Originally posted on Substack on Sep 12, 2025 (well before my account was suspended). Happily very much back to full health now!
Just over 2 weeks ago, I went into hospital. Very blessed to have private medical insurance through my job, so nice, small hospital, private room, friendly English-speaking doctor, all good… other than the food being a bit naff, nothing at all to complain about. I was only in overnight. But it was urology, so it’s sensitive, and people seem to be afraid to talk about it.
I needed to have two procedures done. One was to excise a hydrocele that had developed a few years ago during a hernia repair, and unlike most, had not dissipated within a few months. To the uninitiated, this is a membrane that develops and fills with fluid, most commonly around one of the testes. I guess it starts out as a self-protection mechanism. And had life remained “normal” in Asia, I would have had it treated there a few years ago. However… Covid happened, so everything got put on hold. Then 18 months later we moved here to Eastern Europe, and I was stuck without a work permit for 4 years. No work permit = no job = no medical insurance, and it was really not something I wanted to deal with through the occasionally questionable state medical system.
The surgery is straightforward, if not for the squeamish. The doctor slices open the scrotum, removes the testis, drains the fluid from the hydrocele, surgically removes the membrane itself (if this isn’t done, it might fill up again), puts the testis back inside, and stitches you up. Not a lot of fun, and certainly no cycling or sexual activity for some time afterwards, but within a week things are mostly back to normal, but for a slightly ugly scar.
The second surgery, done at the same time, was equally un-fun. I had developed a problem with my frenulum, which had become somehow inelastic, causing what’s known as phimosis, a tightening of the skin to where the foreskin either can’t be retracted, or doing so causes significant pain. The solution is simple, a medical circumcision, but at my age that’s rather more involved than with an infant, whether it’s done at that stage for religious reasons, or for some reason in the US for misguided hygiene beliefs. So again, it involves stitches; fortunately dissolvable sutures in this case, which I’m still waiting to completely go away.
What is the most weird (other than having to deal with cleaning and changing dressings in awkward places for the first week or so) is having to relearn how to do basic bodily functions you’ve done for basically your entire life… specifically peeing! Things are just different there now, so if in doubt I’m resorting to sitting down rather than standing. It gets better day by day, but definitely something I’d taken very much for granted!
It’s hard to say exactly how long this had been a problem… could it even have been something that should’ve been picked up when teenage boys have their “medical”? I never had one, I think because I went to school in an area under a different health authority than where I lived. But whatever, one can’t change the past, just got to move forward.
Anyway, I wanted to share this very personal post, because I’ve not seen anybody talking about it… and to encourage anyone with health issues, however embarrassing, to please go and see a doctor about it. A little discomfort for a short time may improve your quality of life and your self-confidence going forward.