Dale's Unhappy

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My name is Dale and I'm a 53 yr old cancer victim. I had a radical robotic prosectamy done in Feb. 05. After waiting a year for a hint of my normal self I resorted to pumps, pills etc.. no luck. The pump brought him to life but the rings wouldn't keep him there. After a year or so of this I found a woman who was willing to help me deal with it. With her help, she loved oral, I began to regain some stiffness. She said as long as it was in her mouth it grew and stayed firm. But I was impatient, I wanted intercourse. So I read all I could on the implant and set it up. Maybe I'm being too hard (no pun intended) on the doc but this is crazy. I went from a 2 fister to less than 1. Now I've been told that lots of men are about this size and they are healthy. All that may be true but all and I mean all the brochures, all the web sites promote the stats of only losing cm's not inches. And it also feels so weird. I can feel what to me feel like joints? It it no way feels natural. And all the talk about increased girth. Ha, I lost nearly half of that and what I have feels like two chop sticks coverd in skin. No roundness at all. Now maybe I'm just being vain but I'm embarrassed. I'm so disgusted by the sight of it I won't even pump it up to stretch it. I just want it gone. I would rather be impotent with at least the memory of being a normal man than look or feel this thumb sticking out of my gut.
Maybe at this point in time I should wait before I talk because my anger is still so fresh but I'm afraid of not doing anthing. But all I get from most medical people is platitudes of "oh you will find it works just fine", "you'll get used to it" and "give it time". So I'm supposed to just do nothing for a year or so and then start fussing?
I feel I was lied to and mislead from the beginning and I want to lash out at the whole system.
Sorry I'm not one of your "I'm so happy" stories. The truth is I doubt this will get printed at all because I assume this is just a front for the AMS people. I guess I'll soon know!!

Dale

Okay Dale:
I printed it. Feel Better now?
I did a search through almost 9,000 emails that I have received and answered and didn’t find a single email from you going back two and a half years. You’ve been venting your sarcasm at me for the past week. Too bad you didn’t read very far in my blog or you would have read my discussion about loss of size in prostatectomy patients. I discussed it in many posts and the fact that I discussed it with my own personal Urologist. I’ve talked about the fact that one out of three men who have a radical prostatectomy loose significant length do to this procedure. I have my two cents opinion on the reasons for it. If you had bothered to read this blog back, you would have been warned about this. If a marathon runner breaks their leg and the doctor put the leg in a cast, for say 4 to 5 years and that body part didn’t get used in all that time, the leg is going to atrophy. Use it or loose it.

In other words, I say it in several posts on this blog. I recommend that at a minimum anyone contemplating penile implant surgery to obtain a good quality vacuum erection device prior to having surgery and use it twice a day for 10 to 20 minutes achieving a good firm erection for a bare minimum of two month before surgery. The European Society of Urologists recommends this. You didn’t bother to read my blog, yet you’ve vented your anger and sarcasm towards me. Dale, this is my blog. It is not affiliated in any way with AMS Medical or Coloplast. Life happens and you’ve lived a lot of years with time and disease taking its toll on your body. Your surgeon saved your life in 2005. Believe me; you don’t want to die of prostate cancer. Towards the end you will beg for death as the disease spreads into the pelvic bone and up into the spine and the pain is indescribable. That said, you lost 2 to 3 centimeters of your ureter that used to be in your prostate. Your surgeon relocated your bladder lower into your abdomen and then reattached the ends. The body tends to push the bladder back where it used to be pulling your penis back into your body. 4 years of your penis remaining inside your body has left your muscle, your penis, badly atrophied.

This blog is my personal attempt to share information with other men about life with a penile implant. I feel bad for you up to a point. There have been dozens of studies on satisfaction with penile implants. The published rate is 92% to 94%. Satisfaction is in the eye of the beholder. You make the charge that you were lied to and mislead. In what way? By whom? Not by me. I’ve been upfront on this subject. Your doctor? I recall the paperwork that I signed and read including the part about a whole range of possibilities and warnings. You have excoriated me over your failed surgery. Buddy, I posted dozens of pictures of myself and several dozen pictures of guys who volunteered their stories on this blog out of the goodness of their hearts. They are true stories by guys who have lived them. None of us made a dime to do this. So guess what Dale, it’s time to man up and climb down off of your pity party. The penile implants that are available to us have enabled thousands of us to resume normal sexual relationships once again in our lives. I sincerely hope that this works out for you eventually.
Bob

I'd like to respond to an Anonymous Poster

September 21, 2009 12:46 AM

Anonymous said...
I cried when you mentioned the first time you and your husband made love. I have vivid memories of that time, and my inability now is devastating. My wife is a real trooper, and tries to make me feel better by telling me how unimportant sex is. We are in our fifties, and I don't want it to end already. I just have to convince her that the money, whatever that may be, is worth it. Mike O

