Get Back Up
Yes, it's been a hot minute since I've posted here and that's because there hasn't been a lot to report overall. My goal here is to post my journey but I want to post when I think I have something to say about that journey that can help others. So this is to say I haven't abandoned this project, more that the timetables of this journey are not always short. That being said, I do have something to say here.
First and foremost, all indications are that the cancer is still gone. I had a 2-year PSA back in September (about 5 months ago) and it was undetectable which is exactly what I want to see. I'll continue to get checked annually but, hopefully, that's all I have to do. Time will tell.
However, I do have an update on the ED front. On the last post I thought I was through the fight and back to normal. That turned out to be not quite the case. As with many things in life, progress doesn't always follow a straight line. So through much of 2025, I continued to struggle getting and, more importantly, maintaining an erection. At my 2 year check-up back in September, I discussed it with my urology PA and we agreed to try upping my Tadalafil from 5mg to 10mg daily. This is still half the maximum recommended dosage and I haven't had any side effects.
That helped, but there was still a mental component. When you're struggling, it's easy to let your mind worry about it, especially in the moment. This doesn't help at all. Overthinking can really impede progress. And failures can just add to the problem and make it tougher to make progress. Thankfully, my wife has been very understanding and supportive. This helps a lot but, at the end of the day, it's something I have to tackle if I'm to recover.
Here's what I found helped me make progress on this front. It starts with minimizing the time to overthink. Essentially when things get going, don't delay. This is where having a supportive wife really helps. We've talked about it and she understands that I may move things forward quicker than I used to in order to not give myself a chance to overthink/worry about not being able to perform. The other component is to do my best to replace thoughts that do come into my head. I'll do my best to explain it here, but I try to focus on being more forceful in my thoughts. In essence, I'm replacing thoughts of doubt with thoughts of confidence. It may sounds strange, but I think it's helped. And the results have definitely been better. Maybe this is something many guys do already, but I didn't really have to do it intentionally before...things just worked. Now, I have to make more of an effort to think more confidently and aggressively. This change of mindset seems to have caused a physical change as well. I suppose that makes sense since thinking the opposite had an opposite effect. The main difference here is the intentional nature of the thoughts.
I'm not sure if this speaks to anyone out there in a similar situation or whether doing these things will help, but if you haven't tried it, I'd suggest it. You have to try different things if you want different results. The keys to recovery is consistency of practice and adaptation. I made changes on both the medical and the mental side. It took time to figure this out...most of the year, in fact. Give yourself the time to figure it out for you.
As usual, I'm open to help other men on this journey. If you'd like to reach out, check out my contact page and we can talk about it in a way that you are comfortable.
Until next time.....
Please note: This blog is based on one man's experience and is for educational and support purposes only. Nothing in this blog should be considered medical advise. Always consult a physician to properly evaluate your particular health issues.