Monday, August 17, 2009

The Big V


An exerpt from The Spirit Guide Bar
“The Big V"
by W.Z Snyder
© 2008 William Snyder

The daySophia was born - the day I held her in my arms the first time, I was so completely happy that I spoke Italian.

“My Baby Sophia, mi mada bambina gumbare y batta fuchina con mattta gufando con Manu Gianoble y Don Vito Corlioni de pasta fazool. Vesa me, mi Corazon de amore!”

OK, it wasn’t legitimate Italian; it was my own goofed up version of Italian, but believe when I tell you baby Sophia brought a priceless lode of happiness to our family.

The day we brought Sophia home, Gail made a second appointment with the doctor of slicology. Protocol called for an educational appointment attended by Gail and myself. Gail was babysitting four kids the day of the appointment. So we showed up to the doctor’s office with eight kids. The exam room was absolutely packed when the doctor walked in.

“Are these all yours?” he asked.

“Yes,” I lied as he pulled down his educational wall charts and handed us colorful pamphlets entitled Are You Sure You’re Sure?

Sophia started crying and one of the kids tipped over an aluminum trash can. Handing the pamphlet back to the doctor, I said, “Listen doc, I think we can save each other a little time here. Have you got something for us to sign?”

The doctor nervously handed me the clipboard and Gail and I both signed on the dotted line.

The day of the vasectomy was absolutely frightening. The appointment wasn’t until 1:30 in the afternoon so I went to work at Canyon State Academy for Boys that morning. But I wasn’t in any shape to do any teaching. All I could think about was the cutting that was to in store. From time to time I doubled over in anticipatory pain. Of course I told the whole story to the boys and they kept asking questions like, “So you’re goanna let the doctor slice you – down there?” and “Will they use a razor blade or a pair or really sharp scissors?”

I walked into the doctor’s office with Gail and the epic collection of our own and other people’s children. The receptionist rolled her eyes. The kids were a little loud and a lot rambunctious. Barit, my three year old asked a woman with blue hair to read her a magazine. The old woman didn’t answer.

“This is a doctor’s office.” The receptionist said bitterly.

“Yes, it is. That’s why I’m here – for a vasectomy.”

“There really isn’t room for all of these children in the waiting room.” she sneered.

“Are you saying you’d like them to leave? Is that it? I could have my wife take them away. Maybe you could give me a ride home.”

If she appreciated my use of sarcasm, she did a marvelous job of hiding it. By this time, the Tylenol with Codeine I had popped in the car was kicking in. Things were a little fuzzy. The next thing I knew I was laying on the cold sterile paper, undressed from the waist down. The nurse was a big hairy guy with tattoos of skeletons and naked women on his forearms. He told me to relax, that this procedure would be nothing to worry about. The door swung open and the doctor abruptly entered the tiny room. The first thing I noticed was she was a woman – and she looked a little pissed off. So there I was, naked from the waist down in front of scary looking biker and an angry woman.

“Hello doc” I said.

“We’re going to start by giving you injections of local anesthesia on both sides of your scrotum.”

She didn’t look me in the eye.

“With a needle?”

She didn’t answer. The biker produced a monstrous aluminum needle.

“Oh my God!” I said, “That looks painful.”

“Well, it’s not.” she said, shaking her head with condescension.

Closing my eyes, I tried to concentrate on my breathing. A gloved hand took hold and lifted my testicles and then - ZING; there it was - white hot pain on the left side. The needle remained in my scrotum for a few seconds. There was nothing painless about this. It hurt – a lot. Then the needle came out and I breathed a sigh of relief. But the white hot pain returned – to my right side. The breathing business was out the window. Now, I was grinding my teeth and groaning in pain. In retrospect, the pain was comparable to local anesthetic delivered to the mouth before dental procedures. There can be no doubt that the location of the penetrations had an added psychological effect. When the needle was removed from the right side I collapsed and groaned.

“It’ll be just a few minutes before the anesthetic takes full effect.” said Doctor Angry Pain Lady before hastily leaving the room.

I opened my eyes and biker nurse’s hairy face came into focus. He wore a paper surgical cap and his beard was covered too. This man had the bushiest eyebrows I had ever seen. The bristly eyebrow hairs jutted out two or three inches in every possible direction.

“Are you OK, man?” he asked.

“Anyone who says the big V doesn’t hurt is lying.” I whispered.

“Whoever said a vasectomy don’t hurt?”

The door flew open and she was back. This woman couldn’t have been older than thirty.

“OK Henry,” she said to her biker nurse, “let’s get started.”

“But wait,” I said “It hasn’t been a few minutes; shouldn’t we wait for the anesthesia to set in?”

