DS to be circumcised

[estoyaburrida]

DS is 13 & has suffered with foreskin infections for last few years. We tried creams and so on but now have been told surgery is the only option. I wish it wasn't necessary but cannot watch him go through any more pain and embarasssment. I wondered if anyone else's DS had had it done relatively late?

Poor boy. My DS I recall being mortified when he went through this aged 12. Although I would say the operation itself wasn't worse an ordeal than having doctors and nurses manipulating his foreskin to check whether it could be saved. I now wish I'd had him done much earlier. Practicalities -schedule it for summer hols, warm baths after and non hugging clothed. Plus no sitting looking at pretty girls walking by outside in case he gets an erection which would be disastrous whe healing..

A nephew of mine had this, recovered well. He was about ten iirc. He had had similar issues to your DS, Estoyaburrida. He felt hopeful about a stress free future while also feeling anxious and nervous about the operation, understandably. I think his parents focused a lot on how trouble free his life would be afterwards when they were pepping him up for the operation. He really had had a tough time with infections, missed scouting trips, etc.

My (close but not in that way) teenage friend had it done when we were the same age, I'm guessing in about year 9. His brother and uncle both went through the same thing at a similar age. He had several weeks off school and two terms off PE and then let on he was milking it quite a bit

Thanks that sounds reassuring. Had been thinking I would try for the hols as if he needs ages off PE or school he wouldn't want people to know why. But then I'd have to make something up to tell his teachers I suppose?

My friend - and 20 years later we're still friends - managed to keep it very discrete. Our teacher just said he'd had an operation, and everything was connected to that.

Surely you should be honest with his teacher though? They'll be discrete.

Ok so I suppose I could tell his head of year on condition it is couched as just that,an operation. Up to him if he wants to tell friends after as your friend did you. A delicate area in every sense of the word

Just a thought. Would it be possible to five the creams etc one last go before he has the snip? Once it is gone there is no coming back iyswim.

No the creams won't work so he will need the op.

I know someone who had it done at 20 for the same reason. He's always managed the issues reasonably well until he started his first serious sexual relationship and found regular sex problematic and painful.

It's far more common that many people realise.

Also my nephew but he was only 10.

Good to know don'tdrink. Hope it wasn't too traumatic for your nephew or friend. Agree it is more common than we think. Not exactly sthg easily talked about across the hedge of course

My DS also had it done at 12. He's 19 now and I have no regrets and nether does he. He has a GF now so I'm sure it all works ok. It would be awful to leave it and have to have it done much much later. I hope that helps. It's really not that uncommon.

My DH had this done as an adult and although he made a terrible fuss for 24 hours after the surgery the swelling and bruising had gone down after 3-4 days. He spent a couple of days hiding inside in his pyjamas and a couple of days walking very carefully.

He has never looked back ...