Teen circumcision.

I was the middle of 3 boys. Only my younger brother was lucky enough to get the RIC. My father opposed circumcision. But my mother favored it and at bath time would tell my older brother and myself we should get cut as well. Cut sounded like hurt and we wanted no part of that. But I did prefer the looks of his circumcised penis and the fact he could pee a stream instead of splatter it all over. All of my cousins were circumcised as well. My foreskin was a little tight and could not be fully retracted until about the time I started school. I didn't know it but I was not far from being circumcised right then. But then it did loosen and could be retracted.

In school I found that all the other boys were circumcised and I was severely embarrassed by my foreskin. I would pull the skin back in the restroom before I would bring it out to pee so I looked like I was circumcised. In fact in the school there were only 2 other boys who were not circumcised. One was from England and the other a Native American.

When playing doctor with my younger brother I got a good look at his scar and noticed they had actually cut clear through the skin at the base of his glans. I thought that had to hurt. My mother said it did not. I asked what they would do. She said they could put me to sleep and when I wake up it would be done. That clinched it and I asked to be circumcised. But my father refused.

As time went by l was embarrassed by my foreskin all the time. A female cousin convinced me to show her my penis and she even said to get it cut because It looks better she said. My older brother said he was thinking about getting circumcised. I told him if he did so would I. And he did what kids do. You go first he said. (He never has).

As I went thru puberty it smelled not long after I washed it. And since I had been skinning it back to urinate I realized my mind would not let me pee with the foreskin forward. I tried to get it to stay retracted but nothing worked. If I folded it under itself it would last only long enough to make me wish it was permanent. I came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was to get circumcised regardless of what it takes.

So I started to lobby my mother as I knew my father would not agree. This went on for quite some time. A family friend who worked for the hospital, when he found out I was not circumcised asked me about it. I told him I wanted it but so far my father would not agree. He went to my father about it. He told me the method they used at the hospital was a steel bell goes over the glans and the skin secured in place. Then, instead of a scalpel, a thin strong wire wrapped around and tightened until it cut the foreskin off. I believe this is how I was circumcised.

So finally when I was 14 my father sat me down for a heart to heart to make sure that was what I really wanted. I told him it was. He reminded me it was final and there was no way to undo it once done. I told him that was what I wanted. He snorted that he should have let them circumcise me as a baby. I did too and it would have been easier.

On the Monday of spring break I was taken to the same small hospital I was born in and it was done. The nurse gave me a sedating shot she called pre-op. Shortly after that I would not have cared what they did. I was wheeled into the operating room and put on the table. They put an IV in my arm. I looked around at all the masked faces and the next thing I knew i was trying to wake up. It took a few tries. I didn't feel any different and wondered if they had really done it. It wasn't until later as I was getting ready to be discharged that the doctor came in and showed us the stitches and told me how to care for it over the next week or so that I was convinced I was actually circumcised.

A little over a week later the stitches came out and it as it I had never had a foreskin. I had worn an athletic support during that week so I didn't have the problem of bouncing and hurting that might have happened otherwise.

Later in family discussions I asked why the only one of us was circumcised at birth was the youngest. I found out that was my aunt told my mother as a parent she could sign the request and it would get done. And then nothing could be done to change it. Which is then what she did. So If they had that talk earlier I would have gotten the RIC as well.

I have often wished that had been the case, but at least I know it was my choice and I definitely wanted it.

My wife made sure of our son's RIC. My wife had told me if I had not already been circumcised she would have insisted on it.

When my father was having prostate problems it would have been easier for the staff had he been circumcised. He asked if I was still happy with it and I told him I never considered it a mistake. He allowed he probably should have gotten it done for himself too.

I would say to anyone considering it to go ahead and get it done. The sooner the better. And don't make your children go through what I did. Get it done at birth.

RC