Pain and discomfort pretty much all gone. Not that much to report!
Pulled it back further than before over the weekend (day 10) and girlfriend took a close-up photo so I could really see what it looked like. Not going to lie - it was horrible to see. But that's probably because of the lighting and the high resolution and so on. It wasn't too red, just pink, and there was only a little stickiness from the lymph.
Still maintaining the twice-a-day salt and soap wash and dabbing dry afterwards. Keeping it clean seems to be a really good thing as it stops it smelling and presumably helps it heal a lot faster.
Urges for sexual activity are very high by this point! It's not waking me up in the night any more but it's distracting me constantly throughout the day. Still going to leave off for at least another week before I even try anything gentle by myself, let alone sex. It'll be difficult but worth it to avoid ripping stitches or causing bleeding.
The stitches, as of day 12, are still all there as far as I can see. No idea whether they'll be absorbed, dissolve or fall out, but I've read not to worry even if they're still there after day 15. Can always phone the hospital in a couple of weeks if they're still there.
On the evening of day 12, I just tried getting fully erect to see if it was OK (no masturbation or anything, simply an erection unrestricted by clothes). I thought it might also help stretch and exercise it in a different way. Getting erect was no problem - I then rolled the foreskin down a tiny, tiny bit and felt a sharp pain. I stopped and decided not to try that again! It didn't do any damage, as everything was fine at wash time later.
I guess it's still healing!
Monday, 28 October 2013
Friday, 25 October 2013
Day 8 & 9
Erections have pretty much gone during the night.
Washing twice a day (one quick soapy one in the morning and a more thorough one including salt and soap in the evening). Seems to be healing really nicely now. No more blood, no more weeping of lymph(?).
I'm able to pull the foreskin back quite a way now without feeling uncomfortable, and still no pain.
The stitches seem very loose and close to the surface so I expect them to fall out soon. That's understandable, as I think the surgeon said they'd probably take about 7-10 days to dissolve/fall out - but if they take upwards of two weeks, not to worry!
Keeping it clean and dry, and I'm back to wearing jeans again. I wore tracksuit trousers and linen trousers all week beforehand!
Despite keeping it so clean and dry, it does smell quite a lot when rolling it back. This, I'm assured, is normal.
Dabbing it constantly with toilet paper after peeing (I pee a lot) made the area around the very tip of the head (urethra) and a little bit of the outside of the foreskin quite red, itchy and sore. Nothing bad, but I put some E45 cream on overnight and made sure to dab only gently and when needed, and it's feeling better.
It's all looking good and I'm feeling like the worst is definitely over...
Washing twice a day (one quick soapy one in the morning and a more thorough one including salt and soap in the evening). Seems to be healing really nicely now. No more blood, no more weeping of lymph(?).
I'm able to pull the foreskin back quite a way now without feeling uncomfortable, and still no pain.
The stitches seem very loose and close to the surface so I expect them to fall out soon. That's understandable, as I think the surgeon said they'd probably take about 7-10 days to dissolve/fall out - but if they take upwards of two weeks, not to worry!
Keeping it clean and dry, and I'm back to wearing jeans again. I wore tracksuit trousers and linen trousers all week beforehand!
Despite keeping it so clean and dry, it does smell quite a lot when rolling it back. This, I'm assured, is normal.
Dabbing it constantly with toilet paper after peeing (I pee a lot) made the area around the very tip of the head (urethra) and a little bit of the outside of the foreskin quite red, itchy and sore. Nothing bad, but I put some E45 cream on overnight and made sure to dab only gently and when needed, and it's feeling better.
It's all looking good and I'm feeling like the worst is definitely over...
Wednesday, 23 October 2013
Day 7
Woke up in the night with an erection. It was quite painful when I got up to walk it off, but the pain lasted only a few seconds, and it didn't cause any bleeding at all.
Keep feeling like I need to pee, even after I've just been. It's all psychological though, and I'm sure it'll go away in time. Does distract me a bit at night, but I lie on my side and it feels better.
At work today I've had no pain or problems so far. About 14:00 I tried rolling the foreskin back all the way just to check, and everything looks pretty good. Even slightly better than last night. Weeping seems to have stopped and there's no blood. I exercised it a tiny bit and then checked the wound, which looks red but healing. The smell was a bit off-putting but I'm to expect that apparently!
