[ ARC forum 2 ]

Amputations for foot fungus!

Written by Paul B. at 06 Sep 2001 13:53:27:

As an answer to: Surgery written by Artie at 06 Sep 2001 09:30:21:

> Indeed, there are possible solutions to some conditions that do not involve surgery.

My! Are you by some chance a politician? Or sell real estate or used cars? Such a disdain for clear and truthful speech suits well in those professions, most would agree.

Your comment is correct, but by no means truthful - it applies to something quite different to the matter under discussion. In regard to circumcision, the truth is that there are more appropriate approaches than surgery, which in turn should be considered a last resort as it is for virtually all other medical problems. There are some problems for which there are no other effective treatments, but circumcision is not one of these. That is the truth, and not to state it would indeed be immoral.

> My point is that surgery is a viable and neccessary option in lots of cases.

My point is that it is necessary in very few cases, and of these, circumcision as against a fraenuloplasty is necessary in far fewer still. The viability of surgery is purely that it is a "quick fix", certainly from the surgeon's point of view. The alternative is time consuming for the patient, but requires virtually no input from the doctor/ surgeon and thus, no payment to him. This should be pretty self-evident.

> It is not overly-constructive to present routine surgery as a taboo subject.

"Routine" surgery? Only in America and a few other administrations of Anglo-Saxon descent can circumcision be considered a "routine" experience for the "man in the street" - by world standards, all your implications about circumcision are an aberration.

If however you confuse the term with "non-emergency" surgery, then certainly it should not be a taboo subject. There is nothing whatsoever wrong with discussing it as long as the salient point is emphasised - it is rarely if ever necessary. There must be no taboo about pointing that out, and indeed, that is why I and others continue to state that most important consideration here as often as necessary.

Sure, it sounds to me, and to Jim, and to Jim22, like you made a dodgy decision to go for a full circumcision. Good luck to you. You're wearing it! I can see that you're still anxious about having made that decision - why else would you start complaining about people who point out the obvious bad points of that decision?

Obviously, it would be much more comfortable to think that there were no questions about what you chose, but that just isn't the truth and yes, we are moral, and consider the truth more important than your comfort. That's just how it has to be.

Perhaps you'd better stop monitoring this forum, have a few beers instead, and in a few weeks or months you'll have forgotten all about it and can be comfortable with yourself. It works for most people!


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