Mike:
If insurance coverage is an issue, seek out a University teaching hospital. A young man in his 40's contacted me and I referred him to Dr Weinstein, my urologist who performed my surgery. He had no insurance. Dr Weinstein arranged with the hospital to reduce his cost to what my health insurance paid for my surgery. I had excellent health insurance and the price reduction was huge, almost $15,000 less. Also, most urologists who perform this surgery know what the requirements are to have this surgery approved by insurance and by Medicare. Penile Implant surgery is considered a "standard of care" (very important) to correct Erectile Dysfunction. This is not considered cosmetic surgery and don’t let insurance misinform you on this point. Erectile Dysfunction of the penis is a failure of a body part the same way that hip replacement surgery corrects a body part that has worn out. Or the replacement of a heart valve restores function of the heart. The penile implant is considered a “Durable Medical Goods or Device” by your insurance. Your doctor has to have documentation proving that you have had ED over a period of time. That it is not a temporary occurrence, but is a permanent condition. That cheaper alternatives have been tried and don’t work, ie: you’ve tried Viagra, or Cialis, and Levitra, and it failed to cause an erection or the side effects were such that you could not tolerate it. That you maybe tried a vacuum erection device and it did not work satisfactorily for you.
Your doctor may order some tests.
A Doppler ultra-sonography of your penis. The doctor will inject a vasoactive drug into your penis to cause an erection and then with the use of ultrasound, will determine if you have serious venous leakage.
Another test is an overnight test where you will place a band around your penis to determine if you are having nightly erections.
Your doctor will look at your health history. Do you have a history of diabetes? Erectile dysfunction is a red flag to test for un-diagnosed High Blood Pressure and un-diagnosed diabetes. Your doctor will listen to your carotid artery to listen for diminished blood flow caused by arterial sclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Your doctor will also want to check your lipids or what your cholesterol levels are. Smoking history. Quit now and get help quitting now. I know, I know how hard it is. When my daughter was 5 years old, she asked me to quit, and I found a way to quit. When I caught her as a teen ager with cigarettes, I had a powerful argument for her and she stopped smoking for me. Exercise and weight control. You know what you need to do, so no lecture here. Get healthy, you’ll live longer, you’ll live better, and you will have the stamina you need for the bedroom.
Do you have Peyronie’s Disease? (Scarring that occurs in the Corpora Cavernosa, which is the twin sheaths of spongy tissue that run the length of the penis). Scar tissue replaces the spongy tissue that normally fills with blood effecting an erection. This scar tissue prevents engorgement and expansion of the penis. It can also lead to erectile length and girth loss over time. The implant will help keep the penis from shrinkage and will also help maintain a straight penis.
Have you experienced spinal cord damage? Many paralyzed men are able to enjoy sex even with a spinal cord injury or other nerve damage caused by disease or trauma. I know for a fact that Penile Implant surgery is VA approved and will cover service connected ED from trauma injuries.
What I have suggested is get yourself as healthy as you can. That’s half of the equation. Get age related health problems treated (High Blood Pressure, diabetes, High Cholesterol, weight and exercise). Next talk to your doctor, either your Primary Physician or your urologist about your ED and your options. Ask for a referral to someone who performs Penile Implant surgery. Also check out American Medical Solutions Physician Referral at http://www.amsfindadoctor.com/Patient/Search.aspx?LOBID=4
Look for a surgeon who performs at a minimum 50 penile implants a year. University Teaching Hospitals are great places to start looking for a surgeon. The VA Hospitals can also refer you to a Urologist who performs implant surgery. Outside of the US, AMS Medical Solutions and Coloplast have toll free numbers that you can call. They are staffed by knowledgeable people who can refer you to Urological Surgeons who perform implant surgery in your country.
To Contact AMS Medical Solutions

AMS serves patients and physicians across the globe. Our world headquarters are located in Minnesota. Connect with us today.

AMS World Headquarters
10700 Bren Road West
Minnetonka, Minnesota 55343
USA

Phone:
800-328-3881

Fax:
952-930-6373

AMS patient liaison at 800-328-3881, extension 6261, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. CDT.


Coloplast Corporation
1499 West River Rd. N.
Minneapolis, MN 55411
Phone: (800) 533-0464
E-mail: USMEDWEB@coloplast.com
Headquarters
Coloplast A/S
Holtedam 1
DK - 3050 Humlebaek, Denmark
Tel: +45 49 11 11 11/Fax: +45 49 11 22 60

Visitors to PenileImplant Blog

Howdy Folks:
A lot of people have traveled to my blog from all over the world. Analytics tells me that 4300 people in the past 30 days from 88 countries traveled to my PenileImplant blog to find out and read about the experiences of myself and15 other gentlemen have had after penile implant surgery. I'm really humbled by that. I spoke to one gentleman on the phone today who was so excited that he got to pump up his implant and was given the go ahead by his doctor to use his implant. He told me he had called his wife and she was taking the afternoon off from work to meet him at home. Before he got home he called me to thank me for giving him hope that he could have a normal sex life again. I'm corresponding to younger and younger men as time goes by. I’m talking to men in their 20's who have severe venous leakage as their primary erectile dysfunction diagnosis and they are so severely depressed that they are missing out at enjoying a normal sex life. They call me on the phone and correspond by email with me for advise. They get a lot of the run a round by urologists who feel they are too young to be considered an implant candidate. If the vaso-dilators Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra aren't working and the injections aren't working or are too painful for the patient, then penile implant surgery is a viable alternative and should not be dismissed. I personally know a couple of young men who are scheduled for surgery after standing their ground with their doctors and they have a positive outlook for their future. I'm also corresponding with men in their 80's and one gentleman who is 91 years old. Good for you guys. One of the secrets of longevity is an active sex life. My father in law is 81 and my mother in law is 76 and they are healthy active adults who do volunteer work, golf, bike, and think nothing of climbing in the car and driving 500 miles. Young, old, or in between. Don’t let erectile dysfunction keep you from enjoying a healthy, loving and happy relationship with the one you love. Men, and the women who love you, get help by seeking a urological surgeon skilled in implant surgery. And get your questions answered so that you can make an informed choice. As I pointed out earlier, a whole lot of you folks are looking for answers to fix your erectile dysfunction. I sincerely hope that this blog answers some of those questions. If I can help any of you, don't hesitate to contact me. My name is Bob and I can be contacted by email at bbacon15@yahoo.com or you can call me in the evenings at 573-808-2962.

