Born at home in the Midwest prior to World War II, I grew up intact in a family where none of my male relatives had been circumcised. My intact father always dismissed the procedure as "unnecessary" and brushed off my youthful inquiries about the surgery. Even when I suffered periodic sub-foreskin irritations and a family doctor recommended circumcision as a possible cure for my sore penis, my parents steadfastly refused to consider such a remedy. "Wash and dry yourself better," was the only fatherly advice I received.

What I eventually learned about circumcision came from schoolmates and books. In those days perhaps half of my friends were intact, like me. My circumcised friends, I observed, generally had circumcised fathers. Routine circumcision of infants had not yet become commonplace. It seemed to be a matter of family choice or tradition. While I didn't think much about it except when my glans became sore beneath my own redundant foreskin, I truly wished at such times I'd been circumcised. And later, when as a teenager I began having sexual relations, several girlfriends expressed mild surprise to find a foreskin covering the head of my penis.

My occasional penile irritations continued. Desperate, I began a conscious effort to keep my foreskin retracted and the glans dry (which always seemed to bring relief). Later still, when I met my wife-to-be and discovered she came from a family where males were routinely circumcised and she had a defintie preference for a circumcised penis, I once again wished that I'd been cut at birth or later at the suggestion of our family doctor.

Thankfully, God bless her, she never once complained about the status of my intact penis, before or after marriage. She did request that our sons be circumcised and I readily agreed, not wanting them to undergo the discomfort I'd experienced for many years.

It wasn't until I was in my mid-30s and undergoing an annual physical exam that I finally mentioned my recurring penile irritations. The doctor, after examining me, asked if I'd ever considered an adult circumcision. He told me he'd had a problem similar to mine and after years of preventative treatments eventually decided to undergo a circumcision to end his own problems. He was, he said, very pleased with the results and could refer me to his urologist if I wished to talk to him about the procedure. I quickly agreed and visited the urologist/surgeon within the week, discussing various treatment options including foreskin removal.

Before leaving his office I'd scheduled a circumcision for the following week. Relieved -- and excited that I was about to have my troublesome foreskin removed at long last -- I eagerly awaited my appointed surgery.

My wife, it so happened, was out of town for an extended period of time caring for a sick relative so I did not share my plans with her. On the day of the elective surgery, I drove myself to the hospital and checked myself in for the outpatient procedure. I was shown to a dressing room, handed a hospital gown and told to disrobe. Moments later a nurse led me to the operating room where I was advised to relax and recline on the operating table. Next, my penis shaft, foreskin and head was thoroughly cleansed. Then the surgeon appeared and asked if I was ready "to join the ranks of the circumcised." Without any hesitation, I assured him I was. And as I watched with an objective detachment, the fascinating procedure began.

My surgeon started by injecting a local anesthetic into the base of my penis at several points. Each of the shot stung briefly but soon my entire penis was completely numb. At this point the surgeon, using a scalpel and surgical scissors, made a dorsal cut in my foreskin from the tip of the prepuce to just below the glans, clamping off the bleeding tissue. Next he cut completely around the circumference of my penis, completely exposing my glans and gradually freeing my foreskin while clamping the incision. Next, he neatly sutured the cut edges, joining the remaining skin.

In less than 30 minutes he held up my newly circumcised penis for my examination. To say that I approved of his professional handiwork would be an understatement. Incidentally, we previously had agreed that I would be circumcised fairly tight with the scar line located between a quarter-inch to one-half inch beneath the corona and very little foreskin remaining, just enough to allow a complete, straight erection. When my penis was flaccid, its glans would be totally exposed.

Before leaving the operating room, the surgeon advised me to take it easy for the balance of the day and provided pain medication for me to take, if necessary. It wasn't. In fact, I returned to work that very same afternoon and took no pain medication whatsoever. The only discomfort I experienced occurred during nightly erections when pressure along the suture line would awaken me. This feeling of pressure continued even after my sutures were removed a few days later; however, within a couple of weeks the healing was complete. My wife returned home about this time but I did not mention my recent circumcision, wondering how long it would take her to notice. I hoped that she would be as pleased with the results as I was. Initially, she did not notice my new-look penis. As mentioned, I routinely kept my foreskin pulled back and apparently the missing roll of flesh girding the top of my glans was not all that apparent to her.

It wasn't until after a few days of post-circumcision intercourse -- when she was ready to perform oral sex on me -- that she first noticed my circumcision scar. Her eyes widened as she looked up at me. "You're circumcised!" By the time I finished telling her the story behind my decision, she was smiling and nodding approvingly. Afterwards, having carefully examined my circumcised penis, all she said was, "I'm happy if you're happy."

Now, going on three decades after my elective surgery, both my wife and I remain very happy and very pleased with my circumcision. Our sex life remains active and we each agree we both have a definite preference for the look and feel of my "new" penis. My sole regret is not being circumcised sooner. And having lived half of my adult life intact and half circumcised, I can report with absolute honesty that there are very few physical differences -- and many positive mental benefits.

Initial penetration with my circumcised penis is slightly more difficult if my spouse is not fully aroused and moist; however, the sex act itself remains basically unchanged. My glans has lost some of its sensitivity over the years but oral and manual stimulation are as exciting -- and arousing -- as ever (and my wife definitely prefers performing oral sex on my circumcised penis). Orgasms remain intense and satisfying. Perhaps best of all, I have had absolutely no further penile problems since my surgery. My circumcised penis is definitely a low maintenance, odor-free and pain-free organ. Not surprisingly, I'm very glad to be circumcised and would not hesitate to recommend adult circumcision to anyone suffering the problems I had.

Circumcision may not be for everyone; it was definitely for me!

James