Newbie From San Diego

[ivtacres]

Hello guys, I am a 51 year old male who has been suffering with ED the last 5 years. I am so happy to have found this group. As we all know this is a VERY hard topic to discuss with your doctor, Not to to mention your partner. Hopefully I will gain some knowledge and strength so I can tackle this problem head on( no pun intended).
I am curious, how long does the process take once you start talking to your doctor. I have tried the pills with no success, will I have to try the pump and intravenous needle before going to implants? Also what about insurance. I will be getting medicare July 2013, will they cover the procedure?

Thanks for having me

James

[jn1421]

Hey James,
Welcome to FT. I was raised in SD so I know the area well. Sorry that you also suffer with ED, but I'm glad you found us. We are here for you and proud to be of any help we can. If you feel alone at any time don't hesitate to come here for knowledge, experience, companionship, fellowship and a good laugh.

It is my personal opinion, that if your Uro doesn't have ED personally, then he cannot fully understand what you are going through. He may have more understanding of the physiological side of ED but he cannot understand the emotional side of ED unless he lives with it like we do...impossible. Since his understanding is limited in that respect, I think it will help you along the way, not to expect him to. If you find a Uro who actually has ED, then do whatever you can to keep him. A few guys here have really good Uro's and will gladly share information; perhaps one is near you.

The process time toward recovery will depend upon you and how your 'unique' body responds to any given therapy. Most of us here practice the current approaches but with differing results (meds, injections, pumps, cock rings, penis exercises and implants). Some of us favor certain techniques and some don't, however, all of us are willing to give our 'unique' perspective regarding them all. Check out the forums and read up, you will find threads that already answer any question you may have. If you are a social butterfly with a sense of humor and thick skin, come into the chat room and meet us. You can ask any question in real time.

Dave

[bob1138]

Welcome to FT James.
I was implanted with the Coloplast Titan in December 2007 after developing ED Post-Prostatectomy in 2004.
Thankfully, this completely corrected my ED.
To answer your insurance question, I has Medicare + AARP Supplemental Medicare at the time and this covered all expenses of the Procedure. I had no out of pocket cost.

Hope this is helpful,

Bob

[ivtacres]

Thanks, it helps ease the apprehension

[Jbcsatx]

Welcome to the site! Five years is long enough. I have been using Viagra since it appeared on the market twelve years ago along with Levitra and Cialis. They quit working well and I was fed up with the side effects. Did my research and knew I was ready for implant. Dr offered the injections and I declined-at that point he said my only real option was the implant. This all happened in one visit-have surgery scheduled for October 9th! It is a major life decision but one I have made and plan on improving my physical and emotional health! Good luck-It is your penis you have the right to chose what treatment fits you the best! Jim

[Bionic_by_AMS]

Hello guys, I am a 51 year old male who has been suffering with ED the last 5 years.

Welcome ... you didn't give us much to go on ...
"Most cases of sexual dysfunction are related to a physical cause. The most common causes are diabetes, heart disease/high cholesterol, neurological trauma or disease and side effects of medications" ... so which best describes your issues?

As we all know this is a VERY hard topic to discuss with your doctor, Not to to mention your partner.

That's true, but you need to leave your humility at the door when discussing ED with your Doctor ...

I am curious, how long does the process take once you start talking to your doctor. I have tried the pills with no success, will I have to try the pump and intravenous needle before going to implants?

At this point you really need to see a Urologist ... I would highly recommend using a VED (vacuum pump) for maintaining penis health. If you do not have Insurance now you can find a variety of pumps at Amazon.com. No you do not need to try Injections before an Implant.

Keep us posted on your progress ...

[radiodec]

For me, urologist visit to scheduled implant surgery date -- one month.

Let me warn you though that this was a special case. I had done all my home work and had all the data in place for the urologist when I saw him. 12 1/2 years of ED following prostate cancer surgery had given me a surplus of time to have tried all the pills and the injections and to have the case for an implant ready built. Since I am only 65 and in reasonably good health, controlled high blood pressure is only negative, I was a prime candidate. Therefore, we worked me into the schedule as soon as was reasonable. My surgery is 10/1/2012.

I am still doing my "homework" in preparation for the event.

Good luck and keep studying.

Radiodec