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Posted 4/24/2008 2:52 AM (GMT 0)

I am seven weeks out from surgery and I am having problems getting firm enough for intercourse. I am currently taking 5 mg of cialis and using the erecaid pump. It is too soon or is there something I can do that would help?

Posted 4/24/2008 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
Have you considered injections?

Posted 4/24/2008 3:01 AM (GMT 0)

Take your time....be patient.  Those nerves were really messed with and will take time to heal.

Good Luck,  KW

Posted 4/24/2008 3:02 AM (GMT 0)
Kenny,

You are right where most men are at this stage in recovery. It takes time and a bunch O patience. Expect 9-12 months and hope for sooner:>) My adivise, relax and let life happen. The body heals at its own pace. Keep doing what you're doing! Some say injections may jump start the recovery time.

Swim
Posted 4/24/2008 3:22 AM (GMT 0)
I am going to talk with my Doctor about the injections when I go back on May 9th. I have three appointments that day. One with the Doctor, one for ED and one for lab. They did have to take my right nerve but my Doctor told me that I should be able to perform with time. The Urologist Group I am seeing in Birmingham do a lot of research and they really emphasis recovery from ED. Thanks for the advice.
Posted 4/24/2008 3:29 AM (GMT 0)

Hi BamaCoast,

You must be kidding us! :-) Most of us here took at least 6-12 month to get back to something resembling 'normal'. Some of us took even longer and some, heaven forbid, ever (except perhaps with injections). I'm a lot older than you, but even so, it took me over 12 month to produce anything 'usable' with the help of chemicals. In the ED department, patience is definitely a must.

Wishing you a quick and complete recovery.

Magaboo

Posted 4/24/2008 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
Kenny as most of the replies to you prior to mine i can only reassure thier statements.....you are VERY VERY early in the process of regaining potency following prostate removal ... it takes time and Patience to get there , and do ot jump into fast conclusions or rush anything...i am 10 months out after nerve sparing open RP and just started to feel the progress in the ED dept. Please take your time and first try the usual therapy such as oral meds (maybe increase doses of Viagra or Cialis) the VED is a good help, but you must remember that normal healing time for those nerves is about 9 to 12 months ..if i feel that i need more help after 12 months only then i will consider Injection therapy...
Keep up the good work and keep posting

good Luck !! i am certain you will get there eventually

GB :-)
Posted 4/24/2008 7:12 AM (GMT 0)
My husband would agree with the previous few comments re. 9-12 months average. Our progress was 50% at 6 months (cialis on and off increased etc),  and then a rapid 80% at 8 months and improving from then with Levitra. Still using Levitra 20mg when needed (at 12 months). Some others using injections here,  also report the return of natural function sometime between 9-12months up to 2 years. I think you are doing fine with some return of function at such an early stage too.  Others same age report much sooner, so it depends. Treatment also is a choice. Cialis did not work for us early on (8-12 weeks), and so at 4 months had a break from all meds, then switched. Not sure if it was the time factor or the medication, but tend to think it was time. Nothing significant from 6 months, then rapid improvement at 8 months. Similiar ages etc to you. If it had not worked would then have tried injections, but it did. Good luck in your recovery. 
Posted 4/24/2008 1:00 PM (GMT 0)
BamaCoast, I had the Surgery, the day before you, Dr. Tully also. Am having the same as you, same on the Cialis, but no pump, just work on it everyday. Have had Erections enough for sex, but don't last very long, maybe larger dose needed ? My appointments the week after yours. The leaking thing is my big bugaboo, still one heavy pad and one light one a day, more if I'm sweating. Wear only ultra thins on the Bike, then a couple. Keep the Faith and listen to the folks here. After my original Uro's staff screwed up everything, the folks here kept me from choking the crap out of someone.  
Posted 4/24/2008 2:23 PM (GMT 0)

fatcat said...
BamaCoast, I had the Surgery, the day before you, Dr. Tully also. Am having the same as you, same on the Cialis, but no pump, just work on it everyday. Have had Erections enough for sex, but don't last very long, maybe larger dose needed ? My appointments the week after yours. The leaking thing is my big bugaboo, still one heavy pad and one light one a day, more if I'm sweating. Wear only ultra thins on the Bike, then a couple. Keep the Faith and listen to the folks here. After my original Uro's staff screwed up everything, the folks here kept me from choking the crap out of someone.


