My Circumcision Story

Gael23

Icetea1988 wrote: »

Well, i found this thread on google and found it very useful. Interesting to hear positive stories. I feel i can do it also but i am very nervous.

I am in my late twenties and have tight foreskin, when i try to pull it back it gets very painful. This is going on now for over years. I feel anxious & embarrassed to visit my GP and overwhelmed how will i say her about this issue. And even if i get referred for surgery i am very scared to go to the hospital. Another big issue for me is i am shy to show my privates to even get it checked. It often comes in my mind they will laugh & so on.

Is there anyone with similar thoughts & could give me a tip?

A doctor has seen it all before so don't be worried about that, they will have seen hundreds of penises of all sizes in their career. Is there a male GP in the the same surgery that you could see? I have always felt more relaxed talking about intimate things like this with another man if that's possible. I agree with the last reply on the shyness, don't let that bother you. If people don't know they can't help and your doctor won't tell anyone that doesn't need to know.

Iderown

OK - a tip. Have a read through non-surgical methods.

http://www.network54.com/Forum/244184/
http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/Tight_Foreskin

which may be of use to you and would certainly address any embarrassment that you may have about your phimosis.
Best wishes

Icetea1988

Yea that is one of my problems all GPs in this practice are female and i feel it will he awkward when they look at it or if i get erection that will be very embarrassing. I know they have all good doctors have seen them all but for me its something new.

I checked the non-surgical options as mentioned above and going to give them a go for now.
Otherwise later i may go to GP and get it sorted out. I have private insurance so hopefully will be quicker.

Gael23 wrote: »

A doctor has seen it all before so don't be worried about that, they will have seen hundreds of penises of all sizes in their career. Is there a male GP in the the same surgery that you could see? I have always felt more relaxed talking about intimate things like this with another man if that's possible. I agree with the last reply on the shyness, don't let that bother you. If people don't know they can't help and your doctor won't tell anyone that doesn't need to know.

LegacyUser

I know it's easy to feel embarrassed IceTea1988, but as others have said, the Doctors have seen it all before and will be very professional. Trust me, an erection will be the last thing on your mind! As it happens, one of the things I've learned from my experience is that the female Doctors I've seen have all been a lot more gentle when handling my bits than the male Doctors have! My own GP is quite cute actually and part of me wondered how I'd feel about showing her my bits, but when it came to it, she's a Doctor, I'm her patient and we both just 'got on with it' if that makes sense?

In the end it's your body and it's entirely up to you what works for you and what you're comfortable with. But try not to let embarrassment stop you from getting this issue sorted one way or the other, life's too short...

LegacyUser

Well, I'm now three weeks on, so I thought I'd do a little update.

In general things are a lot better and have settled down a lot now, thankfully. I stopped applying the anti-biotic cream on Saturday, and I'm not planning to do any more salt baths either, unless I feel like things stop improving. I am still using some cotton cloths to just stop any seepage and to help with sensitivity (which hasn't really been that bad I have to say, at least when I've the cloths on). The seepage should decrease now too, as I've stopped applying the cream.

I had a bit of a clean/look around last night, and with very little coaxing the rest of the stitches came away, they were literally half-melted. So, unless there are any I can't see hidden away in there, I've no stitches left. There is still a slight swelling, so it's possible there is one in there somewhere that I can't see, but I don't think so. It's nice to have them gone.

Erections are also becoming less of an issue, when I have one now it is at most a little uncomfortable, and definitely not painful, so that's good. I haven't even dared to do anything about them yet though, the idea of moving the skin on my shaft while erect still makes me quite nervous.

And as for healing, approx. 40-50% of the circumference of the scar (basically the section either side of the Frenulum, or the side that faces away from me when I'm erect) looks good, nicely healing and not looking raw or sore or anything.

However, the other 50-60%, the side facing me when erect, isn't looking so good yet. This is the part that was most swollen and had that 'hard' swelling when I had the infection. Some of it looks like it's healing where the stitches were, but has small gaps between them where it hasn't fused yet. And the worse section still looks like a bit of a wound to be honest, and from what I can see hasn't fused yet.

