Thanks gentlemen for sharing your experiences. Reading all these posts has been helpful. With that in mind, I am going the share MY story and would like to apologize in advance for its length.
I am 65 and am 10 months post Robotic Prostatectomy. My surgeon had me start pelvic floor exercises 4 months PRIOR to my surgery, so when the catheter was removed, I was halfway there to complete continence. Nights were immediately dry (I guess because when lying down there is no pressure on the bladder) and after another 3 months of working with my PF Physio, I was completely dry.... only experiencing the occasional little squirt. 5 weeks after surgery I got a pump and stared rehab using it 3-5 times a week. If I use a silicone ring, I have a 75% hard erection and am able to masturbate to orgasm about once a week. I have to admit, I was unsure of whether or not I would ever be able to climax post-surgery and when I did, I almost cried!!! On one occasion I was able to orgasm without any erection which really boosted my confidence in recovering some normalcy to my life. I have been very reluctant to introduce the pump into the bedroom with the wife. In my head, all scenarios would make it a mood-killer for both of us. (Gents... can anyone share their experiences in this subject? Tell us how you introduce the pump into your night of love-making and what does your partner think of the whole thing?)
Backing up a bit....... I have not had any hint of an erection since surgery. I take Cialis 5mg daily as part of my rehab. My urologist also gave me a script for Viagra 100mg and asked me to try that on nights when the wife and I are going to have sex. I have tried it twice and nothing happened. I was quite down about this whole situation but after reading posts from many men, see that regaining one's erection can take up to 3 years.
I finally got my prescription for Alprostadil last month. The ED nurse showed me how to inject it, giving me the full injection that first time but telling me I could use 1/2 in the future. She left me alone to "stimulate myself" and see how it worked. I never really got more than 1/2 hard but the soreness that I felt was pretty surprising....enough to make me start thinking I might NOT try a second injection EVER. Thankfully I read posts from men like you who had similar experiences which encouraged me to try a 2nd time, reading that the pain would be less in subsequent attempts. They were right! I injected at home in the bathroom on a scheduled night of fun with the wife. This time the pain was more like a low-grade soreness which I was able to ignore because of the complete erection I was now sporting! WOOHOO!!!!! Having sex was a bit of a stop-start situation as the physical pressure of trying to penetrate her, would push some of the blood out of my erection and make me soft. Pulling out allowed me to get hard again so we continued this way. Just the ability to get hard, and be inside her was a wonderful experience for us both! I am considering using a soft silicone ring after injection the next time I inject in the hopes that the blood will be less likely to be pushed out. I have heard back from 1 or 2 gents who have tried this but would appreciate hearing from others. I am also looking forward to trying Caverject as soon as it becomes available where I live. I guess it is the most popular choice as it is out of stock EVERYWHERE!!!