My Fr Diary, 1993-2015

[TheRifleman]

During the 1980s, I had read two letters to Forum magazine, aka Penthouse Forum magazine, from men claiming to have restored their foreskins, using tape, and in one case, a "spring loaded clamp."

Twice during that decade I made some attempts at FR by taping, but stopped each time because I had been hurt once, and I did not want to be hurt again, by myself, rather than other people forcing mutilation on me.

In about 1990-1991, I read mainstream wire service newspaper reports and one story in The Nose, an alternative news magazine, about the FR efforts of R. Wayne Griffiths. But, I still did not know how to safely make a serious attempt at FR.

In May of 1993, I saw Dr. James Bigelow, on the cable TV show, Real Personal, plugging his book, Joy of, and since there was enough data on mens' experiences with do-it-yourself foreskin restoration, in a book, I decided to get the book, and make a serious effort at safely restoring my foreskin.

[TheRifleman]

I will now present entires from my FR diary, starting in may of 1993

1993

Friday, may 14-bought a roll of tape, and on Saturday, May 15, I applied a one inch width tape strap.

Friday, June 25-after wearing tape strap daily for six weeks, Left tape off for 8 weeks.

Thursday, August 19-Started holding the shaft skin over the glans by wrapping the shaft skin with Saran wrap, which gives it a good stretch.
I had not read about anyone else using this method before I decided to try it..

Thursday, September 23-Have been using Saran Wrap now for five weeks, and am beginning my sixth week of using this method. Continued with Saran Wrap through Saturday, December 4.

Sunday, December 5-Went back to a tape strap, from top to bottom.

1994

Saturday, January 1 - Sunday, January 9-Continued with tape strap.

Monday, January 10-First attempt at retaining with a tape ring. Dr. Bigelow described a tape ring made with a rubber band, which I was wary of using. This attempt failed, possibly because I was stretching the fauxskin over the glans and then applying the tape, rather than applying the tape with the fauxskin pulled backward toward the abdomen, then pushing it forward over the glans afterwards. It would still be awhile before I could successfully use a tape ring for retaining. using this second method of applying it.

Saturday, January 15-Back to tape strap, this time applied from side to side, left to right, rather than top to bottom.

Sunday, May 29-Added a weight, a small fishing sinker, to the tape strap.

Wednesday, November 16 - Second Skin cones arrived in the mail, and started using them, through Friday, December 23.

Saturday, December 24 - Sunday, December 31, took a break from FR efforts.

1995

Not sure when I resumed FR efforts. First entry for the year was

Tuesday, February 14 - Weighted tape strap, using Durapore tape.

Saturday, April 15 - Gave my brother, who also was subjected to the atrocities I was subjected to, a copy of Dr. Bigelow's Joy Of.

Tuesday - Wednesday, May 9-10 - Made a plastic expansion device with Friendly Plastic, as described in Dr. Bigelow's Joy Of - First use of Friendly plastic. Put the expansion device over my glans and held it in place with tape, and possibly Saran wrap. Memory and diary notes not specific on the details.

Friday, June 16 - Feel like no progress in the last 2 years.

Thursday, July 6 - Thursday, October 12 - No entries.

Friday, November 24 - after more taping, not sure of what methods, noticed smegma for first time. No more notes for 1995.

[TheRifleman]

Back to My Diary

1996

Friday, January 5 - Back to using Second Skin cones.

Saturday, January 27 - 2 weeks of using Second Skin cones, 23 / 7

Wednesday, April 3 - Tape ring worked, first time with rubber band. Right now, I have not been able to find the place in Joy Of, where Dr. Bigelow mentioned using a rubber band with a tape ring. Do not really see what purpose using a tape ring with a rubber band would serve.

Monday, April 8 - Firstime tape ring without rubber band - best results with tape ring.

Saturday, May 18 - Tape ring and Saran Wrap

Wednesday, May 29 - Back to Second Skin cones.

Wednesday - Thursday, June 5 - 6 - Painful urination, 102-103 degree fever, chills & sweat, after mowing back yard, with thick underbrush with gasoline powered lawn mower. My notes did not mention back pains, but I remember in 1978 or so, after using a garden plow on ground with a lot of tree roots, having back pains and painful urination, altho in that case, no fever, chills and sweat.

