Sperm Banking

[supportive wife]

To all the men out there hoping to have children after TC, I offer you one piece of advise. Please... bank before your orchiectomy. Even one deposit prior to surgery may help your chances of having kids.

"The earlier the patient is referred for sperm banking correlates with a greater success rate. Approximately three weeks after surgery requiring general anesthesia the semen quality may start to deteriorate. This lasts about 3-4 months and is due to the shock from the surgery and the residual effects of the anesthesia and post surgical medications. We strongly recommend that the patient be advised to initiate banking prior to, or within one week following surgery if he is able." http://www.internationalcryo.com/pro...t-banking.html

My husband had a great sperm count and motility prior to his orchiectomy, but slow and limited counts a few weeks after. Unfortunately the urologist didn't recommend banking prior to the surgery. Now we may be forced to use lower quality sperm and a costly IVF proceedure (should he become in infertile from the chemo ~ he's 6 months cancer free). Better quality sperm allow you to use Intraperitoneal insemination (IPI) which has a higher success rate and less expensive.

Here's hoping that each of you and I can have children naturally post TC!!

[huckchef]

I agree 100%!! Thanks to what turned out to be my third opinion physician, we were giving the info on what we needed to do and it has all worked out for the best! I wish you all the best of luck and my thoughts and prayers are with all of you daily!
Brian

[IowaBrian]

I think the problem is time I was told on Friday afternoon 4:30 that I was having surgery Monday at 9:00. I think many of the UROs will say get the cancer out and bank after. They don't like to wait. As for the 3 months after surgery that is right on from what I was told to expect a good count since the good one may not have been making many sperm anyway. It seems to take the little guys 3 months from start to finish to get to a place where they can be useful(something I did't know before before this). Banking after the surgery but before chemo is going to be the call for most since the doctor are going to stress getting the cancer out over banking. But the good news is they said they didn't many to make a baby in the dish. His words "if there is sperm we can make a baby" .
Just my $.02
Brian

[Tatt]

After my ultrasound confirmed TC, I only had 36 hours until I was in surgery for my orchiectomy, and sperm banking wasnt on my mind. Only now that i'm scheduled for chemo its been brought up. That said, I went to sperm bank yesterday, and managed to deposit my quota with good quality in one visit - so I'm quite proud of the remaining testicle holding the fort! YMMV - but I agree with Brian's statement that as long as theres some sperm, they can have a go. ANd even with several depositis - there's still no guarantees here...

[supportive wife]

The same scenario is true for my husband. He saw his Urologist on a Thursday, had a round of tests on Friday AM, Friday PM he was diagnosed with cancer and had surgery on Monday. Talk about a crazy few days. Before we knew it, the surgery was done and he was scheduled for chemo treatments within a few weeks.

We were unable to bank anything until after the surgery. Had we known to bank prior to surgery we might have been able to get him in on that Saturday. I do understand that banking is the last thing on a young mans mind when he learns he has cancer. My husband and I were 28 and had been trying to have a child when he was diagnosed. Being told to wait 2 years post chemo to try again is a strain, and knowing that we have slow (due to surgery) frozen swimmers on the side does not help calm our fears.

But the most important thing is he's 6 months cancer free

[huckchef]

I think my urologist said it best when he told me i did have a few days to make a decision on banking and the cancer was not going to spread in the matter of time it would take to bank sperm. it wasn't even an option that i wasn't going to bank since children were the ultimate plan for us. we were just glad i was given the opportunity to bank. in my case i didn't have a choice to hope that one would "hold down the fort". Yes the first thing that comes into mind is get the cancer out and thats good but we are only talking about a few days. if i had not recieved the other opinions we wouldn't have at least had the opportunity to try. and yes it only takes a few to do what we did!!!

[GeoffH]

I agree

To all those out there. I would plead with you to bank. I did not have the ability to bank before the operation. Now after the operation and about 9 months later, my remaining friend isn't producing any more. No matter if it starts to do so in the future, knowing you have some stored would be a great peace of mind. Bank as soon as possible, as I did have a low count just 6 months ago. Things just seem to change all the time, so please bank as soon as possible.

On a good note, 9 months and no other issues.

[Mom]

I recently received an email from the LAF asking that I write to my congressman asking for funding to make sure cancer survivors learn about their options regarding fertility prior to their learning too late and having no options. I did send the letters. This is not just a problem for TC survivors but other young cancer survivors, too. Women can now freeze eggs! Go to the LAF website to learn about it. Let your voices be heard! Dianne

[whttrsh]

this is the same story my wife and I went thru about 8 and half months ago. Found out I was having surgury on a monday had to bank in the 2 week window after that. Was only able to bank enough for three tries down the road. The sperm bank kept telling me how low my counts were and that does not help your ego. But some how in a one week period in there while banking with a over worked right nut it got the job done. A little girl will be born any day now!!!!!!!!!!

Travis

ps finding out the wife is pregnant with first child during 2nd round of chemo really gets your head up!!!

[Chris'Mom]

That is great news Travis...an inspiration to others....my son had to sperm bank....three times...before surgery....didn't seem to bother him going...I was devastated for him....but he took it all in stride....good luck with everything...Mary Ellen

[jdunn]

I was also devastated for my son. He banked it 3 times. Luckly we lived only a few miles from the doctor that he could do it at home. I volunteered to drive it to the doctor for him. They told me to keep it close to my heart, to keep it warm. Driving there I kept thinking, "this could be my grandchildren" Weird feeling.
Travis....so happy for you and your wife!!!!!!!!