My First Super-O, Prostatitis, and Fears

Okay, so I am a doc here and if you'd rather answer some of my questions in a PM to me, I'd be glad to respond. How old are you? I assume your doctor gave you a good examination including a digital rectal exam and that he is confident your prostate gland is otherwise healthy. With that in mind, I think you can stop worrying.

Prostatitis is common and feels like what you described and the treatment is antibiotics like you received. The ways in which you used your Aneros do not suggest that you caused the prostatis with your Aneros use at all. Many guys find that more or less regular Aneros use reduces prostate congestion symptoms and presumptively also prostatitis attacks.

Also, do you have traditional sex regularly, e.g., if married you have intercourse or failing that, you masturbate at least about once a week. That will help reduce prostate flare-ups and seems to help erectile performance as well. And outside of simple cleanliness with Aneros use, there's no unusual thing you can do there that should cause prostate problems. And I can think of no way that trying out the Aneros is somehow "finding" something seriously wrong with your gland.

As long as you use plenty of lube and slowly gently insert it should not do damage.I once pushed too hard against my sphincter and it hurt so lowed down but then found the damage was done and it took a week to stop hurting. I think I bruised it.
I understand what you mean about the vibrations with the vice. Can I suggest you remove the vibrator (muze) out of the vice and try using it without.
I think you will find it much much better.
However this pain you describe is a worry how about changing the position you use the aneros in, try laying on your side legs slightly bent.
Just things to try. I am no doctor at all but due to injury of my foot I spend a lot of time in bed and so I snuggle up with my aneros very often. When I was first starting out it was straight after my accident and I had the aneros in for almost 24 hours a day for say about 5 days a week for about three weeks and on the days that I had it out I did ride it for a few hours.
I admit that this was overdoing it a lot but it took my mind off the pain I was feeling from my foot.

The other thing is dont try!
Honestly! Just put the aneros in to relax and I mean relax, just lay there and breath, super O is not the goal! gentle massage is. If you manage a gentle massage session you will feel good afterwards and if you by the by have a super O then great but if you go looking for it then it will evade you.

If I could make another suggestion Lube not only vasoline with water base over that but shoot 5ml of waterbase up your shoot to. You can never have too much and if you dry up this will manifest as pain.

Thanks for the replies, guys. That alleviates my worries that I was doing something wrong. The common theme in my two prostatitis attacks was that I was going at it too often. So, once this attack is over (it seems to be subsiding on its own, but may pay my doc a visit next week just to be sure) I'll try to limit my aneros sessions to once a week and see how that goes.

It's frustrating cause each time I'm thinking I'm really getting somewhere with all this. Ah wells!

As to pre-lubing, I'm actually not a huge fan. It just feels very...uncomfortable for me, even with the glycerin-free lube. The glycerin-free lube isn't giving me an upset stomach, but still, it just feels weird. I'll try it again one day.

Vaseline worries me because the 2-3 times I tried using it I always had some weird after taste in my mouth later >_> Does that sound weird? It's like I could taste the vaseline, lol

Anyway, thanks for replies, guys! Will keep you all posted if anything changes!

Hey all, I'm back.

It's been a couple months since I last posted/visited here, and just about as long since I last tried riding the Aneros again, and I've got some bad news, it seems.

A few weeks ago from today I tried riding for the first time since I last posted. I waited that long out of fears of hurting myself again, and when I finally tried to get back on the saddle so to speak, I experienced that familiar pain almost right away.

I stopped then and waited until yesterday to see if there was any difference and there wasn't.

Both times the situation was thus:
-No pain on insertion
-No pain when just leaving the toy inside
-Pain occurs when trying for a squeeze, and persists throughout the session whenever I try to squeeze and hold it
-Fortunately, both situations pain did not persist after the sessions. That could be me aborting each session rather early as soon as I started feeling discomfort.

The pain itself I can best describe like this:
-The pleasant 'itch' sensation I used to feel way back in the summer this year, and from the scant few times I tried in the previous couple years before then, is non-existent now. It feels like the area around my prostate, or the prostate itself, is swollen. The reasons why I feel this is is because the toy feels a lot more snug inside than it used to be back in the summer. And whenever I try to squeeze it feels like I have to squeeze harder just to get any sort of movement from the toy. The pain feels like the toy is hammering against my prostate, and I get an accompanying stinging sensation as well, almost like the toy is in too deep, but it shouldn't be the case since I've only ever used one Aneros toy.

