The Penis Project Podcast: Breaking Taboos in Men’s Sexual Health

This week we hear the story of Faryar who had his prostate removed in November 2023. If you are a regular listener to The Penis Project you may have heard stories of “young blokes” who recover quickly and this prostate removal business is a blip on the radar for them, you may even think “well that’s ok for these young fellas”.  But this is a story of guy a bit older who has an amazing recovery. Why did he have such a smooth recovery?  I believe prior preparation is the key. This is not to say that you can have done everything right and still have troubles but is you put in the work you are more like to have a speedy recovery.  Faryar has had a personal trainer for 15 years and consequently started his journey in tip-top shape which helped his recovery. Listen here, to see how you can improve your quality of life and performance with exercise and specific training.   Please don’t let this story give you FOMO, instead think “I can do that too” and get moving, or as a well-known sports brand puts it “Just Do It!” ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/     

Today we speak with Ken who recently celebrated his 70th Birthday. I met Ken when he had his prostate removed, however today we are not discussing his prostate cancer journey but his life journey of being born left-handed, with a stutter and gay. This is a story that I found fascinating. Did you know that being gay was only decriminalized in Australia in 1980’s to the 2000’s depending on the state, USA 1970’s in some states and 2000’s in others, in the United Kingdom 1980’s to late 1990’s.   In this podcast we discuss this and many more interesting facts we should all know. Plus, some suggestions on how to deal with a child or grandchild ‘coming out’.   ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

In this episode I speak to the amazing founder of “A Touchy Subject”, Victoria Cullen. https://www.atouchysubject.com/  A Touchy Subject is a great resource for men and their partners about sexual recovery when diagnosed with prostate cancer. They are obsessed with uncovering ‘the practical stuff’ from the latest clinical literature, and from the thousands of conversations we have with men ‘MacGyvering’ their way through sexual recovery. They have YouTube videos, blogs, free programs and more to help you on your journey. They also have a list of recommended products to help with the process.  Victoria and I chat about common issues we hear from men and their partners and ways to navigate them. The overarching thought is that; it takes a bit work, ingenuity, a sense of humour, and my favorite skill, “stickability”.   Links from discussion with Victoria Cullen “A Touchy Subject”:  - Rehab program: https://www.atouchysubject.com/help-for-ed-post-prostate-surgery  - This is where the Vacurect mastery course will be (demo videos + top tips): https://www.atouchysubject.com/ed-vacuum-pump-vacurect-demonstration-video  - Tess Deveze's two-minute game: https://medium.com/@connectabletherapies/how-a-simple-2-minutes-saved-my-sex-during-cancer-treatments-482a174d25d2  - Soft penis pleasure course: https://connectable.podia.com/penis-pleasure/jfxm5  - Vulva pleasure course: https://connectable.podia.com/vulva-masterclass/jfxm5  - Study on erectile function return (but not necessarily sexual satisfaction): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30033192/ (Terrier et al., 2018)  - My Ilo egg vibrator https://melissahadleybarrett.com/product/my-ilo-egg-vibrator/  - Pump Hub waitlist: https://atouchysubject.com/pump-hub-signup  - Pump-A-Sutra waitlist: https://www.atouchysubject.com/pump-a-sutra-signup  Vacurect affiliate links:  - Australia/New Zealand - https://www.vacumed.com.au/product/vacurect-otc10/?ref=1  - USA/Canada - https://www.mainspringmedical.com/pages/lp-cullen?aff=2  ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/  

Is it possible to break your penis? Yes it is.   Today we discuss this tricky penis problem with Liam. This issue is always a problem but even more so when your penis is your livelihood.   Listen here to find out how he broke it, what it felt like and the treatment to get back together.   This is a fascinating story that will make yours eyes water if you are a penis owner.   ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/  

In this episode of the "Penis Project Podcast," I chat with Jason Phillips to discuss his journey following his prostate surgery. Jason wants to give back, get on with life as he knows it and most importantly raise awareness about prostate cancer for other men. His way of doing it? Running 129km in rural Western Australia to raise money for research at PCFA.    I hope you enjoy this inspiring story. Follow his training and run at his socials below. He leaves the starting blocks 24th April and is hoping to finish on the 25th April (ANZAC day).    This is the link to Jason’s official PCFA fundraising page:  https://fundraise.pcfa.org.au/s/1762/1879    The following are the links to Jason’s socials:  Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jason.phillips.5891  Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/jason_phillips_05/    Episode Summary   - Prostate cancer treatment journey    - Getting on with life as ‘normal’   - Survival  ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/   