Showered at 20:00 with the same wash routine and it's looking great - rolled it back further yet again and am becoming more confident with handling it. There's absolutely no more blood and the stitched incision is definitely beginning to heal properly by the look of it. Still no pain either! I think and hope I'm past the worst and it's healing properly.
Might begin washing twice a day from tomorrow.
Keep feeling like I need to pee, even after I've just been. It's all psychological though, and I'm sure it'll go away in time. Does distract me a bit at night, but I lie on my side and it feels better.
At work today I've had no pain or problems so far. About 14:00 I tried rolling the foreskin back all the way just to check, and everything looks pretty good. Even slightly better than last night. Weeping seems to have stopped and there's no blood. I exercised it a tiny bit and then checked the wound, which looks red but healing. The smell was a bit off-putting but I'm to expect that apparently!
Showered at 20:00 with the same wash routine and it's looking great - rolled it back further yet again and am becoming more confident with handling it. There's absolutely no more blood and the stitched incision is definitely beginning to heal properly by the look of it. Still no pain either! I think and hope I'm past the worst and it's healing properly.
Might begin washing twice a day from tomorrow.
Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Day 6
A good night, just one non-painful erection.
No difference to report on looks, basically no blood (though haven't rolled foreskin back fully).
Walking to work (with loose trousers) seemed to have made it bleed and ooze the lymph(?) a tiny bit as I checked it when I went to the toilet. Hardly anything though. No pain, barely any discomfort.
Throughout the day it's been a bit uncomfortable and a dull ache, but painkillers and working hard to distract myself help!
In the evening I washed it in the same method - using a cup of salty, soapy water. There was a fair bit of dried blood which I think came from too much walking around. But it didn't bleed while washing.
I managed to pull the foreskin back further this time and got a mirror so I could easily see the wound. It's still red, and doesn't look too pretty, but it's not painful and I dried it successfully. Then I pulled the foreskin back and forth gently and moved it around to begin the 'exercising' that the surgeon recommended.
All fine with no bleeding and into bed!
No difference to report on looks, basically no blood (though haven't rolled foreskin back fully).
Walking to work (with loose trousers) seemed to have made it bleed and ooze the lymph(?) a tiny bit as I checked it when I went to the toilet. Hardly anything though. No pain, barely any discomfort.
Throughout the day it's been a bit uncomfortable and a dull ache, but painkillers and working hard to distract myself help!
In the evening I washed it in the same method - using a cup of salty, soapy water. There was a fair bit of dried blood which I think came from too much walking around. But it didn't bleed while washing.
I managed to pull the foreskin back further this time and got a mirror so I could easily see the wound. It's still red, and doesn't look too pretty, but it's not painful and I dried it successfully. Then I pulled the foreskin back and forth gently and moved it around to begin the 'exercising' that the surgeon recommended.
All fine with no bleeding and into bed!
Monday, 21 October 2013
Day 5
Very little blood under the foreskin and on the head when I check at pee breaks, which is encouraging. However, when I roll my foreskin about half way down the head, I can see, as well as the tiny bit of blood, there's a little dampness and clear liquid. I assume this it lymphatic fluid that is oozing a bit. Again, nothing to worry about, but if it gets bad or I get worried about anything else, I'll phone the numbers the hospital gave me.
I still sit down to pee and dab away at the end. It's a good habit and keeps things clean and dry.
Had a little more pain today, just in small twinges, and the occasional itch, but really nothing bad at all. Gone back to work after taking two days off last week and having two days for the weekend. Everything feels fine.
16:00 - Just checked at work in the toilet by rolling the foreskin all the way back (I guess this counts as stretching/exercising it). Felt absolutely no pain, and things look fairly good down there. It's still a bit sticky, and the stitches look like they're a bit yellowy, but I don't think it's pus. It smelled a tiny bit but not too bad. Will wash it later and exercise it again.
21:00 - I washed it in the shower the same way as before (dip in cup of salty water, swish around, pour water over penis - then repeat with soapy water, then repeat with clean water). There was some dried blood but not much. After washing, I had a good look. All this with no pain.
