Penile numbness, herniated disk...

fak_et

Experimental Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2006
Posts
434
Media
0
Likes
11
Points
163
Gender
Male
I am only in my 20s and I noticed the sensation on one side of my penis/scrotum lessening out of nowhere. I went to a few doctors and got nowhere, eventually requesting an MRI myself, finding i had a herniated disk at l5/s1. I also had a lot of sciatica. I had surgery on the disk about a year after the onset, after trying chiropractors, pt, etc.

Anyways, the surgery seemed to help, however I never did gain full sensation. I waited about a year, tried a little of everything, and went in for another MRI. I do have another minor herniation, but my surgeon doesn't think operating on it will help anything. We tried epidural shots and they seem to help a slight bit but wear off quickly.

I can still get erections and orgasm just fine, so I keep getting blown off. I went to a few other docs/ urologists for a second opinion and they told me to try it.

Im wondering if i should have a revision to fix the minor herniation now. I am perfectly healthy otherwise. I am worried that another surgery might not heal as well and leave me in bad shape. The first one was easy to recover from, but it might not be the case again.

Anyone have any input, ideas to cope, similar situations?
 

thefringe

Superior Member
Verified
Gold
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
Posts
10
Media
35
Likes
2,921
Points
323
Verification
View
Gender
Male
Well, I certainly can't give you any specific advice about what to do. But I can sympathize with your situation. I've been undergoing a somewhat similar problem. I too am in my twenties and my condition has put a major damper on my life. It began with a common enough inguinal hernia. However, in the two years after the surgery I've had progressively worse pain in my left abdominal and pelvic areas. I've been seeing a variety of doctors and the most plausible explanation we've come to is that I have several nerves (most likely the ilioinguinal, as well as perhaps the ilio-hypogastric or genito-femoral nerves) which are being interfered with in some fashion, most likely by an excessive build up of scar tissue. As I said, I've seen a handful of different doctors, but it wasn't until two weeks ago that I began a definite course of treatment aimed at solving the problem. I had four cortisone shots in my abdomen. However, for about a week and a half after that it seemed to have made things much worse. And as yet I cannot report any overall improvement. So I'll have to see where we go next when I go to the specialist next. Anyways, that's just a bit of my story relating to a painful condition which has been deeply affecting my life. While I can certainly still get an erection and so forth, the general pain I can get in those areas has curtailed a number of activities in my life, including sex. Regarding your case,--as I said I can give you no specific advice and I am not a health expert--I would only mention that in my case the surgical options do not appear to be too great. Surgery, for instance, generally results in the build up of scar tissue, which is known to interfere with nearby nerves. So that's something to keep in mind when making calculations about whether to have surgery, particularly when it's meant to alleviate the pain that may or may not have been caused by the impact of another surgery and when there's no other imminent or degrading health problem. Best of luck with your problem!
 

B_625girth

Expert Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2007
Posts
2,224
Media
0
Likes
138
Points
193
Location
midwest
Sexuality
100% Straight, 0% Gay
Gender
Male
In my 40's, I hurt my back at work. bulging discs in the lower back, the chiro said. it took awhile to get things right, and I did and still do some exercises to strengthen my back. if I did go in to get adjusted which was about twice a year, I noticed the next day I was hornier, and couldn't wait to get off work, go home and fuck the wife. and fuck her again, and again. and this was not just a one time deal. just proves to me that the our bodies are complex and very amazing.
 

erratic

Loved Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2007
Posts
4,289
Media
0
Likes
509
Points
333
Sexuality
No Response
...my surgeon doesn't think operating on it will help anything.

...

I can still get erections and orgasm just fine, so I keep getting blown off. I went to a few other docs/ urologists for a second opinion and they told me to try it.

...

I am worried that another surgery might not heal as well and leave me in bad shape. The first one was easy to recover from, but it might not be the case again.

So your surgeon is saying no, but your second opinions are saying go for it? Ask yourself whom you trust more. Getting a second (or third or fourth) opinion is a great idea - especially when you're talking about surgery. Also, and I say this because I don't really know you, some people have the tendency to speak to doctors until one of them confirms something they want to hear. I have no clue if you're that guy, but you may want to ask yourself that question. Something else to consider if you live in the US is whether a doctor is just looking for your business. I know I tend to weigh a doctor's advice more heavily when they, essentially, are saying "No, you don't need this expensive surgery that will pay for my vacation to Thailand next January."

Meanwhile, you say your junk is working just fine. When you say that the sensation is almost all there, ask yourself if you're looking back with rosy-coloured glasses. Are you 100% certain that it was better? If so, is potentially making up that difference worth the risk of surgery for you?

I'm sorry that I'm not really answering any questions for you here. I guess I'm trying to say that the stakes are high enough that you probably want to step back as much as possible and make a dispassionate assessment of the situation. I know I tend to side on the "avoid surgery unless absolutely necessary" camp, so I would probably just move on...but I'm not you, so I can't give you a better answer than that.

Anyway, good luck!