Vasectomy Reversal - A Personal Story
This article is a very personal one, but one I wanted to share
with you, as there are always tens of thousands of men
considering whether to have a vasectomy reversal.
The desire for a vasectomy reversal can come from two main
causes: divorce or relationship break up, and a change in
financial circumstances that makes having a baby affordable
whereas before, at the time of the vasectomy, it may not have
been.
Most commonly, men have a vasectomy in marriage, when they or
their partner, or both, have decided they do not want any more
babies. The reason does not matter, really, the fact is they
have the vasectomy because of that particular relationship.
Should a couple make a decision to have no further children then
a male vasectomy is the best option. It is a simple outpatient
operation. I always compared it to going to the dentist, except
you open your legs instead of your mouth. It is also quite
painless, although in my case I did not appreciate the
painkiller wearing off while I was driving home, after I was
assured it was going to be ok. Using the clutch was not a bundle
of fun for the last few miles. But the vasectomy was done, as it
is commonly every day for thousands of men around the world. At
the time, I never gave a thought for vasectomy reversal in the
future.
Many years later I was divorced, and it was not long before I
was thinking about having the vasectomy reversed. I was in
England then, but later in 1998 I decided I would probably move
abroad. I eventually decided on the Philippines as the most
suitable country that I would settle in the quickest.
In 1999 I started researching vasectomy reversals, but there
were not many places in the UK that I could find on the internet
at the time. Eventually, I did find one in my own county,
Dorset, so I quickly earmarked that for my eventual vasectomy
reversal. By that time, I was firmly of the idea I wanted more
children.
In July of 2000, I visited the Philippines for 3 weeks to check
out a few possible locations to settle in, and to confirm to
myself that it would be the best place for me to live. As it
turned out, it was way beyond expectations. The beauty, the
friendliness, the warmth, the character of the place and the
people, all told me that I was going to the best possible place
to escape the cold miserable climate of England.
After the visit, I gave myself just 6 weeks to get myself
organised, personally, financially, and business wise, to leave
England for good. I knew that getting a vasectomy reversal was
not likely to be possible in the Philippines, so if ever I was
going to have one, it had to be there and then, while still in
England.
I fixed the vasectomy reversal operation for just 3 weeks before
I left the country. It was a short outpatient visit to a private
hospital some 25 miles away. The operation was done under full
anaesthetic, and I recall it being a very relaxed sort of day.
By then I had sold my car, and had to rely on a taxi to get me
to the hospital and collect me. The lady driver was very
sympathetic, and actually very supportive, helping to make it
more of a day out than a trip to hospital.
The surgeon was making no promises about the success of the
vasectomy reversal, and my chances of fathering any more babies.
He told me beforehand that he could usually tell, as soon as
opening up a man, whether or not he was likely to have
sufficient sperm to produce a child. I wondered what chances he
thought I had, but I never saw him afterwards to ask.
My next contact with the surgeon was in 2003. I had been in the
Philippines 3 years when I met Mary Ann, my wife. Within 6 weeks
of our living together, she was pregnant. I was absolutely over
the moon, and one of the first people I told was the surgeon. I
also passed on my profound thanks for our little miracle, a baby
daughter who now brings delight not just to us, but everyone who
meets her.