As part of our ante-natal course, we were warned that when babies are born, they usually have enlarged genitalia. It’s something to do with all the hormones involved as I remember!
However, after the geekson was born, there was a conversation between the midwife, her student and the geekdaddy about whether the geekson’s family jewels were larger than was normal (I was completely unaware of this – I blame the gas and air!). They concluded that yes, he looked larger than average in that department, and they should probably get the consultant to take a look.
And so it was, within an hour or so of his birth, we were being told that the geekson has a hydrocele (pronounced high-dro-seal). Basically, the male genitals begin their life inside the body, somewhere around the stomach, and before the baby is born they descend to their correct anatomical location. At this point the tubes that connect them to the rest of the body should seal themselves off, but in some babies they don’t seal properly, and fluid leaks through, resulting in a very swollen area. It was explained to us that this was not, in most cases, serious or problematical, that in all likelihood the fluid would seep back and the tubes seal themselves off correctly, usually before the age of one. In some cases, a little surgery might be required, and in some cases there might be a hernia (basically some of the gut could squeeze through the un-sealed tube), and if he ever had inconsolable pain in the groin area, or vomited green we should get him to A&E as quickly as possible as that might indicate something quite serious. We would be called to the children’s ward for regular checkups and should not worry about it (well, unless we had the aforementioned green vomit or inconsolable crying).
And so it is that we come to be at our local hospital every few months, whilst teams of medical professionals grope at our son to try to decide whether he has a hernia or not. The last couple of times the examining doctor has not been sure, and so in one case we were referred for an emergency scan followed with an appointment with the consultant surgeon, and in the next case they skipped the scan and simply referred us to the surgeon directly.
Today we had the latest of these appointments, and the good news is that today the examining doctor categorically stated that there was no hernia. So we don’t have to see the consultant surgeon. Well, not for another couple of months at least. The warning about inconsolable groin pain and green vomit was repeated, and we headed off home again.
It does seem like the hydrocele is slowing decreasing in size (well, that or the geekson is just growing bigger around it!), so we’re hoping there won’t be any need for surgery, but keeping a close eye on it for the moment.
Image: Sura Nualpradid / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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