From what I've read online, this is common enough, and in general it all does seem to fuse and heal in the end. As it's not causing me any pain, and it does seem to be slowly improving, I'm just going to see how it goes for this week. If near the end of the week I'm not happy I might get my GP to look at it, I'll see. But at the moment I'm not overly worried, though I would like it all to look fused/healing before I start trying to use my bits for anything interesting!

How are you getting on Mire? Did/do you have any issues with some sections of the wound healing/fusing quicker than others?

I'll give another update in a week or so, or sooner if something changes!

LegacyUser

Had a partial circumcision procedure done in Malahide on Friday afternoon last. I'm 34 and have been putting this off for years. I had it done in Malahide Medical Centre. I'm now on Day 4 of recovery, hoping the worst is behind me.

All went well, despite my anxieties, and the doctor was pleased with the outcome.

My partner came with me as she would be driving back after my procedure. The excellent Dr Sam put me and my partner at ease before the procedure, he talked about what would happen etc. Procedure started around 2.30pm, received a sedation. When I woke up (which seems like 5 mins) at 3.40pm, all was done. It was pain free, the only awkwardness was when the doctor had to mark with a pen where the incisions were to take place. Dr Sam and his assistant were there when I woke up and I could see the stitches and the partially newly exposed head. The wound was dressed up and off we went.

It's funny, we went to eat something after and I don't really remember much about it. This was due to the sedation. Everything that afternoon now seems like a blur! I slept most of the way back home.

The day after was very long, I was very anxious about the dressings, whether I was doing it right. There was quite an amount of bleeding that day. I had to change my dressings every time I had to go to the toilet.

Dr Sam called me that evening and he sensed I was a bit anxious so he got me to take some pictures to see how things were, which I did. He put me at ease when he said everything was as he expected.

I've had 4 nights sleep since the surgery and I've had erections every night. They're more uncomfortable than painful and I haven't used the cream Dr Sam gave me to help with this pain yet.

I'm finding the days long and I'm getting tired of redressing the wounds. There's hardly any blood now, the bruising has kicked in but I'm finding down below very very sensitive, which is one of the reasons why I haven't returned to work yet because I'm walking like John Wayne at the moment.

Had my first shower last night since the surgery, all went well (no toiletries just lukewarm water). Have been bathing the wounds in lukewarm water since Sunday and it helps hugely. There's slight swelling on one side (nothing major) and I can see the stitches still (some can be itchy at times).

Just wondering does anyone have any tips about returning to work? My boss says I can wear light clothes when I come back but I'm anxious about moving around with the dressings on etc. I feel like I need the dressing to protect me from the sensitivity. I also don't want to pick up any infections when I do go back (as there is a flu going around at the moment).

Overall, I couldn't recommend Dr Sam highly enough, we've been texting each other every day since with updates. He's great.

Just hoping the sensitivity will ease up and I can start walking more normally over the coming days!

Any feedback would be welcome.

LegacyUser

Hi NewBeginnings82,

It sounds like you've have a positive experience so far, which is good. Your Doctor seems excellent, texting you, looking at pictures to reassure you etc. That's really good service. I have found the not knowing what it should look like during various stages of healing tough, as then I can't tell whether it's going well or not. So you being able to send him pictures was really handy.

For the sensitivity, I'd definitely recommend using pieces of cotton (and a small plaster to hold it in place). I just bought a couple of cheap white t-shirts and cut them up into strips that I could basically wrap around myself (not tightly of course) and then use a little plaster to hold it in place at the base. I have found it very handy to help with sensitivity and I don't even know I'm wearing one now. You can take it off to go to the loo and either put it on again or put on another one.

I've got to the stage now where once I get home in the evening I take off the cotton strip and I'm slowly getting used to not having it on and the occasional 'twang' as the exposed head rubs against my boxers. The advantage of the cotton strip is that it moves with you, as it's attached to you, so there's a lot less rubbing.

Of course, if there's still quite a bit of blood/plasma you should probably continue to wear dressings, but if it's reduced a lot then the cotton strips are very handy.

Hope that helps...

LegacyUser

Hi My Turn,

I appreciate your reply. This is Day 6 of recovery since the surgery on Friday last.

That's good advice re: cotton strips. I had been thinking of cut up handkerchiefs myself but I suppose anything like that would work.

You're right about the contact with the docto, he texted me again yesterday asking for an update and he seems pleased. It has been a great reassurance having him just a call or text away if needed.