10/09/2009 My one-year post op at Vanderbilt, Jack P story

Dear Readers:

For those of you who have followed my blog over the past couple years, Jack P has been a regular contributor to this blogsite as well as to other supports sites, most notably to Peyronies sufferers. Jack has been an inspiration to many men with his never say quit spirit. His first attempt to have implant surgery resulted in his doctor puncturing his urethra and having to stop. Jack has had Peyronies disease for many years. Peyronies disease is where there is scar tissue that builds up in the corpora cavernosa of the penis. The corpora are the spongy tissue that fills with blood to give rigidity to the penis during erection. The surgeon, in trying to push a pathway through the scar tissue and spongy tissue, caused a puncture through the urethra forcing him to stop the procedure. Jack opted to find a second opinion and found an excellent surgeon at Vanderbilt University Hospital. Just prior to having surgery, Jack choked on a piece of meat and what followed can be read on my February 28, 2009 blog Jack P, The Rest of my story. As I pulled everything together for that blog. Jack did have his implant revision on 10-23-08 where he had an AMS 700 LGX implanted quite sucessfully. Jack is at the one year anniversary of his implant surgery and he wishes to let all of you know about his success and the impact of what a penile implant has had upon his life. Jack's story is what this blog is all about. Bringing hope to men who have given up hope. It's restoring wonderful sexual lovemaking back in the bedroom between two people who very much love each other. Folks, here is Jack's story in his own words.

10/09/2009 My one-year post op at Vanderbilt by Jack P

The exam and follow up with Todd Doran PA, and Dr. Douglas Milam

I am delighted with my implant and all the care I received at Vanderbilt. During the exam and follow up questions I spent about 45 minutes with Todd and Dr. Milam. I had a few questions and learned a lot.

We started out with Todd and an intern. I pumped up my implant. Todd showed the intern where the tips of the implant extend into my glans. Of course the glans was flaccid and with a slight downward pressure on the tip you could see where the tip of the implants are. Both sides fit to the same size and approximately ½ way into the glans.

We discussed my success with the implant and the impact it had on my life. I am happy to say the impact has been better than I ever expected. During the discussion Todd asked what is the most common complaint with men with pryronies. Loss of size, length and girth. The AMS 700 LGX is the only implant that can help restore length.

I wish I had a recording but I will tell you basically what Todd said. The AMS 700 LGX will straighten out a peyronies curve. Peyronies is not normally in the erection chambers when the implant is activated it will straighten out the penis. I said to Todd that some men go into surgery expecting an LGX and come out with a CX or other implant. I asked if there was a reason for that. He said that when that happens the doctor does not fully understand the anatomy of the penis and the workings of the implant. Dr. Milam was an engineer before becoming a surgeon and fully understands the mechanical function of the implant and penis. He said that all there patients, with peyronies, that have the LGX have a straight erection like mine.

I have a diminished blood flow to the glans. I told Todd that it is more noticeable now that I have been off blood thinners for a year. He said that was what happens is a lot of men. I asked how could I help blood flow to the glans without the blood thinners. I asked if Cialis would help. He said it would and recommended the daily dosage of 5mg. He wrote me a prescription for the 5mg daily dosage. I will take it along with the coupon for a free months supply from http://www.cialis.com/ to the pharmacy today. My prescription drug plan (Medicare Part D) does not cover it so I need to shop around the cost.

I asked about the Ambicor 2 piece implant for a gentleman in the New England area. He said they only use it if they cannot get a reservoir in. He said it has a much lower satisfaction rate than the other implants.

I asked about pain with peyronies for another gentleman. He has been having pain with erections and other urinary symptoms. They know Dr. Levine and his work. They disagree with not doing any surgery for peyronies if you have pain. They did not get specific as to what they prescribe for pain only different men have different symptoms and they prescribe different things, and they also occasionally recommend surgery for the pain. They also recommended a second opinion on the urinary symptoms and said they would be glad to help him with that.

We talked about penile injection therapy for ED. They do not recommend it and do not prescribe it. Injection therapy caused my condition to get worse with corporal fibrosis.

We talked about the peyronies society web site. Todd said that now he has a face to put with those coming in after visiting the web site. He said that they have been able to help several men after viewing the site. Todd said he has looked at the site and likes the fact that we are straightforward and informative. The information is usually straight and factual.

We talked about the difference in the pubic and scrotal approach. 98% of the implant that Dr. Milam does is the pubic approach. He said that the dorsal nerves are easy to identify and keep out of harms way. He said that if there is a problem with the corporatomy it is much easier to repair with the pubic approach. We discussed my punctured urethra that happened with the local doctor using the scrotal approach. Todd said that the instrument to dilate the corpora is curved and if not done properly with the scrotal approach that a punctured urethra can happen. He said Dr. Milam is very detailed about this and reminds his students all the time of this.

