Nel's Implant Story

Nels sent this to me and gave me permission to add it to his story.

Good morning Bob,

I thought I would send you an update. It's been over nine weeks since my surgery and I am one happy camper. I am now totally comfortable and happy with my new, improved penis. My wife, a school teacher, was off last week for spring break and we found plenty of time to put the implant to good use. She and I are totally amazed at how natural and good it feels. Inflating is not anything that spoils the spontaneity. And it's great what it has done for my self confidence! I am more self confident in the sack than I have ever been, even when I was young. It's unbelievable what a cock that will never go soft until you want it to will do for your self esteem!

To any guys that are trying to make that very tough decision, I say "Do it now, don't waste all these good years!".

Nels



Hi All

Today I would like to introduce you to a new contributor to the Penile Implant blog. This gentlemen's name is Nel's and he to has had Juvenile Diabetes, Type 1 like yours truely for many years. Diabetes is one of the leading contributors for men to develop ED. As Nel's would also tell you, Type 1 Diabetes is a child's up to a young adults disease and can be very difficult to control and can cause ED to men in their 30's and 40's if they are not careful. So here is Nel's story about his experiences from having implant surgery along with some excellent pictures. Nel's, thank you for this very excellent contribution to this blog.

Nels’s Story
I am a 67 year old type 1 diabetic. I have been diabetic for43 years and have suffered from ED for the last 15 years. I have tried all of the usual therapies, including Caverject, Muse, trimix, bimix, Viagara, Cialis, Levitra and vacuum erection devices. The only reliable erections are from the vacuum devices, but these things are clumsy, uncomfortable, and far from spontaneous. I have finally reached the decision to proceed with a penile implant and am scheduled for surgery tomorrow, on Valentines Day. How fitting! I was able to reach this decision thanks to the wonderful information contained in Bob's blogsite. Without this, I don’t think I could have found the courage to proceed.

Since this blogsite has been so very important to me, I intend to document my experiences in text and pictures in order to help other men decide if this is for them. So here goes:

Pre Op Pictures
This is me flaccid before surgery Me again, erect (with vacuum device)
I will continue to post updates as my recovery and healing progresses.
Day of Surgery--Valentines Day 2008
I was admitted to the University of Rochester (NY) Surgical Center at 8:00 AM. After exams and consults with my doctor, Dr. Robert Davis, and various members of the medical team, I was wheeled into the operating room at 10:00 AM. An IV dose of Versed put me immediately at ease and the next thing I knew it was 1:30 PM and the operation and recovery room were behind me. I felt as if I had been kicked in the testicles by a very large horse, but pain meds administered through my IV soon calmed that down. A very capable and friendly nurse spent time giving my wife and I instructions prior to discharge. I was to be sent home with a catheter, which is a safety measure to insure that urine will flow the next day, so my wife was given detailed instructions on how to remove it. I was discharged and on my way home by 4:00 PM.

By supper time, I had a healthy appetite and enjoyed a delicious dinner of homemade chicken soup. My main discomfort was from the catheter, and two Percocet every four hours kept most of the pain at bay (better living through chemistry!). I rested easily and slept well, awaking about 4:00 AM for another dose of Percocet, as instructed.

Day Two
I awoke the next morning feeling fairly comfortable. The major discomfort was from the catheter, making my penis sore and making me feel as if I needed to pee. Of course my bladder was empty due to the catheter. I took two Percocet and waited about an hour for them to kick in, then had my wife remove the catheter. She did an excellent job and I only felt a little burning sensation during the removal. I immediately felt much better and able to move about more easily while not having to constantly carry the bag.

My pain and discomfort was much less than I expected. My penis is swollen somewhat and feels like a semi-erection and my testicles feel like two purple grapefruits, as Bob has described. They get sore and achy as I approach the time for my next dose of meds. I am now taking one Percocet every four hours instead of two. Overall I am glad the procedure is behind me and am anxiously looking forward to our six week “test drive”.

Day Three My swelling has increased, but is still bearable, thanks to the Percocet. Sitting is problematic, due to the size of my scrotum. Who ever said big balls were a good thing! An unexpected side effect has cropped up. My penis is quite swollen, causing the opening to my urethra to point in an unexpected direction, resulting in an unreliable direction of my urine flow. This can be very messy! An easy solution was to stand in front of the toilet using a urinal, which eliminated the errant flow, making my wife happy (but not as happy as she will be in six weeks!).

