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

Episode Overview:

On this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Tom Jenkins, an author based in rural Colombia, about his memoir The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction. Tom is not a clinician, and this is not a clinical conversation. It is one man’s honest account of shame, addiction and disconnection, and how he found his way through it.

Tom describes how his erectile difficulties first appeared during his early sexual experiences and continued to show up specifically with women he genuinely liked, rather than in lower-stakes encounters. He talks openly about the role alcohol and gambling played in masking his lack of confidence, about turning to over-the-counter Cialis for years without ever discussing it with a doctor, and about a period of using sex workers while trying to fill the gap left by giving up drinking and gambling.

The conversation moves into Tom’s experience with ayahuasca, a traditional plant medicine used in Amazonian ceremonies, which he credits as a turning point in dealing with the root causes of his anxiety and low self-worth. Tom describes the process as confronting but ultimately transformative and explains how it led him to make broader lifestyle changes around diet, exercise, work and connection with others.

Tom now credits meeting his wife, Darcy, along with complete honesty about his history from the very beginning of their relationship, as central to his erectile difficulties resolving over time without medication. Melissa balances Tom’s personal story with an important clinical distinction: while performance anxiety and situational erectile difficulty are common and can often improve with confidence, communication and addressing the psychological side, physical causes of erectile dysfunction become increasingly common with age and are nothing to feel ashamed about. Medication has a legitimate place in treatment and is not a sign of failure.

Golden Tip: The tell-tale sign it’s in your head: if you’re waking up with erections, things work fine solo, and you still feel aroused seeing someone attractive, but it falls apart the moment you’re with someone you actually care about, that’s probably performance anxiety talking, not a physical problem. Help is available both psychologically and medically.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why Tom’s erectile difficulties showed up specifically with women he liked, not in casual encounters

• The role alcohol played in masking, and worsening, his confidence and sexual function

• Years of using over-the-counter tadalafil (Cialis) without ever having a conversation with a doctor available without a prescription where Tom lives, though not in Australia, where it requires one

• His experience visiting sex workers, and a candid discussion of consent and ethics in that industry

• How ayahuasca ceremonies helped him confront shame, forgiveness and the root causes of his anxiety

• The lifestyle changes that followed, including diet, exercise, regenerative agriculture and community

• Meeting his wife Darcy and the role of complete honesty in resolving his erectile difficulties without medication

• Melissa’s clinical perspective on the difference between psychological and physical causes of erectile dysfunction, and why medication is never something to be ashamed of

Key Message from Tom

Tom’s message is that there is no single fix and no need to be ashamed of the path it takes to get there. For him, the turning point came through confronting the root causes of his anxiety and self-worth rather than continuing to manage the symptoms. He is open about the fact that everyone’s journey is different, and hopes that sharing his story, mistakes and all, will help other men feel less alone in theirs.

Resources & Links

• Visit Tom’s website

• Buy Tom’s book, ‘The Drunk Gambler with Erectile Dysfunction’: Amazon

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at https://rshealth.com.au/book-appointment or email admin@rshealth.com.au

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show: https://restorative-health-clinic.myshopify.com/

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube videos: Melissa Hadley Barrett

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Tom’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

On this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa speaks with Magnus, an aeronautical engineer from Sweden and long-time listener of the show, about discovering a significant bend in his penis, and the sometimes frustrating, sometimes funny, journey to work out what to do about it, largely on his own.

Magnus had been listening to the podcast for a few years out of general curiosity about men's health, never expecting he'd need it. Then, in November last year, he noticed his penis had developed a sudden and significant bend, up and to the left, and thanks to what he'd picked up from episodes about erectile function after prostate surgery, he immediately suspected Peyronie's disease. Looking back, he connects the dots to a couple of years earlier, when a strong reaction to a COVID vaccine booster (in his telling, ongoing joint pain alongside a sudden and complete loss of spontaneous and morning erections) may have set the stage, something his GP dismissed at the time because he could still have sex.

Ashamed and not sure what to do, Magnus initially told no one, not even his wife, until she noticed the change herself. What followed was a difficult few months navigating Sweden's public health system: long waits, an underwhelming first specialist appointment that left him so shaken his wife had to lead him to the car, and finally a lucky break when a personal connection helped him access treatment faster than the system otherwise allowed.

From there, Magnus built his own multimodal treatment plan: a daily PDE5 inhibitor, penile traction therapy, shockwave therapy (which involved regular long train trips, and some engineering ingenuity of his own), a food supplement aimed at reducing fibrosis, and a return to regular resistance training. True to his profession, he has tracked his progress meticulously, and has seen real, measurable improvement in both curvature and length over several months.

