Recovery of Sexual Function

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Joes411 Regular Member Date Joined Mar 2007 Total Posts : 87	Posted 6/16/2007 8:55 AM (GMT -6)
	I have a couple of questions about the recovery of sexual function. I take 10mg of levitra every other day and seem to be recovering pretty quickly. With me it seems to be a case of two steps forward and one step back. I have days (mostly the Levitra days) when I have very good near normal erections. Then a day or two later I might only get to 70%. Despite the day to day fluctuatuions on the whole it seems to progressively get better. I also notice that response time is much slower now. It takes time, patience and physical stimulation to achieve an erection. 1) Is “two steps forward, one step back” the normal progression of recovery? 2) Will response time to achieve an erection improve as I recover? 3) Do you develop a tolerance to Levitra (or Viagra, Cialis) over time and require larger doses to achieve the same result? Thanks, Joe Age: 51 PSA Jun06 4.1 (PSA Jun05 1.2) DRE negative 1^st Biopsy Nov06 – Atypical cells but no cancer 2^nd Biopsy Jan07 – 1 of 16 cores positive Stage T1c Gleason 3+3=6 DaVinci Prostatectomy 5/17/07 Pathology: clean margins, clean seminal vesicles, organ confined Back to Top

Izzyblizzy Regular Member Date Joined Oct 2006 Total Posts : 411	Posted 6/16/2007 10:50 AM (GMT -6)
	ummm, let me first strangle you and then tell you ... 70% at WORST one month after surgery??? OK now let me pick you up again and strangle you again :) (If only Ken got sexually aroused watching me cyber-strangle strangers) Sigh!! I am just joking around but you are doing GREAT!!!! To try to answer your other question about tolerance. We were on Avodart for about 5 months pre-surgery and we did not experience any tolerance, but we were on a larger dose of Cialis plus Viagra than you are now. And I don't know if it is different post surgery even though we are post surgery because we haven't a near erection!! One last strangle .... !!! :) All in good fun and light humor, You are doing GREAT!! Tanya (and Ken) Age: 63 Diagnosed: 10/30/06 PSA: 3.7 (2005: 3.4, 2004: 4.0) Biopsy: 1/10 cancerous, 5% of one core, right apex. Gleason: 3+3=6 Da Vinci: April 10, 2007, Denver CO Path results: 1% of prostate involved. Very small tumors on both right and left apex. Negative margins, negative seminal vessicles, lymph nodes left intact. Gleason upgraded 3+4=7. 1st PSA Results: May 11, 2007 <.01 Post Edited (Izzyblizzy) : 6/16/2007 10:59:37 AM (GMT-6) Back to Top

bluebird Veteran Member Date Joined May 2006 Total Posts : 2542	Posted 6/16/2007 1:37 PM (GMT -6)
	Hi ~ Joe... Listen to Izzy.... You are doing great!!! Every step counts.. continue to move forward... and if it's 2 steps back... then do a little jig. Keep moving my friend.... You truly are doing great!!! In Friendship ~ Lee & Buddy Threads started by: Joe Joes411 (Direct Link ~ just click on the title below and a new window will open! Reminder* … click on the REFRESH icon once you get there) Joe Home from Surgery Decision Time Veil of Aphrodite ? Dr Patrick Walsh speaks at 25yr anniversary of nerve sparing technique « bluebird ~ Moderator for Prostate Cancer Forum Post Edited (bluebird) : 6/16/2007 1:57:18 PM (GMT-6) Back to Top

biker90 Veteran Member Date Joined Nov 2006 Total Posts : 1464	Posted 6/16/2007 2:03 PM (GMT -6)
	"Keep it up" Joe, you are way ahead of me at 6 months post-op. I have 2 up and 1 down too. Takes patience, for us and our partners... Jim Age 72. Diagnosed 11/03/06. PSA 7.05. Stage T2B Gleason 3+3. RRP 12/7/06. Nerves and nodes okay. Pathological stage: T2B. Gleason 3+4. Cancer confined to prostate. PSA on 1/3/07 - 0.04. PSA on 4/4/07 - 0.00 T level - 48 Restarted T therapy. Next PSA on 7/18/07. "I have cancer but cancer does not have me." Back to Top

Joes411 Regular Member Date Joined Mar 2007 Total Posts : 87	Posted 6/18/2007 7:39 AM (GMT -6)
	Thanks Tanya, Bluebird and Jim. I appreciate the input and the light choking ;o) Cheers, Joe Age: 51 PSA Jun06 4.1 (PSA Jun05 1.2) DRE negative 1^st Biopsy Nov06 – Atypical cells but no cancer 2^nd Biopsy Jan07 – 1 of 16 cores positive Stage T1c Gleason 3+3=6 DaVinci Prostatectomy 5/17/07 Pathology: clean margins, clean seminal vesicles, organ confined Back to Top

myman Veteran Member Date Joined Feb 2007 Total Posts : 1219	Posted 6/18/2007 4:57 PM (GMT -6)
	Joe - Good for you & yours! Susan Back to Top

56pontiac Regular Member Date Joined Sep 2006 Total Posts : 232	Posted 6/19/2007 5:10 PM (GMT -6)
	If you are getting up that regularly after just one month since surgery you certainly are not the norm good for you. That is really great! You shouldn't worry about the up down thang your 70% downs are better than most ups were even before surgery. Keep up the good work my man! You are an inspiration. Back to Top

aztec1958 Regular Member Date Joined Feb 2007 Total Posts : 94	Posted 6/20/2007 11:04 AM (GMT -6)
	joe I havn't been coming to the forum for awhile but I found your post interesting. I too had a quick recovery in this area. My doctor had me on 100mg of viagra everyother day and I had no problem getting an erection. since it ran out all I had was the 50mg samples he gave me and that didn't seem to work as well. What I've found is a lack of drive almost feeling indifferant to it. which makes me sad and the cycle gets worse. so I wonder also do you develop a tolerance and is there a loss of drive for sex once the prostate is removed. I hope things continue to go well for you in this area Alex Age: 48 Diagnosed: 02/19/07 PSA: 4.5 Gleason: 3+3=6 Surgery: April 09, 2007 Path results: 7% of prostate involved. Margins clean 3+3=6 catheder to be removed April 19 07. Back to Top

El Tigre Regular Member Date Joined May 2007 Total Posts : 58	Posted 6/24/2007 4:31 PM (GMT -6)
	Strangle!!!! Yes!!! You are one of the ones that our docs use as an inspirational example! I am about 20 months post surgery and have had 1 usable, conscious erection without using pills, pumps or injections. I wake from sleep with one pretty regular, but they don't last long enough to do anything with them. Fortunately, injections work GREAT for me. Be happy!! I sure do wish I had found this site pre-surgery!! RRP 10/25/05 I don't remember all the scores. Have had clean checks ever since. Never had to use the pads!! Back to Top

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