My Frustration

[Tom frustrated]

Hi All, My name is Tom. I am 73 years young. I'm a retired (@ age 63) engineer. I have had Parkinson's disease for 11 years. Underwent a Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to control the tremor and with that and some meds my PD is rather well controlled. Also controlled high blood pressure and Atril fibrillation.
I've had ED problems for about 12 years. Like most, I guess, in the early stages Viagra worked rather well, although I did experience some blue dots in my vision once and it generally left me with a slight headache. My gorgeous beloved wife of thirty years passed away about 4 years ago. She very much minimized my problem because she found it quicker and more convenient to give me oral sex. I had no real problem "getting off". I did not realize how good I had it. Please, I do not state that in any way to be obscene, I loved that woman with all my heart and soul and I do believe she loved me as much in return. I mention it because I feel it is relevant to where I am currently.
About 2 years ago I met, via the internet, my current Love. She's 65 years old, (Yes I lied about my age on the net, but that's another story. She now knows all and still Loves me.) She's beautiful with a fantastic body for being 65 and has always enjoyed sex although most all in a regular intercourse manner. For oral sex she wants me to have a condom on which, of course I cannot do with my ED. The best I got was slightly swollen which even that went away with any pressure. I think you will most all agree intimacy is so important in any good man/woman love. She says it does not matter, for me it does as to the intensity (for want of a better word) of the love.
So I see a Doc who specializes in ED and after trying all methods decided I was a candidate for an implant.
Fast forward to today. Not a happy camper here. Totally frustrated. I'm eight weeks out of the implant of the Titan OTR and have yet to get it inflated. The Doc did it in the office when he gave me the OK to fly after six weeks. It feels like a hard ball when I try to operate it. After one week went back to the Doc, sure that the thing was plugged up, and damn he inflated it again, which I was actually happy to see as I was having visions of having to go back into the OR. He told me it takes time and to give it time. Now this is the same Doc who before the operation held out a sample of the Titan and told me to pump the ball which I did easily with my thumb and one finger and pump pump pump, up up up it went, marvelous. Now this last time in after inflating me, he again presented the sample and once again had me pump it up. I said Doc that can't be the same thing as that "stone" down there, of course he assured me it is. By the way as many as he has inflated he was squeezing very hard to inflate me. I did not think of it then but I intend to ask him why did you not tell me expect it will be quite difficult to operate at the start. I've seen the demo videos where all the guy does is reach down there and pump pump pump up up it comes. I read where one should start out more forcibly to get the valves in the correct position; a hammer comes to mind and then slow firm pump and release; a pair of vice grips although with plastic pads where the teeth are, comes to mind!! Ha. Picture this I did become so frustrated I had my scrotum on the bathroom sink vanity top and tried pressing down with my thumb on the hard rubber ball. I got it squeezed but nothing happened? As most of us know you cannot compress a liquid rather this system transfers the liquid from the reservoir to the penis. Yes, they make it somewhat difficult because they don' t want one to get an erection when you put pressure on it say when sitting. I'm sorry nut I feel the design could be improved quite a bit that I will be telling Coloplast.
I must say I've learned more reading your experiences, input, suggestions and feel more encouraged then I ever did in the Doc's office and I thank you guys for that!!
Please anybody that has any further ideas and suggestions please come back via this forum. I am now almost convinced that with perseverance I will get this thing to work. I just hope my scrotum and testicles can survive the onslaught. Thanks again, Tom

I will also post this on the implant section.

[bob1138]

Welcome Tom,

Since the doc can inflate your Titan OTR in his office, it appears all the mechanical components (pump in scrotum, reservoir in abdomen and Bioflex tubes in corpora cavernosa of penis) are in good working order.
I developed ED Post-Prostatectomy in 2004 and was implanted with the Coloplast Titan in December 2007.
In the beginning the pump felt a bit stiff but I just kept working it until it was "broken in".
Today, both inflating and deflating my Titan are second nature to me and my wife and I both love it.
Tom, eight weeks is still pretty close to the implant procedure --- took me about 4 months to feel completely comfortable
with it. I would suggest you just keep working it until it gets easier to inflate.
An occasional visit to your URO to have him pump it up should also increase your comfort level.
I wish you the best of luck and many years of pleasure with your new Titan Implant.