Today was my first day back at work, I just didn't feel ready to go back before now and at least tomorrow is Friday so that's two more days of recovery over the weekend. I just went with my regular dressings today, nothing extra.

Healing is coming along well. The bruising is fading away somewhat and I think the stitches are beginning to come out a little bit in one side. The bleeding/plasma discharge has faded away well over the last couple of days but there was more on my dressing today after I returned home from work, but as I was sitting down most of the day, that's not too surprising. Still walking like John Wayne but that's mostly due to me not wanting the tip of my penis hitting off the dressing.

I'm now bathing the wounds and affected area in Epsom salts and lukewarm water and it's doing its job, I find it very soothing. Doing it each time I clean the dressings (about three times a day mostly and for hygiene reasons too, to keep everything clean), there's little discharge on the dressings.

The "pee hole" is a little inflamed and sensitive as the dressings have been rubbing off it and getting stuck on this area. However, there's no pain when urinating but I will keep an eye on it.

My Turn, a blunt question but when do you think I should start masturbating? The doctor said from 7-10 days after the surgery but I think this may be too early for me. In fact, the thoughts of doing this makes me queasy due to the sensitivity but that'll pass too. The doctor said it's important for me to train the new skin to retract over the glands so I know it'll be important to do it in time. Last night was the first night I didn't have uncomfortable night time erections so I hope that will continue.

Just hoping for continued good healing over the next few days anyway.

LegacyUser

Hi NewBeginnings82,

Glad to hear being back in work is going well. Definitely give some sort of cotton strip a try, it will help get used to the sensitivity.

I'm nearly four weeks post op now, and I still have some blood/plasma, which the cotton strip helps with, but that's to do with me getting an infection and not healing great. To be honest, I'm waiting to see a Doctor right now, as there's one section of my 'scar' that isn't yet a scar, and is still basically an open wound, even though the stitches are all out now, so I want my Doctor's thoughts on that.

As for masturbation, I think that really comes down for when you feel comfortable doing it. I got a full circumcision, not a partial, so it's a bit different for me. I have tried it, but I'm very conscious of the fact that I'm still sore (thanks to that part not healing) and I don't want to pull at that too much. Which means I'm only really able to move the base of my shaft, which isn't how I used to masturbate, so it doesn't really work for me. So I'm hoping that once I finally heal, I'll be able to do it 'properly', even though there's still going to be some learning and figuring out what works for me now that I have no foreskin. I had it for over 40 years, so I have to be prepared to accept that it's going to be different now that I don't!

So all I can say is take your time, and try it when you feel like it, but take it very easy and be aware that it might not work / feel right the first few times. And I would be waiting until the stitches come out to be honest, as least then you should be on the way to healing and have less chance of opening up the wound.

Hope it all continues to go well for you, and do keep posting, there's a chance that in the next few weeks, or even years, someone will read these posts and it'll help them with their own circumcision.

Gael23

If you can resist it, I would leave masturbating for a bit longer. You don't want to pull at anything or irritate the wound. I had mine done before puberty so never experienced this myself

BigProblem

im getting this done on Monday - any tips? what to buy (tablets for the pain), what to wear.. I haven't been given much info from my consultant, said I should take a week off going to gym. how early would I know if I get an infection? I can probably get two weeks off work (office job) should I take the extra time off?

Thanks

LegacyUser

Hey BigProblem,

I'm sure most consultants/hospitals have some differences, but on the day the Doctors/Nurses will be very helpful and will look after you. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want/need so that you're not left worrying or unsure on what's happening. Definitely ask for specific aftercare instructions for the first couple of weeks, as once you leave you'll kinda be on your own, so it's good to have a plan to follow, like around dressings, washing/bathing etc. etc.

Just wear comfortable clothes, tracksuit etc., as they'll put you in a gown anyhow. The tracksuit etc. will be for getting you home. You'll need someone to drive you home if it's a general anaesthetic. And bring a book, you could be waiting a few hours to get into theatre.

As for tablets, paracetamol/nurofen is good, whatever works for you. The hospital might give you some too.

It's hard to know about infections, as 'normal' healing can still look and feel pretty bad (swelling/bruising etc.). I suppose one thing to look for is something getting worse, personally I felt I was doing ok and improving for a few days, and then it started to get worse, and that was the trigger for me to think 'is it an infection?'.

