Circumcision at 29 after years of phimosis in Canada: Johnny’s story

I got cut in February 2020 when I was 29 years old.

Circumcision is kinda 50/50 here in Canada. So I knew what circumcision was. And I knew that I wasn’t circumcised. From the age of around 15 I always felt kinda different. I had pretty much always wished I was cut, as I felt mine looked weird.

It took me a long time to finally decide to get cut. It was kind of a now or never type thing – I just needed to pull the trigger. I was getting thrush all the time and I couldn’t be as cleanly as I wanted to because I had phimosis and my foreskin simply didn’t go back.

I was considering circumcision on and off for years but I got serious in December 2019 for my first consultation and finally went under the knife in February 2020.

The reason it took me so long to bite the bullet was that I was scared something bad would happen. There is a lot of misinformation out there, like that I would lose sensation.

I did initially try to stretch my foreskin too, to try and cure the phimosis. But it didn’t help.

In the end I just decided I wasn’t going to wait any longer. I wasn’t happy. So it was worth the risk.

How did you choose your clinic?

About a year before my circumcision I went to my doctor. She is one of those doctors that treats you like a number and I was awkward telling her. She just said to stretch it, wrote a prescription and ushered me out.

She didn’t give me an option to follow up with a urologist, so when I decided to get circumcised I searched for circumcision specialists.

I saw a few clinics before deciding to go with Dr Ethan Grober from Cosmetic Urology for Men. He worked in a hospital and unlike the other clinics told me my phimosis was so bad he could get OHIP (public healthcare in Ontario) to cover it.

I still had to pay the initial consultation fee, which was $100 CAD. The full circumcision would have been $1,600 so I saved a lot.

What style did you want? What method?

From my own research I had in my mind that I wanted high and tight. I liked the look and the dual-tone colour of it. But we didn’t really discuss methods or styles from what I can remember. I told him I was a grower and he said he would make sure everything worked and I’d be happy with the result.

I’m not sure what method he used but I believe it was freehand. The method of circumcision wasn’t as important to me.

I went in with an open mind. I realise that the doctors are the ones with the training and experience. And every case is different. So I’d rather someone tell me what would work best than me being set on something specific.

After the initial consultation his office was in touch within a week (this was December 2019) and I was booked in for the end of February 2020.

What happened at the clinic?

On the day of the surgery I prepared by trimming my pubes to avoid the bandage sticking. I didn’t really do anything else.

The circumcision itself was simple. I went into the hospital and waited in the waiting room. They got me to change into a gown. Then they brought me into a hallway and I waited before me into the OR and putting me to sleep.

I was nervous – there was gonna be a knife on my penis! But I was excited to have it done.

I was given a light sedation, which isn’t as strong as a full general anaesthetic. I was sort of alert but can’t remember anything and you don’t feel anything. They put a mask over my face and then I was out.

I woke up in recovery. It was a little uncomfortable and they gave me a prescription which I never filled. Considering the opioid crisis I didn’t want to fill it unless absolutely necessary.

I honestly didn’t have much pain. I took maybe two extra strength Tylenol (paracetamol) in my whole recovery period.

Apart from that I didn’t really have any other instructions. I had to basically leave the bandage on for like two days.

Recovery was great. By week two I was back at the gym. Because I had phimosis the head was a bit sensitive for a few weeks. I just wore some tight fitting boxer briefs and went about my life.

Are you happy with how it turned out? How has it affected your (sex) life?

It’s now over 10 months since my surgery and things are great. In terms of sex and masturbation I feel it takes a bit longer to get there now. But when I do, orgasms feel much deeper and fuller. It’s hard to explain.

I had to adjust how I jerk off. Before, I used to work the head. Now I mostly just work the shaft. I don’t really use lube but after many years without it I just find it messy and unnecessary.

I’d definitely recommend circumcision for anyone considering it, especially if you have underlying medical problems such as phimosis. Go get a consultation and see what the doctor says – you won’t regret it, and information is power.