My fears now are that maybe the last two times I visited the doctor for this and got antibiotics that it made things worse, or that I've somehow hurt myself from my previous sessions later in the summer. And, of course, the worst fear is that Aneros sessions and prostate play as a whole is an area that I can no longer revisit. I'm not a doctor, obviously, so I could just be paranoid.

Anyhoo, I wanted to get this all off of my chest, see what you guys think, if it's worth visiting a different doctor to see what's up.

@derinden. It may be you are trying too hard. If it only hurts when you 'squeeze' I suggest you switch to the do nothing mode and enjoy. I am currently finding something in there that from time to time feels very tight and hard. All is well if I stay relaxed and don't try to force the issue.

I second isvara's advice. I am a physician (radiologist), but my impression of what's happened is based more on my own experience than any medical info. The rectum and prostate and the entire perineal region are, as we have all discovered (to our great satisfaction) very highly innervated. Sure, there might have been a minor injury, but if you can defecate, urinate and ejaculate without real pain or seeing blood, the problem will slowly go away. I would give your nether parts some time off, maybe two weeks, and see how things go. It doesn't sound to me that you have more than a mechanical irritation, not a real bacterial or other infectious agent caused prostatitis. BTW: since you do not like to pre-lube, I would make a suggestion that has worked for me, after trying many other preps. A&D diaper ointment is lanoline with petroleum jelly. Use a tissue to wipe some of this on the anal opening and perhaps partially inside (as high as you can manage and/or are willing). Spread the surface of the device with a thin coat A&D and then spreading olive oil on top, then inserting the device should be easy, and I've found that the device moves quite smoothly. Hope that things improve for you

I'll just leave this here, it was from a link that @rook provided in another discussion. I somehow think that this may be your problem and the key to solving it. Especially that bit about the toxins may be the culprit of your prostatitis.

http://www.prostate-massage-and-health.com/Anal-peripheral-prostate-massage.html

@isvara @Armon-neat: yeah, I'm definitely going to take some further time off from all this. Maybe longer than a few weeks, given that nearly two months didn't really do the trick on its own. Hopefully it's as you say and I was just trying too hard back then, and that it's nothing irreparable. I'm not knowledgeable on medical science, but is it possible that my condition was misdiagnosed, or that the antibiotics prescribed were either too potent or the wrong kind? Or, again, am I just being paranoid?

@Trei: bookmarked that page, will try that massage at some point, thanks!

derinden,

DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT A DOCTOR, BUT A LONG TIME "PROSTATITIS" SUFFERER.


I suffered from "prostatitis" for a LONG time. All the doctors ever did was give me antibiotics and tell me it would go away. IT DIDN"T. Prostatitis is literally the word a lot of medical professionals use when there is pain in the prostate region and they don't know what it is. My condition lasted for years with the same "we don't know what's wrong with you, you probably have prostatitis" responses from doctors. I was quite lonely in my pain. I felt neglected by the medical community. I became quite depressed over this. I even abstained from sex with my wife for months because my perineum hurt so bad; that didn't fix things either. (about the only positive benefit is that you can just whisper the word prostatitis to a doctor and they will give you a prescription for Vicodin no questions asked).


What finally got me over the hump was learning that I didn't actually have prostatitis, but I had CPPS. There's a BIG DIFFERENCE. CPPS is about pelvic floor DYSFUNCTION. The pelvic floor has a ton of nerves that travel through the abdomen, groin, perineum, prostate area, and more (and they are ALL connected). When the muscles get inflamed or irritated, they irritate the nerves even more, and this can cause anything from extreme pain in the testicles, golf-ball feeling in the rectum, pain in the perineum, pain upon ejaculation, pain upon urination, pain upon sitting, and everything in between. The nerves cause referred pain all over the region, and not necessarily in the same place the pain originated (the downside of all the connected nerves).


So here's the possible good news and the bad news.


The bad news, CPPS can be extremely painful, debilitating, and depressing, especially when no medical professional seems to know what's going on.


The good news, CPPS is NOT LIFE THREATENING, and can be a simple case of pelvic floor dysfunction, treatable with physical therapy, stretching, and relaxation. And better, if it is CPPS, you can start treating yourself now and for FREE.