I asked about revisions. Dr. Milam said that they do “a ton” of revisions.

I asked about the life expectancy of the implant. Dr. Milam said 93% were performing normally at five years. Both Dr. Milam and I have some engineering background. I am a retired Boiler Inspector and Mechanical Contractor. We compared it this way; you can buy the best HVAC system on the market and use the worst or cheapest contractor in town. The system will not perform properly because of an improper installation. If you buy the same equipment from a first rate contractor you get a properly performing system that will save you money in the long run. I said it to him like this; I charge an A/C system with a digital thermostat to the manufacturer’s specifications. 90% of the systems I go to the first time are at least ½ to 1 pound of Freon overcharged. This cuts the efficiency of the system by about 20-30%. Moral, to get the best results use the best equipment and an experienced well qualified people.

We discussed additional penile length. I have gained weight and need to loose 20-30 pounds. Yes I am a big guy 6’2’, 255 pounds. I was told that if I loose the weight I would gain 1 to 1 ½ inches. That will put me back at my length before peyronies. Now all I have to do is get off my butt and do it. I have started back walking 2 miles a day, but as my wife says I need to cut back on the sweets, bread and portions. I lost over 20 pounds several years ago on the Atkins Diet and considering going back to it.

Girth: My erect girth is back to where I was as a teen’s or early 20”s. If I remember my algebra correctly 2” diameter x 3.14 = 6.28” or 1” radios x 3.14 squared = 6.28”. Any way the wife and I are very happy with it.

The best part of this whole experience is the renewed confidence I have. I feel NORMAL for the first time in years.

There was the pain of surgery, the 6 weeks waiting to activate the device, the discomfort when the device was first activated, getting used to the pump in the scrotum and the about 3 month learning curve of using the implant. The small amount of discouragement when first activated that I was not as long as in the VED but as Dr. Milam said at my 3
Month check up I regained it as the AMS 700 LGX continues to expand

Dr. Milam, Todd and I talked about the publication on using the AMS 700 LGX. It has just been submitted to The Journal of Urology and will take 6 to 9 months before it is published. There is a meeting next month (11/09) in California of the Sexual Medicine Society. Dr. Milam has a major presentation at that meeting on the AMS 700 LGX. Dr. Milam will send me a copy of the publication when it is printed and I have his permission to publish it on the peyronies society web site a yahoo implant group.

I also have kidney stones 3 on the left side and 2 on the right. I showed Dr. Milam the report from a CT I had the end of May. He said so long as I was not in pain the wait and see that my local doctor recommended is normal.

Dr. Milam and I discussed that when my local urologist did a bladder scope, after the ultra sound for kidney stones, that he said that with an implant I was limited with options if I had prostate problems. I had a couple of TURP’s about 12 years ago. Dr. Milam said that with the implant there was no problem with any prostate procedure with the implant.

Dr. Milam and his team do all kinds of penile surgery from surgical correction of penile curvature, penile implants, and artificial urinary sphincter to control incontinence, circumcision and lots more.

Before anyone asks, No you cannot gain additional length or girth with the implant above what you normally have. Any one that tells you their product or device will is selling “snake oil.”


Dr. Milam told me I did not need to make the trip back to Nashville any more but if I needed him just let him know. I will always be a patient of his and Vanderbilt.

JackP

An Addendum to Rich's Implant Story

Dear Readers:
Back on June 8th 2009, I published Rich's story about his 2 piece AMS Ambicor implant surgery. Since then,Rich has had to have a testicle removed due to problems with blood supply being damaged from prior hernia surgery. He has written about his experiences having an orchiectomy and how he is doing now. Folks, here is the rest of the story.

Bob,

No problem to post. As you may recall I submitted a story about my implant and follow up photos so feel free to use as I think it may help others.

I did address my very uncomfortable testicle with my urologist for a year before my implant but he seemed to dismiss it and I was so glad to get the implant I didn't say anything. About 6 months after the implant I decided that I would go for an appointment and thank him for his help with my low T and for his helping me get the implant with his letter to the insurance company and gave him a gift certificate to a very nice restaurant.

I explained that I noticed pain after my first hernia procedure and more after my second a year later and it had not ceased since and was negatively affecting my life. He said to my: are you sure? I responded by saying that since it was atrophied and not working plus it hurt that I was absolutely sure about it.

The procedure did not require any pre-authorization and since I had met my deductible, $0 out of pocket. The cost to the insurance company was $2,200. It only took about 30 minutes. After I went home at noon I looked at the scrotum and there was still a lump where the testicle was and I was somewhat puzzled as I thought it would be completely gone. It seems he just took the insides out of the testicle and what remained was called a "grape" that would disappear. After 30 days it did start to disappear and now that it is 2 months today is has shrunk about 70%. I used our Jacuzzi every night before bed and that helped me sleep like a baby the first week after surgery but had very little discomfort anyway, actually less than before the procedure.

I don't miss the testicle at all and the empty scrotum is no problem. It is kind of nice as nothing is banging around during sex. Sex is enjoyable and I have a powerful orgasm and I cum the same as before. I do notice that the bottom of the pouch in my briefs is empty but my briefs are snug so its not a problem.

My testosterone injections were increased by 25% after so that is going well and have no problems. All in all a positive experience and a big relief from discomfort. My wife is happy that I am not in pain.