Magnus also talks candidly about the emotional and relational side of Peyronie's disease, including the shame that kept him silent at first, and a novel way he found to open up to his wife about what he needed from her, using an AI chatbot to help him put it into words. This is an honest, resourceful, and at times very funny conversation about taking charge of your own health when the system doesn't quite know what to do with you.

In This Episode, we cover

• A sudden, significant change in penile curvature is worth investigating promptly, Peyronie's disease can develop quickly, not just gradually

• The loss of spontaneous or morning erections, even if you can still have sex, is worth mentioning to a doctor, as it may be an early sign something else is going on

• Peyronie's disease care can vary enormously depending on which doctor you see, even within the same healthcare system , it's worth persisting and, where possible, seeking a second opinion

• A multimodal approach, is generally considered more effective than relying on any single treatment alone

• Shame and silence are common early reactions to Peyronie's disease, but openly involving a partner, can make a real difference

• Feeling truly alone with this condition is common, and isolating, connecting with other men going through the same thing matters

Key Message from Magnus:

His advice to any man in his position: go looking for information and options yourself, keep your doctors informed along the way, and don't wait for the system to hand you a solution.

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Peyronie's disease

• erectile dysfunction

• penile traction therapy and shockwave therapy guidance

• intimacy and sexual recovery

• partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• practical, evidence-based strategies for getting confidence back

We offer telehealth consultations across Australia and worldwide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Magnus's story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of Peyronie's disease or intimacy, we can support you there too, as an individual or as a couple.

Resources & Links

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/, http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show

• We've spoken about penile traction devices, including the Restorex and the Comfort Grip, in previous episodes — search our back catalogue if you'd like to hear more

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating penile health. If you'd like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube: Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn: Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk: Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

On this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Adam, an exercise physiologist, content creator (@balancedbyadam) and father of two, about being diagnosed with prostate cancer at just 43 years old.

Adam's story starts with a routine blood test. As an exercise physiologist with a family history of prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease, Adam had been adding a PSA test to his own annual bloods since turning 40. At 42, his PSA jumped, a follow-up biopsy found early, low-grade, prostate-confined cancer, and Adam was left with a decision most men his age never expect to face: active surveillance or surgery.

Adam talks candidly about the mental toll of “watch and wait” the low mood, the twenty-plus kilograms he quietly put on over the following year, and how he kept what was really going on to himself, using a “bulking phase” story on social media as cover. He also opens up about using a GLP-1 medication (the same class as Ozempic and Wegovy) ahead of surgery, treating himself as a first-hand case study the way he often does for his followers.

Ultimately, Adam chose surgery, having a radical prostatectomy in March 2026. Melissa and Adam talk through the realities of recovery that rarely make it into the “you'll be fine, you're young and fit” conversation many men are given beforehand.

Throughout the conversation, Adam speaks openly about his marriage, his two young daughters, and how the diagnosis has changed the way he thinks about time, mortality and being present. He's also using the experience to shift what he talks about on social media, with weekly “Willie Wednesday” posts. ,

This is an honest, unfiltered look at what recovery can really look like for a young, fit man proof that “you'll bounce back quickly” isn't always the story, and that there's no shame in a slower, wobblier road.

In This Episode, We Cover

• The mental load of “watch and wait” can be just as hard to carry as treatment itself

• Recovery timelines for continence and erectile function are usually measured in months to a year, even for young, fit men

• Pelvic floor physiotherapy matters just as much, sometimes more, for men who are already very fit, since an overactive pelvic floor can slow continence recovery

• A supportive partner and open, age-appropriate conversations with kids can make a hard diagnosis easier to carry as a family

Key Message from Adam

Be proactive rather than reactive. Know your family history, get your bloods done from 40, and don't wait for symptoms. And if recovery is slower than you were promised that doesn't mean something has gone wrong it just means your journey is your own.

Resources & Links

• Follow Adam’s Instagram account: @balance_by_adam

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at https://rshealth.com.au/book-appointment or email admin@rshealth.com.au

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show https://restorative-health-clinic.myshopify.com/

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube videos: Melissa Hadley Barrett

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

On this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Steve Bartley, a 61-year-old filmmaker and television researcher, about his experience with advanced prostate cancer, hormone therapy, and rebuilding his sex life along the way.

Steve's diagnosis in 2024 came out of nowhere. With no family history of prostate cancer, he only had blood work done after noticing unexplained, rapid weight loss. His PSA came back at 8, and his doctor was blunt: this could be cancer. What followed was a fast and frightening escalation, from an MRI scored at the highest level of concern, through to a biopsy showing a Gleason score of 9, one of the most aggressive grades. A PET scan then revealed the cancer had already spread beyond the prostate into his pelvic lymph nodes, moving him overnight from what he expected to be an early-stage diagnosis to low-volume stage 4 prostate cancer.

