I grew up with a redundant foreskin which extended a full inch and a half beyond the glans when flaccid. Even erect the foreskin completely covered the glans. I never had any of the problems attributed to the uncut - I could always fully retract, never had any adhesions, infections or related problems. I was taught to retract to urinate, and not retracting left me wet and uncomfortable.
I was always fastidious with penile cleanliness, so odor and smegma never entered the picture. Other than the nickname "Hose" as a teenager, I was never teased or embarrassed about my uncut state. I was well endowed with penile size and rather proudly carried the "Hose" nickname through college and early adulthood.
While I had sex beginning in high school, almost all engagements were back seat gropings, or one night stands. I never had a long term relationship with any girl until I met my wife. I slept with a few girls who said they were turned off by my uncut status, but I don't recall being turned down by any of them because of the foreskin. Most agreed that sex with me was little different than they had had with circumcised lovers.
My first live in lover was the girl I eventually married. Right from the beginning of our relationship, she expressed the idea that all men should be circumcised. It was a pre-programmed prejudice; however, as she was a virgin and had no experience with a cut man. She was a registered nurse, so she had some familiarity with both cut and uncut men. She automatically thought cut cocks were cleaner, healthier, and looked better. Early in our relationship, she suggested that I should be circumcised, and she continued to push for it after the wedding. Naturally, I strongly resisted.
However, almost from the beginning of our relationship, I became aware that my redundant foreskin was a problem. Using a condom was all but impossible. Worse, during intercourse the extra skin wadded up on the shaft and prevented deep penetration. While not painful, it was uncomfortable. It just sort of acted like a rubber bumper and got in the way. We tried all sorts of lubricants and techniques, all to no avail. My wife, of course, thought circumcision would solve all the problems, and as I was to find out, she was right.
After about a year of marriage, I agreed to look into a circumcision. All my male friends and relatives were circumcised, but all were cut as infants. Though most of them recommended circumcision, I could find no one who had been cut as an adult that could share the experience.
I did lots of reading at the local library and researched several medical journals. There was not a lot of information available - this was back before the internet - but I gradually found more and more information. I talked to several doctors, some of which were informative and cooperative, and others that recommended the procedure but would not discuss techniques or styles. I finally found one urologist - I think he was gay - who professed to be an expert at circumcisions, preferred to operate freehand, and would guarantee whatever results I wanted. He gave me some literature regarding penile anatomy and circumcision styles.
For the first time I saw descriptions of loose versus tight cuts, preservation of the inner skin and the frenulum, and a discussion of techniques regarding freehand resection, forceps guided, and various clamps and bells. With the information in hand, I agreed to try a high loose circumcision, done freehand style. My wife was elated and the appointment was made.
The wife and I met with the doctor a few days before the surgical appointment. As she was a nurse, he agreed to let her observe the operation. It was to be an office procedure done on an outpatient basis using local anesthetic. The doctor agreed that a loose cut saving most of the inner skin was a good technique. He went into some detail about the anesthetic, the procedure itself, and the recovery. He recommended that I shave the pubic hair immediately adjacent to or growing on my penis and suggested bringing a jockstrap to wear home after the surgery.
Thanks to several Valium, I barely remember the surgery and have to rely on my wife's description of the circumcision. I do remember being stuck by a needle twice - deeply, on each side of the base of my penis, and both shots burned pretty good. After that, I never felt a thing. According to the wife, the doctor didn't make any marks on my penis but did spend a few moments retracting and extending the foreskin and apparently planning where to make the cut.
He did swab my entire genital area with a dark antiseptic solution, including inside of the foreskin and over the glans. He fully retracted the foreskin and made the initial cut with a scalpel just inside the line where the inner skin met the outer ridge. Then using forceps to lift the skin, he completed the cut all the way around my penis using scissors. He zapped a couple of bleeders using an electro cautery instrument. The initial cut completed, he pulled the foreskin all the way back up over the glans and made a second cut just below and diagonal to the corona. Again he used a scalpel to start the cut and forceps and scissors to finish up. He merely peeled the cut section off my penis with the forceps, and unceremoniously tossed it into a pan. He used the electro cautery a couple of more times.
At this point, my wife said my penis looked pretty gruesome with the glans still covered with the inner skin, blood oozing from the cuts, the discoloration caused by the antiseptic, darker spots where the cautery was used, and the internal penis shaft exposed and bloody looking. The doctor pulled the inner skin back down on the shaft and began stitching the two skin sections together, using about 40 tiny little stitches. She said he was a real artist with the needle and thread. After finishing the sewing, he cleaned up all the blood, and put a stretch tape bandage all the way around my penis. The whole thing only took about 45 minutes from the first needle till I was back on my feet. My wife helped my with the jock strap and getting dressed, and we staggered out to the car and home.
Recovery wasn't near as bad as I had anticipated. Right off the bat I discovered the first benefit of the circ, urinating was no longer a two handed affair. Just point and whiz. No retracting required. Even after the anesthetic wore off, my penis never hurt. By the next day; however, it was black and blue, swollen, and sore to the touch. The bandage came off about the third day and most of the discoloration disappeared within a week. The swelling lasted a lot longer, and didn't completely disappear for six months.
My wife removed a few of the stitches after abut ten days, but most of the stitches dropped out on their own. Despite our pre surgery seminal fluid elimination program, I awoke the next day with an erection. It didn't hurt, but I could feel a bit of a strain around the suture line as well as pressure from the bandage. With the exception of the swelling, recovery was complete in about three weeks and I was back in action. Even with the swelling, intercourse was much better than before the circ, and we both enjoyed full penetration for the first time ever.
The result was just about perfect. Erect, my glans and corona are completely exposed and though the skin can be pulled nearly to the end of the glans, when released, it immediately retracts back down on the shaft. The scar is hardly noticeable and visible only when erect. Flaccid, the skin rolls up evenly against the corona and the scar is hidden. As most of the exposed skin on the shaft was formerly inner skin, it appears noticeably lighter in color than the skin at the bottom of my penis. My glans was a bit sensitive following the circ and kept me in a semi aroused state for a few weeks.
That sensitivity did gradually wear off, but I cannot notice any reduced sensitivity of the glans during any sexual activity. I couldn't stand to have my unlubricated glans massaged before the circ, and I still can't. While uncut, only a minor amount of maintenance was required to keep me clean and comfortable. Now, how ever, maintenance is not even a thought. Carefree, is the word.
Due to the loose cut, my masturbation techniques did not change. Cleanup after masturbating or intercourse is a snap, and can even be delayed several hours. Before the circ, cleanup had to be done right away or things got sticky and smelly.
I'm glad I grew up uncut. But, knowing what I know now, my resistance and abhorrence to circumcision was completely unfounded. Getting educated is important, and finding a skilled and cooperative doctor is also important. Having a supporting partner is also great. But when I finally agreed that circumcised was better, my wife couldn't resist, "I told you so!"
Charles
