[ ARC forum 2 ]
Written by Paul B. at 07 Jan 2003 11:30:18: Competence
As an answer to: Cream written by Mark at 06 Jan 2003 23:26:46:
I think you just have to reconcile yourself to the fact that doctors are not all of equal skill and expertise - also that they are actually not often consulted regarding foreskin problems. Certainly, they are usually "rugged individualists" and their certainty in asserting their opinion is just as often inversely proportional to their expertise in the matter (that is to say, like many other people, they may become very "definite" purely in order to conceal a lack of knowledge).
In this case, that is evidenced by your doctor's referral to a circumcision "specialist" - it is much easier than an intelligent discussion if he does not understand the situation in the first place.
If he is unaware of the use of betamethasone (ointment is preferred) to assist foreskin retraction, then he is most certainly demonstrating his ignorance on this matter, and you may feel quite comfortable about ignoring his advice and his referral. Just don't make an appointment or go to see the specialist - but to be courteous, if you have made an appointment, ring and cancel it.
Now as Jim mentions, the ointment does require a prescription, but your situation - the foreskin will actually retract but is painful - is readily managed without the ointment. On the other hand it might make it easier.
In the simplest terms, you just keep on retracting it, again and again, until it stretches. It probably will however be more comfortable to get two (little) finger-tips inside the foreskin (erection not necessary for this) and pull them apart firmly, but not deliberately painfully, to stretch it. You will get much more stretching from this than by stretching over the erect glans, because your fingers are stronger and as you stretch, you stretch toward an "over-" size.