Because the cancer had spread, surgery wasn't the standard option. Steve was referred for hormone therapy (androgen deprivation therapy, or ADT) alongside radiation, and describes the whirlwind of appointments, procedures and decisions that followed, made even harder by the fact that he was in a relatively new relationship at the time.

Steve talks candidly about how his radiation treatment didn't go entirely to plan. Urinary urgency set in earlier and more intensely than he was told to expect, and after a difficult stretch without clear communication from his treating team, he sought a second opinion. That conversation, and his own research, led him to make the significant decision to stop radiation partway through and focus on hormone therapy instead, a decision he made largely on his own while his partner was overseas.

Melissa and Steve also talk through the practical side of rebuilding erectile function after ADT and radiation, tablets, nasal spray, and injections, and why trying these options on your own first can take the performance pressure out of the equation.

Steve's journey has also become the driving force behind a documentary he is producing, Prostate Cancer: From Crisis to Cure, featuring some of Australia's leading prostate cancer specialists and due for release later this year or early 2027. The aim, in his words, is simple: to give men and their partners hope, and to break the silence that still surrounds this disease. Subscribe to our newsletter and resource library for updates on when the doco will be released https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

In This Episode, We Cover

• A high-risk diagnosis (a high Gleason score 9, or cancer that has spread to nearby lymph nodes) doesn't mean the outlook is hopeless

• Getting a second opinion, and changing treatment course mid-way, is a legitimate option

• Side effects of radiation and hormone therapy

• Peer support groups for men with prostate cancer offer huge value beyond exercise connecting with other men going through treatment reduces isolation

• Medications, commonly used for depression and menopausal hot flushes, can also help manage hot flushes caused by hormone therapy in men

Key message from Steve:

There's always a workaround, whatever you're facing with your erections, your relationship, your physical health, or your cure. And if there isn't a way through today, there will be tomorrow. Find the best people, ask questions, take notes to your appointments, and don't be afraid to get a second opinion if something doesn't feel right.

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too as an individual or as a couple.

Resources & Links

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at https://rshealth.com.au/book-appointment or email admin@rshealth.com.au

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show https://restorative-health-clinic.myshopify.com/

Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube videos: Melissa Hadley Barrett

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa talks with Mark, a 56-year-old rural firefighter from the South West of Western Australia, about a prostate cancer journey that has had just about everything in it: an aggressive cancer, surgery, a rising PSA, salvage radiation, penile rehabilitation, one very memorable trip to the emergency department, and a bloke who simply refused to sit down and feel sorry for himself.

Mark had never been crook in his life. He only asked for a PSA test because a mate who had been through prostate cancer kept nagging him about it. During a routine work medical, his mate’s voice popped into his head, and he asked the doctor for the test. The GP asked why. Mark asked for it anyway. The result came back with an elevated PSA, and as Mark puts it, he nearly fell off the chair.

What followed was a biopsy in Bunbury, a two-hour trip from home, a Gleason 8 diagnosis, and a radical prostatectomy in Perth, four hours away. Mark and Melissa talk about the tyranny of distance in Australia: every appointment being a whole day, the cost of staying away from home, and the men Mark met who were driving four hours a day for radiation because they had nowhere to stay.

Mark also talks about the parts nobody warned him about. The catheter that started leaking around the sides and scared the daylights out of him. The pads. The pelvic floor exercises he started before surgery because his mate Grant told him to, and which he credits with getting him dry within a few weeks. And then, months later, a phone call from his surgeon to say the PSA was creeping back up. Which resulted in radiation treatment. He declined the testosterone-lowering therapy that was offered alongside the radiation, because he did not want the fatigue and flatness during fire season. He worked right through his treatment, and three days after his last “nuking session”, as he calls it, he pulled up at work to get the job done.

And yes, we talk about erections. Mark did the work: the daily tablets, the vacuum pump, and eventually injections. The first injection dose was too generous and Mark ended up in a country emergency department with an erection that would not go down and, by his count, six or seven people in the room having a look at his old fella. It is a very funny story and also a serious one. It changed how Melissa practises: every country patient now goes home with an emergency reversal injection so nobody else has to make that drive.