In this episode of the "Penis Project Podcast," I chat with Jenny and Peter to discuss Peter's journey with penile implants following his prostate surgery. They cover various topics related to the decision-making process, surgery, recovery, and post-surgery experiences. Peter details his pre-surgery anxieties, which surprisingly gave way to a smooth recovery with minimal discomfort. Jenny and Peter kindly and openly share their experiences relating to sexual activity, challenging common beliefs about older adults and sex.  Episode Summary  Initial Diagnosis and Decision-Making  Surgery Experience  Post-Surgery Challenges  Sexual Experience  Health Benefits and Aging  Future Improvements  ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/        

Today we speak to George all the way from Canada. George came to Australia and fixed his continence and got his old fella to remember what he was supposed to do. This man had a very complicated and drawn-out post op recovery but is now on his way to penile perfection, thanks to his physio in Canada recommending he visit Jo Milios and subsequently Melissa whilst he was down under. Listen here to see how his recovery went ahead in leaps and bounds once he hit the ”lucky country”  ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/  

If you are a regular listener to The Penis Project then you will probably remember Rod Popcorn from episode 53. If you haven’t listened back that far, then I recommend you go back as this is a funny, honest account of a prostate cancer recovery.  Rod will be 4 years post op this April and he joins us today to share a hilarious story about a recent experience that involved a needle, an erection, a motorbike and airport security. This episode is short but it will have you chuckling to yourself for days.   ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/  

Happy Valentine’s Day! Since today is the day of love and friendship, I thought it would be a good time to discuss online dating.   Today we are talking to Lee, and this is a fun and informative discussion. Lee has been online dating intermittently for two decades, so this guy has experienced it from the beginning.  Any young people listening will be amazed to know what it was like before apps.    I learnt a lot from this interview, and I am sure you will too. Even if you are not in the market for a new partner, this is a fun, interesting episode that delves into how humans interact.   I would love to hear your feedback on this episode, and I really want to interview a female and non-binary person about their online dating experiences, so if this is you or someone you know please contact me.    ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/      

In this episode, we have a chat with Jonathon and Jeanine, all the way from NZ. Jonathon thought he would get prostate cancer, as his family had a history of it, and he was proactive in getting a diagnosis and watched it for 4 years before finally being advised it was time to remove it in December 2022.   This is an excellent, honest conversation with this lovely couple where they discuss their fears, treatment and recovery journey. They are both open and vulnerable with how this journey affected them as a couple and individually.  Being proactive, Jonathan sort out as much information as he could and that is how he found The Penis Project and Victoria Cullen- A Touchy Subject  https://www.atouchysubject.com/    He found these both invaluable resources. He was surprised to find out that despite being offered excellent treatment for the cancer, his aftercare and information provided to enable him to return to ‘normal” was lacking. This led him to enroll in the Online Penile Rehabilitation Program which he found to be an invaluable tool in his recovery process.   Jeanine discusses her reaction to the changes and how she dealt with these and the changes in his responsiveness. Listen to this episode for these and many more useful tips to navigate this journey.   If you enjoy this podcast, you may also like Episode #123: 300-400 Times Penile Injections  If you would like to know more about the Online Penile Rehabilitation Program please go here: https://melissahadleybarrett.com/penile-rehabilitation-program/  Link for the products discussed in podcast:   Vacurect- https://melissahadleybarrett.com/product/vacurect-penis-pump/  Bathmate- https://melissahadleybarrett.com/product/bathmate-hydro-7-penis-pump/   Firmtech Ring-   https://melissahadleybarrett.com/product/firmtech-tech-ring/  https://melissahadleybarrett.com/product/firmtech-maxpr-ring/   ---------- Websites: https://melissahadleybarrett.com   Men’s health only https://rshealth.com.au/  All genders http://www.menshealthphysiotherapy.com.au/ http://prost.com.au/   Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/ https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/ https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/ TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/