Where the wound down the shaft is, there's a big blob of clotted blood. I guess that's a good thing as clotting means it's healing underneath, rather than it just being open. That'd explain all the dried blood elsewhere. However, the stitches haven't seemed to clot properly yet, and instead are weeping a little clotting blood and some of that clear fluid (lymph?).
When drying, a small amount of blood came off on the towel, but this could be the clot or the dried blood leaving a residue rather than actual bleeding.
It's a little achey/uncomfortable afterwards so I've taken a paracetamol.
All clean, bring on the night! Not too worried.
I still sit down to pee and dab away at the end. It's a good habit and keeps things clean and dry.
Had a little more pain today, just in small twinges, and the occasional itch, but really nothing bad at all. Gone back to work after taking two days off last week and having two days for the weekend. Everything feels fine.
16:00 - Just checked at work in the toilet by rolling the foreskin all the way back (I guess this counts as stretching/exercising it). Felt absolutely no pain, and things look fairly good down there. It's still a bit sticky, and the stitches look like they're a bit yellowy, but I don't think it's pus. It smelled a tiny bit but not too bad. Will wash it later and exercise it again.
21:00 - I washed it in the shower the same way as before (dip in cup of salty water, swish around, pour water over penis - then repeat with soapy water, then repeat with clean water). There was some dried blood but not much. After washing, I had a good look. All this with no pain.
Where the wound down the shaft is, there's a big blob of clotted blood. I guess that's a good thing as clotting means it's healing underneath, rather than it just being open. That'd explain all the dried blood elsewhere. However, the stitches haven't seemed to clot properly yet, and instead are weeping a little clotting blood and some of that clear fluid (lymph?).
When drying, a small amount of blood came off on the towel, but this could be the clot or the dried blood leaving a residue rather than actual bleeding.
It's a little achey/uncomfortable afterwards so I've taken a paracetamol.
All clean, bring on the night! Not too worried.
Day 3 & 4
Today (day 3) I still have no pain (the occasional twinge but nothing bad). The blood kept coming a bit, as there are small spots of it in my underwear and when I go to the toilet, but I don't think it's anything to worry about. I'm still leaving it, though, and not rolling the foreskin back apart from a tiny bit when I go to the toilet.
I still get non-painful erections in the night, but just walk them off really quickly.
No washing, no pulling back.
Day 4 - I've decided that I'll wash it again this evening (48 hours since the last wash). The bleeding has slowed down to very little, nearly nothing, despite non-painful erections at night, so I feel happy, though nervous about pulling it back in the shower.
For the shower, I had my girlfriend looking after me for moral support (she's really brilliant) as I was getting quite panicked, even though there's no pain. I first showered my whole body apart from my penis to get myself nice and clean.
Then I carefully, very carefully pulled back the foreskin. I was relieved that there was no pus or pain or bad smell. It was a little bloody, but only what had been slowly oozing over the last couple of days. I hadn't broken anything.
My new technique of washing it is to get a big cup of warm water, put a little salt in, put a bit of my unscented soap (Sanex Zero % shower gel), and then dipping my penis in. I then move the water round it by moving the cup up and down, back and forth. I then refill the cup with clean water and do the same, to get rid of the salt and soap, then splash myself with more clean water. This worked really well.
Drying, again, was gently resting the penis (foreskin pulled back) on a towel and dabbing at the top and bottom of it. I decided against the blowdryer, and just blew on it instead, which was cooler and soothing. Once it was dry, I rolled the foreskin up and tucked myself away again - felt much better after showering and so happy that my anxiety was for nothing. It didn't hurt, didn't bleed, and is nice and clean. Good result.
I'm going to continue rolling it back and washing it just once a day for the next few days, to see what happens.
I still get non-painful erections in the night, but just walk them off really quickly.
No washing, no pulling back.
Day 4 - I've decided that I'll wash it again this evening (48 hours since the last wash). The bleeding has slowed down to very little, nearly nothing, despite non-painful erections at night, so I feel happy, though nervous about pulling it back in the shower.
For the shower, I had my girlfriend looking after me for moral support (she's really brilliant) as I was getting quite panicked, even though there's no pain. I first showered my whole body apart from my penis to get myself nice and clean.