This is a warm, funny, plain-speaking conversation about what it takes to get through prostate cancer treatment especially when you live a long way from anywhere, and about why looking after your penis is not optional extra credit. It is part of your body, and it deserves the same care as everything else.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why rural and remote men face extra barriers to prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment, from long travel distances to limited local specialist access

• What to expect physically after a radical prostatectomy — catheter care, continence pads, and the importance of starting pelvic floor exercises before surgery

• Penile injections as a treatment for erectile dysfunction after surgery, including how dosing is calibrated and what to do if an erection won't go down (priapism)

• Why starting penile rehabilitation early — even before erectile function is a priority — supports better long-term outcomes

• The decision-making process behind choosing radiation with or without hormone (testosterone-lowering) therapy after a rising PSA

• Bowel and bladder side effects of radiotherapy, and that ongoing symptoms don't have to just be tolerated

• Why masculinity isn't defined by erectile function — and how partners consistently describe what makes a man "masculine" to them

• The value of connecting newly diagnosed men with those who've been through treatment already, so they know what to expect

Key Message from Mark

Mark’s strongest advice is to find someone who has been through it and will give you the whole picture, not the polite version. He says it is a bit like going to war: if you have not been there, you do not know. Having a mate who told him warts and all meant he walked into every appointment knowing roughly what was coming and what to ask.

And when things go wrong, his answer is simple. You can sit there and cry, or you can punch on. Mark is a realist. He knows the PSA may go up again. If it does, he will deal with it then. In the meantime, he is back on the dozer, still getting tested, and getting on with life.

Resources & Links

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at https://rshealth.com.au/book-appointment or email admin@rshealth.com.au

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show https://restorative-health-clinic.myshopify.com/

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube videos: Melissa Hadley Barrett

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa sits down with Will McDonald, Channel 9 news reporter, PCFA ambassador, Ironman finisher, skydiver and father, for a candid and inspiring conversation.

Will was 42 when he was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer that had metastasised to his hip. He was fit, active and had no urinary symptoms whatsoever. The first sign anything was wrong was a nagging pain in his left hip that simply never got better. Six weeks later an MRI revealed lesions that were almost certainly cancerous, and his PSA, when it was finally tested, confirmed prostate cancer as the source.

What followed was hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation to his prostate, lymph nodes and hip, and the beginning of a very different kind of life. Six years on, Will’s PSA remains undetectable. He is still on androgen deprivation therapy, taking medication twice daily alongside a three-monthly injection. He describes the treatment honestly. He dislikes it, it changes your body, and there are days when it is genuinely hard. But he has found that resistance training, diet, mindset and refusing to make cancer the centre of his identity has made an enormous difference.

The episode also covers Will’s decision to bank sperm before treatment, the five rounds of IVF he and his partner went through, and the arrival of their son Alfie in 2023. And then there is the Ironman: a 3.8km swim, a 180km ride and a 42km run, completed on ADT to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, because sometimes the best answer to cancer is to go and do the hardest thing you can think of.

This is a conversation about prostate cancer, yes, but it is also about identity, resilience, fatherhood, fear, gratitude and what it really means to keep living.

Golden Tip: Prostate cancer is often entirely silent. Will had no urinary symptoms, no sexual dysfunction, nothing. His cancer was found in his bones first. Do not wait for a symptom to get a PSA test.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Prostate cancer is often completely silent — screening matters even without symptoms

• Why family history is a critical risk factor, and why sons and brothers of affected men should start screening from 40

• The case for a national PSA screening program, and why early diagnosis changes outcomes

• Long-term hormone therapy (ADT) causes fatigue, weight and body changes, and emotional shifts — resistance training is one of the most effective counter-measures

• Exercise as medicine: how targeted resistance training can ease treatment side effects and may help slow disease progression

• Fertility preservation and IVF are important conversations to have early in a cancer diagnosis, before treatment begins

• Partners of cancer patients need their own support, not just a supporting role

• Advanced or metastatic prostate cancer doesn't have to mean the end of an active, meaningful life

Key Message from Will

His message is simple. Do not let fear of what might happen stop you from living. You cannot control the buses. You can control what you do with the time you have.

Resources & Links

• Will McDonald, PCFA ambassador https://www.pcfa.org.au/news-media/news/cancer-champion-takes-on-cairns-ironman-for-charity/

• Book a telehealth consult with one of our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia https://www.pcfa.org.au/

• PCFA specialist prostate cancer nurses https://www.pcfa.org.au/support/prostate-cancer-specialist-nurses/

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa speaks with Kerry, whose partner Matt was diagnosed with prostate cancer at 41. Kerry was 33. This is her story, told from the seat we don’t hear enough, the partner’s.