Personally, I'd get as much time off as you can, there's no harm in resting as much as you can. So if you can get two weeks off, without any hassle, take it. Even if it all goes well, and you don't feel sore after the first few days, it's good to just give yourself time to relax, change dressings, lie back, catch up on box sets etc. The more time you have to yourself, the better it will be for you and the quicker you'll heal. Even little things, like getting used to peeing again etc. are easier at home.

Hope that helps, do share your experience here...

LegacyUser

BigProblem wrote: »

im getting this done on Monday - any tips? what to buy (tablets for the pain), what to wear.. I haven't been given much info from my consultant, said I should take a week off going to gym. how early would I know if I get an infection? I can probably get two weeks off work (office job) should I take the extra time off?

Thanks

I didn't take anything before the procedure (was told to fast from food and water 5 hours before the surgery. I bought some Nurofen Plus tablets afterwards to keep down any bad swelling or inflammation. Wear tight boxers to keep the dressings in place, you don't want things flapping about loosely especially with a sensitive, exposed head. I had my surgery on Friday and was back to work the following Thursday. It's very much a case of listening to your own body and see how the healing process goes. Be patient. Have Netflix ready to go. You can't predict whether you'll get an infection or not, just make sure to keep the wound clean and hygienic. I recommend you bathe your wound in lukewarm water from Day 3 onwards and then add some Epsom salts. This has helped me so far. Best of luck, you'll be fine.

BigProblem

My Turn wrote: »

Hey BigProblem,

I'm sure most consultants/hospitals have some differences, but on the day the Doctors/Nurses will be very helpful and will look after you. Don't be afraid to ask as many questions as you want/need so that you're not left worrying or unsure on what's happening. Definitely ask for specific aftercare instructions for the first couple of weeks, as once you leave you'll kinda be on your own, so it's good to have a plan to follow, like around dressings, washing/bathing etc. etc.

Just wear comfortable clothes, tracksuit etc., as they'll put you in a gown anyhow. The tracksuit etc. will be for getting you home. You'll need someone to drive you home if it's a general anaesthetic. And bring a book, you could be waiting a few hours to get into theatre.

As for tablets, paracetamol/nurofen is good, whatever works for you. The hospital might give you some too.

It's hard to know about infections, as 'normal' healing can still look and feel pretty bad (swelling/bruising etc.). I suppose one thing to look for is something getting worse, personally I felt I was doing ok and improving for a few days, and then it started to get worse, and that was the trigger for me to think 'is it an infection?'.

Personally, I'd get as much time off as you can, there's no harm in resting as much as you can. So if you can get two weeks off, without any hassle, take it. Even if it all goes well, and you don't feel sore after the first few days, it's good to just give yourself time to relax, change dressings, lie back, catch up on box sets etc. The more time you have to yourself, the better it will be for you and the quicker you'll heal. Even little things, like getting used to peeing again etc. are easier at home.

Hope that helps, do share your experience here...

Thanks for the reply, I got the procedure done at 1 today, was home by 5.30. The consultant didn't give me much advice tbh. I had some bleeding with my first pee in the hospital. He said that was normal and the nurses dressed the wound. The consultant said the dressing would come off later today or tomorrow when in the shower. The dressing has come off this evening, he never said anything about dressing it again, he gave me some padding to wear in my boxers which I am doing. Should I be dressing the wound? I got the impression from the consultant that I should just wear the padding for a few days. He told me I could shower tomorrow but don't excessively scrup the wound so not sure what to do. He gave me some ponston and let me off, nothing about washing it with anything in particular. He was very casual about the whole thing. Just worried that I should be re dressing the wound? I would of thought washing it tomorrow would be early and sensitive to do?

mire

My Turn wrote: »

Well, I'm now three weeks on, so I thought I'd do a little update.

In general things are a lot better and have settled down a lot now, thankfully. I stopped applying the anti-biotic cream on Saturday, and I'm not planning to do any more salt baths either, unless I feel like things stop improving. I am still using some cotton cloths to just stop any seepage and to help with sensitivity (which hasn't really been that bad I have to say, at least when I've the cloths on). The seepage should decrease now too, as I've stopped applying the cream.