Then I carefully, very carefully pulled back the foreskin. I was relieved that there was no pus or pain or bad smell. It was a little bloody, but only what had been slowly oozing over the last couple of days. I hadn't broken anything.
My new technique of washing it is to get a big cup of warm water, put a little salt in, put a bit of my unscented soap (Sanex Zero % shower gel), and then dipping my penis in. I then move the water round it by moving the cup up and down, back and forth. I then refill the cup with clean water and do the same, to get rid of the salt and soap, then splash myself with more clean water. This worked really well.
Drying, again, was gently resting the penis (foreskin pulled back) on a towel and dabbing at the top and bottom of it. I decided against the blowdryer, and just blew on it instead, which was cooler and soothing. Once it was dry, I rolled the foreskin up and tucked myself away again - felt much better after showering and so happy that my anxiety was for nothing. It didn't hurt, didn't bleed, and is nice and clean. Good result.
I'm going to continue rolling it back and washing it just once a day for the next few days, to see what happens.
Day 1 & 2
I took the day off work and rested at home all day, wearing loose clothes. I watched a film, read a book and just kept myself distracted.
Today I felt almost no pain at all. That evening, I washed my penis in the sink in the morning with just some warm water, and dried it. The following morning (day 2) was fine when I washed too.
In the evening, I washed it again in the sink and there was a little bit of bleeding (not pouring out, but it was fresh blood) when I was drying it on the towel. I got it dry and then rolled up the foreskin, and left it.
The blood was there when I next used the toilet too, and it got me quite worried that I'd begun washing and pulling back too early. There's no pain, however, and the doctor did say it would bleed a bit.
I've decided to leave it alone for 48 hours to see if that helps it a bit.
Today I felt almost no pain at all. That evening, I washed my penis in the sink in the morning with just some warm water, and dried it. The following morning (day 2) was fine when I washed too.
In the evening, I washed it again in the sink and there was a little bit of bleeding (not pouring out, but it was fresh blood) when I was drying it on the towel. I got it dry and then rolled up the foreskin, and left it.
The blood was there when I next used the toilet too, and it got me quite worried that I'd begun washing and pulling back too early. There's no pain, however, and the doctor did say it would bleed a bit.
I've decided to leave it alone for 48 hours to see if that helps it a bit.
Day 0 (the day of the operation)
After arriving home on the evening of the operation, I felt mostly fine.
My penis and groin were still totally numb, and this didn't wear off until the night. I took a couple of painkillers ready for when it wore off, but I don't think I needed them.
After a nice meal and plenty to drink, I had a bath and a shower. I made the bath warm, not hot, added a bit of salt, and settled down into the water. After a bit of psyching myself up and encouragement from my girlfriend, I rolled back my foreskin all the way, slowly and let it sit there in the water. I waved it around a little bit to make sure it was cleaned fairly well. I didn't touch anything except for the shaft, and went nowhere near the wound site or the stitches.
There was a tiny bit of blood but barely anything, and it didn't look too bad either - a bit bruised and slightly swollen, but this was to be expected. I had no pain doing all this, either.
After 5 minutes of this, I drained the bath, rolled up my foreskin and gave myself a shower to get the rest of my body clean (including removing the orange stuff from my groin).
Drying myself was tricky, as I needed to roll my foreskin back again and then rest it on a towel and dab it carefully, carefully. I got it fairly dry (used a blowdryer on the cool setting from a distance which I think helped), and rolled it back up.
I felt great after the shower and went to bed. I felt much better lying on my side than on my back, so I recommend this.
I woke up twice with half-erections - I was obviously quite aware of them happening. They didn't hurt, but felt a little tight, so I got up and walked around until they went, then I went to the toilet.
Again, I sat down to pee, holding the penis vertically, and dabbing everything up at the end with toilet paper. There was a tiny bit of old blood but nothing that worried me.
It was fine, otherwise! Happy Steve.
My penis and groin were still totally numb, and this didn't wear off until the night. I took a couple of painkillers ready for when it wore off, but I don't think I needed them.
After a nice meal and plenty to drink, I had a bath and a shower. I made the bath warm, not hot, added a bit of salt, and settled down into the water. After a bit of psyching myself up and encouragement from my girlfriend, I rolled back my foreskin all the way, slowly and let it sit there in the water. I waved it around a little bit to make sure it was cleaned fairly well. I didn't touch anything except for the shaft, and went nowhere near the wound site or the stitches.
