I'm In The Club!

[vladtepes]

k.b.marino

Good to hear that things are going OK.
Cross my fingers for the first usage

Vlad

[k.b.marino]

Now, I've never been one to kiss and tell, but it was great. It has been 7 years since my wife and I have had "normal" penetrative intercourse. I had forgotten how enjoyable the whole experience could be. I will say that the sensations were not exactly as I remember. I would definitely say that the sensations are different, not bad. Since it was the first time, there was a bit of pain, mostly due to the newness of the implant. I also have a congenital left curve that the implant did not straighten out. The curvature is not Peyronies related. The erection was not as hard as it could have been mostly because my scrotum was sore from Abigail, the nurse and Dr. Montague each having pumped me up, then I had to get my share of playing in. Pump tends to try to slip from my grip. Plus, since my pump is the older style and not the MS pump from AMS, it is inverted and the bulb wound up under the scar. Repeated pressing on the scar hurts. Then there was the deflation issue. I tried, my wife tried, I tried again. Then she did. I finally found the rather small deflation tab that must be held continuously to deflate. A third hand would definitely be useful to squeeze the penis out for best flaccidity. Day two and second attempt in two days left me sore, but getting the hang of pumping up and letting it down. Don't forget to breath through it. Really helps. Exercise your hands before you go into this. I work with syringes preparing IV bags at work all day and have strong hands, and pumping a new unit takes effort. Dr. Montague assured me that the more I use the pump, the easier it will get. Enough motivation for me!

[buckster]

WOW! Not even a month and your using it. That's great news. I'm sooooo.. jealous. I'm still trying to figure out the logistics of taking a 2000 mile medical vaction to see Dr. Montague. It's hard to understand why my Dr. out here on the west coast wants more than twice as much for the same surgery??
Sounds funny to wish someone "hard times" ahead and mean it, Buck

[rlm1818]

Buckster --

Well its not just the Dr. My Titan was about $8,900 for just the device. Not sure what the AMS products cost. Then there is anesthesiologist, surgi center or hospital. Unless someone is getting a break on the device itself, $12,000 is squeezing everyone pretty tight. The most common cost I've seen for patients paying out of pocket is around $20,000. My cost was about $29,000, but the additional cost was totally surgeons fee (though the surgeon included and didn't charge me for pre and post op tests and visits that would normally be billed at somewhere around $3,000).

Get a cost breakdown and see where the $$ are going.

[buckster]

Buckster --
Get a cost breakdown and see where the $$ are going.

Surgery Center $19,000
Surgeon $3,000
Anesthesiologist $1,000
Device $9,000 - 15,000 (depending which one)
Total $32,000 - 38,000
20% discount for cash up front puts it around $25-30k total.

Nice of them to offer a 20% discount to me for cash. When the insurane covered my RP and radiation they settled for less than 50% of what they billed.

[rlm1818]

Hi Buckster --

The biggest differences in cost between what I got and your quote are:

1) My surgi-center (in NYC no less) was $11,488.56 INCLUDING the Coloplast Titan OTR, which was about $8,900. So, the net to the surgi-center was about $2,500.

2) Many surgeons will do this for $2-3000, like yours. Mine charged $16,500, allegedly "discounted".

[k.b.marino]

Hi guys! I can't believe that Thursday, 8/16/2012 will mark the beginning of my 7th full week with the implant. Most of the tenderness of my glans is gone during intercourse. The orgasms have been phenomenal. Even better though is being able to have an uninhibited closeness with my wife. Lovemaking is just that again. No more race to try to have an orgasm before I lose whatever little erection I had. Falling out and awkwardly having to stuff myself back in is a thing of the past. We can both be ourselves again and when we have finished, we both feel good, not suicidal. I hope I am clear about what a Godsend this surgery was for us. Best of all, I can repeat the above as often as we are able. I don't always manage to have an orgasm, but that is ok now since I know we can both sleep a bit, wake up, and pick right back up where we left off.

I have gotten the hang of the release site on my pump. I have the pump with the small bulb, on top of the block. It took until the swelling was all the way down and a bit of scar tissue was broken up to really get it to work. It's not as convenient as the MS pump that AMS makes, but you would not be able to pry it from my cold dead hands now that I have it. Joked with Dr. Montague that AMS should make a special mechanism for guys like me, with testicular atrophy. Testicle replacement pumps. One ball to inflate, the other to deflate. My scrotum has nearly returned to its pre-atrophy size, not all shriveled up like I'm cold, or neutered. I would definaty say that the implant has done wonders, even at this early stage, for me emotionally. I hope that you other new members get as much from your surgery as I have. Take care, and I will keep you updated if anything changes. Onward and upward!

[danny1553]

Thanks k.b.mario for the great update report.
I hope one day my never-ending worrying about ever-loosing erection will be over. Honestly I've never been able through my entire life to fully enjoy an intercourse. It has been always a background thought about how unreliable my lazy dick is, even when I was a teen when I started my sexual life...
Did you do the vasectomy along with your surgery? I am thinking of getting one though there is some concern about possible link to a higher possibility of the prostate cancer.

[k.b.marino]

No vasectomy here. Testosterone injections for hypogonadism have pretty much shut down my testicles. I used to have walnuts, now I have raisins. I hope you find a way to get this done. It has truly been a life-changer. I used to get in there and get exhausted and frustrated trying to please my wife and enjoy myself. It was a constant struggle for both of us. As I said in the previous post, I was pretty much near the end of my rope. I've struggled with depression most of my life, and the last 7 years, this has added to the depression. The surgery alone has not been enough to lift the depression, but it has been a very positive step. I wish you the best as you walk this road. I know first hand that it is not easy. Please keep working on cultivating a loving sexual relationship with your partner. They struggle with this too. Take care and keep me posted.

[buckster]

Hi k.b.
Just checking for updates. How are you getting along with your new toy?
Buck