3 year old DS has had a testicle removed - please help me deal with this positively! I’m struggling....

[ChippityDoDa]

Hi Mumsnetters, first poster but long time lurker here. Over the weekend my 3 year old healthy DS developed a swollen and red ball sack. He was totally fine in all other respects, playing, eating, weeing etc as normal. I did a bit of googling as you do and wasn’t overly concerned, but got him into an emergency GP within 3 hours of the swelling who sent us straight to our wonderful Children’s Hospital. He was in theatre 2 hours later but unfortunately the testicle was well twisted up and they had to remove it. The surgeon was very blasé about all of this - explained that men could function perfectly well with one testicle, fertility shouldn’t be a problem etc. My DS is perfectly well now apart from a small scar and stitches. I KNOW that so many children have far worse issues and many parents would love this to be their only health concern BUT I’m just so sad for him.
If anyone has any stories of husbands/ex partners/ brothers etc with just one testicle please can you share. Sorry it’s personal but I am most concerned about how he’ll feel as a teen, possible effects on puberty, sex, ability to perform (ahem!). I am very open about sex etc, and I plan to be as open as possible with my two boys about it so I will happily have these discussions with him when the time is right. But right now I have told very few people IRL and my husband just says he feels sick thinking about it and so I’m finding it tricky. Help!

I had an ex many years ago who only had one testicle. He was more than able to perform, it made no difference whatsoever... And he also had 3 children. Your boy will be fine. 😊

My ex only has 1 testicle. He never seemed bothered in the slightest. It was removed as a teen after a weight training accident. Hes a big 6ft4 bloke with 2 kids. Its made absolutely no difference to his life that i can see and hes always been very open about it.

I think how you approach this with him is going to be so important. The facts are:

• it won't affect his fertility
• it won't affect his ability to have sex
• his sexual partners almost certainly won't care

Everything else is about how he feels about it and you and his dad are going to be leading the way on that. Be open about it, be positive, treat it like it's not a big deal because it isn't. Tell him everyone's bodies are different in some way that's unique to them, it's not something to be ashamed of. It's just part of him.

Have a DS with only one. Puberty and function all well within normal. He could have had a prosthetic testical inserted but decided against.
Your DH needs to quite literally man up and support his son. No need to make a big issue but answer any questions over the years in an age appropriate way.

Thanks for all of these stories. I know he’ll be fine, he’s such a funny, confident little character already. @Windygate has your DS has any teasing from other boys etc? My Dh was on sports teams at university etc and he says the “banter” about this sort of thing was unreal.

@ChippityDoDa no he hasn't. Showers after games isn't such a thing anymore at school (wiffy children after games is).
One of his mates lost a testicle in his early teens due to a horrible injury and he wasn't teased either.

My brother's only got one. They offered him a prosthetic but he says it's not noticeable enough to warrant it.

When he is older and should it effect him that he only has one testical you can speak to your GP about having an operation to place a prosthetic testical in do his scrotum would look "normal".