It starts with a motorbike. Matt has a vintage Honda CB750, his pride and joy and he is always looking for a reason to ride it. So, in September 2019 when they saw the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride advertised, they thought “let’s do it”. They bought suits, made their donation, and rode up the freeway in open-faced helmets. Sounds dangerous but this act may have saved Matt’s life.

Before the ride, a couple in their late fifties or early sixties got up, reluctantly, and talked about their prostate cancer journey. Kerry listened intently taking onboard their powerful message. They rode, had the best day, went home, and Kerry said to Matt: you’re 40 now, next time you’re at the doctor’s maybe get a baseline PSA check.

Four months later Matt was walking out the door to see his GP about headaches. Kerry called out as the door was closing “make sure you get a PSA added on”. His GP, thankfully, was pro men’s health and simply did the test. It came back around 7. For a man his age, it should have been under 1.

What followed is a lesson. A repeat test three weeks later, was still significantly raised, so Matt was referred to a urologist for further investigation. An MRI was ordered; it came back clear. A less curious surgeon might have stopped there. This one however said there was still something elevating that PSA and decided to do a biopsy. Matt was completely asymptomatic, which is very normal with prostate cancer. Without that blood test, and without that biopsy, they would never have known.

The result came by phone, because it was COVID, and Kerry was at work. Matt took the call alone and his two children, then 9 and 12, were the ones who had to comfort him first. Gleason 7. And a sentence Kerry has never quite shaken: if they had not found it when they did, they would have been looking at around ten years before it became terminal. Most men are not even thinking about their prostate until they are 50.

Before the surgery, Dr Brown put children on their radar. Kerry did not have kids and was not certain she wanted them, and Matt already had two, but banking sperm beforehand was the best chance of ever having the option. Around the surgery they were well supported, most of it over Zoom because of COVID.

Kerry is honest about what she carried in silence. In her early thirties, five years into the relationship, she was quietly terrified about what their sex life would look like on the other side and said none of it out loud. She was his rock and he was already carrying enough. So, she researched instead: continence underwear that looks like normal jocks, whether men can orgasm without ejaculating, how to be intimate without intercourse. She and Melissa unpack why “I just want him alive” is said with total love and heard as something else entirely.

The good news is very good. Matt has been cancer-free ever since, and their sex life recovered further and faster than either of them dared expect. Their son Thomas, just over three, arrived through IVF using the sperm they banked, and carries the middle name of the great-grandfather whose prostate cancer nobody had joined the dots on. Matt’s diagnosis also prompted his own dad to get retested; he had prostate cancer and did not know it. Between them, Kerry and Matt have now walked at least fourteen men through this, and every year they polish the bike and speak at the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, because one reluctant couple with a microphone in 2019 is the reason Matt is alive.

Golden Tip: Prostate cancer is not an old man’s disease.

Key Message from Kerry

Your life does not end at the diagnosis.

Kerry’s message to partners is that whatever recovery looks like on the other side, it can still be full, and it can still be fulfilling. Intimacy does not stop at a prostate cancer diagnosis. It changes, and it takes work, and it may take time, but it is not over.

Her message to everyone else is simpler still. It is one blood test. Matt had no symptoms at all. That single test set off a journey they were not prepared for, but as Kerry puts it, there is nothing as good as knowing you did everything you could to catch it as early as you possibly could.

Resources & Links

• “Brave”: Kerry and Matt’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride video, made by the same couple whose speech prompted Matt to get tested. Tissue warning. DGR 2020, Why I'm Riding Solo: Matthew Richards

• The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride https://www.gentlemansride.com/

• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia https://www.pcfa.org.au/

• PCFA specialist prostate cancer nurses https://www.pcfa.org.au/support/prostate-cancer-specialist-nurses/

• Movember : https://au.movember.com/

• Continence Foundation of Australia https://www.continence.org.au/

• Kerry has generously offered to speak with other partners going through this. If you would like to be put in touch, email admin@melissahadleybarrett.com and we will pass your details on.

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at https://rshealth.com.au/book-appointment or email admin@rshealth.com.au

• We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to shop for medical devices and other products mentioned on the show https://restorative-health-clinic.myshopify.com/

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube videos: Melissa Hadley Barrett

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist in the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free Resource Library, sign up for access here: https://rshealth.com.au/resource-library

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

Jamie is 10 months on from a radical prostatectomy for Gleason 7 prostate cancer. He is single, in his late 60s, and refreshingly, bracingly honest about what the journey back to sexual function has been like. In this episode, Kate takes the hosting chair and draws out a conversation that goes well beyond the mechanics of rehabilitation and into desire, connection, what it means to pleasure a partner, and why prostate cancer recovery is never just about the man.