“And where did you get your medical degree, Mr. Snyder?” she snapped, unadulterated man hating fire boring diresctly from her eyes into my soul.

Closing my eyes, I let my head fall back and hit the pillow. I felt her make the incision on the left. Anesthetic, my left molar! This hurt. I went back to the yoga breathing. I could feel her yanking on vessels, first in my scrotum, then in my gut and finally in my shoulder. I breathed hard, like a woman in labor.

“What are you doing?” she demanded.

“I’m trying to do yoga breathing – to control the pain.” I squeaked.

“That’s not yoga breathing. And you’re not in that much pain.”

Opening my vocal chords seemed to wrench my testicles, causing extra pain, so opted not to say anything.

Then I felt the slice on the other side – followed by a sharp jerk on some kind of testical vessel causing my arm to fly up in the air. This young woman truly was a man hating doctor. No doubt about it. I could only hope that my kids were out there absolutely trashing that waiting room.

At home, I lay on the couch with ice pack on my groin for two days. Yeah, the big V hurts, baby. Don’t let anyone tell you different.

15 comments:

Susan R. Mills said...

Hmm...no wonder my husband refused to get one!

Rick Rivers said...

I squirmed all the while I read this as it shot me back to my own BIG "V"! My doc thought he could do it with a local anesthesia, but after probing around, he concluded I needed to see a real surgeon and I was put completely out for that one!

Also had the BIG "C" (Circumcision), done when I was about 28 and the V was nothing in comparison to 30 days worth of nagging stiches!!

Oughta try the one where they shove a tiny flexible tube with camera down your you know what to take a look at your prostrate!!
Squirming yet?

Midlife Roadtripper said...

Hahahahahahhahahahahahaha!

After three natural childbirths, I couldn't wait for my husband to complain about pain after his Big V. He never said a word. Smart man. He knew me too well.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
anders oglethorpe said...

I guess I was lucky. I can't really say I had much, if any, discomfort from my vasectomy. It was a little different having things "moving around" with only the local, but nothing painful. Are you sure you're not using a little "artistic license" on this one? I took a day off work, followed the docs instructions and was back to doing normal thins within 4 days or so--had it done so I had the weekend to take it easy.

italgalmm said...

Ok...

Did I just REALLY just read all about your vasectomy??? .... Man.. talk about an open book!!!!

If I am being totally honest here... I think I just peed my pants a little from laughing..

No Seriously .. I think I did..



* I Voted this the most hilarious blog post of the day..


And to think my family worries about ME .. revealing too much..
Hahahahahaha

Anonymous said...

Lazy Writer,

Thanks for stopping by.
Tell your husband what my wife told me, that he's just being a baby...

Rick,
Of course I'm swirming. THE BIG C?
I'm not worthy to complain aout anything.

Midlife Jobhunter,

Thanks for reading.
You think like my wife.

Et tu, Oglethorpe?

You sound an awful lot like that man hating lady doctor.
I'll have you know I know a guy who swelled up like a couple of softballs...

italgalmm,

It was a story that needed to be told.

Anonymous said...

Dude?

Kavita Saharia said...

WOW...tttccchh....i will make sure that my husband reads this ..though we know about the medical procedure but hearing it from a patient's side is interesting...i am sorry but i can't stop laughing ...sorry..

#167 Dad said...

Kavita,

Thanks for reading.
I think other patients have done better with the proceedure because their doctors didn't hate them...

Nerd Evolved said...

I had considered having one - is the procedure reversible. I've got one kid and I'm quite happy with that. OTOH, I'm now single again and the next lady in my life might want kids...

#167 Dad said...

Norman,
You're ok AS LONG AS YOU STAY FROM MAN HATING LADY DOCTORS.

Thanks for reading...

RealRaiderNation said...

Awesome story, dude. It makes you think about all the times we've been hit in balls by basketballs, footballs, tools, (insert anything else you've been hit in the balls with) All that don't equal the pain of a man-hating biker doctor cutting on your junk!

#167 Dad said...

Keith,
Thanks for having my back on this one.

Blues said...

Hey Dad!
Thanks for sharing this. It's very interesting how people perceive things being done on their body.
Everybody does perceive it differently. For ex, recently I had a laser surgery done on my eyes, and even though it was stressful (because I didn't know what to expect, and they blinded me temporarily, which was strange) I actually didn't find it really bad. It went well, and yea, stressful but the effect was worth the stress and blindness.
So a vasectomy, I'm sure, is something uncomfortable to have done, and I believe that people experience pain differently at different body parts. I fully believe you that you were in pain. Yet, I hope it was worth it... :-D