There was a tiny bit of blood but barely anything, and it didn't look too bad either - a bit bruised and slightly swollen, but this was to be expected. I had no pain doing all this, either.
After 5 minutes of this, I drained the bath, rolled up my foreskin and gave myself a shower to get the rest of my body clean (including removing the orange stuff from my groin).
Drying myself was tricky, as I needed to roll my foreskin back again and then rest it on a towel and dab it carefully, carefully. I got it fairly dry (used a blowdryer on the cool setting from a distance which I think helped), and rolled it back up.
I felt great after the shower and went to bed. I felt much better lying on my side than on my back, so I recommend this.
I woke up twice with half-erections - I was obviously quite aware of them happening. They didn't hurt, but felt a little tight, so I got up and walked around until they went, then I went to the toilet.
Again, I sat down to pee, holding the penis vertically, and dabbing everything up at the end with toilet paper. There was a tiny bit of old blood but nothing that worried me.
It was fine, otherwise! Happy Steve.
After the operation
When I was back in my bed on the hospital ward, I went through the procedure with my girlfriend who gave me reassurance and made me feel better - if you have anyone who can be there for you, family, friend, partner, whoever, I think it's a good idea.
I was in good spirits though as I knew the worst was over. I ate the food and drank the drink they gave me - very happy about that.
The nurse then said I was to try passing urine and let them know if there was any blood. I had to gingerly take off the bandage/plaster thing with help from the nurse as I was scared, and then she threw it away. I then went to the toilet.
I rolled my foreskin back a little to make sure I didn't get pee on my foreskin, then sat down on the toilet and held my penis in place, vertically downwards, to avoid splashing or dribbling. It was a relief to pee, and there was no real blood, other than what was left over on my penis from the surgery. I then made sure I kept dabbing with toilet paper until it had all been soaked up. Great stuff! Success!
I told the nurse and she seemed happy. She wanted to look at the stitches and make sure everything was OK. I slowly rolled my foreskin back but had to give up out of nervousness, so she helped and it didn't hurt a bit (I was still numb from the anaesthetic). We all had a look and it was neater and less scary to look at than I thought, just a bit of red and blood dried on, with a neat wound that you couldn't see that well and a series of stitches that did look a bit horrible. But all was fine. Rolled up the foreskin and put some clothes on.
The aftercare I was recommended was as follows:
I was in good spirits though as I knew the worst was over. I ate the food and drank the drink they gave me - very happy about that.
The nurse then said I was to try passing urine and let them know if there was any blood. I had to gingerly take off the bandage/plaster thing with help from the nurse as I was scared, and then she threw it away. I then went to the toilet.
I rolled my foreskin back a little to make sure I didn't get pee on my foreskin, then sat down on the toilet and held my penis in place, vertically downwards, to avoid splashing or dribbling. It was a relief to pee, and there was no real blood, other than what was left over on my penis from the surgery. I then made sure I kept dabbing with toilet paper until it had all been soaked up. Great stuff! Success!
I told the nurse and she seemed happy. She wanted to look at the stitches and make sure everything was OK. I slowly rolled my foreskin back but had to give up out of nervousness, so she helped and it didn't hurt a bit (I was still numb from the anaesthetic). We all had a look and it was neater and less scary to look at than I thought, just a bit of red and blood dried on, with a neat wound that you couldn't see that well and a series of stitches that did look a bit horrible. But all was fine. Rolled up the foreskin and put some clothes on.
The aftercare I was recommended was as follows:
- I didn't need to put a bandage on or leave it alone especially (most websites say leave it for 24-48 hours but there you go!)
- To keep it clean by washing it twice a day, a bit of salt in the water helps, and some unscented, gentle soap.
- To retract the foreskin fully once a day to exercise it and keep it mobile (less chance of it reattaching or scarring up too tightly).
- To keep it dry, by patting it gently with a towel after washing.
- It WILL bleed a bit, it WILL ooze a bit.
- Take occasional painkillers when needed, but shouldn't feel much pain.
- Avoid masturbation for at least 2 weeks.