Jamie's prostate cancer was under observation for a couple of years before it began to progress. When his Gleason score rose to 7 and additional spots appeared, surgery was the clear next step. The operation went well and his PSA is now undetectable. But as every man who has been through this knows, undetectable PSA and feeling like yourself again are two very different things.

Post-surgery, Jamie had no erections. He experienced penile shrinkage. He was incontinent. And he had no idea, before surgery, that any of this was coming, because no one had told him in any real detail what to expect. He found Restorative Health Clinic through his prostate nurse a couple of months after surgery, and that is where things began to turn around.

What makes this episode stand out is Jamie's willingness to talk about the emotional and relational side of sexual recovery, not just the clinical steps. He talks about what it felt like to have an erection again for the first time after starting intracavernosal injections. He talks about the difference between a soft-penis orgasm and an erection-assisted one. He talks about the joy (his word) of being present with a partner during sex, of being part of her pleasure. And he talks about what he wishes someone had told him before surgery.

We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did interviewing Jamie.

Golden Tip: Saying 'I just want you to be cancer-free' can land as rejection, even when it comes from love

Key Message from Jamie

To be able to get an erection again and just enjoy it for what it was — that was empowering, to say the least. You don't appreciate it until you can't have it."

Jamie's other message, the one he wanted men to hear most, is to learn to be a generous lover. Pleasure is not a one-way transaction. Being present with a partner, focused on her experience, is one of the most erotic and life-affirming things in sex. He learnt this more deeply through the experience of recovery, and he wishes he had understood it earlier.

Resources & Links

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Book recommendation: Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski — recommended by Melissa for men, women, and anyone raising sons

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

Steve Fisher is 77 years old, lives in Nebraska, and has been through more than most men can imagine. In 2020, he and his wife were both diagnosed with cancer at the same time. Her lung cancer surgery was followed by a catastrophic complication, and Steve lost her in late 2020, while still carrying his own prostate cancer diagnosis.

In the first half of 2021, Steve went ahead with treatment: low-dose brachytherapy (permanent seed implants) followed by 20 sessions of external beam radiation, plus a short course of Lupron (a prescription hormonal therapy). His PSA is now sitting at 0.04. Cancer-wise, things are excellent.

But nobody told Steve what was coming next. No one talked to him about erectile dysfunction, penile rehabilitation, vacuum pumps, constriction rings, or the emotional weight of losing sexual function on top of losing a partner. He navigated that on his own, with little support from his healthcare team.

Then in May 2026, Steve stumbled across Victoria Cullen's website A Touchy Subject on YouTube, joined The Hub, and things started to shift. He ordered daily Cialis and a Soma OT medical-grade vacuum pump — the right equipment, with the right information about how constriction rings work in combination with a pump. Within two months, Steve and Carol were having penetrative sex again for the first time in years.

This episode is also about the emotional and psychological side of this journey — the anxiety men carry silently, the male ego dimension of losing erectile function, and the importance of community, peer support, and simply having someone to talk to who understands.

This is a warm, funny, honest, and genuinely hopeful conversation about grief, finding love again, getting information too late, and what happens when a man finally gets the right tools and the right support.

Golden Tip: How to use the pumps with a constriction ring successfully, including Steve’s tip about lubricant on the outside of the cylinder.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Options when PDE5i (Viagra etc) don’t work

• The difference between medical-grade vacuum pumps and sex toys

• Why injections (Trimix) failed for Steve and what was missing from the picture

• Constriction rings: the information that changed everything- Golden Tip even Melissa learnt something new!

• Finding love again in later life and navigating intimacy with a new partner

• The mental and emotional toll of erectile dysfunction, the side no one talks about enough

• Victoria Cullen’s community The Hub, and why peer support matters

• Steve’s new YouTube channel: Everyday Prostate Cancer Warrior

Key Message from Steve

Steve’s closing message is about the emotional and mental burden men carry through this. Cancer treatment gets you through the door. But the anxiety, the silence, the feeling that you should just be grateful you’re alive that stays with men for years. Steve wants other men to know it is acceptable to talk about it, to seek support, and to keep going. He had almost given up entirely. Finding the right community, the right information, and the right equipment changed everything.

