Finally went thru with it. I went so far as to fly to Atlanta, something that I would never have done otherwise. I rented a hotel for two nights and went to the surgeon to get cut. Arriving there was alright, I wasn’t even thinking on the surgery I distracted myself with everything else in Atlanta. I went to the World of Coca Cola, tried Tacomac and went back to the hotel. Took lots of pictures before the surgery that I was about to go thru…
Then the day finally came. I was so nervous and a bit scared. I finally go there to the waiting room, they were already for me. They knew my name and everything was all set up in the operating room in the back all set for me. While I was waiting for my name to be called I was a ball of nerves. People from Reddit that knew I was getting this operation done knew what was going thru my mind and they were so lovely and helpful. It felt strange getting help from random strangers. A friend came with me and I’m extremely thankful for that, having someone physical there supporting you every step of the way is definitely better. The online people seemed to me to be something like it I felt like they were right there with me. They are going to go thru the same thing in a few months I want to be there for them as well.
During the consultation I spoke to the surgeon and he was willing to hear me out, see pictures and didn’t judge me at all. After I thought I relayed my message in the most eloquent way I could, I was sent to the operating room. I was all prepped and sterilized with betadine solution and then the assistant was just there waiting for the surgeon to come in. I was dreading the initial injection; I’ve heard is the most painful part of the whole operation. I asked the assistant, who seemed to be about my age, he told me that it does hurt but that it goes out fairly quickly. The whole thing was weird because there I am laying in an operating table with a light shinning at my half naked body and having a total normal conversation with a guy I just met.
The doctor finally came in and inspected my penis. He was handling it and asking me question about the placement of the scar and everything to make sure I got the best cosmetic result. I could not feel the whole handling of the doctor but my penis did react to it even though I didn’t feel a thing. So there is a doctor handling my half boner and asking me questions while I was just there trying to ignore the fact that I was getting a boner that I could not feel. The usual operation time is about 40 minutes but it took two to one and a half hours for me to finally finish. He had to take a couple of stitches out because they didn’t look right and in his words, he “was too picky and want[ed] this to be completely perfect” it came down to the frenulum and he in a way convinced me to cut it. In a very non bias way he in his own experience and based on my own anatomy said that it could go with or without the frenulum but that it would definitely look better without it because it was going to be a really smooth transition between my inner and outer foreskin so the frenulum absent will heal beautifully. He said there might not even be a scar at all given the fact that I have “good skin.” In his opinion my skin was “good” because there was no scarring and there was a very define anatomy, he could see the veins and arteries before he cut them so he could move them where he needed them and he could cauterize any bleeding before it started. He said that I didn’t bleed at all, any of the blood that was there was the blood that was already in the skin as he was cutting so it made this operation a fairly easy to do. It only took long because he had to take off a couple sutures and had to re-stitch them to make sure everything was just perfect. Also for some reason, and I’ve experienced this before when I had my wisdom teeth removed about 3 weeks before, I’m immune to the anesthetic. As he was trying to cauterize the frenulum my leg jumped and hit the tool tray at the operating table. This was caused because I completely felt the electrocautery-tool as it burned. It was a really sharp electric pain but it quickly went away. The surgeon was very surprised at this so he added more anesthetic but again I could feel it. It took five tries for him to finally anesthetize the region; he said that there was probably a nerve running from the glans to the frenulum so he finally found it and anesthetized it. He then proceeded to cut the tension point in the frenulum. He asked for my opinion on the look of it, which I was stupidly pointing at it without my hands being sterile. He quickly told me to be careful and not touch anything but he did what I wanted exactly.