- Avoid sex for at least 3-4 weeks, even if it looks healed.
- Take a day or two off work (desk job).
- Don't do any strenuous exercise or heavy lifting for 2 weeks.
- The stitches would dissolve in a couple of weeks.
- Erections in the night may be painful, but are unavoidable. However, they're harmless and won't rupture the stitches.
Some of this was different from what I've read online etc., but it is what I'm following.
I went home on the tube (London underground - no difficulty walking or travelling, even at rush hour). Had a nice big dinner at home!
The next post details that night at home.
The operation
The nurse came to collect me and took me (wearing my long compression socks, slippers, gown and dressing gown) to the operating theatre for my surgery. I walked down there, met the team (5+ people!) and lay down on the operating bed/table.
It was a while before the surgeon arrived and was ready, so I chatted with the anaesthetist about life in general, the procedure, the operating theatre etc. I was going to have a LOCAL anaesthetic (small painkiller in the groin/penis area) rather than a general anaesthetic. It meant I'd recover a lot faster and the whole procedure would be quicker. I was a bit scared, but wanted to be quick so opted for local anaesthetic.
When they were ready, the surgeon caught up with me, told me what he was going to do, and what to expect during the procedure.
They started by rolling back the foreskin and painting my penis and groin area with an orange substance that had a slight heat to it, like tiger balm or deep heat rub. He said it was for cleanliness and so on - standard!
Then they offered to put up a curtain over my chest so I wouldn't be able to see what was happening - I definitely agreed to that. Although I'm interested now, I certainly didn't want to see the operation happening live. Your choice, though.
After then explaining the anaesthetic procedure, he went on to administer it. This was two injections to the base of the penis. I won't lie, these hurt quite a lot and were very unpleasant. The needle hurt a lot going in, and then there was a lot of stinging as the liquid was injected in. It was quick to act, though, and the whole area began going totally numb.
They left it for a few minutes to work, massaged it in, and then tried testing the effect, using my frenulum. They asked if I could feel sharp pain, and poked it with (I assume) a scalpel. It did hurt quite a bit so I actually needed a third injection, but by that point I couldn't even feel it go in. It took another few minutes and they tested again. I couldn't feel anything this time, not really even any pressure, let alone sharp pain.
They then went to work on it. The idea is that they cut the frenulum at the very top, pull it down to loosen it, and reattach it a certain distance down (perhaps half an inch or so). They reattach it with stitches.
I spoke to the anaesthetist the whole way through about my holiday, about where she was from, and so on. She was lovely and really tried to keep my mind off what was happening. I also tried joking with her and the surgeon and whistled and sang songs to keep my mind occupied.
Now, I really, really didn't enjoy the operation. Although I didn't feel any pain as far as I recall, it was the idea of knowing what was happening down there and not being able to feel anything at all which was bothering me. I was very sweaty, my heart was racing and I hated every second of it. It was terrifying to me!
People react to these situations differently, so you might be totally different. However, I would recommend doing the procedure under general anaesthetic to anyone thinking of having it done. It takes longer but you're totally unaware of anything. I wish I had done it that way, but hey, I survived it! And it probably made me a stronger person.
I was taken to recovery on the bed, and they made sure I was feeling OK for about 20 minutes, taking my blood pressure, my temperature, and giving me a cup of water as I was thirsty. I kept feeling like I needed to pee, but put that down to the total numbness in my penis/groin area. I really didn't enjoy the numbness either, as I expected to feel sudden pain any second. I didn't, but my mind likes to play tricks sometimes.
I then was taken on the bed back up to the ward, where the nurses helped me off the bed and into my room, where I got back into my bed. My girlfriend was waiting for me as she'd just finished work, and I rested and chatted to her.
The next post will be about after the operation.
It was a while before the surgeon arrived and was ready, so I chatted with the anaesthetist about life in general, the procedure, the operating theatre etc. I was going to have a LOCAL anaesthetic (small painkiller in the groin/penis area) rather than a general anaesthetic. It meant I'd recover a lot faster and the whole procedure would be quicker. I was a bit scared, but wanted to be quick so opted for local anaesthetic.
When they were ready, the surgeon caught up with me, told me what he was going to do, and what to expect during the procedure.