Essentially, pelvic floor dysfunction means your pelvic floor muscles (and tissue) are tense, knotted, and full of trigger points; essentially, the tension and knots reduce vital blood flow to inflamed areas, causing further inflammation and pain, and nerve irritation and REFERRED PAIN. Medically, it can mean nothing more serious than muscle tension in the neck, or back spasms (how painful are THOSE). How many people have you heard have shooting pain up and down their neck and back just from sitting incorrectly at their desks? CPPS is like that. And it can hurt like hell.


Here's a couple small tests you can try:


1) Massage your abdomen externally, see if you can replicate any referred pain. Press everywhere, deep, hard, and take your time.


2) Massage your perineum externally, and see if you can replicate any referred pain. Again, don't be too gentle.


3) Do some yoga stretches that work the groin and the perineum.


Essentially, you need to break up the knotted muscle tissue, restore good blood flow to the area, and allow the nerves to heal and settle down. But right now, the tension in the muscles is choking the region of crucial oxygen-rich blood, allowing the tension and trigger points to fester and get worse.


IF you have touched on anything relevant for your body, the CPPS pain will probably get WORSE as you start addressing it. That would actually be a good sign that you have found some of the trigger points. The fact that the Aneros is working muscles in the region and causing pain is a good sign that you are hitting trigger points. Using trigger point-laden muscles = BAD. Pressing on trigger points to get rid of them and replicating pain = GOOD.


I got a long way using external massage of abdomen, groin, and perineum, and yoga on lower back, buttocks, and pelvic region. BUY A THERACANE. IT'S THE BEST $30 I EVER SPENT. Although, after buying my Aneros for $50, it might unseat the Theracane as my best cheap purchase ever...


Long term, however, I also needed to integrate some internal pelvic floor therapy into my routine. At first, I paid a professional to do it. They literally go in your anus, and stretch everything, and hold pressure on trigger points for as long as possible. It REALLY HELPS. There are plenty of PT professionals that specialize in pelvic floor dysfunction for men. Eventually, I built up enough confidence (and credit card debt) to need to do it myself. My PT was happy to show me how to do it. He also showed my wife, and she did it numerous times as well.


These days, I do my own internal work with a Crystal Wand and occasionally my Theracane (it's easier to use to apply pressure). I stretch everything in there until the whole area is buzzing with pain relief.


The best way to release trigger points when you find them is to hold pressure on them for at least a minute or more. Sometimes they are easy to recognize as "lumps" in the muscle tissue. A physical therapist who is trained in feeling muscle tone can easily recognize them. Often times, when you press on a trigger point, you get immediate referred pain that replicates some of the symptoms you've been having. That's another good sign you've found one. Press on it, and don't let go for as long as you can hold it. Don't be gentle. Work it out all the way. The next day, you may have intense pain from the trigger point release that mirrors your symptoms; this is a GOOD SIGN that you found a sensitive spot.


Sorry for the long post. But I get emotional when I read someone suffering from the kinds of pain that I did a few years ago. But the good news is that you probably have CPPS and you probably can heal yourself and the condition is not that serious medically-speaking. If anything, I pray that I have given you some hope moving forward that you aren't resigned to antibiotics and useless diagnoses (and horrible medical procedures). But don't wait 5 years to address it like I did. My condition got so bad I had "bad" thoughts. Never again.


Two recommendations:


Web site (has a lot of good info):
http://www.chronicprostatitis.com/


Book:
A Headache In The Pelvis


Michael


p.s. my CPPS mostly died down over the years, but stayed as an annoyance (when it got better, I relaxed my therapeutic attempts, and it never went away completely). One of the reasons I bought an aneros was because I wanted to rid my pelvic floor of pain once and for all, and the aneros seems to help me. i also do internal work weekly on the area. so far my pain is getting better.

@mdad

Thanks for the reply, and I think just having a community I
can go to about this problem (not really the sort of stuff I can vent
about to friends and family, at least not my friends and family) is
always cathartic for me, and all of you have been very helpful. It does
give me a sense of hope that this might not be the end of my Aneros
sessions.

And, you're right, it does get depressing! As I stated
at the start of the thread, I thought I was finally getting into a
rhythm. Obviously, if I'm ever able to surmount the issues that persist
with my prostate/perineum area, I will 'attack' an Aneros session much
differently so as to avoid this happening again.

I've got a question though:
What
exactly do you mean by 'referred pain'? I'm not familiar with that,
sorry! Do you mean, if I experience the same symptoms that I feel when
using the Aneros the past two sessions?

