4 month post-op update: encouragement for all the new guys

[ditchman]

I am four months post-op successful implant surgery this week. I wanted to give an update to provide encouragement for all the new guys on here who are due for surgery soon, or who are wondering whether the implant is for them. This is a completely unsolicited post, only because I gained so much support and encouragement from this forum during my own dark times. I feel it important to support and encourage those who are now in the situation I was in a year ago, and those who are experiencing post-op uncertainties as I was just three months ago.

I am back to being fully functional, intercourse with my wife spontaneously and any time we want, without pain, medications, pumps, injections, and especially without all the anxiety and nervousness that goes with ED. I am so glad I made the decision to have an implant, and would not change back for anything.

It was a tough, hard process, from making the decision to have the operation, talking with my urologist, taking the initiative to seek out a quality surgeon, talking it over with my wife, dealing with the unknowns, going through the actual surgery, going through the uncertainty during the recovery period, and finally, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here are both positives and negatives to be aware of. First, the positives, at least for me:

1) full erectile function has returned with the simple squeezing of a rubber bulb in my scrotum. amazing!
2) my congenital penile curvature has been eliminated. I have a straight erect penis again!
3) when flaccid, I hang like a very well-endowed man should; no "shrinkage," which was something I suffered with almost all the time before the implant; seemed like no blood ever even flowed in my penis; now, I'm almost 4 inches long and have ample girth even when flaccid; a huge confidence builder.
4) no more expenditures on ED medication, which has been a big relief and a big help to our finances; no worries about ED medication working or being effective when used; no anxiety when anticipating sex with my wife.

Now, the negatives:

1) When erect, I am still only about 4 inches in length; the CX implant device I got does not add length to erect penis. I was about 5 inches erect before the implant (I was already relatively short due to curvature), at least when I could get an erection, which was increasingly rare. So, this is a tradeoff you have to be willing to make. The surgical procedure shortens your erect penis, but gives you the ability to have a normal erection. I do get engorgement of the penile head and shaft during intercourse, so get some added girth, but length is limited; it is what it is. The upside is, my wife seems to notice no difference, and is able to reach orgasm just as easily as before; and, now, even if I ejaculate, with the implant pumped up, I can give her multiple orgasms.

2) You do feel the device in your scrotum from time to time, especially if you sleep on your side and put your legs together, things kind of bind up down there. If I sleep on my side, I now have to put a pillow between my knees so my legs don't come all the way together; that makes it more comfortable. This is not a huge negative.

3) For me, a psychological challenge is not to dwell on if or when the device will fail. Most devices last 10-20 years. I will probably outlive mine, and I know that, so I know I may have to have another implant done down the road. I have a kind of neurotic, perfectionistic personality, so this bothers me a little. My insurance did not cover my cost, so it is a financial concern, also. But, I do not know what the future holds, and I cannot control all those future variables, so I just try not to think about it and instead just to enjoy the use of it. My surgeon told me that if I have to have another implant down the road, the upside is that usually the length can be extended a few centimeters on the second implant due to the stretching of the penis caused by the first implant over time.

For those guys on the forum who don't know my story and who wish to have a "play by play" of what I went through and where my mind was at each stage, here is a list of links to posts that I made from the very beginning:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=1753

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1976

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2316

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2554

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2585

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2673

I am so happy to say that my life has moved on from ED (so long as the device remains functional) and I am happier and more content than I have been in over 10 years struggling with ED. I cannot tell anyone what they should do, but for me, the implant was absolutely the right choice.

I wish you all the best!

Ditch

[Neisseria]

Thanks for the update, your words are encouraging. Happy to read your success. Best wishes!