Friday, June 7 - 103.5 fever, left epididimus swollen and sore.

Monday - Tuesday, June 10 -11 - Fever about gone. I am mentioning the two episodes of possible strain of kidneys in 1989 and 1996, after having my back jerked around by a garden plow and lawn mower, in relation to doctors. I am not quick to go to doctors, and in those two cases, the painful urination and back pain went away, although if it had not, & my symptoms had become worse, I would have gone to a doctor.

In the early to mid 2000s, I was seeing a urologist, and told him about those two experiences, and he was not in the least bit interested, having no comments whatsoever. I also told him that during the 1980s, my left epididimus had been enlarged, to the point of being conspicuously visible, but had eventually shrunken down the point of not being noticeable.

In the early to mid 2000s episode, I had a good bit of painful urination that bothered me much more than those 2 earlier episodes, and went, in hindsight, through a lot of un-necessary tests, X-rays, and a bladder biopsy, which eventually resulted in a diagnosis of interstitial cystitis, an undefinable syndrome rather than a definable disease, with no known cause, treatment, or cure. I would say that the symptoms that finally caused me to see the urologist were 90% brought on by a lot of worry about my health.

And, I am glad I did not go to a urologist or other doctor when my left epididiums had been enlarged in the 1980s, because I might have been put through no telling what kind of un-necessary, horrible tests and treatments twenty years earlier.

Saturday, June 15 - Back to Second Skin cones, fauxskin held in place over them by Elastoplast tape, first use of that tape.

Tuesday, July 23 - Tape ring use is much improved.

Monday, September 9 - Back to Cacausian skin colored 1 / 4 inch Micropore tape ring, starting a new roll.

Tuesday, December 31 - Wore Second Skin cones 2 days last week.

[TheRifleman]

Right now, I am not sure if I'll continue posting my diaries of past years' FR efforts or not.

What I am now doing is reporting on the Present.

My last entry in my logbook was early December of last year, a brief manual workout after tapering off a bit on my tugging.

I think that having no heat during some very cold winter weather was one thing that temporarily killed my FR enthusiasm, but now that the weather is warming up, the desire to renew my FR efforts is coming back.

Yesterday, I put on a 1/4 inch tape ring, the mainstay of my FR efforts for many years. The last one I put on was 1/2 inch, and seemed to work OK, and possibly have some advantages over the 1/4 inch tape ring, but left a lot more tape residue after taking it off.

Today, the tape ring is still in place, and I do not know when I will take it off.

As I have repeatedly reported in the past, I am hoping to use a method where I can do tugging with the TLC while the retaining tape ring is still in place.

Another bothersome task that I loath having to do is the need to shave off hairs on my shaft skin.

I am hoping that with the warmer weather, that my FR enthusiasm will return in full force.

[TheRifleman]

My renewed enthusiasm for FR has continued, with my wearing the 1/4 inch retaining tape rng 24/7 since my last post here. Yesterday, after a week of using the smallest diameter, no length TLC pushed inside of the retained fauxskin, and with a weight attatched, for hours daily, I finally took off the retaining tape ring and put a larger around and fairly long TLC P***** (trying to avoid any problems from that spam post), along with a weight, with good results. Also, I am hoping to finally get started with photographically documenting my progress.

Because of this new enthusuiasm, I will update my daily logs of the past 23 years of my FR efforts, in the hope that any old members from the old board, and any new members might benefit from it.

[TheRifleman]

1997

This year, I continued the use of the tape ring for retaining, putting things into it for more skin expansion.

Wednesday, February 19 - Put wadded up Kleenex tissues into retained with tape ring fauxskin.

Thursday, February 20 - Used cotton balls in retained with tape ring fauxskin.

Friday, July 4 - First T-Tape, continued with T-Tape, off and on, through end of year.

Wednesday, December 31 - Still T-Taping.

