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Featured Articles - True Viagra
Stories from Real Men |
Joe J. -
I
began having trouble both getting and keeping erections about 5
years ago. I didn't know what it was at the time. I thought it was
maybe stress, or depression, or nutrition, or any number of other
things. But now I see that the impotence was just as much a cause
of those things as anything else. When it first started happening,
I was sure that it was a psychological thing. I just passed it off
as performance jitters, because it always happened when I was with a
new girlfriend. But I came to realize as it kept happening and
started getting worse that it was not just in my head, it was a
serious problem that I had to deal with. It took me a long time to
bring up the courage, but I eventually went to see a doctor about
it. I was hoping that it was just a phase, or a passing thing, or
something with a real quick fix. I guess everyone hopes that when
something bad starts to happen to them. But that was not the case.
It turned out I had bad circulation from years of heavy smoking. I
never thought I was that bad a smoker, it just got bad over time.
He told me that if I didn't quit smoking that it would only get
worse, and that I would develop heart problems. Suddenly the
impotence seemed secondary. I still wanted to do something about it
though.
The moment he mentioned Viagra I was shocked and a little worried,
I'll admit. I didn't want to have to take Viagra, because I had
always thought of it as an old man's drug. But my doctor explained
to me that it worked in all kinds of cases and certainly wasn't
reserved for the elderly. By the end of the conversation I was
pretty anxious to give it a try. He gave me a prescription for the
50 mg tablets, a pretty standard dose I guess.
The next time I found myself in a situation where I was becoming
intimate with a woman, I just took a pill... and wham, it kicked in
in no time. It was so easy to do too, no one has to notice. It
just takes a little planning, which i have no trouble with. When I
used it that first time I was simply blown away by the performance
of Viagra, and mine! My erection was stronger than I ever remember.
I lasted a really long time too, I think I lasted longer than ever
before. And I owe it all to Viagra.
William B. -
Several years ago, I divorced my wife of 8 years. It was a fantastic
marriage at first, but things just working out. I'm not used to
being alone, and I haven't been on the dating scene in a long time.
So as you can imagine, I needed all the help I could get. I
experienced some relationship success in the following years,
nothing big. But a couple of years after, I started experiencing
problems in the bedroom. At first, I thought it was a mental thing.
I've always been something of a hypochondriac. Whenever I worry
about a problem, I tend to make it exist if it doesn't already. I
have a fantastic talent for it. I was in a pit of denial for the
longest time. I didn't want to believe it could be true that I was
suffering from ED -- me, still a very young man. I thought this only
happened to old men. But it wasn't going away, no matter how many
times I convinced myself that it was temporary.
I heard it all from women, all the lines. "Oh it's okay" and "it
happens" and all that. And those were the nice girls. Some women
just didn't understand at all, and walked out on me. I don't think
I've ever experienced anything so degrading, or damaging to my
self-esteem. There was a while where I just avoided going out and
avoided women altogether. I don't know where I was going, but I was
definitely headed down the wrong road there.
I heard about Viagra from a television program. They had a doctor on
who was talking about how it worked. I'm a bit of a skeptic, but it
didn't sound totally unbelievable. They explained in very scientific
terms how the erection itself works, and how Viagra steps in to fix
the problems. I figured it was worth a try.
I scheduled a doctor appointment right away, because I'd had enough
with all the waiting and doing nothing. The doctor informed me that
my problem was actually quite common, that my veins had constricted
and I wasn't getting enough blood flow to produce a strong erection
anymore. I guess it had a lot to do with my health. I'd never had a
great diet, and never had a habit of exercising. Also, circulatory
problems run in my family. I was fortunate enough to never have
started smoking, or else I'd be in even more trouble. My doctor
provided me with a prescription for the 50 mg Viagra pills.
The next time I found myself in a situation where I knew I was going
to become intimate with a woman, I made a plan to ingest one of the
pills about 45 minutes beforehand. I must say, it worked like a
charm, much better than I thought it would. And it worked faster
than I thought it would. It's been nothing but positive for me.
