UPS AND DOWNS AFTER RP

HCV, I think anyone who says he hasn't gone through periods where he felt as you're feeling right now is lying.  It's normal. This "new normal" takes a lot of getting used to. 

Still, your surgery was just 4 months ago.  You have a lot of time for improvement.  I'm just shy of two years, and I'm still not ready to throw in the towel.  You're younger than I am, and your chances for recovery are better than mine.  Plus, as my uro told me, we have options, including shots and even penile implants.  Not ideal, certainly, but you'll find guys here on the site who are overjoyed that these things have put them back in the saddle.  Stay positive, watch the Dr. Mulhall video on penile rehab, and hope for the best.  I hope it happens for you. 

  

It's not the same right now, and that's okay. We were 4 months out just this past June and would have never imagined how much progress we'd make in just 2 month with pills. They weren't really working, so we kept at it with a VED and Trimix. We saw a glimpse of progress, sans VED or trimix just as we hit the 6 month mark. We figured it might be a good time to take a pill, and sure enough, 100% and ready to go.

20% is better than nothing. Keep at it, don't give up, and try not to let it get you down (no pun intended) :). My hubby stayed pretty light about the subject, and always got a kick out of reminding me, "doctor's orders...time for rehab". Time is healing our wounds, both emotionally and physically, day by day. Give it time, it will happen!

HCV,

You have great results so far - generally dry, and something on the erection front.

I am three years out, and would love to be able to say either of the two.

Patience is a virtue on this journey.

HCV, venting is allowed and encouraged, and your are entitled to your just vents. We understand. I am thinking, you are only 4 months out of a very complex and invasive surgery. So much of your "insides" have been traumatized by your op. The nerves involved are very delicate on a good day, and it seems to really vary from guy to guy, how much time is required for things to properly heal up and be functional again.

This is the downside to surgery as a primary treatment, the degree of incontinence and/or ED, or the lack of. There is no normal or right or wrong, its unique to each person.

Keep on trying, as you are. Expect to have some "dark moments" from time to time. There is nothing easy about dealing with PC, or the side effects picked up along the way from treatment(s).

I was 56 at diagnosis, so I know how you feel about that part. I won the "lottery" in my case, and had/have zero ED issues, but I have had enough other issues to more than make up for that prize, especially with all the severe and perm. chronic pain that I am dealing with. Doesn't do you any good to have all your parts working right for sex, if you are in too much pain to enjoy doing it. Everything is a trade off.

Glad to hear you basicially got the incontinence part under control, that is an important accomplishment, and if you are pulling a "zero" to start with, the main goal of cancer eradication has been met.

Hang in there, my friend, and never give up hope. Hopefully, you will start to make progress on that last segment of your recovery, the ED portion.

David in SC

HCV,
Your feeling at 4 months is normal. I am 19 months post robotic RP. It is still early at 4 months to expect any more than you have. Hang in there with patience as it is a long a slow recovery. I was down at 4 months then picked up at 5. My first partial erection with meds occured at exactly 12 months. I have plateaued several times and each time thought that things may not get any better and then when things improve a bit I get great encouragement for the next phase of recovery. At 19 months I can now enjoy fairly normal sex even though I am relying on daily cialis and plenty of stimulation. But looking back I have come a long way from where I was at 4 months.