Originally Posted by: Online Community MemberWell, as promised here is my report from the Urologist regarding my tight foreskin.
He took a quick look at it, pulled back the foreskin and said, this needs circumcision.
Phimosis and Balenitis - look it up. Most likely caused by the radiotherapy he said. He has offered steroid cream but once I stop using it, the condition will recur. I'm told that if I don't get it done then in 2 years time, it will be so bad that I wont be able to wee properly which will lead to infections and possibly cancer of the penis.
So, having originally said I that I don't want anything cutting off, it suddenly looks like the only option. Somewhat disappointed.
My only hope is that it will improve our sex life as it's clear that with the present no retracting foreskin, orgasm can't be achieved with penetrative sex.
Bother! Comments on a postcard to:
This is all very interesting because after undergoing a RPC and RT a dozen years ago I suffered urinary incontinence. In those early days I may have been a bit careless with changing pads frequently enough. Neither was I aware of the importance of daily washing of the glans and foreskin. This plus masturbation is what I believed led to phimosa and balanoposthitis. No one told me it had anything to do with the surgery or radiation. I assumed I'd simply been a Very Naughty Boy!
The urologist recommended circumcision but I declined on the grounds this can be a bit risky for older men (I was 67).So I settled for antibiotics to clear up the infection and clotrimozole for the tight foreskin.
Both worked, but I was advised to stop using steroids after a few weeks and that meant the phimosis had a habit of returning. I would revert to the steroid cream each time but use it more more sparingly. This meant it became less and less effective until eventually my foreskin got dangerously tight again.
I went back to the urologist who advised it's no good using the steroid cream just occasionally, you need to apply it three times/day for at least a week. I was also urged to wash the glans daily with water only, no soaps or other emolients, then, once dry, to apply vaseline on top of the clotrimozole around the union of the foreskin and glans. This was to help provide a barrier to the uric acid in urine that was thought to be exacerbating the problem.
Nowadays, whenever the phimosis shows signs of returning I immediately resort back to the clotrimozole/vaseline combo. In between times I simply apply vaseline on its own after the daily wash, and this regime seems to do the trick most of the time.
So, if nothing else, I am proof that it is possible, after a fashion, to survive phimosis without risking circumcision.
Voilas!