vas. Cutting, burning, and clamping. Almost ten years and no babies so I call it good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melmichigan Posted October 2, 2015 Share Posted October 2, 2015 I had to watch a quick video and sign that I acknowledged that he was having the surgery. I watched the procedure, which I understand is quite unusual in that office. I was a stickler with post-op and he came home and went to bed for the rest of the day while I made sure he rotated frozen peas on a schedule. (Most of the post-op pain can be attributed to swelling from macho men failing to follow orders.) DH's major complaint was occasional discomfort from the interior stitches bothering him until scar tissue built up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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