Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Snails And Puppy Dog Tails

Gibson was to be circumcised this morning, 7:30 sharp! (Ouch!) This procedure was not done as a newborn in the hospital. I wish it had been. I've been going round robin on this subject and not wanting Gibson in any discomfort or see stitches when he's changed. He's discovered his little...and he grabs it and giggles. Because the procedure wasn't done in the hospital in a timely manner, his pediatrician recommended a urologist. She advised us to have it done around age one.

Lola wasn't feeling well on Father's Day and spent the day on the sofa with a temperature. She's back to her snack wanting, cartoon watching, sassy little self again. Whatever virus she had, she wanted to share it with Gibson. Wouldn't you know, on the morning of his surgery he was running a mild temp of 99. I woke him up at 6 this morning and his whole body was overly warm. He laid in his crib and soothed his "pup pup" blanket while I took his temp. Usually he's batting the ear thermometer away or trying to chew on it.

I phoned the urologist and explained his temp and Lo's weekend battle and lose of appetite. I felt uneasy about Gibby having the surgery with a fever, the urologist agreed and it will be re scheduled later this summer. I spent a restless night worrying about the surgery and poor Gibby.

My husband and I have educated ourselves on the procedure and feel the pros far out way the cons. We are not doing this for religious reasons. Studies have shown a lesser chance of some cancers for circumcised males and low urinary tract infections as well. Hygiene is anther factor. Another reason, gender identity. I don't want him to be different than his daddy. As a Latino and African American boy growing up in a white family, he may encounter some "belonging" issues. We will teach him to celebrate his racial differences with pride. We will invest, as a family, in keeping his cultures alive. I just have to worry and fret for the next few months until it's rescheduled, then have him safely back home!

7 comments:

  1. Thats pretty awesome you would delete my post. Your blog, but maybe that speaks to your character.

    If you are going to tell everyone what I wrote, then why not let them read it in my own words rather than putting words in my mouth. Not once did I call it mutilation, all I did was debunk the myths you are perpetuating.

    Inattention to hygiene is your friend's problems, not their intact genitals.

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  2. Foreskin should never be forcibly retracted. Unfortunately, this is the reason that some intact children get infections. The doctors simply do not know. Here are some resources by pediatricians regarding intact care and advice on how to choose a pediatrician who is "foreskin-friendly".

    http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/DOC/faq.html

    Dr. Mark Reiss in Mothering Magazine
    https://www.mothering.com/drupal_snapshot/protect-your-uncircumcised-son-expert-medical-advice-parents

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  3. oh mama I think things happen for a reason... I am Latina and my uncle (intact) married a black lady, had 3 sons all intact, healthy and fine. They also had their own sons, all intact as well. My son is intact, unlike his father who was circumcised at birth (poor hubby) because of ignorance of his parents and blindly obeyed their doctor recommendations. My husband's father was intact so go figure, and guess what? my husband never knew about it until recently, because I asked my mother in law (my father in law passed away a few years ago). Fathers and sons don't talk about their penises or look at each other packages to compare. Just like I would not compare my daughter's little tits with mine. Doctors keep telling mothers to retract the foreskin which is a big no no, the foreskin is naturally fused to the glans and hormones will separate these structures until puberty just like the hymen in little girls. Retraction is a sexual mechanism and when someone (except the owner of the penis) retracts, this may cause scarring, lots of pain and major infections. Doctors recommend to retract because they only learn to cut it off in med school, Doctors recommend to amputate the foreskin because that's all they learned :( The natural/intact male body is healthy, it prevents pathogens, feces and urine to go into the urethra during infancy/diaper stage. The prepuce is also a very important organ for the adult male (and his partner) when they become sexually active. Cancer in the penis is just as rare as Breast cancer in MALES so imagine that. One in every 100 women suffer from breast cancer (VERY common) yet we are not removing breast buds of little girls to prevent it. See? Pls mama reconsider, your son is precious and perfect, why surgery? :(

    Watch this wonderful educational video featuring Dr. Dear Edell and other professionals discussing the circumcision decision: Click Here

    Blessings...

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  4. Some quick facts for you:

    1.Penile cancer is more rare than male breast cancer. Penile cancer is one of the rarest forms of cancer. Breast cancer in women on the other hand is very common, yet we don't go removing the breast buds of baby girls.

