Hello

[drchuck]

Really happy to have found this treasure trove of information - and the evident "brotherhood" between kindred afflicted spirits.   I've "put up" with this for about a year, having been under the care of a urologist for about 7-8 months now.  I am about a 40-50 degree dorsal curve.  We're fortunate where I live to have an individual who spent an extra year in school to specialize in this very problem.  My base urologist sent me to him.  The specialist rattled off a list of ways to proceed as regarded treatment.  At age 70, my choice was to go upward from least invasive to most. [no choice was an instant fix, based on recovery times]  Bottom line was he recommended a pump, and an extender.  I wound up with the Quick Extender Pro, because of the double strap system, which gives me the choice 1 or 2.  The system came with an El-Cheapo pump - which to my delight worked great - really great.  Seeing myself pulled straight was a tremendous psychological victory right off the bat.  I joined the forum as soon as I found it, because I want to learn to maximize the benefit from each device - and I know this is where the real experts are. OK, all that was pretty personal to me - and I made myself do all this to break the ice completely.  As mentioned, I'm 70, Very happily married to an extremely understanding wife of nearly 30 years. We live in San Antonio, TX.  I've retired 4 times (I think I finally got over the hump this last time!)  We're very blessed except for this malady.  Finally:  I'm pretty sure George Bush caused this!

[Norm]

Hey Chuck,
Welcome, from a fellow Texan! If you are using the pump, you definitely need to PM the Old Man. He is our resident guru on VED use. We will help you with any questions you have, except, you have to get over that Bush thing. I am sure he didn't vote for this malady! Welcome.
Norm

[drchuck]

Quote modified by moderator!!! Read the forum rules!!!

Really, I tried to get a grin face in there - but it was gone.  Yeah, nobody would hanker for this. "the old man?" C

[anonpdacct]

DrC,

You've got a great attitude and I admire you for it.  Also you're a lucky man to have such a wonderful wife.

I'm about to start traction and I'm researching devices.  Did you do a lot of research on devices?  Just wondering how you came to select that particular device.

best,

Anon

[Norm]

DrChuck,
Hit the Reply button, not the Quote button. Quote just wastes space by repeating the previous post.

Yes, Old Man. He is a member who has great credentials with VED. He has even been an advisor to medical practitioners. He can help you get the most from a pump.
Norm
Ps- I am in Bush's home town.

[james1947]

drchuck

Reply should be done by click on the REPLY button and not by click on the QUOTE button

James

[drchuck]

Anon,  Thank you for your kind remarks.  In fact I did about a month of research.  I wound up with the particular device first because it was one of the 5 on the list my urologist gave me (as a starting place, not ironclad recommendations).  As I got into the real nuts and bolts of the process, the Quick Extender Pro (QEP) seemed to continually surface as a best choice; and that from a number of sources.  [BTW a very high mark contender named Andropenis surfaced, and the decision between them actually took a couple of days, as I was searching only for the two].  As I mentioned in the OP; the tie breaker was the double strap system.  Obviously I'm not an expert but I believe the ability to use single or double strap, or as importantly vary the location of a single strap, based on time, irritation, etc might make the device a little more friendly.  Remember that's a novice opinion - but choices cannot be all bad.

After you see the bill on your credit card, you are no longer a novice on that part!  Here are some things I learned:  Quick Extender Pro has a Park Avenue address in NYC.  However, the device is shipped (very quickly) from Canada.  Expect a two day process through customs, and a foreign transaction fee on your card. I had specifically asked about the source, when talking to a customer service associate, and he was not forthcoming with me on that point. Had I known about the lack of integrity, I would have an Andropenis.  

Also, when I got my unit, I was impressed by the display case (actually a wooden storage case).  It was sometime after I got the extender that the thought finally made it all the way to the upper story - I probably wasn't going to be displaying this thing!!  I said all that to get a chuckle out of you - but seriously, save your money, get the Standard edition, swipe a couple of Walmart sacks from your wife, and use them for storage. If you order QEP, I would suggest the pad and tube parts kit for 50 bucks at the same time.  One other place I got fooled - it came with a VED.  I thought it was an economical way to have both, however, after I got it, and saw who made it, I did a search, and found it for $16.99.  Exact model.  It is a nice unit for what it is, however, I did read a lot about needing a gauge to prevent long term problems which may be worse than where you began.

From limited experience I can tell you these gizmo's are either first cousins to baby alligators, or snapping turtles - but we'll get better.   I hope this helps you perhaps pare down the things you need to focus on to make a good choice.  Thank you for your kind words - regarding attitude - we're all educated men here - we simply need to realize something is wrong here, but it can be repaired, just like a broken arm, or bronchitis.  We get the correct treatment, and go through the process.

BTW, I bold the response and make it blue for the sake of my vision - not to stand out.

[LWillisjr]

drchuck,
Welcome to the forum. This board is used for introductions and allowance for a few posts. Feel free to post any other questions or comments in one of the appropriate boards dealing with that topic. This introduction topic will be locked.