For almost a week now, Michael's had a red spot (about the size of a dime) on his left testicle which is also where his hydrocele (testicle floating in fluid) is. DH and I agree that it just looks "chafed" and keep slathering it with Bag Balm (glorified Vaseline recommended by our Ped), but I don't understand why it's not getting better. It seems like it must be rubbing against the inside of his diaper and getting irritated that way. We just started using #3 Cruisers (this started while we were still using #2 Swaddlers) and we thought maybe it was the diaper being too small. But it's continuing with the use of the #3s, so now I'm wondering if it's just that he's grown so much now and the hydrocele's grown with him to the point where it's just large enough to get irritated...?

DH is going to call the Ped's office tomorrow because Michael's also been pulling at his ears, so we're afraid he may have the beginning of his first ear infection (we're hoping it's just teething discomfort, though).

Any hydrocele moms ever experience this?

Thanks!

This is a stupid question, but I know nothing about the condition. Is it larger than the other one? Maybe that's why? Poor baby, does he act like it hurts?

From what I understand, most boys have double hydroceles where both testicles are floating in fluid which makes the whole sac significantly larger than normal. But Michael is apparently a rarity in that he only has a hydrocele on the left side. His right testicle looks completely normal. (I'd post a picture, but I think that's too close to "kiddie porn" even though it would be strictly for medical purposes. KWIM?) You know how newborn boy testicles are all "blown up" immediately after birth? Well, that's what Michael's sac looks like, but only on one side. Poor kid.

And I guess in some boys it can also be a form of hernia where actual BOWEL will get in there, but Michael definitely doesn't have any bowel in his. Just fluid.

All the doctors that have seen it have said that they don't typically do anything about them unless they haven't resolved themselves by age 1. But if it hasn't resolved itself by age 1, then surgery may be necessary to remove the fluid if Michael's body doesn't absorb it on his own. There are also theories that reflux can aggravate hydroceles by the force of retching pushing fluid into the testicle sac, but in those cases the hydrocele will usually shrink and grow along with reflux aggravation. Michael's has never fluctuated in size like that, so I *doubt* that the reflux is affecting itl. But who knows?!

Today was the first day that it seemed like it might be bugging him (or his fussiness might be the less Prevacid, or it might be teething, or it might be an ear infection...you know the deal...) so that's why I just thought I'd put it out there since I know there were at least a few moms here with boys who had or have hydroceles.

Who was the member whose son was named Nathan, (I believe)? He had a DOC band and all kinds of mystery problems. He needed super thick feeds, too. I know he had a hydrocele because his mom and I had posted back and forth about hydroceles before. Maybe I should do a quick search for threads with "hydrocele"...

She hasn't been on in a while. I'll pm her user name to you and you can pm her.

Hmm.. poor little one. :( I hate the guessing though. :hairpull:

Aim - what did the doc say?

I saw that you said that they don't do surgery until they are 1 - Michael is getting close. Is that something you are thinking about?

I'm here.

Nathan still STILL has bi-lateral hydrocele. He's 14 months now. We have an appt at the urologist in a couple of months. They will most likely have to fix it surgically. I wish that they would of done it back in DECEMBER when he had his MRI. Owell.