[TheRifleman]

1998

Thursday, January 1-Saturday, January 3-New, cloth T-Tape. By this time, Micropore paper tape, 1/4 inch, Caucasian skin color tape was my preferred tape for a retaining tape ring. So, if anytime from here forward, you read of my using a cloth tape, you will know that my supply of Micropore 1/4 inch paper tape had run out.

Sunday, January 18-Used tape ring just about every day since January 4. This morning, glans about covered without tape ring, after being cold outdoors, glans one half covered indoors.

Wednesday, February 25-Second week with no tape at all, and about one half glans coverage.

Monday, March 2-back to tape ring and cotton balls inside fauxskin for skin expansion.

Monday, May 4-First T-Tape since January.

Tuesday, May 12-T-Tape continued, holding well, but shaft skin still sore all around.

Thursday, May 14-Tape ring and cotton balls.

Monday, July 13-Have left tape ring off several days to one week. Now back to Saran wrap.

Wednesday-Thursday, July 15-16-Used Handiwrap, cling wrap, another brand name for a Saran wrap type of rolled clear plastic food covering.

Tuesday, September 15-Back to tape ring, after more than one mongth or so off. Worry about needing hernia repair surgery overshadowed taping. Now doing manual stretching.

Tuesday, October 27-Started back with tape ring, after no tape at all since at least October 1 appointment with surgeon about hernia repair surgery.

Wednesday, November 4-Tape ring back on after leaving off for one day, due to irritation. Tape ring put on today still on Sunday, November 8.

Thursday, December 10-Applied tape ring two days following hernia surgery. Took off due to bruising of shaft skin

[TheRifleman]

1999

Sunday, January 17 - Started back using 1 / 4 inch Micropore tape ring.

Tuesday, February 2-Used Saran wrap past week.

Wednesday, February 10-Back to tape ring with one cotton ball inside the fauxskin. I may have pushed the cotton balls into my fauxskin with my index finger, but of course, I had to use tweezers to take the cotton balls out for urination purposes.

Monday, February 22 thru Saturday, March 13, cloth tape ring, with chafing.

Monday, April 19-T-tape. Took off tape ring because of too much chafing.

Saturday, May 8 thru Sunday, May 9-Tried O-Rings, which did stay on;

Tuesday, May 11-Woke up during night with an erection with the O-Ring too tight behind the glans, so took the 0-Ring off.

August-Back to tape ring.

Wednesday, September 8 thru Thursday, September 9-Cloth, 1/4 inch tape ring. Micropore paper tape ran out.

Wednesday, November 24-Resumed using tape ring. Tore 1 inch white cloth tape into 1/4 inch strip and used cotton balls for expansion.

Monday-Tuesday, November 29-30-Back to Saran wrap.

Saturday, December 18 - Friday, December 24-Saran wrap continued.

Saturday-Sunday, December 25-26-Left off Saran wrap, because glans was red.

Wednesday, December 29-Used Saran wrap 1 / 2 of the day.

Thursday, December 30 - Tape ring with new roll of 1 / 4 inch Micropore paper tape. Last entry until Tuesday, June 6, 2000

[TheRifleman]

2000

Tuesday, June 6 -That day's entry said that I shaved some pubic hair to keep it from sticking to the tape I was applying.

Monday, September 18-Did some more shaving, and put on a tape ring.

Tuesday, October 24-Went back to Saran wrap.

Friday, November 3-Saran wrap.

Friday-Saturday, November 10-11-Cotninued using Saran wrap most of the time, sometimes a good stretch, and other times, no.

Monday, November 13-Left off Saran wrap because of slight irritation.

Tuesday, November 14-Applied Saran wrap and continued using it through Wednesday, December 13. On that day, I left off the Saran wrap due to redness on shaft skin.

LAST ENTRY UNTIL FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 2001

[TheRifleman]

2001

Friday, April 6-Used 1 / 2 inch cloth tape strap.

Friday, April 13-Tape strap continued, with first weight used in awhile.

Sunday, April 15-Did manual stretching exercises with tape strap on. Early Sunday afternoon, used a weight with the tape strap.

Wednesday, April 25-Left off tape strap. Discouraged by lack of results. Put on T-Tape, first time in a good while.