After everything was all done I was wrapped in a really tight bandage that I’m supposed to keep for about 10 days and make sure I keep it dry with some dry un-lubricated condoms that he provided. The surgeon left the room and the assistant handed me some baby wipes to help me clean up all the betadine out of my legs balls and pelvis. He told me that I could dress now and before I left I asked him if it was ok to take a picture. He non-shallantly said “whatever makes you happy man, some people take it with them” I laughed and told him “I highly doubt this is TSA approved.” I then went to the pharmacy to get the antibiotics they gave me and the percoset I was prescribed. To be completely honest I didn’t need the pain killers. The pain was from 1-10 it was a 1 to sometimes a 2, a bit uncomfortable but not at all super painful. We decided to go to the Atlanta Aquarium afterwards and we took advantage of the fact that I had the doctor’s paper to get a wheel chair. My friend rolled me around the aquarium and we got priority to everything because of the handicap signs. While in the aquarium I could see other guys and for once in my life, after many many years I was not concerned on whether or not they were uncut or cut. That has been the whole reason why I went to get this surgery. This surgery was such an obsession that it didn’t allow me to continue with my life without me spending time looking, researching, wondering about each guys circumcision status and dreading mine. I needed this surgery for my own mental stability. Now I’m here at home recuperating and I have to go back to work but to be honest it seems that I am “cured” I can now focus on other things and aspects of my life. It still weird to say “I am circumcised” but I can finally say yes I am so what? I’m quite happy this is becoming a thing of the past now and I can focus more energy into other more fulfilling things in my life. This doesn’t run my life … anymore.
Nice to hear he was detailed and took the frenulum
Too bad he couldn’t feed his foreskin to the fishes.
This is why RIC is best so a guy never has to stress over doing it later.
Somebody (aka this piece of shit bitch) didn’t bother to learn anything about the harms of circumcision, including the physical and psychological ones. Yikes.
Also, why is it tagged as “mansplaining”? Can men not even have their own genitals anymore? What?
This woman has two sons and says bullshit like this.
She’s also responses to comments in a very professional manner.
Also says that she believes circumcision look better and that no baby dies from them. If you circumcise your could because you want their penis to be more attractive you should rethink your priorities for your kid.
Also she believe anyone who is against circumcision is anti semitic and refuses to listen to scientific facts. This lady is a doctor by the way.
Since some cultures recognize circumcision as a coming of age ritual, I’m wondering if they will cover the subject. I’m approaching it with optimism. For those who don’t know. I’ll state why this documentary should have circumcision discussed in it.
These are the cultural reasons circumcision happens
1.The parents want it done, which brings up the issue of autonomy. If the child can’t make their own decisions, the parents do what is best. There are laws stating FGM (Type I - III) are illegal. Type Ia on this chart. But for boys, the role of choice and autonomy remains unjustified. Feel free to read this article on FGM and note the cultural comparisons. The rest of the reasons are underneath this overarching theme of autonomy and choice.
2.The father was circumcised. AKA previous male bodies define their experience as a man to not include a foreskin. They then reinforce their understanding of gender roles onto the child, and the costume doesn’t fit with a foreskin involved.
3.He needs to match his peers. Masculinity has reinforced that “boys will be boys” and that includes lashing out, and being agressive on people or ideas they don’t understand. This creates fear. Fear that a boy’s body will be shamed by others.
Other culture problems would be institutionalized power, but that would be challenging to discuss in this case.
The verdict: this documentary could reinforce that circumcision is part of our culturally constructed definition of masculinity along the way. Or it could not talk about this at all, and resolve some problems in the way of discussing cross gender body autonomy.
Mardudjara Aborigines Subincision | Rites of Passage (img from 1904)
When an Aborigine boy comes of age, usually around 15 or 16, the tribal elders will lead the boy to a fire and have him lie down next to it. Tribal members surround the boy while singing and dancing. Another group of men, called the Mourners, wail and cry while the circumcision is performed.
The tribal elder in charge of the circumcision sits on top of the boy’s chest facing his penis. He pulls up the foreskin and twists it so it can be cut off. Two men take turns cutting away the foreskin with knives that they’ve imbued with magical qualities. The boy bites down on a boomerang as the operation takes place.