I've tried applying
pressure on the perineum and my lower abdomen before but never really
felt the same painful sensations I felt using the Aneros recently.

I will try to do some massages around in the areas you mentioned, see what happens.

Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

> Thanks for the reply, and I think just having a community I
can go to about this problem (not really the sort of stuff I can vent
about to friends and family, at least not my friends and family) is
always cathartic for me, and all of you have been very helpful.

No community is better for CPPS cases than the one I listed above, http://www.chronicprostatitis.com/ . I moderated on that forum for a couple of years, and it was invaluable to me to discuss things with others going through the condition. There are far worse cases than yours, as I'm sure you know, and those forums will help you gain some perspective.

> What exactly do you mean by 'referred pain'?


Referred pain is the feeling of pain in an area where it did not originate. The nerves in the pelvic region are all connected, and some of the same nerves run from your perineum to your stomach, and your pelvic floor through your prostate area and into your penis, etc... Inflammation in one area can cause nerve pain which is FELT in another area, or spreads out throughout the region and makes it feel bigger than it is. This can cause many counter-intuitive symptoms because what you feel is not where the pain is generated. The main point is that the region is full of nerves, and that inflammation anywhere in it can cause pain in, throughout, or beyond the region. It's a hallmark symptom of CPPS.


> I will try to do some massages around in the areas you mentioned, see what happens.


External massages and stretches will only scratch the surface if you have enough deep-rooted pelvic floor tension and trigger points. Eventually, you'll have to get in there and give the internal muscles a massage. For the most part, the Aneros does a good job of that. But if you already have hotspots that are painful, pushing and pulling them with contractions will not make them feel good, and can lead to a flare up. STRETCHING them, and pushing out trigger points, however, can make them feel better. You have to restore blood flow, good muscle tone, AND then allow the area to heal before seeing real results.


Of course, none of what I said matters if you don't have CPPS. But you've been through antibiotics, and they didn't work. You've tried Aneros-abstinence, which didn't work. And you continued to live your probably stressful life where you probably sit a lot and continued to help those tense muscles and trigger points get worse (am I right?).


Anyway, you have nothing to lose by attacking this as a muscle dysfunction issue. It's free to stretch, do yoga, and meditate to reduce the tension, so why not try it? And the internal work is free too, if you are brave enough to do it (before Aneros, I was hesitant and not good enough here, but after Aneros, it's a breeze). Most of all, at least you are doing something PROACTIVE to try to help yourself. That feels better than being a duck in the water waiting for the doctors to come up with medication that works.


From this point on, I want you to try to pay attention to your muscles in the region. When you prostate acts up, try to pay attention to whether it is in fact the prostate at all, and whether it might, just might, be the muscles around it. The pinching and pressure you talk about is a hallmark sign of CPPS. It makes it feel like your prostate is rock hard or has grown, when it is really the muscles clamping down around it and REFUSING TO RELEASE. That's probably why the Aneros is making it worse. Your muscles are good at tightening, but bad at relaxing. At some point, they stop relaxing altogether and stay in a constant tight state. They can't get any tighter despite the fact that you want them to when adding stimulation, and they get sore and painful from the constant tension. Blood flow reduces, the muscles release chemicals that say "I'm hurting", and those chemicals cause the nerves to go haywire (telling you there is pain, as designed). The nerves go haywire, cause more tension in the surrounding area (think back spasm, and you'll know what I mean), and even though you may not feel a spasm, the tightness grows, and you might not even notice it because you are constantly tight anyway. The tightness then causes more nerve irritation, and at some point the entire region is on fire, and the pain spreads throughout all the nerves, causing pain, pinching, trouble urinating, ejaculating, etc...


Just curious: when you say pinching and pressure, where EXACTLY are you feeling it? Is it in your perineum? At the million dollar point in front of the anus? Deep inside?


Hopefully just paying attention to the surrounding muscles will make you more aware of what's going on. You probably don't have anything serious wrong with you, which is the good news. That doesn't mean that it feels good though. Women have been going to pelvic floor therapists for decades for incontinence and other issues, yet men have rarely gone at all. We've mostly been ignored here because doctors just treated us as prostatitis patients and prescribed antibiotics.


Sorry, rambling again...

I think mdad has it right.