I can't say Viagra has solved all my problems, but it's helped me
out a lot with one major problem in my life, one less thing to
worry about.
Paul O. -
It
began about 5 years ago. Not long into my fifties, I started
noticing troubling problems. I began to have trouble achieving
consistent erections. I would lose them at critical moments, or I
would find my erection not strong enough to work with. Of course my
wife noticed this, and it troubled her too. We're always pretty open
with each other, so we discussed it from time to time. She let me
know that she was a little disappointed in my performance, but that
she understood that it happens to some men. She also told me that I
should do whatever I thought was best.
Now, this long into the marriage, we weren't making love as often as
we used to. A lot of couples experience that at this age. So it
wouldn't be the most crippling problem in the world if I found
myself unable to satisfy my wife sexually. But it was still a
concern. I was just feeling, less powerful, less masculine than I
used to. I wasn't ready to give in to old age just yet. I mean, no
one is ready, at the age of fifty. I really wanted to do something
about it, but I didn't know what my options were at the time. I'd
heard the name of it before - Erectile Dysfunction, and I had heard
now and then of drugs that could help. But, I had never paid much
attention because I figured it would never happen to me. I'm not a
smoker, and I've always thought I was in good shape. But it happened
anyways ? it can happen to pretty much anyone. And there are a lot
more causes than I thought, including genetics and heart problems.
I really looked into the situation to see what I could do. I started
with my doctor. He told me I had a "textbook case" of Erectile
Dysfunction. That
didn't make me feel any better, but he also told me that there were
plenty of things I could do about it, and that there were a number
of drugs that could help me out. The name Viagra came up, and I had
definitely heard of that one before. I decided to give it a try,
figuring I had nothing to lose. He started me on the 25 mg dose
When I took it home I was really excited, and I hadn't even taken
the pill yet. I told my wife about it and she was very happy that
I'd decided to act on the situation. But, unfortunately, the pill
didn't work. I waited half an hour, then forty-five minutes, then an
hour, and longer, still no noticeable effect, and no erection. I was
disappointed, but not without hope. I figured that if 25 mg didn't
work, that maybe a higher dose would have an effect. The doctor told
me, at my second appointment, that it may very well be a dosage
problem. So I took a step up to the 50 mg dose. This time, it worked
like a charm. Within twenty or thirty minutes of taking the pill, I
had the strongest erection I'd seen in years. That stuff really did
the trick. My wife was pretty happy about it, as you can guess.
Thank you Viagra.
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Current
Month's Story - Frequent Intercourse - Use it or Lose it |
The
Use it or Lose it concept
Stands up to Research
Frequent
sexual intercourse may cut down
on a man’s chances of developing
erectile dysfunction, Finnish
researchers report.
This is the same as any other
part of the body. It’s what
vascular surgeons refer to as
the ‘use it or lose it’ concept.
Sexual activity will promote
maintenance of normal erectile
function down the line. There is
a report published on this in
the July issue of The American
Journal of Medicine.
In that report, researchers
collected data on 989 Finnish
men aged 55 to 75 years old.
The researchers found that men
who said they had sexual
intercourse less than once a
week had twice the risk of
developing erectile dysfunction,
compared with men reporting
having sexual intercourse once a
week.
Among men who had sexual
intercourse less than once a
week, there were 79 cases of
erectile dysfunction per 1,000
men. That number dropped to 32
cases per 1,000 among men who
said they had sexual intercourse
once a week, and it dropped even
further, to 16 per 1,000, among
men who said they had sexual
intercourse three or more times
a week.
However, the development of
complete erectile dysfunction
could be predicted from the
frequency of morning erections.
Among men with less than one
morning erection a week, the
risk of developing erectile
dysfunction was 2.5-fold greater
than among men who had two to
three morning erections per
week.
Continued sexual activity
decreases the incidence of
erectile dysfunction in direct
proportion to coital frequency
and this report said there is a
scientific basis for the
finding, and it also has
implications for rehabilitation
of patients after prostate
cancer treatment.
