"It's like having a wisdom tooth pulled." A Belarusian tells how he got a vasectomy in Poland
In his fourth year of living in Poland, Belarusian Yahor decided to get a vasectomy. He was prompted by the fatigue of having a younger child and the fear of an unplanned pregnancy in a country where abortions are severely restricted. He told the Most publication how he signed up for the procedure in Białystok, why the doctor didn't try to dissuade him, and what "souvenir" he received after the operation.
Illustrative photo. Photo: pixabay.com/ Maximilianovich
Vasectomy is a male sterilization operation. During the procedure, the vas deferens are blocked or cut, preventing sperm from entering the seminal fluid. After a vasectomy, a man can ejaculate, but there should be no sperm in the fluid.
"The younger brat gets on my nerves too much"
Yahor has children aged 4 and 11. He first thought about a vasectomy, a male sterilization operation, two years ago. But at the time, he didn't go through with it, thinking such operations were only performed in Warsaw. Recently, the Belarusian found a clinic in Białystok, the city where he currently lives.
"The younger brat doesn't give me any free time and gets on my nerves too much. My eye twitches at the possibility of having more such brats," Yahor explains the main reason for his vasectomy.
An additional argument in favor of vasectomy was the fact that it is very difficult for women to get an abortion in Poland. After discussing it with his wife, the couple came to a mutual decision that the operation should be done.
"It's like having a wisdom tooth pulled: life will be simpler without it. Why bother extra? Let's go," the man describes his emotions before the operation.
"The doctor gave me a fist bump"
Signing up for the procedure was not difficult for Yahor. On one of the online platforms, the Belarusian chose the right doctor and a suitable date. At the time of booking, the man did not have Polish citizenship, but a PESEL number was sufficient.
After that, clinic staff contacted the man and asked him to take a blood clotting test. Yahor paid 120 zlotys (about 32 dollars) for this service.
With the test results already obtained, he went to see the doctor. The Belarusian liked that he didn't encounter any judgment or requests from the doctor to reconsider.
"The doctor started the conversation in the most friendly way — with 'Siema' (colloquial 'hello' in Polish. — Most) and gave me a fist bump. The communication was designed to break the ice and avoid fierce tension," says Yahor.
According to the man, the "adequacy check" lasted about three minutes. Yahor's documents were checked, and he was asked how many children he had.
"When I talked to the doctor, there wasn't a second when he tried to dissuade me. When I said how many children I had, he didn't react at all: he just continued filling out the document as he was. Two is two [children]," the Belarusian shrugs.
Before the operation, the man underwent an ultrasound to check for deviations and anomalies, and was also advised to drink more water.
"Went in, done, and that's it — relax"
The man admits that he felt slightly nervous before the operation. According to him, it can be compared to a trip to the dentist. The operation itself is performed under local anesthesia. Yahor said the sensation was reminiscent of getting a tattoo.
"They make a small incision, then you feel a slight tingling. Went in, done, and that's it — relax."
The procedure took about half an hour and cost the man 2,500 zlotys (about 665 dollars). As he left, Yahor was advised to monitor his water balance. Three days passed from the moment he booked the appointment with the doctor to leaving the office after the vasectomy.
"An absolutely down-to-earth, friendly attitude," Yahor describes his interaction with the medic after the operation.
As a souvenir, the Belarusian was given a sticker with an image of a penis and the inscription "Brave Patient."
"It's just like how children are praised after visiting the doctor — funny. A micro-achievement," Yahor jokes.
"The first day I walked like a little penguin"
Yahor underwent the operation four days ago.
"The first day I walked like a little penguin. It felt like I was waddling on wooden legs. But otherwise, there are no physiological deviations," the man describes his condition.
For the next week, the Belarusian will have to avoid physical exertion: no lifting heavy bags and no going to the gym. The man also needs to maintain hygiene and carefully treat the area where the surgical intervention occurred.
To ensure patients don't get confused about the sequence of actions, they are given a small booklet with instructions as they leave. Yahor was pleased that the recommendations were written in clear language.
In two weeks, the Belarusian will need to submit a semen analysis.
"To check if those 'white guys' are still in the fluid," the man explains.
He will also have to pay for this option, but he has not yet found out the cost of the procedure.
"If you bother, it's reversible"
Even before the operation, Yahor knew that a vasectomy could be either reversible, restoring fertility to men afterwards, or irreversible. But the Belarusian himself did not go into detail.
"Apparently, the latest variations [of vasectomy] are reversible. I know that such a possibility exists. If you really want to and bother with it, you can [reverse everything]," the man says.
Nevertheless, Yahor sees no point in restoring his fertility in the foreseeable future.
"It's good that there's an opportunity to eliminate spontaneous troubles that can arise in adulthood," the Belarusian concludes.
Now reading
The founder of Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, Fire Point, was asked about the level of Belarusian air defense. His answer was surprising. 103103
The founder of Ukraine's largest drone manufacturer, Fire Point, was asked about the level of Belarusian air defense. His answer was surprising. 103
«You walk — and there are dead bodies everywhere». Mikhail from Lahoisk, who fought for Russia, is shocked at how Ukrainians track every step of Russian soldiers 1313
Comments