Myself, I went through a horrible period two years ago when I was afraid I had permanently damaged myself from Peridise overuse. I was *seriously* overcooking sessions, sometimes going 3 hours or more. I was doing this upwards of 4-5 times a week. Other factors included Kegeling during the day, and generally thinking about it too much.

I actually started thinking about starting a thread: "What was your low point?". Because I really was taking it too far!

As a result, I started to get a persistent stinging sensation in my anus that would annoyingly migrate everywhere. Sometimes it felt internal, like on the prostate, but often it was just I felt I couldn't stop clenching. It would wake me about an hour after I went to bed and keep me up all night (weeks of horrible insomnia). Neither my general physician nor urologist could find a single thing wrong with me. It was frustrating.

It affected my health and my mood. I was bitterly upset that not only had I not achieved my goals (of an amazing, super-O filled existence), but that I might not EVER do so. I felt locked out of paradise. Worse, I had, in my selfishness, turned myself into a chronically ill person, who was cranky and miserable, and now a barely functional person/parent.

The three things that turned everything around were anti-depressants, time, and _Headache in the Pelvis_. The book was a godsend: I learned to relax and trust my body. I learned that prostate massage was a "treatment" for CPPS.

Six months later, I was ready to try again. My sessions are relaxed, and I never strain muscles. I don't try too hard. I quit when I'm tired. There's been no sign of pain or anxiety for more than a year now, and I have graduated to using most models. I repurchased the peridises, too.

Most importantly, I don't walk around worrying that a pain is about to set in. Most of it was probably in my mind the whole time, anyway. So whatever you can do to get out of that trap (and I won't deny it's a killer for some personalities), then DO IT.

Find your peace. Get that book. Do Yoga. Hell, take some meds (but only as long as you need them, because they mess with sex drive).

--gregor

P.S.: At about the time I was going through all this, there was a prominent naysayer on the boards that was calling for people to quit Aneros-ing and throw out their equipment because it could hurt them. That wasn't me. I have alwasy felt these wonderful devices have a place in everybody's life.

@mdad

"Of
course, none of what I said matters if you don't have CPPS. But you've
been through antibiotics, and they didn't work. You've tried
Aneros-abstinence, which didn't work. And you continued to live your
probably stressful life where you probably sit a lot and continued to
help those tense muscles and trigger points get worse (am I right?)."

That's pretty spot on, actually. I do sit a lot because I'm a gamer, and I think my chair's kinda worn through a little. Stress is pretty high, I won't deny that.

"Just
curious: when you say pinching and pressure, where EXACTLY are you
feeling it? Is it in your perineum? At the million dollar point in front
of the anus? Deep inside?"

The pressure seems to come from inside beneath the perineum, and right around where the tip of the Aneros rests when it's inside me.

The rest of what you said makes sense. I'll need to learn how to do those stretches on the inside. I'll go over that website you linked.

@gregor:

Yeah, I definitely felt like I might not be able to have prostate play as part of my life over the last half of the year. It might not seem like much to people who don't want this, but especially after I got close to (or actually got to) a Super-O as I described, it definitely got depressing thinking that I'll never ever be able to make another attempt at it again.

@derinden, have you tried any other aneros devices besides the SGX or the VICE? Just curious as maybe your SGX is hitting your prostate in a funny way? Like too short and poky whereas instead it should be providing a gentle massage. If money isnt an issue maybe try a different massager. I guess im suggesting this cause it sounds like your only getting the discomfort when using the SGX or am I wrong?

@ineverknew

Well, the SGX is the only one I use now, yes. The Vice I stopped using because I felt it was a little big for my comfort, and I personally wasn't a fan of the vibrations.

I did think about maybe trying a different Aneros at some point.

@derinden, well it was just a suggestion, not sure it would help or not, though I hope something helps everntually. Good Luck.

> The pressure seems to come from inside beneath the perineum, and right around where the tip of the Aneros rests when it's inside me.

Again, keep in mind that referred pain is a common symptom of CPPS, and that the pain you are feeling beneath the perineum could be coming from deeper in, or more shallow than it seems. The best thing you can do is to do some self exploration and stretch those internal muscles, and see if you can find some sensitive spots that hurt when pressed. IF your case is not so bad, you may find relief from doing these things fairly quickly. If you have deep-rooted trigger points, you'll need to work harder to reestablish healthy muscle tissue.


