Baseline measurement issue

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Inky

Before Peyronie's, way back when I was 17 years old I measured my erect penis. It was 7 and 3/4 in.

It has been mentioned it was critical to get a baseline in order to measure progress/loss and everything else.

However, I have no idea if I measured properly when I was a kid. In fact, this is one of the devastating things I am dealing with mentally. I have gone through my whole life thinking I had a "big dick." Or at least a satisfactory one.

As I got into my late 30s and early 40s I noticed the flaccid size shrank. I did not notice any difference in erect size. I had no curvature or anything else that would tip me off to this disease. My dad even said it shrinks with age. And I read articles that said it shrinks with age. So I believed them and moved on. It had changed color as well. The skin darkened in a bunch of places. I assumed this was normal.

Fast forward to a month ago. I measured bone pressed stretched flaccid length. It was 5.69 inches. And erect it was 5.7. I measured erect and flaccid girth at 2 different points. Imagine my devastation in learning I had shrunk 2 in. And add to that not knowing if I had actually shrunk that much or that I had been deluded my whole life and maybe it was smaller than I thought all along. How do I know if I measured correctly as a kid? I don't have a time machine.

I don't trust the accuracy of measuring the curve myself. I asked the doctor to measure my erection with a goniometer, but he didn't want to.

One doctor said he thought 45 degrees. This other doc said 35.

So, here is my question....how do I get an accurate baseline? I only have the current stuff from a month ago. I can't go back in time and measure my dick by scientific methods at age 17. So I can never really know what I lost due to Peyronie's.  I can only know what I gain and lose from this point forward. Also, when I measured my erect penis I did it with a tailor's cloth tape across the top, taking the curve into account from base to head. Not straight out from my body, as of course it would be even shorter than those 5.7 inches because of the curve.

I am asking this because I am going to fight until it doesn't make sense to do so any longer. If I discover I am losing and losing, I will seek an implant asap.
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Hawk

Inky,

I am exhausted.  I typed an in-depth response, walked away to for a phone call and my pc upgraded Windows and rebooted.  I came back and type it all again and went to add an attachment and my browser closed.  I never \lost a post twice in my life

I will give it another go later.  In the meantime, others feel free to jump in.
Prostatectomy 2004, radiation 2009, currently 70 yrs old
After pills, injections, VED - Dr Eid, Titan 22cm implant 8/7/18
Hawk - Updated 10/27/18 - Peyronies Society Forums

Inky

No prob Hawk. I thank you for the effort. Much appreciated. Thank you for any and all assistance. You are a huge help to everyone here.
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Hawk

Inky,

You identified some important issues.  First, there are few times where a subjective impression is less reliable than when a man is assessing his penis.  Either he is stressed and looking for signs of further damage or his objectivity is marred by fantasy or wishful thinking.  To further complicate the issue the firmness of the erection and the body fat can vary from one time to the next and these will alter erect measurements of size and angle.  A man can think he is losing girth and his angle is improving all because his erection is less firm than the last time he measured.  This makes it critical to get accurate objective baseline measurements.  

The single most important measurement is a Bone Pressed Stretched Flaccid Length (BPSFL).  To get this measurement firmly press a ruler against the pubic bone rather than just to the skin surface.  I recommend using the same ruler every time.  Some cheap rulers have 1/16 or more of a space between the end of the plastic and the start of the zero line that starts the ruler.  This adds a slight bit to the first inch and reduces the overall reading on length.  That is not critical if you always use the same ruler.  I also recommend rounding the pointed corners on the end that presses against the pubic bone to make it comfortable to firmly press the ruler.  I use a fingernail file to just take the corner off.  That way you don't have to wonder if you pushed harder one time than you did on another time.  Pushing it firmly against the pubic bone means your reference point remains the same regardless of fat gain or loss.  Unlike erections, stretched flaccid length does not depend on the intensity of erection so you now have a consistent way to measure length.  Simply grab the head of the penis very near the end (same place each time) and firmly stretch it as far as you can while you press the other end firmly against the pubic bone.  Write this measurement down.  Do not rely on memory. The BPSFL will very closely equal your Bone Pressed Erect Length BPEL with a very firm erection.

Next, get erect measurements.  If you get very firm natural erections you can use that method.  If not pump up in a VED.  You can put markings right on the VED tube.  I marked mine with Steri-strip tape.  You can also use a VED with a constriction band and bone press the ruler as before.  Now take 3 girth measurements with a tailors cloth tape measure; one right behind the head of the penis, one mid-shaft, and one at the base.  Write those down.

Finally the most difficult. Measure your curve or bend.  To do this you need a firm natural erection or a VED erection with a constriction band.  The best tool for this might be here https://urosciences.com/blog/peyronies-disease-assessment-device-p-d-a-d/
but you can use even a paper protractor or trace your curve, but you must have a firm erection to get an accurate reading.  Here is an article in our resource library that I might shed some light on this without being too confusing.  I would get an angle directly on my penis not from a photo since photos often distort 3 D images. Instructions for Measuring Curvature - Peyronies Society Forums

I am officially beat so I am not even sure if this makes sense but I hope it helps someone.
Prostatectomy 2004, radiation 2009, currently 70 yrs old
After pills, injections, VED - Dr Eid, Titan 22cm implant 8/7/18
Hawk - Updated 10/27/18 - Peyronies Society Forums

MarkDS

Very informative; thanks

I have trouble stretching my flaccid penis.  Sometimes I can stretch to 6 inches, but other times he doesn't want to play and resists, or even retracts, and I can only stretch to 4.5 inches 😕

My VED length is only around 5 inches, and it doesn't feel the same as a natural erection.  Always feel like a blown up balloon, larger but not hard.  When I have used a band to hold the VED erection I am pretty straight, but this certainly isn't the case with a normal erection.

So I find it all very confusing

For info, I was 7 inches pre incision and grafting, but now more like 5.5 inches...I guess.  But not fully hard yet.
49 yrs old, Married
Peyronie's started 2016
Upward curve of 100 degrees  
Incision/grafting surgery in 6/2019.  Resulted in loss of length of around 1.5 inches, residual curve of over 40 degrees, some ED
12/2019 had failed skin anchoring procedure