Thanks for this blog as it really helped me before, during and after my procedures. Rich

A Wounded Marines Story of Impotense and Penile Implant Surgery

Dear Readers:
Since we have just celebrated the 8th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America, The next story I want introduce you to is a story of courage, pain, recovery, and good news. This is the story of a young wounded marine's battle with impotence. This story is about a young couple that I met about a year and a half ago. I've changed their names to protect their privacy, but they wanted to tell their story.

Dear Bob:
I want to so much thank you for all of your help and encouragement. You saved our marriage and Debby is now expecting our first child. Debby and I got married right out of High School. We were High School sweet hearts and three weeks after graduation we were married. My dad had been a marine during Viet Nam and I wanted to follow in his footsteps ever since I can remember. I was deployed with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Force and saw action fighting in Ramadi. I was badly wounded by a rocket propelled grenade that exploded near me. One minute I was firing my weapon and the next minute everything went crazy. I remember blurs of people trying to tell me something, but my hearing was gone. They kept me pretty sedated until I got to Germany. There I learned that my left foot was gone and that I was partially paralyzed from the waist down due to a spinal cord injury. The doctors also removed a lot of junk out of my legs and back. I remember being so scared that I was going to be a cripple for the rest of my life. From Germany, I was sent to Walter Reed Army Hospital. I asked them, what is a Marine doing in an Army Hospital? Well, I had lots of company. Debby, her mom, her sister, along with my mom and dad all flew from St Louis to see me. A lot of tears hit the floor at that reunion, but God was I so happy to see all of them, especially Debby. I just wanted to hold her forever and never let go. I spent six and a half months at Walter Reed recuperating from my wounds. I had nine more surgeries and hours and hours of really painful physical therapy. I hear about how some people in this country are upset that we may have tortured somebody to get information out of them to save American lives. Whatever pain they suffered was nothing compared to the pain of the men and women wounded fighting those $%#%$#$%#%@. You can make up your own descriptions if you want. I was finally sent home to finish up my physical therapy and treatments at a VA Hospital near my home. I tried to make love to Debby. The nerve damage robbed me of the ability to have an erection forever. I tried Viagra and Cialis, but hated the sinus headaches and the erections weren’t very good. Vacuum erection sucked and shots, one shot cured me of ever wanting another one. At this point, I was so depressed, I just wanted to go off somewhere and die. I wasn’t a man anymore. I was also picking fights with Debby because I was so depressed. I have a prosthesis foot and walk with a cane. Debby decided to go back to college and get her nursing degree. I just stayed home depressed every day and watched my marriage beginning to fall apart. The doctors were no help because I just didn’t want to listen to anyone anymore. I was totally fed up with life.

Debby takes over at this point.
As Steve has told you, I had gone back to school to become a nurse and we had a unit on Sexuality and part of it was on male impotence. I read that a guy can have an erection by having a penile implant inserted in his penis. At this point I wanted to know more, so I hit the library hard and then went on the internet and looked up penile implants. I found Bob’s blog and started reading and reading. I thought about it for several days and finally got up the courage to call Bob. I was so nervous, but he was so easy to talk to and made me feel so at ease. Before I knew it, we had talked for almost an hour. Bob lives about 70 miles from us and he agreed to talk to Steve and I and we made a date to meet for dinner one evening. Steve wasn’t sure he was ready to talk with somebody he didn’t know about not being able to get it up, his words, and especially not with a guy he had never met before. But after much arm twisting by me, Steve agreed to meet Bob. Because Bob has been there, he was able to put Steve at ease. By the end of dinner, Steve was certainly interested in possibly exploring more about implant surgery. But he still was a little apprehensive. Then Bob said the kicker that gave him the courage to consider surgery. He told Steve, close your eyes and picture the first time you made love to Debby. Picture being able to repeat that moment tonight. You squeeze a soft rubber bulb in your scrotum and your penis is standing straight out, hard enough to pound nails. Debby is expectant on you making love to her and and with your new implant you have the perfect erection. You can make love all night long to her. You can have an orgasm that feels normal and afterwards you can keep on making love to Debby without losing your erection. That did it. Steve agreed to sit down and talk to a urologist who did implants. What he learned helped to convince him that this was his best option to fix his impotence. When he asked me what I thought, I had the world’s biggest grin on my face. Oh baby, I can’t wait to drag you into the bedroom and ravage your ass. Steve had the surgery about a year ago and the six week wait before he could pump it up was a daily agony for both of us. Steve reserved a really nice suite at a hotel, and after he got the okay from his surgeon, off we went to the hotel. The really sexy negligee that I bought for our weekend never made it out of the suitcase. It took a couple months, but I’m expecting a baby around Thanksgiving and Steve is so proud and happy now. He’s a new man and I feel like a new woman. Steve also started college this fall and we both are so happy that we just had to let others know our story. Don’t throw your marriage away if you find yourself unable to perform. Steve is all the man I could ever ask for now. He can perform anytime, anywhere,and at a moment’s notice he can make love to me. I really am grateful to Bob for saving our marriage and for the help he extended to Steve and I. He was so kind and thoughtful with us and answered our questions without making us feel embarrassed. He just wants to help people like us. Thank you for letting us tell our story.

