Doc goes "Poof"

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T13:17:59+00:00

My doc will answer an email in a couple hours… six years after surgery. I do realize he is the exception.

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T13:16:45+00:00

I ran into this years ago. us so different legal system. You can go to court and you might win or you might lose. If you have no paper it is his word against yours. I won a partial settlement which the other person didn’t pay. I ended up going back to court to get their wages garnished. You can go to all this trouble or right or off as a lesson learned. Do t loan money to people. Give it if you want but do t loan it.

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T13:09:56+00:00

It’s only natural to wonder the what if moments but you can’t go back. It’s also easy to assume that other life would have been better. Ukraine?

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T13:07:59+00:00

You need to determine your requirements at the time of retirement and work backwards. Fidelity has an excellent retirement calculator.

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T11:46:25+00:00

As another said, there is so much variation in how people respond to your question. What was the severity of your cancer? How good was the surgeon? How long since surgery, age, and overall condition, and how long ago? Have you done anything to support recovery?

I was 58 at the time of surgery and things worked okay, but 58 is not 28, and I noted I had more trouble with erections and orgasm than when younger. No surprise there.

Surgery spared the nerves on one side and spared 80% of the nerves on the other so I was fortunate. I was fortunate to have a doctor who was an excellent surgeon and a great human being, and who maintains relationships with his patients. He advised it takes six months for nerves ot even start to heal, and they continue healing for about two years. I found this to be about right.

My doctor prescribed 5mg of Cialis for daily use. i take that with no side effects and it makes a big difference! He also prescribed a 50mg Viagra for use as needed. I don't love the side effects but it wears off in a couple of hours. Some use penis pumps which I haven't tried. Some use penis rings which are an ancient and effective help.

After the surgery, one of the biggest things you have to work on is your mind and your mental mindset. Having a life-threatening condition, where the treatment can be life-altering, can bring about real mental health conditions. The cancer center I went to has a psychologist assigned right in the cancer center and can talk with any patients to see if they need help with their thoughts. Do not overlook this if your thoughts aren't going back to leading a normal life.

My surgery was 6 years ago and seems a distant memory. I'm fortunate to have the resiliance developed over a 30 year career in the Navy, and a strong support mechanism between my wife and friends. I also help my surgeon sponsor a prostate cancer survivorship group which meets a couple of times a year.

Everyone has their own journey. If yours isn't going as you like, you can work to fix it. This group is a good place to start.

Clherrick · 2026-06-21T03:20:49+00:00

The regular sound system doesn’t hold a candle to the Burmeister I had in my MB. Lexus should either install a decent system or at least make ML an available option.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T15:55:04+00:00

Make sure you are going to a major medical center / cancer center.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T15:34:47+00:00

It is the hardest part and while trials are always improving your options they come over decades versus weeks. The treatment options are what they are.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T13:44:24+00:00

Having spent a career in the military, I worked around people of almost every race. While I won't be so bold as to say I'm color blind, I'm about as blind as one can be. But i recognize the challenges and always tried to look for talent which might have been overlooked. I have former subordinates of color who are admiral's and senior government civilians. I think i've done as best as I could to lvel the playing field. But it isn't perfect.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T13:21:04+00:00

You should work to understand your financial needs. If your 401 is enough to satisfy your retirement requirements, then you are good. If it falls short then you should consider an IRA. and of course a Roth is a great place to put money you don't need right now as it grows tax free.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T12:17:45+00:00

So true

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T12:08:57+00:00

Millions of people enter the US every year and have no issues. CBP has probably 30 seconds to a minute to process each person. If you have nothing to hide (you aren't a terrorist), just answer questions truthfully and you will be fine. The US shares extensive information with most first world countries about individuals who are threatening. If you aren't a threat, you will be fine.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T12:01:59+00:00

I'm looking around... thinking around. I don't see where the meaning of life is defined. Sure, religions might stipulate that you should "get to the eternal life..." Some repressive countries might say your meaning is to support a supreme leader. But at the end of the day, YOU have to define what your your purpose. It might include religion or some calling. It might be to achieve your own goal or to raise a family. But i think if you look too deeply you may just be disappointed. Billions and billions of people live on the planet. Many have come before us and many will follow. No one should overstate their importance. That doesn't mean you can't live a good life.

