Does this sound like Peyronie's Disease?

[Dizzy]

Hello.  Before I get into my questions, I must say that, after an introductory perusal of this site, I have a great amount of respect for all of you.  This website looks like an amazing resource for people with Peyronie's Disease, and everyone who contributes to these message boards should be commended for their helpfulness, patience, and strength.  Honestly, you all deserve a tremendous amount of credit for the time and effort you put into supporting one another.  

Now, onto the reason I came here...

I am currently 22 years old.  A few years ago, when I was around 17 or 18, I noticed that I was suddenly having difficulty getting an erection.  It hurt whenever I would try.  Soon after, it became impossible for me to even get an erection.  I was suffering from some other medical problems at the time, highlighted by significant weight loss and extremely low levels of testosterone.  I chalked up the erectile issues to the low testosterone levels, though I was still very concerned.  

By the time I was 20, my medical issues had been resolved.  I was at a healthy weight, and my testosterone levels returned to normal.  I was able to get erections again, with no pain.  However, I noticed that, when erect, my penis wasn't quite as long as it was before--roughly half an inch shorter than what I was used to.  I had gained a lot of weight (about 35-40 pounds), and in a very short amount of time, so I figured the length issue was just due to some extra fat.  

A few weeks ago, I learned about Peyronie's Disease for the first time.  It was very distressing to learn about, and what bothered me the most was the fact that my experiences seemed to fit some of the symptoms--namely, the painful erections and the loss of length.  It was then that I examined my penis more closely than I ever had before, and, to my horror, I noticed the left side of my flaccid penis feels a bit firmer/harder than the right.  I don't know if I feel a "lump," per se.  I feel the firmness especially when my penis is in its smallest state; when flaccid but a bit "floppier," it's more difficult to find the area of firmness.

Presently, I don't have any pain during erections, and from what I can tell, my erect penis isn't curved or bent.  The base is a bit narrower than the middle of the shaft, but for all I know, that's how it always was; I never really paid much attention to the shape of my penis before this.  When my penis is erect, I do notice a very slight indentation on the left side of the shaft, but again, I don't know if it was always there or not.  

Two more factors I think are relevant: I was born with hypospadias, which was surgically repaired when I was 1, and when I first started masturbating at age 15, I did it from the prone position, usually rubbing my penis against the floor or bed.  As soon as I learned this was wrong, I stopped (by the time I was 16), but now I'm worried I caused some trauma from the time spent doing this.  

I guess I should also mention that I'm a bit of a hypochondriac, because as soon as I learned about Peyronies Disease, I've been incredibly anxious about this.  (Hence why I started examining my penis so much more closely than before, and why several rounds of Google searches led me to this website.)  Essentially, I'm worried that the two conditions I mentioned earlier--the difficulty/pain in getting erections, and the half-inch shortening--were not caused by my weight/hormone issues, but instead by Peyronies Disease.  I'm worried that the firmness I feel on the left side of my shaft is plaque/scar tissue.  And--this is the heart of the matter--I'm worried that if I had Peyronies Disease before, it's never going to go away (since there's no cure), and that future shortening of the penis and possible curvature is what I have in store, even if I have no present symptoms besides the firmness.

So, my questions are as follows:

1)   If I had Peyronies Disease a few years ago, and it recovered to the point that I don't have any pain or significant curvature during erections, is it likely the condition will "relapse" later in my life?
2)   I am still a virgin.  If I had Peyronies Disease, am I more susceptible to injury/a reoccurrence of Peyronies Disease whenever I start having sex?
3)   Can the firmness I feel on the left side of my penis be related to my hypospadias surgery?  If it's been like that my whole life, I guess I'd be a little less concerned.
4)   If I had Peyronies Disease and it caused the shortening of my penis, is my penis likely to continue to shorten?  The length has been stable for the past couple of years, ever since I first discovered the shortening.

That's about it.  I understand that if you're reading this and currently suffer from Peyronies Disease, you might be kind of pissed at me.  I don't have any pain or curvature right now that so many people with Peyronies Disease suffer from.  Please know that I'm not trying to be a jerk.  I have severe anxiety issues, including and in addition to my hypochondria, and this has been incredibly distressing to me.  I hate the idea that I could have a condition that might only continue to get worse.  

Again, I have the utmost respect for everyone on this forum, and I thank you very much for your time and help.  I wish the best of luck to all of you.  

