Have you ever wondered what you might find in one of those “donation” rooms at a fertility clinic?
Most people would probably associate it with…
- Magazines with the pages stuck together
- Very old VCRs of 80s slick flicks
and of course the film industry creating the belief that the hot nurse will walk in and ask if you “need a hand”.
Well I can tell you it is very different and not as uncomfortable or exciting of an experience as you might think. However there was a few things I REALLY did not understand.
So here we have it, my unfiltered self is once again being allowed out to play in this blog post.
So after a few forms were signed, a brief outline was given and low and behold a guided tour… I was venturing off with my cup on my own.
Walking into the room it smelt of cheap incense and a lot of disinfectant.
A well-worn couch and dull colored walls, with a small screen and remote… (Obviously for your viewing pleasure)
Wall posted sign with a few rules to follow. No moisturizer or oils of any kind to be used. “That’s a little rough” I thought to myself and then laughed for making a non-intentional pun.
To be fair it was very plain.
Which made the minor inconsistencies stand out like the words “low carb” at a fast food chain.
A full length mirror.
Because every person in their right mind likes to stand and watch themselves while their doing the deed!
Funnily enough however that wasn’t what really concerned me.
Right in the middle of the table was a big red button labelled “Emergency Distress”.
My mind started to wander.
Thinking to myself what poor guy has got himself into such a state that warranted the implementation of such a button!
However you’re probably wondering by now what I’m doing here in the first place.
I had slowly learned over time with my pituitary dysfunction that I was now no longer producing testosterone.
I had visited an Endocrinologist who had prescribed external testosterone for long term use however he recommended I bank sperm before getting too involved in the process as it could have an effect on fertility in the future.
So we went there with the intention of it being a “preventative measure”, more a proactive response to what I had been told while still contemplating in my mind that a car accident surely couldn’t have had a profound impact on my future swimmers!
2 hours later we were having lunch, sitting looking over the swan river parked under an overpass watching the boats and jet skis glide past.
The phone started to ring.
I think both of my parents in the car at the time knew that my results were less than favorable just by the look on my face. Almost in shock as they voiced the words…
“Not a single live sperm identified in the ejaculate”.
What terrifying yet confusing words for a 23 year old fit, young male to hear.
This was not the result we expected by a long shot.
Let’s fast forward to 6 months later after many phone calls and waiting lists and I was finally having my first appointment with Dr. Hart, well known as the number one fertility specialist in Australia.
That was when thoughts of desperation turned into a little glimmer of hope.
I am now undergoing a new treatment under the guidance of the fertility clinic and Dr. Hart, with the hope of redeveloping and capturing live sperm in the future, however I will explain this in more detail in part 2.
Stay tuned.
