David S. wrote:

My doctor gave me Viagra to try first.   I had to ask him about the
pump, which he didn't seem particularly enthusiastic about, but he did
set up an appointment for me with a pump salesman at his office.

I don't think there is any medical reason for urologists to be against
pumps.  It may just be a bias for other reasons.

I don't know about your finances, but if I were you, I would see a
specialist in ED and go over all the alternatives.

We brought it up to our doctor who agreed it might be a better alternative
for us. I think the general feeling is most guys would rather take a pill so
the pump, I guess a very old fashioned thing, has just fallen out of favor.
Also if it is misused it can cause damage. Also, obviously, there are lots
of idiots out there that think they can leave it pumped it up for hours or
can pump it up into an impressive "x" number of inches. So maybe it is safer
to only allow some guys to have the pill so they don't hurt themselves.

I wish I could say it would work for you. I just don't know. It's working
for us.

Yes, guys, it is working!! And I'm very happy with the results. Yes, it
takes some time and some planning. It's not as "neat" as a little pill. But
it is the results that matter. Foreplay has been reduced to watching the
pumping process.

There's lots of stuff physical happening to make the pump work. It might
take a couple of weeks to be successful with the pump. I think Leonard said
his tech suggested 3 weeks of test runs before actually using it. You've got
to get the blood flowing back
into the area. If the blood hasn't been going there it's as if it forgot how
to do it.

Just remember that the best piece of sexual equipment you own is between the
ears. Get that in the right place and then use the pump. I think it was Lee
who told her husband to have at least one dirty thought a day. It's funny to
hear someone say that but I think she's on the right track. Keep the brain
engaged and the rest will follow eventually.

But it is so difficult when you've had failure after failure. So instead of
expecting it to work you expect failure and that is exactly what you get.
Also it sets you up to battle with depression and that will only make
matters worse. So get the pump and begin training with it. Remember Pavlov's
dogs? If you must go hide in the bathroom. Take a warm shower and think
about sex. Use your brain and create an image that will have a positive
effect. Pump and think. If you see 2-3 inches in that tube tell yourself
it's 7!  Stay very positive. Have those thoughts while you are pumping. Your
body will eventually respond.

Just remember if you broke your arm and had to have a year of intensive
therapy to get it back to working order you would do it. Well, the sexual
equipment was broken probably 10x's worse than any bone could have been. So
now you are going to do intensive therapy to get it working again.

Personally I find porn magazines and porn videos gross but men are more
visual when it comes to sexual stimulation. If that works for you than use
it. Maybe you could just find a few pictures you really like and cut them
out and put them with the pump so when you open the case they are there
waiting for you. Use whatever it takes to set up the brain for training with
the pump.

Pavlov trained his dogs to respond to the bell. They began to salivate
whether there was food or not. Eventually you should respond too - just
thinking about using the pump and the process should set up the response.

You just don't decide to run 5 miles. You might have to walk those first two
miles and eventually build to where you can walk, run and walk two miles.
Then begin to slowly run a full mile, then two and eventually a whole five
miles. Same thing with the pump. If you are a grower and can turn 2 inches
into 3 and eventually four than you've done something - if you are shower
than maybe just making it a little more firm is all you need in the
beginning
until you can slowly build into something more impressive and useable. Don't
expect an instant erection the first time you use it.

Remember you have to retrain or rebuild nerves or blood vessels, etc. It's
not going to happen overnight. But once you have the pump there is virtually
no cost. It's something you can do without the $10 headache. Knowing what I
know now I wish we had started using the pump initially.

I'm not sure what an ED specialist would be able to do except maybe look at
all the pieces of the puzzle. I think depression has to be a big factor in
the equation. I'd never say my husband is depressed - well, not chronically
or clinically depressed but I will say he was beginning to become frustrated
(depressed) over his inability to have a solid erection. He learned to
accept certain things, and he learned he could be satisfied and satisfy his
wife. But there is something about being able to produce that flag pole and
it really bothered him. He wanted that macho, peacock strut, back and it was
missing from his life. With the pump he can force a full erection. And to be
quite honest the smile that he gets on his face - well, there is something
to be said for self-image. So maybe the ED specialist looks at the whole
picture, the damage from treatment, the mental health of the patient and
then assesses what might be best for the patient.
Bev