Two Years with my Penile Implant

Dear Readers:
May 30th was my 2 year anniversary of my Penile Implant and I thought I would voice my thoughts for you. My implant is an unqualified success and it has become one of my best decisions that I have ever made in my life. When I made my decision two years ago, it was after many weeks of serious research. Like all of you, I realized that I was traveling down a road with no turning back. Because their is such a lack of searchable testimonials from guys like me who have actually had this surgery, I decided to write this blog for the many men who would be following in my footsteps. Never in my wildest imaginations would I have guessed that I would soon be contacted by thousands of men and their partner's from around the world with so many questions to answer. In addition, I had to count up the number of men who have joined me on this blog, 14 guys who joined me in discussing their experiences after undergoing Penile Implant surgery. So there is a wealth of experiences on this blog if you want to hear about other men's experiences following Pnile Implant Surgery. In addition, I have talked to thousands of men with erectile dysfunction, their wives, their girlfriends, and their boyfriends by email and by phone, from all over the world and at different times of the day and night and have enjoyed having dinner with several couples. I've even talked to a couple of doctors!!! Wow. I've also been privvy to many stories of real pain being suffered by many men from all over the world. That's an awsome responsibility that I take very seriously because I've walked in every one of those guys shoes and I understand what they are feeling. When those guys write me back and are able to tell me how awsome their sex life is after they had surgery, its an incredible feeling for me and has made all the hours spent on this blog seem very worth while. My next task is to compile all of the emails that I've received and somehow write a Frequently Asked Questions page. Just grouping the different questions will be a large task. There is one question that I will answer first. Would I, knowing what I know now, have this surgery. Not only yes, but that 13 years of shots and pills that I took would never have happened. To all the readers on this blog, I'll talk to you any time and answer any questions you have. If you don't feel comfortable asking, put your wife, girlfriend, or boyfriend or whomever you want to make love to, but can't because of ED, and we'll talk about what's available for you to change that sad state of your life. We'll change that soft part of your anatomy that has let you down so many times into something hard, erect, and brings back to you a level of confidence and pride as a sexual man that you have always been.
So take care of yourself out there.
Bob
bbacon15@yahoo.com
1-573-808-2962

Rich and the Two Piece Ambicor Penile Implant

Dear Readers:

The above photos were submitted by a gentleman by the name of Rich. Rich elected to have the 2 piece AMS Ambicor Penile Implant. Rich also included his story and you can read it below.

Hello

I finally got around to taking those photos. First shot (Bottom) is erect and second shot (Middle) is flacid. Top shot is flacid in my briefs. As you can see, I'm not one of the big boys anymore, but still at 4 inches, I can still get the job done.

As you may recall, I wrote before I had my first experience using my 2 piece Ambicor implant with my wife. I was nervous to be honest and it had been almost 14 weeks, so I had a big load built up, and I was ready and so was my wife. We played around for awhile and as she was stroking me. I pumped it up and she liked it. I am shorter in length and much smaller girth than before, but she likes that to. She is built very small and it used to hurt her when we had sex before because of my penis size. Everything fit nice and she had no discomfort and neither did I so we had great sex and both had satisfying orgasms. Glad I don't have to do the injections anymore and I can be spontaneous and have sex when desired.

She did coment that the tip of the penis seemed cold and says it feels different when she gives me a bj, but it feels great to me. Been 4 months now and all is well. I would have the implant again without a second thought. One benefit of the 2 piece implant is that it looks bigger when soft in my pants and my briefs and that isn't all bad

Jack P, The Rest of my Story

The Rest Of My Story

Posted on Implant Group 8/13/08
9/28/08
As most of you know I was scheduled for my implant at Vanderbilt fortomorrow.7/27/08 I was eating lunch at the local O'Charleys and cut a bit largerthan usual piece of prime rib. With all going on with family andfriends I swallowed before I was ready.The meat stuck in my esophagus just before entering my stomach. Wenthome and tried everything I knew to get it to go one way or another. NOLUCK.2:00 in the morning my wife took me to the local ER. They tried twiceto get it out. The second try they put me to sleep. Woke up and stillthere.They transferred me to the main hospital in Memphis and brought in aSurgeon.Tuesday about noon they put me to sleep again and tried with a rigidscope. No Luck. Seems that I am longer than normal, esophagus that is.They were so aggressive that the doctors collapsed a my left lung andput my heart into A-Fib. Woke up in recovery with a doctor cutting inmy side to put in a tube, "called him a couple of bad words." Then theybrought in a heart doctor.Two day of hell in the room with at least six (6) IV's. Then onThursday afternoon back to surgery. The Dr. marked my chest thatmorning just in case they had to go after it. This time it went throughwhen they put the tube down. Back to hospital room NPO with a stomachpump. I was on ice chips until Monday morning. Liquid diet, did notknow so little would make you feel full.Saturday morning (I think) wife and I had a Come to Jesus meeting with all the Doctors. On what to expect.Tuesday afternoon the surgeon and then the heart Dr released me to gohome. While in the hospital I asked about the implant surgery and theysaid postpone it for a couple of months. Had a long talk with heartdoctor before leaving the hospital and he assured me that in a coupleof months I could get the implant but first I had to get the A-Fibfixed.Went to heart doctor today and the A-fib is much better. Wants me towait a couple of weeks and if the meds do not fix the A-fib they willshock it back.I've lost 15 pounds. When I came home the next morning I looked in themirror and did not see myself. What A Shock.With heart doctors blessing I have rescheduled the pre op at Vanderbiltto October 24 and the implant to October 30. I WANT MYSELF BACK BY THEEND OF THE YEAR!If it has not been one obstacle it has been another but come "Hell orHigh Water" I am going to get the implant.