I am not certain now if this was the last time I used a T-Tape until Fall-Winter of 2011-2012, or not. I do know that I was dis-satisfied with the T-Tape that went all around the shaft skin, because the skin was pinched a lot, and also because it required an erection to put on, and I did not have and have never had the ability to simply have an erection any time that I want to.

I had seen the T-Tape applied in videos, both by Evans Industries, and by the late John Erickson, a pioneer Intactivist from Biloxi Mississippi, so I was well indoctrinated in putting a T-Tape all around the shaft of the penis in one single piece of tape, and an erection being needed to do this.

Prior to my last tape ring before Fall-Winter of 2011-2012, I did a bit of experimenting with using several T-Tapes side by side around the penis, to avoid the pinching and also without an erection, similar to Gregg's T-Tape method.

At that time I was not in contact with anyone using what is today known as Gregg's T-Tape method, and not having anyone else with experience with this type of T-Taping to compare notes with, just gave up on T-Taping altogether.

Monday, April 30-Put on tape ring.

Tuesday, November 27-Put on first tape ring in some time.

Thursday, November 29-Tape ring still on, but started loosening on botton. LAST ENTRY UNTIL BOOK #2, MONDAY, MAY 6, 2002

[TheRifleman]

2002

Monday, May 6-Tape ring.

Saturday, May 18-Thursday, May, 23-Tape ring.

Saturday, June 15 - Back to tape strap. New type of tape strap.

Monday, June 24 -Tape ring.

Saturday, June 29-Tape strap with new soft tape.

Sunday, June 30-New tape ring.

July-Tape ring continued.

Sunday, July14-Put on last of Elastoplast tape.

Monday, July 15-Took off Elastoplast tape.

Wednesday, July 17-No taping, glans is bare and uncovered.

LAST ENTRY UNTIL FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2004

[TheRifleman]

2004

Friday, July 2 - First tape ring in a long time.

Friday, July 9 - Tape ring from Friday of last week still on, despite daily
showering. Longest ever kept a tape ring on. Tape ring finally starting to
loosen.

Saturday, July 10 - Sunday, July 11 - late PM - early AM, took tape ring off.

Monday, July 12 - Late AM to early PM - Put a new tape ring on, but had some
bad irritation and redness. Took this new tape ring off during a very hard
erection.

Thursday, July 15 - Put on a new tape ring.

Sunday - Monday, July 18 - Took off tape ring and put on a tape strap.

Friday, July - 23 - No irritation of shaft skin, but glans red. Bad setback.

Monday, July 26 - First shower in two weeks. Put on new tape ring. Held it
forward by hand during erections. Had been using a tape strap for this
situation.

Saturday, July 31 - Tape ring of July 26 still on still on. Took it off and put
a new one on.

Tuesday, August 3 - Thursday, August 5 - Took off tape ring.

Wednesday - Friday, August 11 - 13 - used Saran Wrap. Red urethral maetus.

After those final entries of 2004, I began pulling my shaft skin forward over my
glans, and holding it in place by wearing tight brief underwear. Later in 2004,
I switched to boxers so I had no glans coverage in the later part of that year.


LAST ENTRY UNTIL THURSDAY, MAY 5, 2005

[TheRifleman]

2005
Thursday, May 5 - Put on first tape ring in a long time. Slight chafing, but
not enough to take off.

Question of whether dampness in boxers due to sweat or dribbling of urine. Put
toilet tussue into retained fauxskin after drying the glans, and when I later
took it out, and it was dry, I decided dampness of the boxers was due to sweat.

Left the tape ring on a few days, after which glans was red and right side of
shaft was chafed, so I took it off.

Thursday, June 30 - Tried a Band - Aid for retaining, and it didn't work.

Sunday, July 3 - Redness after using a white cloth tape ring.

Friday, July 8 - Back to using Micropore 1 / 4 inch tape for a tape ring.

Tuesday July 12 - Small sore spot from tape ring, but not bad enough to take it
off.

Thursday, July 21 - New tape ring with new roll of 1 / 4 inch Micropore tape,
combined with a tape strap, from top to bottom, used over tape guards.