They started by rolling back the foreskin and painting my penis and groin area with an orange substance that had a slight heat to it, like tiger balm or deep heat rub. He said it was for cleanliness and so on - standard!
Then they offered to put up a curtain over my chest so I wouldn't be able to see what was happening - I definitely agreed to that. Although I'm interested now, I certainly didn't want to see the operation happening live. Your choice, though.
After then explaining the anaesthetic procedure, he went on to administer it. This was two injections to the base of the penis. I won't lie, these hurt quite a lot and were very unpleasant. The needle hurt a lot going in, and then there was a lot of stinging as the liquid was injected in. It was quick to act, though, and the whole area began going totally numb.
They left it for a few minutes to work, massaged it in, and then tried testing the effect, using my frenulum. They asked if I could feel sharp pain, and poked it with (I assume) a scalpel. It did hurt quite a bit so I actually needed a third injection, but by that point I couldn't even feel it go in. It took another few minutes and they tested again. I couldn't feel anything this time, not really even any pressure, let alone sharp pain.
They then went to work on it. The idea is that they cut the frenulum at the very top, pull it down to loosen it, and reattach it a certain distance down (perhaps half an inch or so). They reattach it with stitches.
I spoke to the anaesthetist the whole way through about my holiday, about where she was from, and so on. She was lovely and really tried to keep my mind off what was happening. I also tried joking with her and the surgeon and whistled and sang songs to keep my mind occupied.
Now, I really, really didn't enjoy the operation. Although I didn't feel any pain as far as I recall, it was the idea of knowing what was happening down there and not being able to feel anything at all which was bothering me. I was very sweaty, my heart was racing and I hated every second of it. It was terrifying to me!
People react to these situations differently, so you might be totally different. However, I would recommend doing the procedure under general anaesthetic to anyone thinking of having it done. It takes longer but you're totally unaware of anything. I wish I had done it that way, but hey, I survived it! And it probably made me a stronger person.
I was taken to recovery on the bed, and they made sure I was feeling OK for about 20 minutes, taking my blood pressure, my temperature, and giving me a cup of water as I was thirsty. I kept feeling like I needed to pee, but put that down to the total numbness in my penis/groin area. I really didn't enjoy the numbness either, as I expected to feel sudden pain any second. I didn't, but my mind likes to play tricks sometimes.
I then was taken on the bed back up to the ward, where the nurses helped me off the bed and into my room, where I got back into my bed. My girlfriend was waiting for me as she'd just finished work, and I rested and chatted to her.
The next post will be about after the operation.
Before the operation
I had to wait about a month or two for the operation (though I initially declined a much earlier opportunity to give myself time to decide whether I really wanted it or not). As I mentioned before, I was originally down for circumcision so I had a lot to consider.
I went into the hospital at 7:30am and went to the ward where I'd be for the day. Frenuloplasties are invariably day surgery, so you're in and out on the same day unless anything goes wrong I suppose. I changed into my gown, washed, gave lots of information to the lovely ward nurse, and was left to entertain myself for a while.
Because I was originally down for a general anaesthetic (being put to sleep), I was told to eat nothing from midnight that night, and drink nothing from 6am that morning. Fair enough. You're a bit hungry and thirsty but nothing torturous!
The anaesthetist came along and explained anaesthetic and how I'd feel, whether I was allergic to anything etc. and left again. Then the surgeon and specialist came in to see me. They examined my penis and that's when they said a circumcision, although it'd do the job, was totally unnecessary and a frenuloplasty would be quicker, easier, less painful, and I could retain my foreskin. I phoned my girlfriend, spent as long as I needed deciding, and agreed fairly quickly.
They redid the paperwork and then left me alone. I read a good book and played games on my tablet, rather nervous.
After quite a few hours (I was last on the surgery list!) they came to collect me. The next post details the surgery itself.
I went into the hospital at 7:30am and went to the ward where I'd be for the day. Frenuloplasties are invariably day surgery, so you're in and out on the same day unless anything goes wrong I suppose. I changed into my gown, washed, gave lots of information to the lovely ward nurse, and was left to entertain myself for a while.
Because I was originally down for a general anaesthetic (being put to sleep), I was told to eat nothing from midnight that night, and drink nothing from 6am that morning. Fair enough. You're a bit hungry and thirsty but nothing torturous!