Resources & Links

• The Hub – Victoria Cullen’s online community for men navigating prostate cancer recovery and intimacy: A Touchy Subject / The Hub

• Steve’s YouTube channel – personal stories and practical experience from a prostate cancer survivor: Everyday Prostate Cancer Warrior on YouTube

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Steve Fisher YouTube link to his Everyday Prostate Cancer Warrior. https://youtu.be/APLm1W8uPBA?si=SfaA9A74GqMNcvUq

• Click here to shop the Sompatherapy Pumps: The Touch II Automatic Pump, and the Response II Manual Pump

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube video: Most Men Use the SOMA VED Wrong | Here’s the Correct Way

Book a telehealth consultation with our sexual health nurse practitioners:

• Restorative Health Clinic

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Episode Overview:

Melissa has been wanting to have this conversation for over a year. She first came across Cathy's work when two quite conservative couples independently told her a weekend tantra retreat had genuinely changed their relationship. Intrigued, Melissa enrolled (without mentioning what she did for a living) and attended with her husband. They both found it valuable. This episode is the result of that curiosity.

Cathy has been teaching tantra for decades, having first encountered the philosophy at age twenty through a GP who introduced her to the idea of loving and accepting her own body. She trained in India, continued her studies in Perth, and now runs Sanctuary of Ananda, a platinum-approved, internationally certified tantra school offering couples retreats, individual sessions, workshops, and online programs. She is also a published author.

The conversation covers tantra's broader philosophy (think tree, not just its roots), how it applies differently across life stages, what we can learn from it, and why emotional connection, what Cathy calls "emotional sex" is the cake, while physical sex is just the icing. Cathy also addresses the misconceptions head-on: no, it is not a room full of naked people. It is fully clothed, accredited, and grounded in self-knowledge.

Golden Tip: Tantra is not what most people think it is. Tantra actually is a philosophy of self-knowledge, connection and embodied living and how its practices can help couples at any stage of life feel more connected, understood and alive.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Tantra is a philosophy of self-knowledge: the sexual practices are just the bottom branches of a much larger tree

• Mismatched desire is normal and cyclical, not a sign something is broken

• Emotional intimacy is the foundation of physical connection, not the other way around

• Men need love, nurturing and non-sexual physical affection just as much as women do

• One person changing how they show up in a relationship can shift the whole dynamic

• Tantra is suitable for singles as well as couples, in person and online

Key Message from Cathy

Cathy's work is grounded in the belief that every human being, regardless of age, gender, or relationship status, has the capacity for deep intimacy and pleasure. Tantra offers a practical pathway to get there, one breath and one honest conversation at a time.

Resources & Links

• Click here for Cathy’s website: Sanctuary of Ananda.

• Cathy’s Facebook: Sanctuary of Souls.

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

Book a telehealth consultation with our sexual health nurse practitioners:

• Restorative Health Clinic

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa is joined by Dr Eve Tiong, a radiation oncologist with Icon Cancer Centre in Western Australia, for a deep dive into how prostate radiotherapy has changed and why many of the horror stories people associate with radiation no longer reflect modern practice.

Dr Tiong walks through the shift from older, broad-field radiation techniques to today's highly targeted approach, explaining how image guidance and modulated delivery now concentrate dose on the prostate while sharply reducing exposure to the bladder and bowel. She and Melissa unpack what this means in practical terms for urinary, bowel and sexual side effects, and discuss how rectal spacer gel is helping to protect bowel function during treatment.

The conversation also covers how patients and their clinicians weigh up surgery versus radiation, the role of hormone therapy for higher-risk cancers, the difference between external beam radiotherapy and brachytherapy, and the emergence of focal therapy as a less invasive option for carefully selected men. Throughout, Dr Tiong returns to a consistent theme: informed decision-making, honest counselling about trade-offs, and the importance of taking sexual health and quality of life seriously at every stage of the prostate cancer journey.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Men on active surveillance who want to understand what triggers a move to treatment

• Modern radiotherapy is far more targeted than the broad “four-field box” approach used decades ago, sharply reducing dose to the bladder and bowel

• Severe long-term side effects from contemporary radiotherapy now sit below 5%

• Rectal spacer gel can further protect the bowel during treatment and dissolves naturally within four to six months

• Cure rates for surgery and radiation are equivalent for low-grade and favourable intermediate-risk prostate cancer

• Focal therapy, treating only the affected area of the prostate, is now emerging as an option in WA

• Sexual health and continence should be part of every prostate cancer conversation, regardless of treatment type

• higher-risk cancers

• PSA monitoring after treatment, the significance of the 0.2 threshold, and emerging PSMA PET tracers

• Reframing relapsed or advanced prostate cancer as a manageable, often chronic condition rather than an immediate death sentence

Key Message from Eve

A cancer diagnosis, including relapse, is not automatically a worst-case outcome. With the range of treatments now available, many men go on to live full, active lives for many years, and ongoing advances continue to expand what is possible.

