APPENDIX to Bent But Not Broken
THE TREATMENT SCHEDULE
Don Goes to Town
YEAR 1
February/March Noticed a penis problem
July 26 First visit to Dr. Hellman. (Not real name.) Prescription for AndroPenis.
July 30 Curvature Assessment
August 1 AndroPenis (Penis stretcher with tension rods):
Measurement taken:
Full size of stretched, non-erect penis: 5.25 in, or 13.3 cm
Started with a .5 cm metal screw added onto the AndroPenis Base. The Base of the AndroPenis is 8.4 cm.
Using the AndroPenis directions for measurement, I began with the 8.4 cm Base plus .5 cm for a beginning total of 8.9 cm which was
the AndroPenis beginning calculation:
Initial Personal Measurement, fully stretched non-erect penis was 5.25 in, 13.3 cm (but I used a measurement of 5 in, 12.7 cm to be conservative) less 4 cm (subtracted according to Andropenis instructions) which is 8.7 cm. I rounded up to 8.9 cm
August 2 2 hours with Base plus .5 cm = 8.9 cm
August 3 2 hours with .5
August 4 4 hours with .5
August 5 4 hours with .5
August 6 4 hours with .5
August 7 4 hours with Base (8.4 cm) plus 1 cm
August 8 4 hours with 1
August 9 First Verapamil Treatment (Verapamil/saline solution needles)
August 10 4 hours with 1
August 11 4 hours with 1
August 12 4 hours with 1
August 13 4 hours with 1
August 14 2 hours with 1
August 15 None
August 16 5.25 hours with 1
August 17 6 hours with 1
August 18 4 hours with Base (8.4 cm) with 1.5
August 19 4 hours with 1.5
August 20 4 hours with 1.5
August 21 4 hours with 1.5
August 22 4 hours with 1.5
August 23 5 hours with 1.5
August 24 Second Verapamil Treatment, and 2 hours with 1.5
August 25 2 hours with 1.5
August 26 4 hours with 1.5
August 27 4 hours with 1.5
August 28 2 hours with 1.5
August 29 2 hours with 1.5
August 30 4 hours with 1.5
August 31 4 hours with 1.5
September 1 4 hours with Base (8.4 cm) with 2
September 2 4 hours with 2
September 3 Third Verapamil Treatment
September 4 4 hours with 2
September 5 4 hours with 2
September 6 4 hours with 2
September 7 2 hours with 2
September 8 2 hours with 2
September 9 2 hours with 2
September 10 2 hours with 2
September 11 2 hours with 2
September 12 2 hours with 2
September 13 4 hours with 2
September 14 4 hours with 2
September 15 4 hours with 2
September 16 2 hours with 2, 2 hours with Base (Always 8.4 cm) with 2.5
September 17 4 hours with 2.5
September 18 4 hours with 2.5
September 19 4.75 hours with 2.5
September 20 4 hours with 2.5
September 21 Fourth Verapamil Treatment and 2 hours with 2.5
September 22 2 hours with 2.5
September 23 4 hours with 2.5
September 24 2 hours with 2.5
September 25 4 hours with 2.5
September 26 2 hours with 2.5
September 27 Decided to Stop AndroPenis because of Wobbly Head
October 4 Fifth Verapamil Treatment
Doctor said my wobbly head was all in my head.
October 5 AndroPenis Base plus 2 cm for 1 hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday except when I travel.
October 14 Changed to one hour plus per day at Base with 2 cm. Keeps it loose.
This turned out to be not enough. My penis started to shrink. Increased hours.
October 18 Sixth Verapamil Treatment. Final treatment of first round.
Oct 25 – Nov 30 Travel: Los Angeles, Paris, Baltimore. Not much with AndroPenis.
December 2 Committed to AndroPenis, Base plus 2 cm, 4 hours per day.
December 6 AndroPenis Base plus 2.5 cm 4 hours per day.
December 21 Andropenis Base plus 3 cm 4 hours per day.
L-Arginine supplements taken before bed each night to increase the formation of Nitric oxide (NO). This dilates arteries for increased blood flow. I took only one 1000 mg tablet. I am very sensitive to drugs. Increased exercise. Stretched, daily, the crotch flexors to increase blood flow.
YEAR 2
January 5 AndroPenis Base plus 3.5 cm. Bottleneck is quite severe.
January 7 Curvature Assessment. Appointment with Dr. Hellman. He said to stop using AndroPenis and change to a VED (Vacuum Erection Device).
January 20 VED one time per day. 10 Minutes. Penis Head tilting upward.
Peyronie’s pain is much less.
March 1 Added AndroPenis, Base plus 3 cm, two hours per day when possible.
March 4 Felt AndroPenis was making my penis too crazed-stretched. Decided to use the AndroPenis Base plus 3 cm only when feeling tight and shortened.
March 21 Stopped Drinking.
March 22 AndroPenis Base plus 3 cm 2 hours per evening.
