Epididymitis

[aobaru]

Hey guys. I've been using the TLC-X since October 2015 and am super satisfied with the progress so far. I now have enough skin to masturbate using only the skin -- between a CI-3 and CI-4. My motivations for restoring are both psychological and aesthetic. I've been in therapy for a few months for the trauma of having been circumcised as an infant, a trauma that only was brought to my attention after dating an intact guy. I've struggled with body image issues, anger, depression, and anxiety, and I firmly believe that my forced genital mutilation when I was an infant is a major contributing factor to my mental health. I'm trying to approach recovery in a healthy way, and restoring has been an integral part of my recovery.

I've hit a road block, however, in the past month. A little more than a month ago, I started feeling some discomfort in my testicular area. It got worse, like an aching pain, so I went to the doctor, where I was diagnosed with epididymitis. I didn't tell my GP that I restore (I'm not sure why I didn't), but I did ask him if it could have been caused by bacteria entering through the urethra. He said it was possible, but not likely. He put me on antibiotics and said he would refer me to a urologist if they didn't work. Fingers crossed that they do.

My question for you all is: has anyone else had any problems with infection while restoring? Again, I'm not sure if the two are correlated in my case, but I can't help but be discouraged. It sucks because, as I said, I view restoring as a part of my therapy. Any help you guys could provide would be helpful.

[Guest]

His diagnosis is real, knowledgeable, and legal. Our 'internet diagnosis' (if you want to call it that) is crap.

He's given you a treatment, and a plan. He does this because he works from an established algorithm of treatment. He's stated that his next step is calling in a specialist. The specialist will also work from his established treatment plan. So, these aspects of care are, or will be, in play. You should follow them.

As long as you wash your device and your penis on a regular basis, you will be doing what you can do for yourself. Otherwise, devices, while they can carrry bacteria if you don't wash them (and yourself), they don't carry some other lurking damage.

Like you (you imply, at least), I'm not sure that you can disregard the fact that your sexual partner might be in the equation. However, look at the way I've just qualified that statement; means I'm backing away from giving you another internet crap "diagnosis" But I am suggesting you tell all providers that you do; I can't imagine they wouldn't ask you, though.

If your symptoms go away, and then come back again, well................. who knows. The specialist (who you would see at that point) will know.

Good luck.

[Nezil]

I've had it before I started to restore. I took the antibiotics and it went away. Pretty painful experience. Like Info said, keep your stuff clean and you'll be good. There's not really a way to say now where you got it from.

[aobaru]

I only ask because a friend of mine who also restores got prostatitis, and that discouraged him from restoring for a while.

I actually haven't had any sexual partners in about 6 months, and the STD tests came back negative. So it makes me wonder if it's just coincidence or if there's something with restoring itself. Either way, it makes me want to stop restoring til everything clears up. It's pretty uncomfortable, now I feel a low, sharp pain in the head of my penis off and on. Started the antibiotics yesterday though. Hope this gets cleared up quick.

[Guest]

I only ask because a friend of mine who also restores got prostatitis, and that discouraged him from restoring for a while.

I actually haven't had any sexual partners in about 6 months, and the STD tests came back negative. So it makes me wonder if it's just coincidence or if there's something with restoring itself. Either way, it makes me want to stop restoring til everything clears up. It's pretty uncomfortable, now I feel a low, sharp pain in the head of my penis off and on. Started the antibiotics yesterday though. Hope this gets cleared up quick.

There isn't anything that tugging will cause in the way of internal inflammation, within all those tubes and conduits (especially in your scrotum), as far as I know. So I doubt tugging is part of it, but it's reasonable to wait until the symptoms have gone, and then start tugging again after awhile. That's probably a good idea.

Just take all the medication, every dose even if the symptoms have gone, then see what happens (I'm at a party, but your post got me thinking, and I remembered that I didn't say this last thing).