The tape guard was a device mentioned by Dr. James Bigelow, in Joy Of, Chapter
15, number 3 of the Three Basic Taping Methods, First and Second editions. It
is a method for men whose penile shaft skin is too sensitive for taking the tape
off repeatedly during the day. First, a sape is applied to the shaft skin, then
the tape used for tensioning the skin is applied over the tape guard, so when
the tape is taken off for any reason numerous times during a day, the tape that
is actually on the penile skin itself is not irritated.

It seemed to me, that the sticking of the tape to the tape guard was not strong
enouigh for the tension that I wanted on the shaft skin, so I have not used the
tape guard too much. In the future, if I go back to tape, I might try the tape
guard again, and see if by using different types of tape, I could both keep my
shaft skin from being irritated and also get a good sticking of the tape used
for tension, to the tape guard.

Saturday, July 23 - Sunday, July 24 - Tape ring and tape strap loosened with no
irritation. Took them off, after a very good stretch over the past two days.

Wednesday, July 27 - Tried a 1 / 8 inch tape ring, and it doesn't work. Need a
1 / 4 inch tape ring to stick good.

August - Continued with the tape ring, and tape strap.

Wednesday - Thursday, August 10 - 11 - Used Saran Wrap.

Monday, September 5 - Tape ring, continued.

LAST ENTRY UNTIL THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 2006

[TheRifleman]

2006

Monday, June 19 - Put on a tape ring.

Monday, June 26 - Tape ring applied on Monday, June 19 started to loosen, after
6 - 7 days with no fauxskin retraction. Took the tape ring off on Monday, June
26.

Wednesday, June 28 - Put new tape ring on.

Friday, June 30 - Tape ring of Wednesday started loosening.

Saturday, July 1 - Glans still covered and moist despite loosening of
Wednesday's tape ring. After 11 AM shower, took off that tape ring, and put on
a new one.

Saturday, July 8 - Redness and irritation on top.

Sunday - Tuesday, July 9 - 11 - kept glans covered with tight briefs holding the
fauxskin in place over the glans.

Tuesday, July 11 - Put on a tape ring.

Saturday, July 15, - Took off tape ring of Tuesday. No redness or soreness.

July - August - Continued with tape ring.

Monday, August 14 - New tape ring. First since taking off the one from
Wednesday of last week (2 chafed spots now healed). Wore the tape ring put on
today until Friday, August 18

Thursday, August 31 - Tape ring came off after 1 week or longer. No problems.

September - Continued with a tape ring.

Thursday, September 7 - Thursday, September 14 - Longest time glans covered in a
long time.

Friday, September 15 - tape ring back on until Saturday, September 23, then took
it off.

Saturday, September 23 - Reapplied a tape ring, keeping this one on until
Saturday, September 30.

October - Continued with tape ring.

Saturday, October 21 - Put tape ring on until Saturday, October 28, when I took
it off.

Monday, October 30 - Tape still off.

Monday, November 6 - Tuesday, November 7, tape ring loose, took off, but no
chafing.

Sunday, November 12 - Reapplied tape ring until Tuesday, November 14.

Thursday, November 16 - used tight briefs to hold fauxskin in place over the
glans.

Tuesday, November 21 - Saw the urologist. Had discussed with one of my
Intactivist friends about whether I should wear the tape ring when seeinig the
urologist. He said I should, because urologists need to be educated about FR.

I decided that I wasn't quite ready to try to educate doctors. Eight years
earlier, when seeing the surgeon about having the hernia repair surgery, I made
the same decision and didn't wear the tape ring for his examination.

The night before seeing the Urologist, I took off my tape ring, and that
morning, pulled my fauxskin forward over my glans, and put on my tight briefs to
hold it in place. When I pulled down my briefs for his examination, the skin
was still in place, and he retracted it.

There is no way he could have mistaken me for being intact, as some members here
on the Forum have reported of their experiences with doctors. Maybe I should
have told him: "Hey, Buster! You leave my fauxskin alone! If you want to
examine my glans, you ask me to retract it myself!"

No, I didn't say that to him. But, before pulling up my briefs after his exam,
I pulled my fauxskin back over the glans, making sure that he saw me doing it.

