Implant: Needing a pep talk

[HardTimes26]

Hello!

This is a great board; thanks to all who have shared their experiences.

My implant surgery is scheduled in a few weeks, and I'm starting to get kind of nervous. Is that par for the course?

Quick history: Prostate surgery, radiation and venous leak = unresponsive to pills and injections; vacuum pump is unsatisfactory. I want to reclaim my sex life — an implant is my only option. It’s the no-turning-back part and the product warnings that give me pause.

I’ve spent time on these boards comparing AMS and Coloplast and, frankly, can’t see a clear choice. My doctor says he’ll decide in the O.R. if I state no preference. Any advice here is welcome.

Also curious to hear:

1. How long before your new equipment felt like “part of the furniture”? When did you forget about the reservoir in your abdomen?

2. When were you able to resume light workouts? (Jogging, light weights, yoga, cross-country skiing, etc.)

3. Doctors tell me that men have a really high satisfaction rate with implants — more than 90 percent. How many months until you felt “Wow! This was worth going through the surgery”?

4. How does the implant procedure compare with prostate surgery, in terms of discomfort and recovery time? I have been lucky— no incontinence following prostate surgery. My doc assures me the implant won’t mess that up. Has that been your experience?

5. Length: The doc says he’ll stretch me out on the operating table to size me up. That is troubling. Flaccid does not come close to erect in my case. (I have been using a pump to restore/maintain size since prostate surgery.) How did your doctor fit you out?

6. With an implant, arousal becomes mechanical, not organic. What psychological adjustments did you have to make? (The Coloplast warnings mention this.) Do you miss the spontaneity you once had?

Thanks very much for any help with this stuff.