Introduction

Looking back, the age of 45 wasn’t a particularly good one for me in certain ways. I finally had to break down and begin wearing reading glasses in order to read my computer screen. Okay, so maybe becoming dependent on reading glasses isn't such a travesty. That wasn't the half of it though, because it’s also when erectile dysfunction first reared its ugly head.

I guess it's possible the onset of my ED may have predated my 45th year by sneaking into the bedroom every so often. Most men know how that can play out. Without warning, the little guy suddenly lets you down without warning. You can attribute the unexpected failure to too much booze, or to being overly tired, not in the mood, or maybe even being preoccupied with other thoughts.

We can usually shrug it off, especially when the woman with whom we were intending to take care of business says, “Don’t worry about it, Honey, this happens to every man now and then. It’s normal.” Yes it’s normal, and that’s a fact. Even though the memory of failure to perform may inevitably linger somewhere in a man’s gray matter, happily, things usually go right the next time the little guy is called into service. He stiffens to attention, accepts his intended duty, then fearlessly advances forth to successfully complete his appointed mission. Blissfully, even if only in his own mind, the man is once again his studly, respectable self.

Unfortunately however, for yours truly and for millions of men like me, those honey-don’t-worry-about-it moments begin to come ‘round with alarming frequency. Eventually it becomes painfully obvious they’ve exceeded the boundaries of “normalcy.” Something has gone dreadfully awry in the penis department and we’re faced with the unthinkable. Unbelievably, we find ourselves where every red-blooded male fears to tread: ED territory. This is where my story begins.

I’m at least thankful that, thanks to the introduction of Viagra, my ED began on the cusp of widespread public awareness. I was only about two years into my "problem" when the broadcast airwaves became awash with ads, comedy routines and talk show discussions regarding the little blue miracle pill. Suddenly the public learned a new medical term, ED. And middle-aged men, myself included, learned there were other guys out there, lots and lots of ‘em, suffering the same fate. That in itself didn’t make having ED any less frustrating, but it did at least provide some solace in knowing we weren’t the only ones trying to pick a lock with a wet noodle.