    2. Foreskin actually protects against UTI if cared for properly, meaning you never try to retract for any reason. Those fallacious studies that were done in the 80s compared intact (uncircumcised) premature babies to full-term circumcised babies. Premature babies have a significantly higher risk of UTI. Also the parents of those babies were instructed to retract for "cleaning" which tears the foreskin off the glans and introduces infection. Besides, the study only pertained to the first year of life. After the first year there was no significant difference. One thing you should know is that girls are 4-6 times more likely to get a UTI than an intact boy. The occurrence of UTI in boys, regardless of their circ status, is very rare.

    3. There are both protective and sexual functions of the foreskin. In childhood it protects the developing penis and keeps urine, feces and other pathogens from entering the urethra. In adulthood there are extensive sexual functions. This specialized tissue is packed with nerves (over 20,000), blood supply, muscle fibers, and cells similar to those found in the fingertips and lips. According to fine pressure studies and studies of the actual composition it is the most sensitive part of the entire penis. This composition allows the man to have more control during intercourse which is why intact men are less likely to suffer erectile dysfunction and premature ejaculatory dysfunction.

    4. No medical organization in the entire world recommends routine infant circumcision. In its 75 years of existence the AAP has never recommended circumcision.

    5. Circumcision permanently alters both the function and the appearance of a child's sex organ. Ethically speaking, doctors are not allowed to perform non-therapeutic operations on healthy children without medical necessity.

    6. The proper care of the intact penis is to leave it alone. Only clean what is seen. Never try to retract or allow a medical professional to retract a child's foreskin. Thousands of cases each year are reported where a doctor, ignorant to the development of the intact boy, has tried to retract a child's foreskin. This is a form of malpractice. Trying to retract a boy's foreskin is like trying to wash out a baby girl's vagina. It leads to tearing, scar tissue, introduces infection and can lead to some more serious complications.

    7. USA has the highest rate of STD/HIV transmission and is the only country that routinely circumcises. Circumcision might hide the symptoms of STD making circumcised men unaware that they have an STD and so they pass it to many partners. Also, studies report that circumcised men are less likely to use condoms, which is probably why the transmission rates are astronomical in the USA. Condom use is the only way to prevent against STD transmission.

    8. The circ rate in the US is currently 56% and falling. In some costal cities it is as low as 30%. Your son will be in good company in the locker room. Teaching him the value of his foreskin and the harms of circumcision is the best way to promote bodily integrity. Most intact children are appalled when they learn that some boys are circumcised, and feel sorry for those boys. As a side not my intact husband grew up in an era when the circ rate was much higher and never felt insecure about his body. Men love their foreskins especially as they mature sexually.

    Interested to learn more? Please check out my blog that discusses the top 12 myths about circumcision and the intact male. I have many resources there for you to explore.

    Please protect your dear son from the harms of circumcision. Give him the choice over the appearance and function of his most private area.

    Best Wishes and please read my blog post.

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  5. Thanks to all for your comments! This is indeed a thought provoking issue. I do believe I will rethink this.....All thoughts and opinions are valued and I appreciate all the time spent by all of you to post (even the snarky one!) The written word is indeed strong, a mother's love and wanting to do the best is always stronger. Again thanks for your passion and information. :)

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  6. You are welcome! I'm so happy that you'll consider giving your son this choice. Please let me know if you would like any more resources other than the ones I've provided on my blog. I'd be happy to email you a the full-text document that I created for expectant parents if you email me at latinalonestar@gmail.com

    Best Wishes,
    Jen

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  7. Michelle, I apologize again for my initial snarky comment I left you. I suppose I was just replying to your post with a little pent-up frustration.

    In any case, others have commented to you with more tact, and I appreciate that you have maintained an open mind, and intend to re-evaluate the situation. I do believe that the best solution for your desire to do the best thing is to not circumcise. Thank you, and good luck.

    Remember, don't prematurely retract! :p the foreskin is adhered to the head, and will separate on its own! Only after it naturally separates should the foreskin be pulled back. Just wash it like a finger. :p Do that, and you will probably avoid the infections that some boys deal with.

    ReplyDelete