I can't believe this!

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
I can't believe this!
28
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 7:12pm
I am in utter disbelief. I am 27 and already have a 4-year old daughter thanks to a pill failure. I have tried several pills, the ring and the patch and hated the hormonal side effects. I am sensitive to spermicide, so the diaphragm is out. I loved my copper IUD, but expelled it (twice). I practiced fertility awareness for 4 years, using condoms (which I hated) during my fertile time. I got so frustrated because whenever I wanted to have sex the most was when I was unsafe and had to use a condom. Then when I was safe and didn't need the condom, I had no interest in sex. Finally, my husband got a vasectomy. When his semen analysis came back okay (sterile), I was so happy! Well yesterday, one month after the semen analysis, I decided to check his semen using my microscope at home. Imagine my horror when I saw tons of little swimmers that were not there the month before! There seemed to be just as many as before the vasectomy. And we had had sex the day before during a very dangerous, fertile time. I hadn't been taking my temperature, because I thought I was done with fertility awareness. Well, when I took my temperature this morning, it was at a post-ovulatory level. I'm guessing that I ovulated either the day of or the day after we had sex. This is just unbelievable. I would've done emergency contraception only if I could've been sure that I hadn't already ovulated and that I would only be preventing conception not implantation. Since I wasn't sure about my ovulation status, I decided not to use EC. So now the long hard wait begins... Just needed to vent. Thanks for listening.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 7:21pm

First I wanna say I'm glad I'm not the only one geeky enough to take a look on my microscope at home.

`
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 7:29pm
My husband picked up his sample cup today and will drop off his specimen first thing tomorrow. I know what I saw, I'm just hoping that there weren't enough of them. I'm thinking about buying a counting chamber so I can do my own sperm counts at home. I am a Biology geek and proud of it! Glad to hear I'm not the only one, either.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 8:20pm

Yeah, it can be tough to count the little buggers accurately.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-30-2003
Mon, 05-03-2004 - 8:59pm
Hi missmuffi,

Oh my gosh! I hope his count is so low that you are ok! When will you know from the lab? My thoughts and prayers are with you.

(((HUGS)))

      Jill

    

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 5:14am
It's uncommon but not completely unheard of for a man who tests sterile at an early date to later show sperm. It is due to recanalization - namely the sperm somehow find a new channel to get through. My husband got Vasclips, which the doctor said cannot come undone. You have to cut away a sheath and then apply pressure with a special tool to get them off. Of course if they weren't applied correctly in the first place, that can cause a failure. In the clinical trial for the Vasclip, all of the failures were attributed to improper placement of one of the clips.
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 5:16am
Thanks for the support. We should know by the end of the week.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 9:51am
My husband had a vasectomy in February. His procedure was like this: They cut the vas defrens, took out a section of it(so it would be a long stretch for them to try and grow back together), cauterized both ends(to seal them), and tied each end separately. We have our first sperm test in a few weeks and then another a month later before the dr will ok him sterile. You have me a bit concerned! How long after the procedure did you have the sperm test? How long has it been since the procedure? Happyjusttwo, please comment!
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-15-2003
Tue, 05-04-2004 - 5:57pm
My husband had his procedure on 3/4. The doctor said he could test after 15 ejaculations. He also set up a 1-month follow-up visit and told my husband not to worry if he hasn't completed 15 by then as most men do not. Well, my husband was very ambitious and finished in a little over two weeks. When he called to schedule the semen analysis, the assistant seemed shocked - "Already!? Are you sure?". My husband told her he had been "working hard at it" :). Anyway, the analysis was done on 3/22. So it's been two months since the procedure. According to the Vasclip information, about 85% of Vasclip users are sterile after two months. It takes a bit longer for the remaining 15%. I just find it weird that he was sterile on 3/22 and now he apparently isn't. We may get the results from his 2nd semen analysis as early as tomorrow. I hope so.
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-29-2003
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 2:55pm
If you dont mind, let us know what the results are and even more importantly, if there are sperm present, why this happened. I wish you the best.

~Josie

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-05-2004
Wed, 05-05-2004 - 11:21pm
I can't believe you referred to your child as being "thanks to a pill failure." It's like you don't even want her or something. I'm sure that's not how it was intended, but I hope that you have been able to love your daughter and don't merely see her as a burden to you.

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