The anaesthetist came along and explained anaesthetic and how I'd feel, whether I was allergic to anything etc. and left again. Then the surgeon and specialist came in to see me. They examined my penis and that's when they said a circumcision, although it'd do the job, was totally unnecessary and a frenuloplasty would be quicker, easier, less painful, and I could retain my foreskin. I phoned my girlfriend, spent as long as I needed deciding, and agreed fairly quickly.
They redid the paperwork and then left me alone. I read a good book and played games on my tablet, rather nervous.
After quite a few hours (I was last on the surgery list!) they came to collect me. The next post details the surgery itself.
Background
Thanks for reading this blog. I'm writing it as a resource for other people thinking about getting frenuloplasty or worried about their recovery. There's not a huge amount of information on the internet and a lot of it is conflicting, so I'm going to be as detailed as possible and hope it helps you!
More about me then. I'm 26 years old and in fairly good health. During sex, over a period of several months, my frenulum (the string of skin connecting the shaft of the penis to the head of the penis) began to break. It wasn't a huge event, no blood, no disfigurement, just a small cut that stung a lot and didn't really heal properly. There was also quite a bit of scar tissue on it and it was fairly short, meaning that while erect, any pressure applied pulling the foreskin back further than normal resulted in a lot of pain, rather than the skin simply stretching.
I visited the urology department of Guy's Hospital in London (UK) and was seen to by a specialist. He initially recommended circumcision, which he said would fix the problem. I was reluctant and put my name on the waiting list while I decided. It was only the day of the operation that I was recommended a frenuloplasty instead (which I'd read about, but the specialist had played down, saying it didn't work for most people).
While he wasn't wrong - it doesn't always work for many people - the surgeon who eventually performed my frenuloplasty explained that those people often have other factors contributing to their problem, rather than just a simple, single factor like mine. Therefore, he highly recommended I change to frenuloplasty, enabling me to keep my foreskin - something I definitely prefer. It made logical sense - the only thing I'd lose is time if it didn't work, and then I'd have a circumcision anyway. I don't blame the initial specialist, but I should have been firmer in asking about other options first.
So if you have a similar problem to me, and you're recommended circumcision, I'd suggest you ask about frenuloplasty as a solution. It has no drawbacks other than the hassle of having an operation and the time taken to recover. A circumcision is still perfectly viable afterwards, but is a more drastic measure - a last resort, if you will.
This is just the background to help you understand better and see how much my experience relates to yours. I opted for frenuloplasty and will post a day-by-day account of my experience.
More about me then. I'm 26 years old and in fairly good health. During sex, over a period of several months, my frenulum (the string of skin connecting the shaft of the penis to the head of the penis) began to break. It wasn't a huge event, no blood, no disfigurement, just a small cut that stung a lot and didn't really heal properly. There was also quite a bit of scar tissue on it and it was fairly short, meaning that while erect, any pressure applied pulling the foreskin back further than normal resulted in a lot of pain, rather than the skin simply stretching.
I visited the urology department of Guy's Hospital in London (UK) and was seen to by a specialist. He initially recommended circumcision, which he said would fix the problem. I was reluctant and put my name on the waiting list while I decided. It was only the day of the operation that I was recommended a frenuloplasty instead (which I'd read about, but the specialist had played down, saying it didn't work for most people).
While he wasn't wrong - it doesn't always work for many people - the surgeon who eventually performed my frenuloplasty explained that those people often have other factors contributing to their problem, rather than just a simple, single factor like mine. Therefore, he highly recommended I change to frenuloplasty, enabling me to keep my foreskin - something I definitely prefer. It made logical sense - the only thing I'd lose is time if it didn't work, and then I'd have a circumcision anyway. I don't blame the initial specialist, but I should have been firmer in asking about other options first.
So if you have a similar problem to me, and you're recommended circumcision, I'd suggest you ask about frenuloplasty as a solution. It has no drawbacks other than the hassle of having an operation and the time taken to recover. A circumcision is still perfectly viable afterwards, but is a more drastic measure - a last resort, if you will.
This is just the background to help you understand better and see how much my experience relates to yours. I opted for frenuloplasty and will post a day-by-day account of my experience.
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