Sunday - Monday, December 3 - 4 - Put on another tape ring, first time in approx
three weeks, during which time I continued using tight briefs to hold my
fauxskin in place over the glans.

Sunday, December 10 - The last tape ring finally came off on its own after more
than one week.

Tuesday, December 12 - Put on another tape ring for ten days., taking it off on
Saturday, December 23.

Thursday, December 28 - Tape still off.

Friday, December 29 - Put tape ring back on.

[TheRifleman]

2007-Part 01

The 2007 diary is so long that I am breaking it down into 2 parts

2007

Friday, January 5 - Tape ring applied one week ago, finally loosened, so I took
it off.

Saturday, January 6 - Decided that the tight briefs were no longer working to
hold my fauxskin in place over my glans.

Tuesday, January 16 - Put on another tape ring. This one still hadn't loosened
on Monday, January 22.

Monday, January 29 - Finally took off the tape ring applied almost two weeks
ago, with no irritation.

Saturday, February 3 - Still not re-taped.

Sunday, February 4 - Re-applied tape ring.

Monday, February 12 - Took off tape ring applied eight days ago.

Wednesday, February 21 - Still not re taped.

Thursday, February 22 - Re-applied tape ring. Good taping.

Monday, February 26 - Tape ring was loose on top, rather than usual bottom.
Took off with no irritation.

Tuesday, February 27 - Still not re-taped, but stretch seemed better this time.
Fauxskin stayed in place better with no tape.

Later in the day, put on a new tape ring, until Monday, March 5. During this
time, did have some chafing from the tape.

Monday, March 5 - Took off tape ring applied a week ago, then put on a new tape
ring.

Friday, March 9 - Took off last tape ring after wearing it four days and applied
a new one.

Sunday, March 11 - Some irritation from tape ring applied Friday of last week,
but not enough to take it off.

Thursday, March 15 - Took off last tape ring with no irritation.

Tuesday, March 20 - Put on a new tape ring, slight pinching.

Sunday, march 25 - Took last tape ring off, no irritation Put a new tape ring
on.

Tuesday, March 27-Took off tape ring applied two days ago.

Wednesday, March 28 - Put a new tape ring on.

Wednesday, April 4 - No chafing from tape ring applied one week ago. Took off
that tape ring today and left it on until Thursday, April 12.

Thursday, April 12 - Took off tape ring applied on Wednesday, April 4, no
chafing from tape ring worn past week.

Saturday, April 14 - Not re-taped yet.

Sunday, April 15 - Put on a new tape ring.

Monday, April 16-Sunday, April 22 - Left tape ring on, with no chafing. Small,
pearly drops of smegma.

Monday, April 23 - Took tape ring off.

Wednesday, April 25 - Put on a new tape ring.

Sunday, April 29 - Tape ring started coming off. Redness of glans and shaft
skin, gone by Tuesday, May 1. Did not re-tape until Monday, May 7.

Monday, May 7 - Applied a new tape ring.

Sunday, May 13 - Tape ring loosening.

Monday, May 14 - Good taping for past week, despite loosening of the tape. Lots
of small globs of good smelling smegma.

Took the loosened tape ring off, and left it off until until early morning of
Saturday, May 19, when I took it off.

Monday, May 21 - Put a new tape ring on. Good taping. Loosened up by Saturday,
May 26. Good smegma.
Took tape ring off, and used tight briefs to hold fauxskin in place over glans
on Sat - Sun, May 26 - 27.

Monday, May 28 - Put on a new tape ring until Monday, June 4, No chafing from
tape ring. Took it off, and put on a new one.

Monday, June 4 - No chafing from last tape ring applied a week ago. Took it
off, and put on a new one.

Tuesday, June 12 - Red irritation on glans. Took off last tape ring.
Irritation cleared up after using anti-bacterial ointment. Did not re-tape
until Tuesday, June 19.

Wednesday, June 27 - Took off the last tape ring. Glans and the smegma on it
dried out, Had smegma but did not wash it off.

Thursday, June 28 - AM - put on a new tape ring. Glans and the smegma became
moist again within a short time. This newly applied tape ring became loose and
pulled off on the top.