Today, I got a chance to talk to Simon Ellison 35, about over coming one of mans worst fears: 'Erectile Dysfunction' (ED).
EA: Hiya Simon, Would you like to introduce yourself?

SE: Certainly. I'm Simon Ellison I'm 35 years old and have been impotent for the last 6 years.

EA: 29 seems fairly young?

SE: Yes, but I blame it on my job. I'm in the Navy- very high up. My job although very enjoyable- is very stressful. It takes a lot out of me. At the time I was married- I'm divorced now. Due to work and Erectile Dysfunction my marriage went down hill. Looking back- that could have been a good thing…(sighs) but it's still a shame.

EA: How did your condition make you feel?

SE: Erectile Dysfunction made me feel very weak. I had no confidence- this feeling quickly spread to other parts of my life- my marriage and work began to suffer. Everyone began to notice the change in me.

EA: Weren't you scared?

SE: Scared! Terrified more like! I couldn't understand why. Why me? I felt very angry and worried at the same time. So confused…it felt like a part of me had died….

EA: Worried…

SE: I was worried about my wife……wondering when she would notice…..waiting for her to say something about the situation…wondering whether she'd go elsewhere

EA: What was the worst thing for you about the situation?

SE: I am a person who is highly energetic- I love to be involved in everything and anything is a challenge-I don't give up till I succeed. Can you imagine what it was like finding out I was impotent? Finding that a part of me didn't work was so hard-and it happened when I was fairly young-that made the situation worst-it affected everything- my job, my outlook-I became highly depressed-I felt I had no one to talk to. I became increasingly frustrated, both sexually and mentally. I knew I needed to take action-but it was so hard…..but it got a lot easier as time went on…..

EA: What was the first step you took?

SE: The first and probably the hardest step I took was admitting the problem to myself- after I had admitted this I could then go on to help myself.

EA: What about your partner?

SE: After I had admitted it to myself, I then went on to admit it to Mandy, my wife. This wasn't actually that hard- by this time the situation had got so bad she had realised that something pretty serious must be up.

EA: How did she react?

SE: Mandy was fantastic. We are still great, close friends. We only divorced about 18 months ago. Mandy really supported me; she comforted me and totally took the lead. This was exactly what I needed-She told that it didn't matter-I had done the hardest thing- admitting it her and myself and the rest would follow and fall into place.

EA: What happened next?

SE: From this point on Mandy took charge of me and looked after me. She told me that it didn't matter and that we were a team…..that together we would fight and sort out the problem. Together we began researching into solutions…..We also went to see a councillor

EA: Did that help you?

SE: Yes, it did. It enabled me to put the whole thing in proportion. I realised that I wasn't the only open who was suffering there are many more out there-not as lucky as I was. It also pointed me in the right direction. The councillor gave us many pointers as to what step to take next.

EA: What was that next step?

SE: Mandy and I began researching on the Internet. I'd heard of Viagra-but didn't know anything about it-it just seemed to be the butt of everyone's jokes. Mandy then suggested that we went to the Doctors-just to ask about it- to find out whether I was suitable candidate for the drug.

EA: Was it hard to take this step?

SE: No not really….by this time I'd already been to see the councillor. My Doctor has been my Doctor for the last 10 years- I see him as more of a friend than a Doctor. He helped me considerably. He explained all about Viagra and the pros and cons. He then screened tests to see if I was suitable for taking the drug-which I was!

EA: Go on….

SE: Well I started taking Viagra and the Viagra Experience just simply took hold of me. It was fantastic- it was like a new lease of life. Confidence came flooding back. It was like a second Honeymoon. That first night I was so nervous- it was so special it was like consummating our marriage all over again. I was warned that it might not work-but I had to give it a try-I'll give anything a try once. I began to feel much more positive about myself-the change in my life has been amazing.

EA: Could you tell me about these changes?

SE: Mandy and I got divorced about 18 months ago. We're still great friends and I will always be so grateful to her. We just out grew each other. I have a serious girlfriend at the moment, we live together. She's 4 months pregnant- can you believe that? One drug has given me so much-it's changed my life so much.

EA: Finally Simon, what's your advice for other men?

SE: My advice is simple-just tell someone and take the first step. The results are life changing- my life is evidence of that…..
Words: Elisha Arrison

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