I have debated whether or not to do this and have decided it may help others who are recovering. I am sending you my "results so far" pix in hopes that they encourage others.
Perhaps it would be helpful to mention that I started with tape and the foreballs and went with that for a couple of years, getting from my initial CI-1 to about a CI-3 or 4. I started again about 2 years ago after a break of 3 years and I have been using the trombone mouthpiece device with the elastic or tape, and occasionally the foreballs retained with a larger O ring. I rarely use the foreballs now because I have to take them off to urinate since it has no passage. Using the O ring is better as I don't have to peel tape to pee. I found this hard on the skin.
This is the first batch. "Device" shows the modified trombone mouthpiece I now use. The sharpest edges of the outer lip have been ground off, and it has been re-plated with nickel. Some may find nickel produces allergies and may need to use silver or gold plating.
There is also the giant elastic band I use to hold it when I am not using 3M Micropore tape.
I wear the device as pictured with jockeys as they hold the scrotum and concentrate the pull on the shaft. At least that is my belief.
I have also been doing manual tugging lately as a break. I tug at night
for 15 to 30 min and retain 24-7 with an O ring. Sometimes now at night
the O ring comes off, but jockey shorts give enough support to keep
coverage! I never wake up uncovered any more. This may be the reason
I am now getting more sensitivity; the 24-7 coverage that prevents drying
out. When I tape I use 3-M Micropore paper as it is available here and
the easiest on the skin I have found and holds well.
And one retaining with an "0" ring
from 24-7 staying covered. Last year the colour of the glans was more
grey and the texture far rougher. I have more sensation too with the
mucosa becoming more moist and less keratinized.
I started out as a CI-1 - I am now a CI-6 or CI-7. This is encouraging as it looks like I am MORE than half-way to my goal of a CI-9. It looks to me though that to get to a 9 type full hard coverage I will need to almost double what I have gotten so far. This is going by how fully and quickly I retract when hard, and how I have to pull to cover.
OTOH, I was nowhere near being able to hard cover when I started.
October 2007
Here is my current progress.
I am a definite CI-7 now soft. I have pretty much full coverage, almost a CI-8. I have been using manual stretching mostly, for about a half hour every night. I took the long weekend off, but have been quite consistent.
Sometimes I get a bit more, and rarely less, but usually 30 mins. Hard
coverage still lags, and is about a CI-6.
March 08
Here are 2 pixs of my unmodified trombone mouthpiece in use.
I am wearing it right now and just took these pictures. The retaining strap is a wide elastic band used to bundle vegetables in the grocery. I think it was around a bundle of broccoli. This is what I currently use when walking around. It is easy on and easy off and requires no tape.
I no longer use the modified mouthpiece I showed you before because the silver wore off. This is working well with no reaction and no complications. Along with the manual tugging, this is my current program.
Now that it is warming up and I no longer have to wear long underwear, I can let this thing hang free in my boxers during the day for several hours?