46 year old diabetic and limp, in Phoenix, AZ.My longish story. Please, read... (I'll try to keep it at least a little interesting.)
It was November 2020, and in a few days time, I suddenly realized something...
... "Uhhhh, what's going on? Where the **** are my erections?!"
I tried taking matters "in my own hand." ... Nothing. ... That put the scare into me. I'd heard about how impotence could be a sign of hardening of the arteries in the heart and elsewhere. So, I made a doctor's appointment. A couple weeks later and after blood tests, I got the results...
My A1C was at 13.1%
My primary doctor said she'd never seen one that high. (That was fun to hear!) ... I was 5'10", 255 pounds. I was a mess, and my lifestyle had caught up with me. After a stress test, they told me my heart seems fine. (I hope that's true. haha)Since then, I've gone strict Keto. I've lost 75 pounds, (now, I weigh 180 pounds.) Cholesterol looks great, and my A1C is at 5.3%, now. My doctor said I'm not even in the range of pre-diabetic anymore, even though, technically, I'll always have it. (Woohoo!) Testosterone is normal.
Buuuut, guess what didn't change? Guess what never came back? Well, sadly, that's why we're all here, right?
I've tried almost everything.
What I have tried: Tadalafil, Sildenafil, Pycnogenol w/ L-Citrulline & L-Arginine, Horny Goat Weed, Ashwagandha. I've tried rings, clamps, tubes, twists and tourniquets. I've continuously used a vacuum pump for some time now, so I can keep good blood coming in and out, and hopefully, retain as much length and girth, should an implant come into play, (more on that, a little later.) Plus, well, with the vacuum, it just feels good to have an erection for awhile, again... until I hit the relief valve.
What I haven't tried: I will NOT stick needles in my d***. Trimix is never going to happen. And that's not just needle phobia. I've seen enough proof, (including on here,) that all kinds of scarring and permanent damage can come with it, not to mention the absolutely ridiculous, embarrassing and archaic nature of such a so-called "fix." No way. Not happening.
Tadalafil can get my erections to about 40%, plus/minus 10%, depending on the day. It's certainly not enough for meaningful, satisfying penetration for her or me. Constant stimulation is needed to keep it going, to the point that it usually just becomes raw and uncomfortable, and I just want to stop. If I miraculously do climax, (before I just give up,) it usually feels about 25-50% as good as it should/used to feel.
Went and saw a urologist, here in Phoenix. This doctor is a high volume, heavy-hitter in the implant business. He said I'm a perfect candidate for an IPP. A poster boy... and then he saw I had Aetna Choice POS II. He's a nice guy, but pretty soon after, his hand was on the door. Their office put in the pre-qualification order, including it being "medically necessary." I got a rejection letter a few days later from his office, with a cute little sticky note on it, saying an implant was excluded from my insurance... but hey! Great news! You can still get it done for only $17,000 cash! Whoopee! /sarcasm ... (Personally, I think they have 50 of those stupid sticky notes written out, and they stuck it on my rejection letter before I walked out the door.)
Finally, we come to today. I've tried researching and researching, here and there and everywhere, looking for a medical plan, ANY medical plan, that would cover a non-military, under 65 years old, naturally born man who needs an implant. Someone from my urologist's office wrote me, (after I pleaded for help,) that they've never seen a commercial insurance plan cover the implant. I know that can't be true! Please, someone tell me that's not true.
I even tried hiring an insurance broker to help me find insurance plans that would cover it, with Open Season coming up. He showed a complete lack of interest, because I guess he'd actually have to do some work in finding it. I am LITERALLY offering money to people to help me find a way to get this covered by insurance, and I can't get the help I need.
Paying cash is of no interest for me. What if something goes wrong with it? What if I get an infection? What happens if I need a revision, three years into it? More and more loans? I don't think so. Why? Because this is why I got insurance!
So, there's my tale of woe, (or tail of woe. haha) A mid-forties, now quite healthy man, permanently damaged by diabetes, condemned to never have an erection again in my life, (or at least not for about 20 years, when I can get Medicare.)
Thank you, for reading... and this is asked with hope beyond all hope: If you have read my story, and you think you know how I can get insurance help, will you please, please message me?
Stay strong as much as you can, brothers. It appears we men are on our own, when it comes to the destruction of a beautiful part of our lives.