8/21/08 Epilog: Went to Dr. Shirwany’s for my pre op before the cardiac conversion. Nurse checked my blood and that was fine. Went to the exam room and took my BP she said I hear a normal heart beat. She went and got the EKG and sure enough my heart was back to normal rhythm.
Dr. Shirwany came in and was almost as happy as my wife and I about not having to do the Cardiac Conversion.
For the arrhythmia in the hospital they added Cartia, a calcium channel blocker and Amodarone to the BP meds I was already taking, Ramipil, and ACE inhibitor and spironolactone are my normal BP meds and have controlled my BP well. I told Dr. Shirwany that in my past calcium channel blocker caused me lots of problems and fatigue and not sleeping were the worst. I asked if I could get off the new meds because of the side effects. He said that for now I needed these but he would cut the dose in half. He also said that in mid November after the implant I would ware a monitor for few days and then reevaluate the meds.
I signed a release so he could get the records of my last cardiac cath 7/07 and other history from my previous heart doctor.
He said after he received these records he would mail me a cardiac release for the implant surgery.
In the hospital the surgeons almost killed me. If it had not been for Dr. Shirwany I don’t think I would have made it. IMHO

8/23/08
Went to Dr. Walzer for semi annual DRE and PSA. DRE was normal.

8/25/08 Dr. Walzer’s office called with results of PSA. Result was 1.1 that is normal. Asked her to send me a copy.

10/15/08 Phyllis with Dr. Milam’s office called and wanted to move the surgery up a week. Pre op is now scheduled for 10/22/08 and surgery for 10/23/08 @10:30. Will drive up to Nashville the 22nd and spend the night at.

10/16/08 received cardiac clearance from Dr. Shirwany and faxed it to Phyllis 615-343-9815.

10/22/08 Vanderbilt Pre Op.
Pre op went well, had all my paperwork in order and a cardiac clearance letter from Dr. Shirwany. EKG was normal and cleared for surgery the next day.

10/23/08 Vanderbilt Hospital – Penile Implant
Check in time was 10:30. Went to pre op holding room and had 2 antibiotic IV’s. Dr. Milam came in about 1:00 we talked and he said everything looked fine. A few minutes later one of his assistants came in and we talked for a while. I mentioned the previous surgery where the Dr. penetrated my urethra and he said he knew all about it. I believe that Dr. Milam and staff had a pre op meeting and knew my history well.
About 2:00 I was taken to surgery and Dr. Milam had a few words and then I was asleep.
Woke up about 3:30 in recovery and felt like I had to pee real badly. Had a Foley Catheter and nurse said everything went as planned and the wanting to pee was normal.
My wife had meeting with Dr. Milam after surgery and he told her everything was OK but I would be in pain for a while.
About 4 or 4:30 Dr. Milam came into the room and said everything went well and he thought I would be well pleased with the outcome. He said I would have some asymmetry because of the scar tissue from the previous attempt but I would hardly notice it.
The next morning about 5:30 the catheter was removed. Had a light breakfast urinated on my own and was on the way back to the hotel by 9:00. We arrived home about 2:00.

To say I am satisfied with the results to date would be an understatement. Just the look on my wife’s face when I got back to the room told me everything was OK. She has supported me all these years and I never saw her happier for me.

My testicles are black and blue, but that was expected. The pump is in front of my right testicle and I have to pull it down to the center every day. Dr.said it would be easier for me to get to there.

I have the AMS 700 LGX. If I am reading the paperwork right I will have an erection of about 12 CM (4.7 inches). If I get a 20% increase over time I will be within ¾ inch of my pre peyronies size. Right now I can tell the flaccid state is larger, no more turtle effect. This is more than I expected before surgery I would have guessed about a 4-inch length. I know size is not everything we have been dealing with peyronies about 13 years and learned length is not where it is with sex. You can adapt to most any size and still have fun.

A better than expected length is credited to the proper VED exercise given to me by Old Man of peyroniessocitey.org. That year of proper VED exercise gave me a better than expected outcome.

11/5/2008 Post Op with Todd Doran, Everything normal. Still sore. Pump is in place so I do not have to pull it down anymore. Advised to remove the strips on the incision the next time I shower (looks good after removal). No tub or hot tub for another 4 weeks. Lifting restriction of 15 pounds.

Had to wait in exam room for about 90 minutes. Nurse came in and said they were having a problem with an anther patient. Offered juice while I waited. Told the nurse wait would be ok I would appreciate it if I had a problem. Left home at 11:00 and back by 8:30 after stopping for dinner at Cracker Barrel.

12/04/08 Activation: I was at Vanderbilt at 8:30 this morning for my implant activation. Doran showed me where the relief button is and them activated the pump. He then had me pump it up. For the first time in years I had an erection that stood straight out and stayed on its own.
AMS that gave full instructions on how to use the implant gave me an “owners manual”. I was advised to pump up the implant 2 times a day for at lest 5 minutes until the next appointment in 3 months.
I was told to pump the implant up at least 3 rimes before trying to use it. I now know why the first few times you pump the implant it stings some for a while. When I arrived home I showed my wife the erection and let her feel of it. Feels just like an erect penis of a 20 year old. When we went to bed I pumped it up again. Lying on my back with my penis sticking straight up and hard gave me a feeling of being normal again.
The actual measured result in the office was 4.25 inches. I was informed that over the next 3 months to a year I should gain at least another ½ inch. This puts me closer to my pre peyronies of approximately 5.5 inches.
The VED was a “gods send” over the last years. After I found the proper exercise for peyronies I gained some size back. Lost about a quarter inch from VED to implant. My Venous Leakage, and Corporal Fibrosis was so bad that I had to use a very tight constriction ring that sometimes did not hold, but I don’t know what I would have done without it. I will give the VED a proper send off New Years in a Barn Fire.
Took me a long time to get here. In my time I would have had the implant years go. God’s time was now. It has been a difficult road but here I am happily lying on my back with a hard on that a 20 year old would envy. I have a “date” with my wife to put it to use tomorrow after noon. Can hardly wait.