[Hawk]

Dizzy, welcome to the forum.  We are glad you dropped in and asked some reasonable questions. We don't get pissed at guys with legitimate concerns that ask reasonable questions.  If you get obsessive with your "what-if questions" every day, we will warn you when it is time to chill out, with no hurt feelings intended.

I could tell you are a bit on the hypochondriac side right before i got to that part.  That being said, it is your only penis and most guys would have concerns.  In fact I am glad you have so closely examined your penis because you now know things about it you did not know before, and you have a base line.  

Anyone that gains 30 lbs is going to lose 1/2" unless you are using BPSFL.  So I would kind of dismiss that.
You are straight (at least as far as a penis is concerned since none are perfect cylinders
You have no pain and no sign of anything progressive.

I think it is very unlikely you have Peyronies Disease.
It is difficult to characterize your episode of pain, and ED.  It could have been some inflammation from lack of hormones, and oxygen/erections.  Maybe it was even characteristic of Peyronies Disease.  I doubt you will ever get an answer to that question.  Trying to predict the occurrence or nonoccurrence of Peyronies Disease in your future is like doing the same for my sons.  You come out of the gate with about a 10% chance of getting Peyronies Disease in your life time.  Your risk factors may move you higher or lower, but regardless of your risk (which deals with groups) no one knows what will happen to you the individual.

My only advice is take good baseline measurements.  Don't do stupid rough things to your penis.  Live a generally healthy life.  And don't obsess.  Normal heterosexual intercourse is not usually traumatizing and your penis seems well up to the job.  Be careful of things like female on top where the male has little control.  There are MANY cases where the women has little sensation of how far is too far and the penis comes out and gets jammed on the next move.  It can fracture a healthy penis if the female thinks sex is supposed to be like bull riding.

Finally we have no clue what you are feeling in your penis.  It could be scar tissue from injury, scar tissue from your surgery, there is a slight chance it is scar tissue from a brief minor flare up of Peyronies Disease that was stopped when your heath was restored, finally maybe it is just normal irregularities we all feel.

Sorry I could not give you a precise diagnoses over the internet and read your future but my guess is that it is full steam ahead with no problems, and you are now a little more informed and prepared than the average guy.

Read the section of this about taking baseline measurements. MUST READ BEFORE YOU POST - Information for new members - Peyronies Society Forums

Good Luck
Hawk

[Dizzy]

Hawk, thank you so much for your thoughtful (and quick!) response.  I can't tell you how much your reply has calmed me down.  I understand that trying to accurately self-diagnose over the Internet is virtually (no pun intended) impossible.  But, being a hypochondriac, if I went to the doctor for everything that worried me, I may as well live in the hospital.  So I sometimes use the Internet to get an idea if there are any clear danger signs that warrant an immediate doctor visit.  

I appreciate your rational and detailed take on my situation and questions.  I do have one last question, though, if it's not too much trouble.  You mentioned it's possible that what I feel in my penis is scar tissue, be it from surgery, Peyronies Disease, injury, etc.  If it is indeed scar tissue, my question is this: Barring future trauma/injury, is scar tissue something that normally gets worse on its own?  In other words, if nothing out of the ordinary happens to my penis, is it likely that scar tissue on its own will develop into Peyronies Disease?  Of course, I know anything is possible; I am asking if something like that is probable/to be expected.  

[Hawk]

If it is indeed scar tissue, my question is this: Barring future trauma/injury, is scar tissue something that normally gets worse on its own?  In other words, if nothing out of the ordinary happens to my penis, is it likely that scar tissue on its own will develop into Peyronies Disease?  

The answer is NO,  Scaring is the bodies natural healing process to an injury be it on your finger or on your penis.  In fact scar tissue diminishes somewhat over time.  Peyronies Disease is the scar tissue process gone awry. In the worst case a man has no injury at all and the body tells itself to lay down scar tissue.  Or he could have a minor injury near the base and once it started to scar over, the body would not turn off the process and it would lay down a swath of scar tissue clear up one side to the glans, or possibly girding the diameter causing an hourglass type deformity.

Normal scar tissue in the penis is like normal scar tissue in the finger.  It is not a progressive situation.  It is not the scar tissue in itself that is Peyroies.  It is the process.

[Dizzy]

Hawk, thank you very much for clearing that up, and for addressing my concerns.  You're doing really great work here; I hope (and have a feeling) I'm not the first person to tell you that.  Keep it up, and best of luck.