When the circumcision is complete, the boy kneels on a shield that’s placed over the fire so the smoke can rise up and purify his wound.
While the boy sits there dazed and in pain, the tribal elders tell him to open his mouth and swallow some “good meat” without chewing it. The “good meat” is actually the boy’s freshly removed foreskin. After he’s swallowed a piece of his own wiener, the boy is told that he has eaten “his own boy” and that it will now grow inside him and make him strong.
A few months after the circumcision, the tribal elders take the young man again to a fire. An elder sits on the boy’s chest and takes ahold of the boy’s penis. Again, there are singers and men mourning at the ceremony. A small wooden rod is inserted into the urethra to act as a backing for the knife. The operator then takes a knife and makes a split on the underside of the penis from the frenulum (underneath the head of the penis) to near the scrotum.
After the sub-incision, the boy stands above the fire and allows his blood to drip into it. From now on the boy will have to squat when he urinates, just like a woman. In fact, some anthropologists posit that the sub-incision ceremony is done to simulate menstruation, allowing men to sympathize with the females of the tribe.
This Rites of Passage has slowly dissapeared, and rightfully so. Since more and more young males don’t like the idea of swallowing their own freshly cut off foreskin (20,000 nerve endings and all).
Aditional Sources:
Article Source 12 Modern Dance Documentation [video][Video] Modern Circumcision Documentation [Video] Wiki: Penile Subincision [Link]
“If only he had been nicer growing up instead of a stupid jerk… I just couldn’t help myself from giving her all the information that would actually make my brother’s circumcision as miserable as possible“
No more intactivist lies. Waste no time and give your son the pride of never having to deal with redundancies.
It’s an important American Tradition!
I was circumcised at birth, I had my son circumcised at birth and he had his son circumcised also. There was some talk by their obstetrician about them not circumcising my grandson and I told my son to put his foot down. all he said was his Dad (me) was a nurse and I insisted on it and then they didn’t give him any trouble. Growing up in junior high school and high school in my error I would say only about 5% of the guys at the most were uncircumcised.
Circumcision is not just healthy and important for a good penis development, it’s basically grooming. Nowadays people wear clothing and the physical protection of the glans by foreskin is no longer needed. What’s left are just the downsides. Removing the foreskin brings many medical, hygienic and sexual benefits.
A tumblr follower has asked me if I support mandatory circumcision of baby boys irrespective of the parents’ consent.
I assume the objective of such a rule would be to ensure universal circumcision. To that end, I would make circumcision a part of neonatal care. It should be provided as part of the birthing process. While newborn circumcision should be strongly recommended by physicians (which it is among many) and easily obtained (for example, by simply checking a box on the hospital admission form to indicate consent for circumcision), I would stop short of making the procedure mandatory. If the mother does not check the consent box, and if following the doctor’s discussion with the mother about the benefits and potential risks of circumcision, she refuses to give consent, the baby should remain uncircumcised.
Since circumcision provides many benefits and generally improves life quality, it’s really backwards if parents omit it even though they have the opportunity.
Yet I think it’s a bad idea to make it mandatory because it would cut parental rights and set a dangerous precedent for the state to take control of your children. However, it should be mandatory for all hospitals to offer and inform about the possibility of circumcision as part of the postnatal care for boys and money should not be a factor for parents. Parents should choose circumcision on behalf of common sense and not because they were forced to.
It’s always sad if parents use their children as an object of protest and harm their health with it or some deviant beliefs. It’s not just just the omission of circumcision but also unhealthy diets or the denial of real medicine when they’re sick…
Of course, nonconsentual surgery/partial amputation is unethical. That much doesn’t take a PhD to figure out. Be it the penis or a toe or an ear.
But cut men can experience equal depths of connection, love, and pleasure as anyone else. There is no true physical cap on joy that a person can endure. And we are all intact on the inside.
