Vasectomy reversal
So, the intellectually interesting bit is that rather than trying to reconstruct the bit of the tube that was blocked by the vasectomy, they cut that section of tube out, and they connect two intact pieces of tube together. The rest of it doesn't strike me as particularly interesting, there's plenty of websites out there.
Because I booked several months in advance (because I'm nervous about taking time off), I lost the pre-admission paperwork. And I didn't shave. That, combined with 2.5cm incisions in my scrotum (last time, they were maybe 0.5cm incisions) has led to a long & painful recovery. My theory is that the hairs growing out of the scrotum keep getting caught in (or stuck to) the pads that I'm wearing, and they're also sticking to nearby body parts. Which increases the movement of the scrotum, which pulls at the stitches and the unsealed drain holes (which were 0.5cm holes in themselves). It was a full week and a half before the drain hole on the right hand side closed up.
Showering hurt last time I tried it (2 days ago), and the slow ooze of blood is still going on, 16 days after the surgery. At least it no longer causes pain to experience anything that feels like the beginning of an erection. Regardless, there really are a lot of things that activate the muscles that retract the testicles towards the body, and it's been extremely noticeable, since it has hurt most of the time when it happens.
I was terrified in the lead-up. The staff and surgeon all had very good bedside manners, which I appreciated.
I guess the point is this: I got cut in a very sensitive place, and I'm trying to be brave, and I'm trying to remember that they did it because I asked them to. But it was scary, and it hurt, and I'm not over it, and I want to be coddled.