12/5/08 Date with wife: All went well still soreness when I pump up the implant and it interferes with feelings. This will all heal with time. Learning curve with use but that is part of the fun,

I HAVE MY NEW TOY FOR CHRISTMAS!!!

1/5/09 One-month post activation. The implant is expanding into the head and have gained back some length. The last month has been a learning curve, tried to just not push it. Today when activated to full length there is no more soreness. Sex the last time was great.

There was still some soreness Christmas but New Years it was 98% gone. Feelings are returning. Great sex new years!!!

2/19/09 This afternoon I decided to take a nap. While lying there I pumpedup my implant. I kept pumping about 20 times after the bulb got hard.My girth got sore and a little soreness at the glans. Then I noticedthe best erection I have had scene the implant. Like my doctor saidit takes 3 month to a year to get the LGX to full size.I do not let the soreness keep me from using the implant. It is notthat bad. The first few weeks I was real sore, but that is the pricewe pay for success.

Rich's Story, 2 piece implant after hernia surgeries

Dear Reader's:
I wish to add Rich's story to my blog for your education on penile implants. I feel really fortunate to be able to add all of these gentlemen's stories to my blogsite. In the past 20 months, I have been priveledged to be able to correspond with thousands of men, their partner's, and many doctors around the globe about this sexual surgery. I now have 20 months of experience with a penile implant and it has exceeded my expectation a hundred fold. My experience has been echoed by almost everyone that I have talked to who has gone ahead and had this surgery. I hope these many stories are of great help to you and your loving partner. So folks, here is Rich's story.


I hope my experience is helpful to others. Rich

My active life of mountain biking and a related biking accident caused me to lose a testicle. I had previously had two hernia operations with mesh so I have had 3 surgeries in the groin area. I am in good shape at 6’4” and 200 pounds. I am an active married guy, 57 years old.
I noticed after the hernia surgeries that my 8” of manhood began shrinking. I went to the dr. and he said that I had Peyronies Disease and that I had fibrosis in my penis and the 2 hernia surgeries combined would cause less blood to the penis and that would cause shrinkage. I also noticed that I didn't have morning erections and started having trouble maintaining an erection.
I had my testosterone checked and it was 390,, but I had extremely low free and bio available testosterone, so my md prescribed Androgel and it worked well with nice calmness to my overall personality, more confidence, more energy and yes morning erections returned even though they were not hard, at lease something was happening. I used that for about 6 months when I developed a rash and started to get injections that last 2 weeks.
My md prescribed Viagra to help with the E.D. and it gave me terrible headaches as did Cialis and Levitra. I then tried Muse which is a pellet that is inserted in the penis and while it worked great, my wife was allergic to it. I then was put on Caverject and it worked very well for about a year but I noticed that I was still shrinking and the fibrosis in my penis seemed to be getting worse. Over the next 6 months I was getting very sore after the injections for maybe a day or so and I decided to check with the md to see what other options I had. He said I was too young for an implant so I just went along with the injections and then after 6 months I asked him again, reminding him that I was 57 and he replied that he thought I was in my mid forties. He said that yes the implant would be my only other option as if I waited, that the penile shortening would continue and an implant would have to be smaller. He said to discuss this with my wife and let him know. My wife said if I wanted to do it, great, but don't go through it all just for her, as she was satisfied with me as a loving husband. I did decide to go ahead and fix the problem. My doctor recommended a 2 piece AMS Ambicor implant since I had the two hernia surgeries, he didn't want to go into the abdomen.
I had the operation and it was less painful than I thought. I missed one day of work and only took the pain medication For 3 days, then took my Tylenol. There was swelling and black and blue and it was uncomfortable sitting at my desk. The implant is about ½ full so it is a bit hard to hide in pants. So I still keep it in the up position like I did the first two weeks and wear briefs with no problem. I am glad that I had the implant as it is a short inconvenience for a long term solution. It cost $9,000 which insurance covered.
I am now at 4 weeks and all the swelling and black and blue are gone and my penis looks about the same except it is longer when flaccid and my wife says I look great in the shower and in my briefs. I could never wear boxers as my penis would be obvious . I will go soon to see when I can pump it up and see how all that goes. The appearance is very normal, but to the touch, it does feel mechanical. The bulb in my scrotum is no problem since I just have one testicle and had plenty of room for it.
The 2 piece implant placement did permanently damage the spongy erectile tissue on each side of the penis when dilation took place because with so much fibrous tissue they had to use several instruments to create a space for the implants. So while I have good feelings early each morning, I do not get any type of erection at all and I have no expectation for that to change, which is ok. All good so far. I will let you know how it goes when I get the ok to pump it up.