Questioning circumcision undermines the very foundation of our culturally-ascribed sense of masculinity. Coupled with the complex power dynamics it creates–its fertile territory for such S&M play as is described herein.
So, don’t take this blog too seriously. Take it just seriously enough.
Much love!
Another example of the hypocrisy and blatant denial in the “intactivist” community….
Sorry, but “Of course, nonconsentual surgery/partial amputation is unethical” is debatable, unless of course you’d also advocate for letting a child perish when it required immediate intervention.
And no, saying that circumcision is unnecessary in comparison is not a counterargument. Clearly, nonconsentual surgery on infants or adults, namely infants, is not inherently unethical or immoral. Calling it unethical is an uneducated, ignorant assumption.
Part of the reason people may take your blog “too seriously” is because you take yourself too seriously, and absolutely refuse to entertain viewpoints contrary to yours, or accept them as credible.It doesn’t take a private discussion to learn that, but I most certainly did the hard way. You’re condescending, disrespectful, and have no regard for logic that challenges yours. You sooner accuse people have having various mental illnesses than consider the weight of their rationale.
And yes, I’ll be posting screenshots soon.
…That, and every single one of your posts directly berates, disrespects, insults, and shames circumcised men in a way that your portray as “truth” It’s no different from a racist calling blacks “niggers” and claiming to impart factual information, or truth.
You also inspire conflict between men who aren’t circumcised and men who are. Your sadistic game is only adding to the divide. Ever seen the arguments / animosity people have online, everywhere, on all social media platforms over this topic, namely men who were affected by the practice, and men who weren’t? Probably not, considering you made it extremely clear in out ‘talk’ that you’ve actually done very little research on this topic, like most “intactivists”, but it’s because they deal with stigmas people like you create.
It does not take a PhD or even a GED to discern that your blog is filled to the brim with hatred, and that so too is the entire “intactivist” (a.k.a. emotional terrorists, mental rapists, etc) community for its many,countless, similar discrepancies.
“Much love” doesn’t change the words you commit to. Endearing can coexist with malevolent. You might as well insult every minority and then sign off by telling people you “love them”.
Disturbing and unfortunate.
I totally agree. Hypocrites like intactivists are probably the last people to decide what’s ethical and what’s not. Ethics should not be weaponized against peoples well-being.
The whole idea of making people ‘believe’ circumcision is harmful by spreading fake-news and shaming circumcised men, just so they can rely on them later, is probably more unethical then circumcision ever could be. There are enough circumcised men who fall for their psyops and don’t do further debunking research on the topic, which then think they got ‘harmed’, even though they’re better off than most. Intactivists then joyfully use the resulting anger for their cause.
The problem is that thinking they got ‘harmed’ is the factor that’s troubling people, and this thinking is independent of actual harm. The whole intactivist movement is nothing but crude bullying made possible by the internet. Before then, parents happily granted their sons a circumcision when provided by healthcare and no one considered it as harmful.
There should be way more people opposing and protesting intactivism, and the best way to do so is proper enlightenment.
Many people try to dispute this statement, but here are some facts:
Fact #1: Most women have no preference, but more women prefer Cut to uncut. The most common reason for this: “hygiene”.
Fact #2: Supposedly women simply prefer the type of penis that they have encountered most often. However, even when a woman has only ever encountered 1 or 2 cut men, she is still more likely to prefer cut.
Fact #3: Some women will refuse to sleep with a man simply because he is uncut. A woman will never refuse to sleep with a man simply because he is cut.
Discuss!
Correct. Women who encountered only uncut men are rather fascinated by cut ones, while women who encountered only cut men are often grossed out by uncut ones.
Circumcision definitely sets a higher standard, and most women who are used to it don’t expect anything less. Sadly there are ones under the false impression that it’s morally wrong to favor circumcision because they think it would force harm on men. Circumcision benefits both partners in many ways, sexually and medically.
Hence, expectant mothers should always remember to schedule a circumcision appointment when they’re expecting a boy.
