[i&i2008]

Hi, I’m new to this forum. My husband was diagnose with testicular disorder. Meaning do to this he doesn’t produce any sperm at all. I was honestly devastated with this diagnose. I honestly have to day that I really didn’t like that doctor that gave us the final test results, he seem young and un experienced. I ask him several times if he was sure there was no hope for us. Wanting in a way imploring for him to give us a little hope, which he didn’t. So now I’m here hoping to get some hope and answers there another that has the same case. What should I do.. We have Kaiser and I not sure if they will cover any further testing. I think they don’t. What are our options. Please help us!

[Kris79]

i&i2008 - I am sorry you have gotten this diagnosis. There are a bunch of us going through this (for a variety of reasons) over at the Azoospermia thread. You can find us by clicking the link. My DH's general doctor told him we'd probably have to adopt but clearly he was wrong that that was our only option. Our urologist says there is a 50% chance of finding sperm from TESE surgery. There are other couples that have gone on to have healthy babies...I hope you can find some encouragement and hope. Don't be shy about posting...it's a very friendly group.

[AdaRuts]

Originally Posted by i&i2008

Hi, I’m new to this forum. My husband was diagnose with testicular disorder. Meaning do to this he doesn’t produce any sperm at all. I was honestly devastated with this diagnose. I honestly have to day that I really didn’t like that doctor that gave us the final test results, he seem young and un experienced. I ask him several times if he was sure there was no hope for us. Wanting in a way imploring for him to give us a little hope, which he didn’t. So now I’m here hoping to get some hope and answers there another that has the same case. What should I do.. We have Kaiser and I not sure if they will cover any further testing. I think they don’t. What are our options. Please help us!

i&i I would make sure that you go back to a different facility for a follow up test in a month or so. Who knows, their machines might not be working properly and the last thing you want ot do it write everything off without at least getting a second opinion.

[i&i2008]

Okay the thing is there’s something wrong with his testicles.. For some reason there small, that’s why I said testicular disorder.. Is this the same thing as Azoospermia? Is there someone here with the same problem?? Please Help US!

[i&i2008]

Originally Posted by i&i2008

Hi, I’m new to this forum. My husband was diagnose with testicular disorder. Meaning do to this he doesn’t produce any sperm at all. I was honestly devastated with this diagnose. I honestly have to day that I really didn’t like that doctor that gave us the final test results, he seem young and un experienced. I ask him several times if he was sure there was no hope for us. Wanting in a way imploring for him to give us a little hope, which he didn’t. So now I’m here hoping to get some hope and answers there another that has the same case. What should I do.. We have Kaiser and I not sure if they will cover any further testing. I think they don’t. What are our
options. Please help us!

Okay the thing is there’s something wrong with his testicles.. For some reason there small, that’s why I said testicular disorder.. Is this the same thing as Azoospermia? Is there someone here with the same problem?? Please Help US!

[Hope1234]

i&i,

Azoospermia means that there is no sperm in the ejaculate, it's not the term for someone who has small testicles. My husband was recently diagnosed w/Azoospermia also and the UR also noted his testicles were "smaller" than most, but he is otherwise in top physical shape, so smaller testicles doesn't necessarily mean it's a "disorder".

Like you, we also have Kaiser. The UR we saw told us that our other options were to get donor sperm or to adopt. He also told us we could go see a UR that specializes in male infertility. Kaiser doctors will only tell you what the labs show, but they do not specialize in male infertility so they will often advise you to see outside doctors. With our coverage, Kaiser will cover infertility for both the male and female up to 80% (maximum of $30,000 lifetime) in their Supplemental package. We were told that Kaiser will cover outside services that they do NOT perform, so you should call member services too see exactly what your coverage is. Kaiser subcontracts their supplemental insurance coverage out to Harrington Benefits, based in WA, so you should call them. We were devastated when we learned that our only options would be to adopt or get donor sperm, but after seeing the specialist, we are hopeful that there are still other options that will allow us to have biological children, so before you think there is no hope, seek the help of a specialist. The Kaiser UR should have told you this.

I'm not sure if you are saying the UR actually diagnosed your husband w/azoospermia from his semen analysis or that you are inferring that just from the fact that the UR told your husband his testicles were small, but sounds like you need to better communicate with the UR. Getting an exact diagnosis is most important so that you and your husband know what course of action to take next. Good luck to you.

