Viva Viagra

It is a funny sort of clever commercial. Except that the medical problem is not funny.

We've dealt with erectile dysfunction and impotence (off and on) from the very beginning of our relationship. When we were first working to bring our lives together, the issue of sexual relating was one that we approached very carefully and very slowly as we came to know one another. He told me, in those very early days, that there would be no "normal" sex between us. I knew that, as I came into the relationship. Knew it and accepted it and loved Him and believed that we'd find our way.

We have done that and more. While our beginnings were very much impacted by what He believed was intractable ED, we very soon found that our sex life was plenty alive and kicking. We've enjoyed a very active sex life in these last years.

But... He deals with a whole raft of health issues, including type II diabetes, osteo arthritis, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia -- so many complicated health issues, and a host of medications to treat and control them all.

A few weeks ago, His doctor switched Him to a new medication to help control His blood pressure: a drug called Exforge. It is the latest thing, and has great promise. For us though, it was trouble. As the weeks went by, He felt progressively more and more crummy, and slowly but surely, His ability to get and maintain an erection vanished.

We fussed about it for a couple of weeks. We tried to work our way around it, but it bacame clear that things were not improving. Eventually, a return trip to the (very skeptical) doctor resulted in a (reluctant) change to a different medication, and things began to improve. It has been slow going and we aren't back to where we were. We are struggling with all of that. It impacts us way beyond the limits of our bedroom. We'll manage to get through it, but it has made things challenging.

And yes, if we can ever get the insurance company's prior authorization requirement handled, there will be Viagra in our future. Viva Viagra!

swan