Jakey was born with just one testicle. Pedi said it's quite normal and should drop before he's one. It hasn't.
We went to the hospital the other day and they can't find it in his groin, so my poor sweet boy has to have not just 1 operation, but 2.

he has to have a laparoscopy first to find out where it is in his tummy, and if it's active. It could be there and not have formed properly, or have died as the temperature in his tummy is too high for what a testicle should be. If they find it and it's ok, they then need to make 2 further incisions in order to bring it down into place. There's no guarantee that it will work, but the success rate is pretty high, so I'm trying to stay positive. I'm just really nervous about my little man being under general & local anaesthetic, and the fact they have to make 3 incisions in total. He's so little! This all has to be done before he's one, as they apparently recover quicker rather than doing it later on, so we're looking at the next month or so.
If we left it, the risk of him getting testicular cancer when he's older increases quite dramatically. If his testicle doesn't form properly then it shouldn't effect his fertility when he's older, just havin the one. We will only know for sure when the time comes.
Im sure he'll be ok, but like I said I am very nervous, it's a 45 minute operation, and the thought of him going under scares the shit out of me. I've had to sign all sorts of consent forms which makes me even more nervous. They could damage his internal organs when performing the laparoscopy, he could react to the anaesthetic etc.
Are there any other mummy's going through the same? Apparently it happens in 1 out of 25 boys. I'd be really interested to know how anyone else is dealing with it, and is it the same procedure etc. in the U.S as it is here in the UK?
Thanks for reading.
Re: Undescended testicle
One of my boys had 3 incesions. While the other only had 2. The first day was the hardest but by the 3rd they were back to normal! They went for their post-op visit thursday & they are healed. They are like nothing even happened.
All i can tell you is try to be calm for your son. IF you're calm, he will be too & it will make you feel better. When they took my sons back to be put under they were all smiles with the doctors & it made me feel more @ ease. I also signed consent forms that said "maybe" it can affect their sperm count. It freaked me out but the other thing that could have happened is that the intestine could of gotten stuck on scrotum & died off. So as awful as it sounds, that "maybe" is better than a definite dead intestine. Im sure he'll do fine momma. But i know no matter how much comfort i try to give, it wont make you feel better until its all done with. But i promise when it is all over, he wont even remember what happened.
& im sorry you & your LO are going through this! Pls keep us posted. Sending hugs!
You had two little ones to stress over, that must have been extremely tough. I'm really glad everything turned out OK.
i think I'll be better when I get a date. Get my head round that, and then get on with it. I had an op when I was 10 months for a cyst I had on my Adam's apple, (38 years later the scar is now just under my collar bone, lol) so my mum has been trying to make me feel better, and saying how quick I recovered from it. Apparently that came with all sorts of complications, not being able to talk etc. but I was fine.
I've put things into perspective. I know there are babies out there going through a hell of a lot worse, and I'm not extremely lucky to have a healthy baby, but it's only natural to worry.
thanks again for your reassurance. I'll keep you posted.
read a success story. I've googled the hell out of it, and it seems quite common & quite straightforward. It's just daunting when it's happening to your little one. I'd hate for him to grow up and not be able to father a child, or them do some damage to his little body whilst carrying out the procedure.
I was told by the surgeon that having 2 testicles means a fertility rate of 97-99%, having one only reduces it by 2-3% but, that's only if the one he has in place is normal, and there's no way of checking until he actually tries for children.
I keep trying to think of my cousin, he only has one, and has a little boy now, so maybe you're right on the super sperm! Haha, don't think he was even trying either.
What freaked me out even more was when she said that if he's trying for a baby and nothing happens within a year or two, not to leave it, to seek medical advice straight away. Wish she hadn't said that, as that's stuck in my head. Oh, and the scarring. Yep, plenty of scarring too. Ugh, my poor boy! Just want it over with. Nothing worse than seeing your baby in pain and not being able to comfort them.
& yes, it felt awful knowing i had to leave them in the doctors hands to make them better. but in a way catching the problem & taking them to get it fixed, is a form of it being in my hands. So think of it that way, you are taking care of him just with a little help
& see listen to your momma! I know when my momma says it will be okay, it will be okay
how are your boys doing?
thanks to all you ladies who have responded . You've proper lifted me. *hugs
Wish they'd hurry up and give us a date. I've got both my boys birthdays in September (8 year age gap, but 9 days apart on the birthday front) and knowing my luck, it'll be on or around one of them. Oh, and mine too, not that being 39 is something to celebrate, haha, but id like to enjoy it with my boys, and not be worrying about Jakey. Fingers crossed it'll come through soon.
& DD & my boys are only a week apart.!(5 years & a week)
I didn't realise your boys had not long had their op. Nawwww.
And thank your for the 39 still being young, these grey hairs may beg to differ though, lol.
Yes they had it July 6th. Seems like forever though!
Lol hey as long as your knees & hips still work, you're still young lol
Ahh July 6th. I bet it felt like forever, I'm like that waiting for this appointment to come
through. Every time I hear the post, I leap up
in hope there's a letter from the hospital. Nope nothing yet. Damn it. Can't be long now.
My hips started messing up when i was about 4 months & i had to start physical therapy because my hip would pop, or i couldnt walk because my joints would get stuck & hurt. & i was only 22 @ that time lol. Now im better, i think my tiny bofy couldnt handle all the weight.
Yes it did because it took them 3 weeks to call. & when they decided to call we were 2 hours into New Mexico heading to Mexico & i didnt get reception
There was so much to take in at the appointment, couldn't concentrate properly. I think she may have said she'll call. Jakey was bouncing about on my knee, the pedi even commented on he should stop hurting mummy. Haha.
Thank God my labor went smooth(22 hours long). They just had to push Adriels hand out of his face before i proceeded with him..they put the boys on me for a few seconds & off to the NICU they went. & It took them a little longer to stop my bleeding than it usually does. & i got blessed with such healthy babys. My mom says the same that if she didnt know she couldnt tell theyre preemied. My water broke @ 30 weeks & they were able to stop my labor with magnesium(worst feeling ever!!) & i was able to get 4 shots of steroids while in the hospital for almost whole month. So my boys lungs were able to develop & only needed oxygen for the first 2 days & then 2 weeks after they were discharged due to their oxygen dropping because they were so tired out from their feeds.. They were there 3 weeks & their feeds is what took longer for them to accomplish. Needed a tube in their nose down to their stomach. Im not gonna lie it sucks, hardest thing i had to go through. But the worst part was leaving them. They gave me the option to stay there to sleep but i had DD who was without me for a month so she needed me @ home too. My heart was split in 2. Half my heart was with the boys in the hospital. & the other half with DH & DD. I still get emotional thinking back on it. I would never wish anything like that on anyone,not even my worst enemy because it sucks!
This is them 2 or 3 days old they look so different. Alan's the one on the left & Adriel on the right. They were born @ 33wks 5days September 3rd.
you should be very proud of yourself, mama.
xo
& it does take strength. My neighbors would ask me how they were & id smile & say good getting there. & the instant i walked in the house i would break down. I cried every day i left the hospital. It only got easier when i knew the day they would be discharged which was only 2 days before being discharged.
I inboxed you by the way.
go through that so young. Glad all turned out well.
Yes. The anticipation is horrible.