Let’s change the scenario slightly. Assume that you go into the hospital for whatever reason, and your doctor discovers you have such pervasive cancer of the penis that the whole thing’s gotta go or you’re a goner–but, unlike in the Kentucky case, does not do so immediately and without getting your explicit consent. Rather, your doctor informs and and gives you time to get a second and third opinion. The second opinion agrees that the penis must be removed post haste; the third thinks it should hvae been done yesterday.
I think that unless the procedure is something like brain surgery where a bleeder pops and it has to be dealt with immediately so a tiny part of the brain has to be damaged to seal the bleeder off give the poor guy the choice. I know it may go against your morals to let someone die when a single procedure can cure the problem, but your morals may not be his morals. As memory points out, a simple toe being amputated would probably have extended Bob Marley’s life for several years, he chose to not have it removed and he died. Much as I would like to have had more years of Bob Marley music, it was his choice.
I’m not interesting in talking about whether the doctors in the Kentucky case should have done what they did; there’s at least two threads already discussing that. I asked if any man on the board, faced with that dilemma and the time to think about it, would choose death.
I voted cut the sucker off. I mean, I like sex and I like peeing sans catheter, but I want to live even more.
I’d miss ole John Henry, but face it - with modern reconstructive and trans-gender surgery, he can be replaced.
“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him. We have the technology. We have the capability to build the world’s first bionic dong. John Henry II will be that dong. Better than he was before. Better…stronger…Harder.”
I voted the second option, though it’s not quite precisely correct. I would opt for the phallectomy, and wouldn’t need any time for the decision itself. But I would need time for various other preparations. In particular, I’d want to build up a decent-sized supply of banked sperm (which could be extracted sans penis, but with considerably more difficulty and discomfort).
Better yet, of course, would be proper hygienic maintenance before-hand, to ensure that it would never be necessary.
Rhymer Rules require that I say something vicious and cruel and vaguely homophobic about men who name their penii, but if I do so I can’t reasonably use the construction penii in the same sentence, and on balance that’s most important. If you guys could pretend I insulted y’all so blatantly you considered punching me in the schnozz, that would be great.
I would try to incorperate the procedure with a sex change. I know the sex change operation involves the penis in some way but at least give it a shot. I am not fem at all but i might as well at lest find a way to feel and act on my sexual desires. I am a a bit versital bi. I would give being a woman a shot. If I dont like it no big deal. I still dont have a penis.
I don’t think that’s going to happen. I seem to recall that gender reassignment surgery involves a great dealof psychological counseling beforehand (though I’m not going to look for a cite just now; maybe manana). Also the new vagina is constructed largely from the tissue of the former penis (all those nerve endings, don’t you know), which is problematic when said penis is cancerous.
ETA: Also, I seriously doubt the oncologist or surgeon performing this procedure is qualified to do gender reassignment. And remember, all three of the physicians you’ve consulted agree the surgery needs to be done quickly, and one thinks it is already overdue.
It IS possible to do a vaginal reconstruction without the use of penile tissue (it has been done for women who lost their vaginas for one reason or another, and it wouldn’t surprise me to hear of it in at least a few sex-change cases even if that’s NOT standard practice). There are issues with it, and it’s not always successful, but it’s certainly possible.
However, I think the docs involved in dealing with the cancer would say let’s deal with the cancer first and talk about reconstruction of any sort later, after you’re healed up a bit and have some time to think that over.
Besides, there’s more to a sex change than making and outie into an innie, or vice versa.