My pictures show an uneven swelling of my foreskin. This was a result of an earlier misplaced injection of Bimix, resulting in a swollen foreskin, but no erection. Instant foreskin restoration! This will return to a more normal look as my penis swelling goes down.
Day FiveAs my pictures show, things are slowly returning to normal. Sitting is still a problem. I find sitting forward on the edge of the chair is a partial solution, coupled with standing frequently to relieve the pressure on my testicles. My penis is less swollen, permitting me to pee without redecorating the bathroom walls. I have discontinued the use of narcotic pain killers. I am well on the way to recovery.
Day Eight
Today I had my first post-op doctor visit. He examined my genitals and found that all is healing nicely. Still some swelling, but he said that there will probably be some even at six weeks. He then pumped me up and deflated it. This hurt like hell because my testicles and scrotum are still very tender. Luckily I had the foresight to tack a Percocet prior to the visit. The pain subsided fairly quickly.
Two Weeks Post-Op
After two weeks, I am much more comfortable. The swelling has gone down a lot. Sitting is much easier, without the feeling that I am sitting right ion my testicles. My penis is les swollen and has a nice full felling due to the tubes inside. It will never shrink again on cold days, making it much more accessible when urinating. No more reaching inside my fly for a cold, shriveled penis! Due to the fullness, my wife tells me that I have a very nice “package”! My next doctor visit is at 5 weeks, when he will teach me how to inflate and deflate the implant. Then at week six, we can go for a “test drive”. I am so looking forward to this! As shown in the pictures, the stitches are almost dissolved.

4 Weeks Post-op
Four weeks and counting! At this point I am feeling almost back to normal. The swelling in my penis and scrotum has gone down considerably. My penis is still very firm to the touch due to the tubes (and probably always will be), but I no longer feel like I’m walking around with a perpetual hard-on. This firmness is rather pleasant and gives me a nice “package”! My testicles feel much more comfortable. I can sit without feeling that they are being squashed. The pump hangs low and I can feel it pressing from the inside of my scrotum, but its not uncomfortable. It is only visible if one looks closely. (My wife now calls me “ET, The Extra Testicle”!)

One problem that I have experienced was that with the penile swelling and tenderness, T found it difficult to expel the last few drops of urine after urinating. This made the wearing of underwear 24/7 a must. This no longer seems to be a problem.
Overall, I feel that the healing process has progressed quite well. I go back to the Doctor at week 5 for instruction and training on the operation of this thing. I can’t wait to see what it will look like hard. And after that, my much anticipated “test drive”.

6 Weeks Post-op
Flaccid at 6 Weeks Post-op

Erect at Week 6

I went back to my doctor at 5 weeks for a check up and instructions on inflating and deflating the implant. The healing process has come along very nicely. Inflating and deflating is no problem but the bulb on the pump is stiffer than I thought it would be. I have been pumping it up daily to aid in becoming more comfortable with it and find that the pump is getting easier to use. Deflating is no problem. The release valve is easy to locate and press.

Now for the great news. The doctor gave me the OK for intercourse. Naturally, we hurried home for that long awaited test drive. My erection, when fully pumped up, was nice and firm and at a ninety degree angle. My “angle of the dangle” hasn’t been that good since I was in my twenties! It felt very natural and once we started to make love, it made the surgery well worth while. Wow! We tried many positions and that first time lasted for almost an hour! Since then, we have loved the spontaneity that this provides. Sex is now enjoyable any time, anywhere we want. I only wish I had done this fifteen years ago. Penile implants are considered to be the last resort in treatment of ED. This means that all other methods should be tried first, but please don’t consider this to mean you should wait forever before making the decision to undergo surgery. I was told by a urologist ten years ago that an implant was the way to go, but waited until now to have it done. I should have listened back then!
As for loss of length, I measured 5 ¾ inches when pumped up hard using a vacuum erection device. My wife says that when pumped up that hard, it was actually too big and firm and was not a natural feeling erection. I am now 5 ½ inches when inflated and she is much more comfortable with this. As for me, I am very satisfied