I had a bit of a clean/look around last night, and with very little coaxing the rest of the stitches came away, they were literally half-melted. So, unless there are any I can't see hidden away in there, I've no stitches left. There is still a slight swelling, so it's possible there is one in there somewhere that I can't see, but I don't think so. It's nice to have them gone.

Erections are also becoming less of an issue, when I have one now it is at most a little uncomfortable, and definitely not painful, so that's good. I haven't even dared to do anything about them yet though, the idea of moving the skin on my shaft while erect still makes me quite nervous.

And as for healing, approx. 40-50% of the circumference of the scar (basically the section either side of the Frenulum, or the side that faces away from me when I'm erect) looks good, nicely healing and not looking raw or sore or anything.

However, the other 50-60%, the side facing me when erect, isn't looking so good yet. This is the part that was most swollen and had that 'hard' swelling when I had the infection. Some of it looks like it's healing where the stitches were, but has small gaps between them where it hasn't fused yet. And the worse section still looks like a bit of a wound to be honest, and from what I can see hasn't fused yet.

From what I've read online, this is common enough, and in general it all does seem to fuse and heal in the end. As it's not causing me any pain, and it does seem to be slowly improving, I'm just going to see how it goes for this week. If near the end of the week I'm not happy I might get my GP to look at it, I'll see. But at the moment I'm not overly worried, though I would like it all to look fused/healing before I start trying to use my bits for anything interesting!

How are you getting on Mire? Did/do you have any issues with some sections of the wound healing/fusing quicker than others?

I'll give another update in a week or so, or sooner if something changes!

Sorry for slow response, I haven't been checking on here as much. Good to hear that you've been improving myturn. My stitches took ages to come out, and when they did, things looked a bit red and raw for a while. Not bad, but almost as if they came out too early. However I think they actually came out too late and the skin had started to heal and re-form around then. As a result when they came out, with some gentle coaxing, it disrupted things.

My scar line is uneven and red too It still doesn't look great when I inspect it but I assume this will eventually even out. It looks best from a distance! !

There is still some fusing and healing in sections, and the frenulum is quite rough and ready tbh. It's so hard to compare stories and experiences without actually visual references but that's probably for the best. In saying that, your peace of progress sounds comparable to mine. The uneven healing might well be a common thing.

Overall I've felt that the time and impact of the operation is more than one might expect from reading this thread. Some people have been lucky with their procedure and recovery. ..mine took longer than I expected. I'm happy with the result though. It is much more functional, it feels normal. It looks better too.

Hope you're doing well again myturn. As well as those who've had the procedure in the last few days....it's well worth the discomfort, time, embarrassment.

LegacyUser

Hi BigProblem,

Glad to hear the procedure went ok.

Yep, personally I'd wash it in water with salt a couple of times a day. You don't have to wash it vigorously as such, just soaking it will help. I used to use a takeaway coffee cup, which I could replace every few days. I'd also definitely use some sort of dressing too, like the cotton strips cut from t-shirts that I used, just to cover the wound and absorb any blood/plasma etc.

If you've any doubt, definitely contact the surgeon/nurses etc. just to ask for advice. My surgeon was also quite casual, which is reassuring in that he's not worried, but personally I'd have prefered specific instructions (like clean it twice for 2 weeks, change dressing twice a day etc. etc.).

Mire, couldn't agree about the stitches more, I also think mine took too long to come out, and left some 'damage' as such, though I know from talking to my Doctor that it will all heal over time, i.e. months.

Yeah, probably not the best to swap pics! But I know what you mean, it's really hard to know what's normal and what's not. I also feel like I've got the rough end of the stick (fnar fnar) with my procedure, what with infections, I'm on my second set of antibiotics now, and it just seems to be dragging on so long. I had hoped I'd be further down the road now than where I am. I am a *lot* better than I was, but still not there yet, I wouldn't even think about having sex or anything like that yet, I'd be too worried about opening the wound more.

Hopefully things will continue to settle down over the next while, it would be nice to be 'normal'.

UhOhhh

I had my circumcision done yesterday. I'm in the same boat that they were very casual about the information they gave me on how I should care for the wound. On the leaflet they gave me they said to let the dressing fall off in the bath after 24 hours, but nothing about putting on new bandages. I asked one of the nurses if I should put on new ones and she said no. But when I read online the majority of sites say you should leave the dressing on for three days before having a bath to remove it so I'm worried about when I should do it. So much conflicting information.