What is very hot these days is
what doctors can do to
rehabilitate people who develop
erection problems after prostate
cancer surgery or radiation
therapy, in fact anything a man
can do to increase oxygenation
in the penis will help get
patients back to normal.
If one can naturally engage in
behaviors that increase blood
flow to the penis, it will have
a positive effect in preventing
erectile dysfunction.
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After a Layoff:
Evaluating Your Health Insurance Options |
After a Layoff: Evaluating Your Health
Insurance Options
(ARA) - As the economy continues to struggle, an increasing number
of people are faced with the unfortunate prospect of losing their
job. The numbers are startling -- by February 2009, the U.S.
unemployment rate had risen to 8.1 percent and the number of
unemployed Americans had increased by 5 million over the last year.
One of the primary concerns facing the recently unemployed is the
loss of health benefits. Most U.S. workers receive health benefits
through their employers, so they associate health insurance with
employment. As unemployment rises, more people must find a way to
pay for health insurance on their own.
Unfortunately, most Americans are unfamiliar with the options that
they have as individual consumers. A recent survey conducted by
Aetna found that the majority of consumers were unaware of an
important option -- individual health insurance plans. The survey
also found that many consumers had significant misperceptions about
the cost of coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget
Reconciliation Act, also known as COBRA, another insurance
alternative which can cover a person for up to 36 months after
losing a job.
“Our research found that 69 percent of consumers had never heard of
individual health insurance plans or did not know much about them,
and 38 percent said they expected to pay the same premiums for COBRA
coverage as when they were employed when they could actually pay
almost double in many instances,” says Frank McCauley, head of
Aetna’s Consumer Business Segment. "With more and more people
entering the individual health insurance market, it is essential for
people to have a clear understanding of all of the options that are
available to them."
Knowing All of Your Options
According to McCauley, there are a number of different options that
people should consider in this situation. This includes becoming a
dependent on their spouse’s plan; receiving coverage through an
alumni association or club membership; or finding out if they are
eligible for free or low-cost state programs. Almost 11 million
Americans are actually eligible for these free or low-cost plans,
such as Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Programs (SCHIP),
but are not enrolled and remain uninsured.
Another option is COBRA coverage, which allows people to keep the
same coverage they had through their employer, even after they lose
their job.
While this serves as a good safety net, it can be expensive.
Families USA, a consumer health organization, found in January 2009
that the average national premium to cover a family with COBRA eats
up almost 84 percent of unemployment benefits.
A temporary solution to the high cost of COBRA came as part of the
national economic stimulus package. Under this package, people who
were laid off (or lose their jobs) between September 1, 2008 and
December 31, 2009 are eligible for a 65 percent subsidy to help them
pay for COBRA coverage. This means they will have to pay 35 percent
of the usual cost of COBRA.
However, even with this subsidy, many consumers may be able to find
a more affordable individual health insurance plan. Many insurers
sell these plans directly to consumers, and McCauley says that Aetna
has a wide range of plan designs.
“We have plans that are similar to what a person would receive from
their employer, as well as lower-cost options that might be a better
fit for their budget,” McCauley adds.
People can go to Aetna’s Web site www.aetnaindividual.com to learn
more about these plans, get a quote and even apply online. McCauley
adds that consumers can also go to a Web site like
www.ehealthinsurance.com to compare plans from different insurers.
To help educate consumers on all of the different health insurance
options that are available to them, Aetna also developed information
on the Plan for Your Health Web site www.planforyourhealth.com. This
free site is a good starting point when searching for health
insurance on your own.
Questions to Consider
As you start to search for the right health insurance option for
you, McCauley says there are three questions that every consumer
should keep in mind:
* How long do you expect to go without insurance? Not having
insurance for a few months is very different from not having it for
a few years.
* How much coverage do you need? A young man looking for his first
job and a mother of two who owns her own business will make very
different choices.