Bob
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Age:73; Developed ED Post-Prostatectomy in 2004; PSA remains undetectable as of 12/13/2011;
Implanted December 13, 2007 (Coloplast Titan)

[Tom frustrated]

Bob, Thank You, Thank You, ThankYou!!! Would you believe I was paranoid enough to think the Doc. might have some secret way of doing it and was milking me for the dollars. Thanks for the reassurance. Tom

[Dave48003]

Tom:

I'm also a "bionic" guy, though I have "brand X", the AMS 700 LGX. By what I can tell, I don't think the effort required to inflate is probably much different, but I suppose some day I'll have to do a comparison run with a friend with a Titan! LOL. Anyway, I am somewhat surprised that your doc wasn't more concerned about your ability to inflate. I have a friend about your age with Parkinson's, and I know he has lost a lot of strength. He used to have very strong hands for a little guy (he's about 6' but slender built, compared to me, I'm 6'2" and pushing 300#). Now I have to help him with things he did with hardly any effort before.

I have thought about this, because I still do a pumping routine with the AMS which requires pumping as hard as you can every day. I've often wondered how guys with less strength than I can manage this, and even considered how I am in a few years should arthritis or some other debilitating problem pop up. Your idea of the vice grips with pads is the same thought that crossed my mind. Pliers with soft pads that are slightly hollowed to keep the bulb from slipping (a problem I have quite often) would be wonderful. Just place your new "nut" in the padded "nutcracker" and squeeze! Put a video of that on the internet and every guy that sees it will be grabbing his balls and yelling ouch! LOL. There are tools made with contact points that are designed to not scratch, etc. I'm wondering if you might find something suitable. I'm also an engineer, so I'm also wondering if you couldn't do a bar napkin sketch and see if some company will make it. You could call it the "Boner Buddy".

Keep on working it, it should get easier as Bob mentioned.

Dave

[Tom frustrated]

Dave, I wrote all this yesterday evening and looked for spell check, figured it was on "review" and when I went to that it all vanished! Won't do that again. Was too tired to try then to recreate.
Yes, any time I have a mechanical problem my mind automatically goes into design mode. Funny you thought about the somewhat cupped pads on the vise grips because that was also my thought. I guess I'll have to give you half the royalties. Ha! It is a picture only an implant guy could see without wincing. I think I'll contact Coloplast Co. both to complain about the difficulty of operation and suggest a Tool for the Tool, that name will have to compete with Boner Buddy! Ha. Usually I've found when I think I have an ingenious design -- it's already been thought of.
The fact that you pump it up almost daily and it takes all your might is scary as I'm sure you're a lot stronger than me. I am 6' and with my PD I do tire more easily, especially later in the day. However my hand muscles, although not what they used to be are still pretty good, I'm still the guy that opens the stuck jar lids. I understand they do not want accidental inflation, but any design that requires that much strength and in a confined space i.e. fingers on top of fingers to get the strength of two is a poor design at best.
In the mean time I've had somewhat of a limited success. I got it, with a lot of difficulty. up to what I would call a semi erection. Maybe even hard enough to have intercourse but the skin was still loose enough that I don't feel the sensation would be what it should be. I showed it to my Love and she said maybe if it gets twice that size. Is she literally a ball breaker or what? If I can get that sucker even another 20% up I'm coming to her like gang busters. Now my dick is somewhat sore and the scrotum is worse for the wear, I'll have to lay off for a day or so.
Thanks Dave for the encouraging words, except the part where you said you had to use all your strength. lol The President of Frank Talk said I'd meet a bunch of great guys and so far he's right on. Tom

[Dave48003]

Tom,

Well, all I can say is great minds think alike!

I don't think the effort is intentional. The anti self inflate features are generally done with something similar to a ball check valve, I think. The AMS will actually pop on the first pump, then the pumping gets easier until the thing starts getting real hard. The 700 LGX is actually designed to expand, but only to what your body will tolerate. I'd sure like to see the engineering on that! The reason for careful sizing and not installing extra long models in guys who want more length (i.e. all of us), is to prevent the cylinders from pushing through the glans (ouch). I guess that was a problem with the early versions, 20 years ago or more. Somehow the LGX will slowly "push the envelope" if you will, and actually gain in length. There are stories of guys who actually get bigger. I'm back to pre surgery, so I'm happy, but I still try to inflate several times a week to try to gain what I can. I also found the scrotum is less tender if I pump every day, and the pump operates easier. Doing your pumping after a nice hot shower, or a soak in the hot tub, or in my case a steam will loosen everything up, allow better access to the pump, and seems to make everything more flexible.

Today, I thought of the pliers the opticians use when putting the lens in eyeglasses. I wonder how they would work as a Boner Buddy.

Dave

[Tom frustrated]

Dave, I'm not familiar with the eye glass type. I called Coloplast today the specialist on the Titan was not in, I'm going to call tomorrow. Should be interesting. Tom