Also, does anyone have any tips on how to stop night time erections? Every time I fall asleep I instantly get an erection and it's very painful! I got no sleep at all last night and I'm afraid to even go asleep now because I know it's going to happen again. I have a red blood spot on my bandage that wasn't there yesterday so I don't know if my erections caused it to bleed during the night.

Ugh, I'm dreading the next week or so if this is the way it's gonna keep going

LegacyUser

Hi UhOhhh,

I do think that Hospitals should give a lot more information about this. It might be a relatively minor procedure, but I also found it hard to know exactly what to do during the first few weeks. I took the dressing off the next day in the shower, as instructed, but I used cotton strips to at least cover the head a little, though I also spent quite a bit of time at home undressed to let air at it too. Like you said, there is a lot of advice out there that's conflicting, so it's hard to know what to follow. Definitely contact your Doctor/the Hospital etc. if you've any questions/fears/worries, it's what they're there for.

Regarding erections, they really are a pain, aren't they! I tore a couple of stitches one night, which was a crap way to wake up! The best advice I heard was drink very little, if anything, from the evening on (for a few hours before you go to bed at least) as one of the reasons we get an erection when sleeping is to help us not urinate apparently. So, if you've an empty bladder by not drinking, therefore you should have less erections. The other thing that's meant to help is lying on your side in a foetal position. I have to admit, the not drinking in the evenings helped me a little, but night-time erections are still something you have to go through. It does get better though!

J.

BigProblem

My Turn wrote: »

Hi BigProblem,

Glad to hear the procedure went ok.

Yep, personally I'd wash it in water with salt a couple of times a day. You don't have to wash it vigorously as such, just soaking it will help. I used to use a takeaway coffee cup, which I could replace every few days. I'd also definitely use some sort of dressing too, like the cotton strips cut from t-shirts that I used, just to cover the wound and absorb any blood/plasma etc.

If you've any doubt, definitely contact the surgeon/nurses etc. just to ask for advice. My surgeon was also quite casual, which is reassuring in that he's not worried, but personally I'd have prefered specific instructions (like clean it twice for 2 weeks, change dressing twice a day etc. etc.).

Mire, couldn't agree about the stitches more, I also think mine took too long to come out, and left some 'damage' as such, though I know from talking to my Doctor that it will all heal over time, i.e. months.

Yeah, probably not the best to swap pics! But I know what you mean, it's really hard to know what's normal and what's not. I also feel like I've got the rough end of the stick (fnar fnar) with my procedure, what with infections, I'm on my second set of antibiotics now, and it just seems to be dragging on so long. I had hoped I'd be further down the road now than where I am. I am a *lot* better than I was, but still not there yet, I wouldn't even think about having sex or anything like that yet, I'd be too worried about opening the wound more.

Hopefully things will continue to settle down over the next while, it would be nice to be 'normal'.

thanks my turn

I'm hoping to feel a bit better soon, got the op on Monday so only Wednesday now, feel like I made a mistake getting this done with it been so uncomfortable and the wound looks so battered and bloodied, feels like it will takes months to heal (consultant said 6 weeks but not sure I believe that).

I have only been showering each day, I haven't cleaned the wound much, is it just ordinary salt you put in the water to bathe it with? I don't have any dressing on the wound at the moment, the bandage came off the next day after operation, I'm using some padding in my boxers for sensitivity and for any blood/seeping. when do the stitches start to come out?

I'm not sure when I am going back to work, at the moment it doesn't feel like I will be back any time soon but maybe the first few days after the op are the worst.... here's hoping

BigProblem

UhOhhh wrote: »

I had my circumcision done yesterday. I'm in the same boat that they were very casual about the information they gave me on how I should care for the wound. On the leaflet they gave me they said to let the dressing fall off in the bath after 24 hours, but nothing about putting on new bandages. I asked one of the nurses if I should put on new ones and she said no. But when I read online the majority of sites say you should leave the dressing on for three days before having a bath to remove it so I'm worried about when I should do it. So much conflicting information.

Also, does anyone have any tips on how to stop night time erections? Every time I fall asleep I instantly get an erection and it's very painful! I got no sleep at all last night and I'm afraid to even go asleep now because I know it's going to happen again. I have a red blood spot on my bandage that wasn't there yesterday so I don't know if my erections caused it to bleed during the night.

