Let me start off with a greeting and a progress report. It's been a
few months since I posted here. I had an open anatomical nerve-sparing
radical RRP on November 17, 2006 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer
Center, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 47.

Coming up on eight months now, for two weeks now I have not worn pads
during the day. I still wear one at night to be safe. After several
months of using Caverject 2x per week, I am now having erections with
oral medications only.  Those who have recently been diagnosed and may
be considering surgical options may find encouragement in this.

I have a few questions that I'm hoping will generate some replies.
I'll answer my questions with my own experience, while asking what
others have found.

I haven't been able to locate much clinical literature that attempts
to describe men's subjective experience of the sexual side-effects of
prostatectomy. If anyone can point me to such studies, I would
appreciate it. I would also be interested in anecdotal reports or
personal experiences that anyone would be willing to share.

We all know that a man who has had an RRP does not ejaculate, but many
can have erections and most can still orgasm.

ejaculating allows for a shorter refractory period, since production
of semen isn't required. It seems that I can get erect sooner,
following orgasm, than I could before surgery. Or is this my
imagination? I'm not sure. (Obviously everyone is different, but I'm
wondering what others have found.)

What is the difference in the typical length of time involved in the
various stages of sexual response for a man with a prostate  vs.
without a prostate (i.e. excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution)? It
seems to me that excitement and plateau take nearly twice as long; and
that orgasms are often just as intense -- or more so -- than pre-
surgery. However, there are times when I don't orgasm, despite a firm
or at least adequate erection, and get tired of trying. Such sex is
still enjoyable, though not as satisfying as when completed by orgasm.

Do men and their partners typically find a dry climax less satisfying,
more so, or about the same? My own experience is partially described
in the above paragraph. I'd have to say there are times that I miss
the warm spurting sensation of injecting semen, but other times (as
noted above) when muscular contractions seem more intense than I
typically experienced before surgery. Again, it's hard for me to
generalize with certainty, even for my own experience.

Is urinary leakage during sex a major annoyance to men or their
partners, and how do you/they deal with it? I have tried using a
condom, as well as a towel. Leakage seems to be decreasing for me and
is therefore less of an issue than before. But I haven't really found
an entirely good solution to this, other than hoping for continued
healing. Currently, I think this is the biggest negative side-effect
that I still have; but, as I said, it is getting better.

Best wishes to everyone in this unusual newsgroup, and thanks for the
openness in sharing information. It's been a tremendous resource for
me, for which I'm grateful.

Tom