Gimli61 wrote:61 year old male new to the group have had ED since my late 30s, widowed 19 years and diabetic I'm thinking of getting a penile prosthesis, although I can still achieve partial erection. I'm wondering whether to get one in case I find someone special. Any comments or ideas would be welcome! And I thank you for your time.
Welcome to the forum, Gimli61.
I got an implant because I wanted to be able to have sex. Like you, I wanted to be ready in case I met "someone special". I half-joked that I wanted to redeem the debt of orgasms I failed to give to the wonderful women with whom I had sex with a semi-limp "erection".
But the really valid reason was that I wanted to be able to simply HAVE an erection. Restored function = restored manhood sort of thing. Self-actualization.
Like you, I am diabetic, and at the time, without a partner and 67-68 years old when I made the decision. I could achieve partial erections sufficient for orgasm through fellatio and with oral medications erections sufficient for vaginal coitus. But I wanted more.
So, I worked for and got an implant. Never had a moment of doubt, even through the pain and inconvenience of the operation and have no regrets at all, four years post-op.
I am now in a relationship with a wonderful woman who loves it that I have an implant which enables me to "properly" make love with her.
Note: If oral medications worked, I would probably still be using them, but they lost effectiveness and I rejected suppositories, vacuum erection devices and injections for various reasons.
An erection by implant has drawbacks, for sure. Spontaneity is lessened (no erection in direct response to your lover - some women put a lot of stock in that.) An implant is non-reversible and will render unable to get an erection without it. An implant does not cure E.D. Essentially it guarantees 100% impotence until you inflate. If you could struggle through a 10 minute mile on your own feet, would you opt for prosthetic feet that enabled a 4 minute mile, but if (when) they failed, would leave you in a wheelchair until you have another surgery?
But life is too short to miss the joys of sex and too long to endure its absence.
No regrets here.