Ugh, I'm dreading the next week or so if this is the way it's gonna keep going

I'm a day ahead of you so but this isn't much fun, never thought it would look so bad, consultant told me very little too nothing about bandages on the wound he didn't even mention anything about stitches, have you cleaned the wound?

LegacyUser

Hi BigProblem,

It won't take months to heal, at least not the way you mean. I'm four weeks post op now, and it looks pretty normal really (apart from the lack of foreskin!). If I go poking around the wound/scar I can still see some parts that need to heal more, and my Doctor said it'll continue to heal more and more over the next several months, but really after a couple of weeks it all settles down a lot and it looks a lot more like what you'd expect.

I just put in ordinary salt, I know others put in Epsom salts instead, not sure if that makes a difference or not. The 'salt soak' is really just to help keep the wound clean. I did it about 2 or 3 times a day for the first couple of weeks, but I had to continue it as I had an infection, if I didn't get that I probably could have stopped after a week or so. I basically put the salt in a disposable coffee cup, put in some warm water, and dunked my bits in, making sure the head/wound was covered, and left it there for 5-10 mins. Then I'd pat it dry and give it some air for a while (how long depended on how long suited me, could I lay around for a couple of hours at home or was I going out again etc.). Then a cotton strip would go back on again, and a bit of tape to hold it in place. I also didn't use any shower gel in my showers, and even now I'm only really using shower gel for the rest of me, and not my bits, until I know the scar is fully healed.

Once I took the dressing off the day after the Op, I just used the cotton strips to help absorb blood/plasma and to help with sensitivity. My stitches started to come out after maybe a week or so (and some were torn by erections at night) but really they were all out, with a little coaxing, by 3 weeks. By coaxing, what I mean is that I used to *gently* pull at each one, and if it came out, great, and if it didn't, I'd leave it alone for another couple of days. I've heard around 10-14 days or so for the stitches, so I waited for about 10 days before I started coaxing them. Of course, this is for dissolvable stitches, which I'm assuming you have.

I have to say, I definitely found the recovery more of a 'big deal' than I thought I would (and still do, in a way, as I'm still not fully healed, but am so much better than I was). I know me getting an infection added to my hassle of course. And it's also quite a psychological thing too, it's a very sensitive part of your body, both physically and mentally, so it takes a while to get used to it looking like that and feeling like that. Even little things, like learning how to pee the easiest way, or learning how to masturbate again etc. are things that you have to take on board and give yourself time to get used to.

But I do promise you, it's not going to look like that forever, and while it feels like it's really crap now (and trust me, I felt that way too), it will get better, and in a couple of weeks it'll be much more 'normal'.

As for work, definitely take as much time as you need/can get, and use that time to literally lie on the sofa/bed and no nothing for a few hours. The rest will help you heal, and exposing your bits to the air will help too. I don't know what your home situation is, but I had to be 'on' in the evenings as I have a kid. During the days of the two weeks I was off I was able to take it as easy as possible, and that helps.

Hope that helps a bit...

UhOhhh

Hi BigProblem, I haven't cleaned it yet no. I'm going to have a bath today with some antiseptic in it and see how it goes. Dreading it though as I know it'll sting like hell. If it looks okay I might leave the bandages off, but the whole area is so tender even with the bandages on so I don't know if I'll be able to handle it with them off.

I'm also peeing an awful lot. I'm drinking lots of fluids, but I usually drink lots of water and don't have to pee every 2 hours! I've tried ringing the hospital for some advice but there was no answer from the area I was in.

I'll update you on how the bath goes later!

BigProblem

thanks my turn - I will try and give the salt baths a go - I have been showering the last two days and tried to clean the wound with shower gel but didn't give it much of a clean due to it been so uncomfortable.

I presume I have disposable stitches the consultant never said anything about stitches tbh but I can see the stitches - he did say he usually wouldn't see people after the operation again so presume they are disposable.

do you exercise/go to gym? just wondering how soon that can be done - at the moment I feel like I'm ages way from going back to gym.

thanks again...