Fatcat that is fabulous to know you are feeling some action with Mr. hAPPY so early nin the game ... you will do very well and very soon i M SURE it took me about 6 to 8 months to start seeing some significant progress but yet at 10 months not fully erect without medications (i use only oral meds and some practice with the VED) even though i had the open RP compare to your DaVinci

Great News and encouraging for others on here .. it is all up to everyones body to recover those nerves
GB :-)
Posted 4/24/2008 2:25 PM (GMT 0)

creed_three said...
My husband would agree with the previous few comments re. 9-12 months average. Our progress was 50% at 6 months (cialis on and off increased etc), and then a rapid 80% at 8 months and improving from then with Levitra. Still using Levitra 20mg when needed (at 12 months). Some others using injections here, also report the return of natural function sometime between 9-12months up to 2 years. I think you are doing fine with some return of function at such an early stage too. Others same age report much sooner, so it depends. Treatment also is a choice. Cialis did not work for us early on (8-12 weeks), and so at 4 months had a break from all meds, then switched. Not sure if it was the time factor or the medication, but tend to think it was time. Nothing significant from 6 months, then rapid improvement at 8 months. Similiar ages etc to you. If it had not worked would then have tried injections, but it did. Good luck in your recovery.

Creed , thanks for your response and sounds like your husband is doing fine and on the way to full recovery soon !!!
keep up the good work ..
Good Luck and keep us posted

GB :-)
Posted 4/25/2008 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
GB - many thanks for your kind words... I find it difficult to discuss these issues on my husband's behalf, but do so sometimes because it is so necessary. We do not discuss this one with anyone else at all, so if it was not for this forum, we would have no idea of how these things really are for a variety of other people. Many thanks for your good wishes GB. So glad to hear you are going so well too. cheers :-)
Posted 4/25/2008 1:10 AM (GMT 0)

fatcat said...
BamaCoast, I had the Surgery, the day before you, Dr. Tully also. Am having the same as you, same on the Cialis, but no pump, just work on it everyday. Have had Erections enough for sex, but don't last very long, maybe larger dose needed ? My appointments the week after yours. The leaking thing is my big bugaboo, still one heavy pad and one light one a day, more if I'm sweating. Wear only ultra thins on the Bike, then a couple. Keep the Faith and listen to the folks here. After my original Uro's staff screwed up everything, the folks here kept me from choking the crap out of someone.  

fatcat, It seems we are very close to the same on our recovery. I will be seeing Dr. Bugg when I go back on May 9th. Dr. Tully will be out of the office. I hear Dr. Bugg is very good. I am writing down questions to ask when I go back.  I was honestly under the impression that it would not take that long to be able to have a firm erection with medication. I thought from what I have read it would be more like 3 months not 9-12 months. Sounds like that is wishful thinking. If I lived close to Birmingham I would go to the monthly support meetings. You could probably get some very good information at the meetings.

Like you I was impress with the staff at St Vincents. My wife was very impress with the male nurse who was part of the robotic surgery team.

Thanks for all the replys and I will be a regular on the forum

Posted 4/25/2008 12:45 PM (GMT 0)

Bama, since Alabama doesn't have that much of a coast, I figure you are somewhere around Mobile (we spent last winter in Satsuma), so heres a link to the USToo Chapters in the state, with info about the one in Mobile.  Hope this helps if you are seeking a support group.  This organization is great, in my opinion...

http://www.ustoo.org/chapter_nearyou.asp

Posted 4/25/2008 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
 

BamaCoast, that would be Dewayne, he's from Mobile. He was first rate, when they rolled me in I asked to pat the machine, let it know I was a friend. They all got a good laugh. He kept my wife and sister-in-law fully informed as to what was going on. I see Dr. Tully the week after you. I'm in the Panhandle of Florida; we leave around 4 am, go to Birmingham, then head home. Did it by motorcycle for my first appointment with Dr.Tully, wife and I drove up and some friends, she has her own motorcycle. Left at 4 am, 26 degrees out, he thought we were certifiable. I told him having prostate cancer does that to men. Keep the Faith

Posted 4/25/2008 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
James, I live in Grand Bay which is on the MS/AL State line and I worked in Chickasaw. I really like living in Grand Bay. It makes it a 15 minute drive to Mobile and a 40 minute drive to Biloxi where will be gong tonight to see Blake Shelton in concert at the Imperial Palace.

Fatcat,

I guess you went to B'ham for the same reason I did and that was because of the vast experience and reputation of Dr Tullys group. I saw where they have the Di Vinci System in Pensacola. I liked the Dr here in Mobile but he had only performed 24 sugeries and that was not enough for me. They are getting experience quickly. My Urologist group here in mobile is doing 2 per day and Mobile Infirmary has purschased a second machine to try and keep up with the demand.
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