[Kris79]

Sometimes azoospermia (like Hope said, no sperm in the ejaculate) is due to testicular failure. Often times, smaller testes is indicative of this problem. You should make sure to see a urologist that specializes in male infertility. I can't stress this enough...others will tell you to just adopt or use donor sperm. There is a surgery (TESE or mTESE) that the urologist will do to go into the testes and search (with the aid of a powerful microscope) for sperm. Many have had success with this procedure (accompanied with IVF and ICSI...in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic injection...they actually inject the sperm directly into the egg) and gone on to have children. Feel free to PM me if you have questions about the process. We haven't actually had the TESE surgery yet (we'll do that in January). You probably should see about getting bloodwork done on your husband that can show his hormone levels (testosterone and FSH) and possibly a karyotype (to look for Klinefelter's) and a test to see if he has a micro-y deletion. High FSH indicates testicular failure, but doesn't rule out finding sperm during TESE. Make sure that if your husband has low testosterone that they DO NOT give him testosterone replacement...this will kill any sperm he does have.

I wish you the best...like I said, let me know if you have questions. It's a bumpy road and I'm happy to help you along the way.

[0live]

Hey, everyone, I'm new here and wanted to get to know you all. I'm 29; my partner is 30 and recently told me he is shooting blanks and has been for years. As we are getting more serious, he asked me if this is a deal-breaker for me. It's a hard decision! I have always wanted children and thought I would have a lot of them. I ended a previous relationship because children were not an option. But I love my man! He wants children and is willing to do whatever to have them, so I'm doing research, which led to these boards. I am reading through the azoospermia thread and have lots of questions for you! You all are amazing with incredible stories!

[lauren5290]

Olive! I hope you will join us over the azoospermia thread. We are a very friendly bunch and it is really the best source of support and information. Does your partner know what is causing his condition ? I wish you the best of luck with your decision.

[0live]

Lauren, thank you! I am trying to read through the whole thing first, which is rather long! I've been working through it since last night. I will definitely join you all and post (or repost) once I make it to the end. He doesn't know what's caused it, which I'm guessing will be the next step. He's had 2 sa's which both showed no sperm. One was 5 years ago and one was this year, but that's been the extent of the testing he's done. He went to a urologist on my request who did not give him a physical exam, but said that he could have an exploratory surgery with the hopes of finding and unblocking an obstruction. He made it sound like if there was no obstruction or if the obstruction was inoperable then we were sol. So at this point we don't know if it's obstructive or nonobstructive, so it's just speculative now. He had a couple hard blows to the area as a young adult, which could have done some damage. Alright, back to reading!

[lauren5290]

Olive, Glad you are planning on joining us. Sounds like their is a lot of hope for you all. With an obstruction you would just have to extract the sperm and if its non obstructive most ur's will quote around 50-60% success with TESE if genetics are normal.

Enjoy your reading! That is a LOT Of pages!

[Kris79]

Olive - You are doing the right thing and researching. So many doctors will tell you there is no hope. In our case we are given 50% chance to find sperm even with his chromosomal factor and high FSH.

Even as hard as this is, I would never trade my husband for anyone else. If you love your guy, that's what's most important. I wish you both the best!

I hope to see you around the Azoospermia thread. Have fun reading!

[Singingirl96]

Hello Olive.
You bring up a very good concern. My Husband and I were just diagnosed with testicular failure, and are still going through testing.
The good news is that there is hope, but it includes surgery to explore his testicles to find any sperm, and if they do, you have to go through IVf which includes you taking hormone shots and it can be very hard on your body.
The question did pop into my head... would I have married my husband if I knew he had a problem before we tied the knot. Truthfully, I don't know. It is a lot to consider. We are happily married and now I don't have that option, but you do.
When you are dating, you are pre-screening your partner so you know exactly what you are getting into before you do it. So, you have the option to back out. You are doing the right thing by becoming informed so there will be no surprises.
The road ahead is not an easy one. My hubby and I have been together for almost 10 years, so I'm confident we'll get through this, but if you are not married yet, this can be quite a crisis for a couple to go through.
I don't mean to be a downer. Just be informed and know exactly what to expect.
good luck.

[0live]

Thank you so much! Sorry I have been away for a little bit. I really appreciate the responses. It is difficult. I'll head on over to the azoospermia thread now, even though I haven't made it all the way through. I hope to see you there!!!

[vcha]

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Originally Posted by i&i2008

Hi, I’m new to this forum. My husband was diagnose with testicular disorder. Meaning do to this he doesn’t produce any sperm at all. I was honestly devastated with this diagnose. I honestly have to day that I really didn’t like that doctor that gave us the final test results, he seem young and un experienced. I ask him several times if he was sure there was no hope for us. Wanting in a way imploring for him to give us a little hope, which he didn’t. So now I’m here hoping to get some hope and answers there another that has the same case. What should I do.. We have Kaiser and I not sure if they will cover any further testing. I think they don’t. What are our options. Please help us!