Sex

betsywetsy wrote:
Solution:

Its all free over here in the UK now, pumps, pills, shots, you name it. Cancer sufferers get free meds as of March 2009.

Can't bring myself to vote for the b*ggers again though.

Cheers, Mike

I got the shot and it works fine. Once I didn't do the shot quite right so it didn't work then. After that I made sure I got it in the right spot.

Good luck with your appointment.

Mike

Dr. Malkowicz was also my surgeon up at Penn and now that sometime has gone by I think my nerve got spared because I have had some feeling down there but I had so much going on there for awhile I didn't have time to deal with this situation. I have 27 months in now so i am thinking about seeing Dr. Axilrod about the shot I bet he gets alot of jokes with that name since he deals in this sex thing. I know the sex won't be the same but after getting this cancer nothing has been the same so I try and make the best out of everything. It's an evil cancer especially for those that had the RC. BCfighter

Good luck with the insurance company. I tried and appealed (and lost the appeal) when my uro prescribed the Viagra and the pump. I just got a headache from the Viagra and nothing else. The pump was just kind of a pain to mess with every day so I gave up on that as well.

Now, I have different insurance (used to be Humana but now Blue Cross Blue Shield) so I'm going to try again as I was just prescribed the daily dose of Cialis. It doesn't cause a headache and does seem to improve blood flow. Only been on it a few days so far so I don't know if it helps otherwise. With the Cialis, I seem to have returned to normal size when flacid. My concern was the ever disappearing act and significant shrinkage. Started thinking it was going to go away completely so I'm glad the Cialis seems to have resolved that issue.

My first appointment for "the shot" is coming up in a couple of weeks but I've heard good things from others on the site about it.

I also had nerve sparing but my uro said it can take from six months to three years for normal function to return and that something should be done (the pump, or the pills) for basic maintenance therapy to avoid problems with the basic musculature in the meantime. Apparently, if one is not having regular erections it can cause deteriorization over time. Under normal circumstances there are three or four erections a night while sleeping.

Losing the prostate does not dimish desire. The knowledge that it won't work if you wanted it do does dimish desire however. At least for me, it has kind of been, "What's the point of even thinking about it if I know I can't do anything about it."

It has been eight months so I am looking forward to the shot. Amazing how time can change your opinion about giving yourself a shot in the penis!

Regarding urine coming out, my plan is to spend the time a bit before initiating anything to really drain the neobladder very well in order to avoid that problem.

Mike

Even if they were able to preserve the nerve bundles it sometimes takes up to a year to get normal function back. I would have the surgeon write a script for the needed supplies if need be and keep hounding the insurance company until you find someone who doesn't say no which they are quite well trained to do.
Pat

What do you do when your insurance does not cover any of these needed supplies? The pills and pump are expensive and we haven't checked into the injections yet. Sounds like the injections might be a better solution... We are about 6 months post Indiana pouch from RC and Prostatectomy. And many complications and set backs. So all of this adds to the frustration.