BigProblem

UhOhhh wrote: »

Hi BigProblem, I haven't cleaned it yet no. I'm going to have a bath today with some antiseptic in it and see how it goes. Dreading it though as I know it'll sting like hell. If it looks okay I might leave the bandages off, but the whole area is so tender even with the bandages on so I don't know if I'll be able to handle it with them off.

I'm also peeing an awful lot. I'm drinking lots of fluids, but I usually drink lots of water and don't have to pee every 2 hours! I've tried ringing the hospital for some advice but there was no answer from the area I was in.

I'll update you on how the bath goes later!

I must try the salt baths myself - I showered the last two days so I understand how you feel about the bath. were you told to wash with antiseptic? my bandage has been off since yesterday just using padding in my boxers.

I feel I wasn't given much info from the hospital/consultant.

UhOhhh

Just had my bath. I rang the hospital and they answered. Told me to bathe with salt instead of antiseptic so I used some epsom salts and soaked the bandages. The water didn't sting at all, but as anticipated my whole penis feels a lot more uncomfortable than before. Hopefully airing the wound and daily salt baths will help it along.

FYI - the nurse I was talking to told me not to use any shower gel. Just salt and water. I didn't even touch the area, I just let it sit in the water and tried to pat it dry afterwards.

BigProblem

UhOhhh wrote: »

Just had my bath. I rang the hospital and they answered. Told me to bathe with salt instead of antiseptic so I used some epsom salts and soaked the bandages. The water didn't sting at all, but as anticipated my whole penis feels a lot more uncomfortable than before. Hopefully airing the wound and daily salt baths will help it along.

FYI - the nurse I was talking to told me not to use any shower gel. Just salt and water. I didn't even touch the area, I just let it sit in the water and tried to pat it dry afterwards.

Thanks for the heads up on the shower gel, I am not impressed with my consultant at all.

I bathed the wound in salt water earlier wasn't as painful as I thought, it hasn't been as uncomfortable since either.

UhOhhh

I feel a lot better now than I did earlier. My penis is still an absolute mess but I've gotten used to it now, I literally felt like I was going to pass out with the shock when I seen it earlier :O

Now if I can just get rid of these feckin' boners! Even texting the girl I'm seeing is getting me excited and it's so sore . Dreading going to bed again tonight.

Keep us updated with how you're getting on because it's making it so much easier knowing there's others going through the same thing, so cheers

BigProblem

UhOhhh wrote: »

I feel a lot better now than I did earlier. My penis is still an absolute mess but I've gotten used to it now, I literally felt like I was going to pass out with the shock when I seen it earlier :O

Now if I can just get rid of these feckin' boners! Even texting the girl I'm seeing is getting me excited and it's so sore . Dreading going to bed again tonight.

Keep us updated with how you're getting on because it's making it so much easier knowing there's others going through the same thing, so cheers

yeah i had the same shock when I saw my penis two days ago - it is a mess too.

cant believe my consultant said I would only need a few days off before going back to work - I will be taking another week off

bathed my penis again this morning, just worried about getting an infection with it looking so battered, bloodied and blue its hard to know what is normal, I'm hoping things clear up over the weekend.

LegacyUser

Hi BigProblem and UhOhhh...

Yep, not knowing what's 'normal' is difficult alright, as you don't know whether everything's healing as it should or not. And your bits do end up looking *very* swollen and discoloured and basically a mess, so that's quite disconcerting.

I also think the consultants can tend to be a bit relaxed about it, and you're sent home without really knowing what to do or what to expect. A previous poster who was getting texts from his consultant and able to send pictures etc. was very lucky, if only they were all like that.

All you can do is keep on bathing, keep on resting, and if you think it's getting worse, not better, or if you're unsure about anything, contact your Doctor or the hospital.

But it will all start looking better soon...

UhOhhh

Thanks My Turn, I'm actually feeling better about it with each day. Only day three now and while the underside is still bruised and very swollen, the skin where the stitching is is not red at all and has completely stopped seeping that watery blood so I guess that's a good sign!

Although there is a lump of skin that looks like it wasn't stitched very well where my frenulum used to be. It's in a tiny ball that kind of sticks out a bit - hard to explain properly. I got a frenuloplasty done over a year ago (didn't have the desired effect - hence the circumcision) and it looked like a mess then too but healed well when the stitches fell out so I'm hoping the same thing happens here before I start panicking and calling my doctor.