VED for ten minutes in the morning. Fighting the upward candy cane shape.
April 11 Stopped all VED and stretching. Went to Dr. Hellman for a check-up because my penis was bending upward.
April 27 Curvature Assessment
May 2 Second Round, First Verapamil Treatment
May 10 Dr. Hellman advice: AndroPenis, Base plus 3 cm, 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening. Up to six months.
May 16 Second Round, Second Verapamil Treatment
May 23 AndroPenis, Base plus 3.5 cm 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening, daily.
June 3 Second Round, Third Verapamil Treatment
June 7 AndroPenis Base plus 4 cm 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening, daily.
June 13 Second Round, Fourth Verapamil Treatment
June 24 AndroPenis, Base plus 4.5 cm 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening, daily.
June 27 Second Round, Fifth Verapamil Treatment
July 12 Second Round, Sixth and Final Verapamil Treatment
August 1 Andropenis, Base plus 5 cm, 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening, daily.
August 22 AndroPenis, Base plus 5.5 cm, 2 hours morning 2 hours evening, daily.
September 27 AndroPenis, Base plus 6 cm, 2 hours morning, 2 hours evening, daily.
October 14 Final appointment with Dr. Hellman
October 19 VED restarted, 10 minutes per day.
October 28 AndroPenis, Base plus 6 cm, 2 hours in the morning, and VED 10 minutes each night.
November 19 AndroPenis, Base plus 6.5 cm. Same schedule of AndroPenis and VED, Continues into year Three.
1 tablet of L-Arginine, 1000 mg, taken before bed each night.
YEAR 3
February 28 Last Phonecall with Dr. Hellman. “Do two hours per day of traction with the AndroPenis and two (or one) fifteen-minute vacuum pump per day. Do not go up and down. Bring it up and leave it up for fifteen minutes. If in three months you see improvement with the hourglass ring, continue. If not, then stop. Repeat the reassessment every three months.”
March 20 AndroPenis up to Base plus 7 cm.
June 29 AndroPenis up to Base plus 7.5 cm.
October 11 AndroPenis up to Base plus 8 cm.
November 3 Ejaculate is now able to fully exit. Urethra must be following a much straighter path. Penis is almost completely straight. Hourglass shape still one-third of the way up from the base.
YEAR 4
April 1 Almost back to original shape. Just a very tiny bit of hourglass, some upward tilt
April 6 AndroPenis is up to Base plus 8.5 cm. Note: Added 8.5 cm total to initial 8.4. A total of 16.9 cm which is 6.5 inches. Added .5 cm to AndroPenis up to 8.5 cm (added on 8.5 total to initial 8.4—so 16.9 cm total) The whole device, including Base, is at 16.9 cm, which is 6.5 inches.
April 27 Started drinking again. (Blame France.)
December 6 Xiaflex is approved by the F.D.A. for treatment of Peyronie’s disease.
YEAR 5
April 3 AndroPenis, Base plus 9 cm. TOTAL: 17.4 cm = 6.85 inches. VED a few times each week. Penis still a bit curved. Not awful. Some constriction. Stretches of the crotch. This regimen is getting me past it.
December 31 Continued with the AndroPenis 17.4 cm length and occasional VED from April 3 until December 31 upon which I stopped because my penis was almost fully straight and my urethra had experienced enough strain. No more treatment of any kind. I go through periods where I still use the AndroPenis if I am feeling any tightening.
YEARS 6 – 9
On and off with penis stretcher. Usually one hour each morning. Wrote the final drafts of Bent But Not Broken.
YEAR 10
March 15 Bent But Not Broken is released.
July 2 Consultation with U.C.L.A. urologist, leading to Xiaflex treatment.
July 31 Curvature Assessment
September 16 Xiaflex treatment 1A
September 19 Xiaflex treatment 1B
October 28 Xiaflex treatment 2A
November 4 Xiaflex treatment 2B
December 16 Xiaflex treatment 3A
December 19 Xiaflex treatment 3B
YEAR 11
January 27 Xiaflex treatment 4A
January 30 Xiaflex treatment 4B
Everything is basically back to normal, just a bit different from the original version. Xiaflex took care of most of the final constriction. E.D. pills (Sildenafil) are necessary for important occasions but not always. I have moved onto other writing and projects. But I am always here to help.
Bent But Not Broken is available in print, e-book and audiobook formats where all books
No one ever died from Peyronie’s disease. Keep moving forward. Your penis is worth it.
Published by Heliotrope Books
Cover Design by Chip Kidd
“Cummings’ skills as a writer are apparent from the beginning. His prose is effortlessly clever, finding the entertaining medium between lyricism and sass. The frankness with which he discusses his problem, the treatment, and his sex life makes for an oddly shocking book—one rarely reads quite so much about penises, as central as they often are to literature. He manages to demystify and destigmatize Peyronie’s, which though obscure is not completely uncommon. More than that, he makes the most of an undignified opportunity to examine his own masculinity.”
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