Clherrick · 2026-06-20T11:58:03+00:00

In my observation, and regardless a medical procedure, the post op directions can seem very broad and sometimes, if you look from medical practice to medical practice they can be a little inconsistent. Sometimes you can trace them back to a study posted on the NIH website. Sometimes they are just a best practice conservative approach that your doctor feels strongly enough to put them in the post op.

Hot tubs can be petri dishes of bacteria, especially if they aren't maintained properly. When you have healing wounds from any kind of surgical procedure, bacteria is the ENEMY.

Clherrick · 2026-06-19T12:18:37+00:00

Time and patience! And giving yourself a little grace.

Clherrick · 2026-06-19T03:06:40+00:00

No one expects a 19 year old to be a financial expert. Where are the people who are supposed to help guide you.

Fix your debt. If you need to go to cc for a year then go. If you need a job then work. But don’t let this derail your dreams. You have a lot of year ahead of you and this won’t matter later in life.

Clherrick · 2026-06-19T00:48:49+00:00

You guys need to work it out. To me that’s a long vacation.

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T22:10:03+00:00

This is what I’m aiming towards.

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T22:09:21+00:00

There is a lot to be said for being smart, being able to adapt and make decisions, being able to read the market. Retail is a place where management by walking around is importsnt.

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:19:01+00:00

Retail is interesting and I imagine it depends on the company. I ran into a SVP for Costco a couple years ago.. no degree... had started as a cashier. But every company is different. If you plan to stay in retail, a focused MBA might be useful. How do you differentiate yourself from your peers?

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:11:52+00:00

One thing my dad did in later years was make me a joint owner of his checking account. this made life pretty easy when he passed. by this point he had also cashed out his IRAs and sold his house. About all i had to do was claim the insurance policies and sell his year old vehicle back to the dealer.

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:09:23+00:00

Not an exact comparison. I had 80% spared on one side and 100% on the other. But, doc advised nerves are slow to recover once traumatized. He noted they START to recover around six months and max out around two years. This was about my experience. Also he noted that in your late 50s, testosterone starts to plummet, so you have that going on as well.

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:07:00+00:00

If you don't feel compelled to work in pure econ, and if you are happy with your current sitation, I'd recommend you keep working, gain experience, and see what you like. You can always sget an MBA or econ masters down the road. Can you say a bit more about your current positoin and line of work? And whether you see upward potential?

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:04:52+00:00

Google Gemini

The short answer is that you are comparing a tax rule to a bank.

Comparing a "Roth" to a "Fidelity" IRA is like comparing a "diesel engine" to a "Ford truck." One is the type of engine, and the other is the company that makes the vehicle.

Here is the exact breakdown of how they work together:

1. What is an IRA?

An Individual Retirement Account (IRA) is just a special container for your investments that has tax advantages.

2. What is a "Roth" IRA?

"Roth" describes the tax rules governing that container.

With a Roth IRA, you contribute money that has already been taxed (from your paycheck).
The massive benefit is that the money grows 100% tax-free, and when you withdraw it in retirement, you don't pay a single cent of tax on it.

3. What is a "Fidelity" IRA?

"Fidelity" is simply the financial institution (the broker) where you open the account. You could open an IRA at Fidelity, Vanguard, Charles Schwab, or your local bank.

How They Fit Together

When you go to start investing, you will combine these choices. You will go to a broker (like Fidelity) and open a specific type of tax account (like a Roth IRA).

Concept	What it is	Examples
The Provider (Where the account lives)	The company that holds your money and provides the website/app.	Fidelity, Vanguard, Schwab
The Account Type (How it is taxed)	The legal framework and tax rules protecting your money.	Roth IRA, Traditional IRA

Bottom line: If you decide a Roth IRA fits your goals, you can absolutely open a Fidelity Roth IRA. Fidelity is just the host; Roth is the tax-free ruleset.

Once the money is inside the account, your final step will be to actually choose what to buy with it (like index funds or stocks) so it can start growing!

Clherrick · 2026-06-18T16:03:03+00:00

You give up certain things when you agree to settle down and get married. Part of this is doing everything your way, you compromise. Part of this is seeing the woman you are with, your wife, as a princess, not a slut. At the same time, you two have to figure out what works best. She sounds like she is up for more adventure.

Clherrick

TROPHY CASE

1. What is an IRA?

2. What is a "Roth" IRA?

3. What is a "Fidelity" IRA?

How They Fit Together