The spot where the Aneros rests is right on your prostate. Remember that the prostate is behind the wall of your rectum, and covered in pelvic muscles. The Aneros actually hits it through the muscles and wall of the rectum, and never touches it directly. So, if you feel it at that spot, it could still be the tissue surrounding the prostate and not necessarily the prostate itself. For me, achiness right on the prostate region was the reason I actually started searching for ways to massage the prostate (in addition to what I was already doing) and how I found Aneros in the first place. There are also a lot of different muscle groups that come to meet in that area (beneath the perineum), so any and all could be a causative factor.


> it definitely got depressing thinking that I'll never ever be able to make another attempt at it again.


I think you'll be back to regular sessions quickly. Think positive!

@ineverknew

Yeah, it's a good suggestion! I was actually already
thinking about it before I got hurt, so maybe one of the models out
there might be a better fit, and might be gentler.

@mdad

Yeah,
I'm definitely feeling a whole lot more positive. It's always
underestimated how much just talking about something and finding other
people who have dealt with similar issues (any issue, really, not just
Aneros-related stuff) can help.

Like I said, I'll definitely do
my research on how to properly massage and stretch the affected area.
What would I lose by trying, right? hehe

> What would I lose by trying, right? hehe

Exactly! You can self treat for FREE, without even waiting for appointments or new medical advice. And it's PROACTIVE, which is so much better than being a victim of the condition. And remember, if you self treat, and the pain gets worse, it's a good sign you're hitting the right spots and need to keep at it.

Good luck! Hope to hear about progress soon!

So, no real progress on the massage front.

The constant dull ache has returned since that last time I tried the Aneros. I'm hoping to try that massage thing next time I've got a day off so I can be properly left alone without stressing about anything. I'll let you all know how it goes.

@derinden, re that dull ache. Are you able to locate where it is, such as central, left or right side? I sometimes have a ache matching your description. For me it is on the right side, and feels like pressure on bone. I sooth it by carefully relaxing the area. Some tools generate it, but not all.

Sorry to hear the ache returned. If you have CPPS, it won't go away just by doing nothing. For a long time, I just tried to avoid whatever I thought was causing it. But all that did is allow the underlying conditions to get worse. The short term gain was that the immediate irritation/inflammation went away, which made it FEEL like things were getting better. But over the long run, the trigger points remained and got worse, and the next time I exacerbated them, the pain was worse than the time before.

I hope you can get to the bottom of it. But whatever you do, don't wait too long!

@isvara um...it seems pretty central, but could be leaning a tad to the left?

@mdad
yeah, I know. I just want to have time to really relax and focus on the
internal massage. I've been bogged down with work and looking for a new
car and all these other errands @_@ But what you're describing was my
mindset for awhile the past few weeks. "If I don't work it, maybe the
pain will stay away." Regretfully not the case 🙁

The worst cases of CPPS happen when people ignore their pain for YEARS, not weeks or a few months. I think you are fortunate that you might be able to catch it before it gets really bad. If you have CPPS, you will be able to keep it from becoming critical. Although, if you are like me, it's hard to work at something until you feel desperate enough; if the pain isn't horrible, you won't go after the therapy as hard as you probably need to. Hopefully you can overcome this mental burden.

Good luck and keep us posted!

So followed the link @Trei left: http://www.prostate-massage-and-health.com/Anal-peripheral-prostate-massage.html

As I was following the instructions for the massage, I noticed that almost all of the pain was emanating from the left side of the area. The whole area was really tight. By the time I reached the end of the massage, though, it started to feel a lot better and looser. Still sore, of course, and hopefully I'm doing it right, but I figured that this is definitely the right direction you guys set me on.

Wow. That sounds promising! Honestly, I'd massage everything you can internally. Wherever it hurts, press it. Attack it from every angle, every spot, and every side, and you will probably find all sorts of benefits. If you feel sore afterwards, or for days after, you've found a spot you need to keep working on. It probably takes a few weeks of working on one spot to see long-term improvement.

Congrats on getting started on healing yourself!

Thanks, and thanks for all the support, guys! I'll keep you all posted.

I have often thought that a WeVibe3 would be good to use occasionally. Half of it is inserted and the other half rests on the perineum. There are a few vibration choices. I have tried it a couple of times and it sort of relaxed the sphincter anal area. I did not find it added to arousal as that was not my intention. I used it for about 30 min.
Anyone tried tried this?

I personally haven't tried it. So for you it was more therapeutic than anything else? Hum, something to think about.