* How much do you want to pay? A lower premium (the amount you pay
each month) might seem to be the best way to save a few bucks. Just
be sure to find out how much more you will have to pay if something
happens to you.
Whichever option a person chooses, it is extremely important to find
some type of coverage.
“Health insurance is one of the primary ways that people can protect
both their health and their financial well-being,” says Tracey
Baker, a certified financial planner and co-author of “Navigating
Your Health Benefits For Dummies”. “Even during difficult financial
times, it is important to try to provide this security for you and
your family.”
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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Healthy Recipe of the
Month -
Orange Pork
with Sautéed Leeks |
Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut loin pork chops (about 1/2 inch
thick)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 1/2 cups thinly sliced leek (about 4 medium leeks)
1 1/2 cups bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
Preparation
Sprinkle pork with sugar, salt, and black pepper. Heat oil in a
large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté 2 1/2
minutes on each side or until done. Remove pork from skillet, and
keep warm. Add leek, bell pepper, and garlic to skillet; sauté 2 1/2
minutes or until leek is tender. Stir in broth, juice, mustard, and
red pepper; cook 2 1/2 minutes or until liquid is slightly thick,
scraping skillet to loosen browned bits. Return pork to skillet,
turning to coat.
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CURRENT HEALTH TODAY- FDA: Avoid
Pistachios |
FDA: Avoid Pistachios
In another food scare sure to rattle consumers still reeling from
the national salmonella outbreak in peanuts, federal food officials
now are warning people not to eat any food containing pistachios,
which could carry contamination from the same bacteria.
Central California-based Setton Pistachio of Terra Bella Inc., the
nation's second-largest pistachio processor, is voluntarily
recalling more than 2 million pounds of its roasted nuts shipped
since last fall, the Food and Drug Administration said.
The advice to consumers is that we avoid eating pistachio products,
and that we hold on to those products. The number of products that
are going to be recalled over the coming days will grow, simply
because these pistachio nuts have then been repackaged into
consumer-level containers.
Two people called the FDA complaining of gastrointestinal illness
that could be associated with the nuts, but the link hasn't been
confirmed. Still, the plant decided to shut down late last week,
officials said.
We have a staffer who spent 3 weeks in gastro pain after eating a
bulk bag of pistachios over the course of 3-4 days from a California
plant. Two trips to the doctor, one to the ER, and blood tests
and ultrasounds, yet still no one could say "why". Does it
always seem these news stories hit the shelf weeks after the
incidence of eating these tainted products? Are we all going
to have to give up eating anything off the shelves...existing on
what we can grow ourselves?
The recalled nuts represent a small fraction of the 55 million
pounds of pistachios that the company's plant processed last year
and an even smaller portion of the 278 million pounds produced in
the state in the 2008 season, according to the Fresno-based
Administrative Committee for Pistachios.
The FDA learned about the problem March 24, when Kraft Foods Inc.
notified the agency that it had detected salmonella in roasted
pistachios through routine product testing. Kraft and the Georgia
Nut Co. recalled their Back to Nature Nantucket Blend trail mix the
next day. The FDA contacted Setton Pistachio and California health
officials shortly afterward.
By Friday, grocery operator Kroger Co. recalled one of its lines of
bagged pistachios because of possible salmonella contamination,
saying the California plant also supplied its nuts. Those nuts were
sold in 31 states.
Fabia D'Arienzo, a spokeswoman for Tulare County-based Setton
Pistachio, said the company was recalling only certain bulk roasted
in-shell and roasted shelled pistachios that were shipped on or
after Sept. 1.
Because Setton Pistachio shipped tote bags of nuts weighing up to
2,000 pounds to 36 wholesalers across the country, it will take
weeks to figure out how many products could be affected, the Food
and Drug Branch of the California Department of Public Health
states.
It will be safe to assume based on the volume that this will be an
ingredient in a lot of different products, and that may possibly
include things like ice cream and cake mixes. Nothing seems to
be safe for us to consume now days.
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