Sometimes the most poignant statements on the internet are buried in the comments.
I came across these two comments this week and both broke my heart. The first because I have been through it, and the second because I have seen people I love go through it:
one small caveat though, I did not make the circumcision choice by deferring to Kyle, we made the decision together, we were both equally uninformed at the time.
comment on No cutting, thank you - referring to circumcision of course
I deferred to my husband on the issue, and will regret it and probably cry over it for the rest of my life. My son is almost 2 1/2 now and still has to be taken to the doctor every few months to have his "adhesions" ripped apart, and we have put off potty-training because we have to put Vaseline on his penis at diaper changes. Every diaper change for over 2 years, we Vaseline around the ridge of the glans, and it still re-attaches. Why? Because this penis was MEANT to have skin attached to it. And why doesn't it? because my husband wanted the boy's penis to look like his. The other day, when I changed my son and he cried and started violently pinching the tip of his penis, saying "let me do it instead", I started crying (again) about having failed to protect my own children and finally just asked my husband why he didn't shave his crotch. It seems ridiculous that my son has been in pain for 2 1/2 years so he could look like his father and my husband is unwilling to just shave to look like him. Which sacrifice sounds like more, I mean if looking alike is really so important.
When a doctor or father mentions phimosis as a reason for preventative circumcision, mention repeat adhesions. If we're really lucky, this routine infant procedure, "just a little snip, really", won't require surgery when my son is older. There's a very real chance he won't have enough skin left for the length of his erect penis if some of it is stretched up and attached to the glans.
When a doctor or father mentions phimosis as a reason for preventative circumcision, mention repeat adhesions. If we're really lucky, this routine infant procedure, "just a little snip, really", won't require surgery when my son is older. There's a very real chance he won't have enough skin left for the length of his erect penis if some of it is stretched up and attached to the glans.
It’s almost 3:00 in the morning, and I’m sitting here unable to get even a half-cup of water down. 14 months ago, I had lap-band surgery and I’ve lost 130 pounds. Everybody says I’m gorgeous again. I’m 5’8″ and as of this morning I’m down to 128 pounds. I’m sure I’ll weigh even less tomorrow. But guess what? I’m miserable. I have no quality of life. For the past 10 days, I haven’t been able to eat ANYTHING without extreme pain and vomiting within 10 minutes. I have a constant nagging pain under my right ribcage, (my liver) and there is an occasional searing pain between my shoulder blades. When I lie on my back and palpate my now sunken abdomen, I can feel thick ropes of scar tissue snaking around my port and the top of my stomach where the band is. But now I’m really scared. For the past 48 hours or so, I haven’t even been able to keep liquid down. My heart pounds every time I go up my stairs, and I feel faint when I stand up. Despite my so-called success, I cannot ever recommend this barbaric procedure. It makes me sick to see the billboards and hear the mindless jingles on TV about “your new life beginning” when I have to run from the table to make it to the bathroom. Lately I’ve had to reassure my daughter that mommy will be okay because I can’t hide my constant vomiting from her. I’m afraid to go to sleep because I know it will only be a few hours before I awake violently chocking on regurgitated stomach acid. A couple of months ago I had all but two ml of liquid removed from my band because of my problems. I was told at the time that I probably had a “slipped band”, but that removing most of the restriction would likely fix things. Really?! My problems have grown progressively worse. I was told when I was pre-op that slipped bands were now rare because of improved surgical techniques. I wish I had asked, “How rare?”…I can see no point in going on like this. The only thing to be gained will be a nice, thin corpse and a normal-sized casket. I’m going to my surgeon’s office this morning and demanding that they take this thing out! Wisdom and good will to all of us who are trying to come to terms with weight, health and body-image issues.