Resources & Links

• https://iconcancercentre.com.au/doctors/eve-tiong/

• Steve’s YouTube channel – personal stories and practical experience from a prostate cancer survivor: Everyday Prostate Cancer Warrior on YouTube

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Steve Fisher YouTube link to his Everyday Prostate Cancer Warrior. https://youtu.be/APLm1W8uPBA?si=SfaA9A74GqMNcvUq

• Click here to shop the Sompatherapy Pumps: The Touch II Automatic Pump, and the Response II Manual Pump

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube video: Most Men Use the SOMA VED Wrong | Here’s the Correct Way

Book a telehealth consultation with our sexual health nurse practitioners:

• Restorative Health Clinic

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

Watch the Webinar

This episode was recorded live at one of Melissa’s free monthly webinars, held exclusively for our subscriber community. To watch the full video, including the implant demonstrations, head to: https://vimeo.com/1192108833?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

If you’d like to be notified about upcoming webinars and other events from Restorative Health Clinic and Melissa, subscribe here: https://rshealth.com.au/#subscribe

In this special webinar episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa is joined by Shane, a highly experienced urological surgeon and founding partner of Perth Urology Clinic. Shane trained at the University of Western Australia, achieved his FRACS in urology in 1999 and completed an advanced surgical oncology fellowship at the Vancouver General Hospital/UBC Prostate Centre in Canada. His clinical expertise covers some of the most complex areas of urology, including bladder cancer management, Peyronie’s disease and penile implant surgery.

The webinar begins with Shane discussing the basics: how a normal erection works, and how a three-piece inflatable implant simply replicates that process with two cylinders, a reservoir of saline and a pump tucked away in the scrotum. As he puts it, it is a bit like putting a new inner tube inside a flat tyre. Using actual demonstration models, Melissa and Shane show the difference between malleable (bendable rod) implants and inflatable hydraulic implants and explain who suits each type. (Don’t forget to watch the episode online at link above to see the demo).

They then work through the practical questions that were sent prior to the webinar from Melissa’s subscriber community: Covering everything you ever wanted to know about penile implants but were too polite (or too nervous) to ask. Such as when to move on from tablets, injections and pumps; what surgery and recovery involve; what the implant feels like for the man and his partner; and what it all costs in Australia, both self-funded and with private health insurance.

The conversation does not shy away from the trickier topics either, including sensation and orgasm after an implant, why the head of the penis may stay softer than the shaft, considerations for gay men, combining an implant with an artificial urinary sphincter after prostate cancer treatment, and the furure app-controlled implant (yes, really, and yes, the jokes write themselves).

The overall message is a hopeful one: there is always a workaround for erectile dysfunction, satisfaction rates after implant surgery are very high in the research.

Golden Tip: Shane says the thing he hears most often from his patients is that they wish they had not waited so long to take this step.

Resources & Links

• Perth Urology Clinic: https://perthurologyclinic.com.au/

• Book a telehealth appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

• Click here to watch Melissa’s YouTube video: Most Men Use the SOMA VED Wrong | Here’s the Correct Way

Book a telehealth consultation with our sexual health nurse practitioners:

• Restorative Health Clinic

For more information visit our websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Need Support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• Penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• Erectile dysfunction

• Vacuum pump and constriction ring education and prescription

• Penile injection therapy

• Intimacy and sexual recovery

• Partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• Practical, evidence-based strategies for rebuilding confidence and function

We offer telehealth consultations Australia-wide and internationally, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live. If Steve’s story sounds familiar, we would love to hear from you.

Restorative Health Clinic also has a psychologist-sexologist joining the team. If you are struggling with the emotional or psychological side of erectile dysfunction, prostate cancer recovery, or intimacy, we can support you there too – as an individual or as a couple.

Listen & Subscribe

If you found this episode helpful, please subscribe, rate, and review The Penis Project Podcast. Your feedback helps more men and their partners find these conversations. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

We also have a free email list for updates, episodes, and resources. You can sign up via our website.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating their health. If you would like to share your story or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

• https://rshealth.com.au/

• https://makehardeasy.com.au/

• https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

• @melissahadleybarrett

• @restorativehealth.clinic

YouTube:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TikTok:

@melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

• Restorative Health Clinic

LinkedIn:

• Melissa Hadley Barrett

TEDx Talk:

• Watch on YouTube

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa sits down with Don and Clare, a couple who have lived through the messy, emotional and often under discussed reality of prostate cancer recovery.

Don was diagnosed just before his 65th birthday after his PSA rose from around 4 to over 9. A biopsy showed aggressive Gleason 9 prostate cancer, and within six weeks his prostate was removed. His PSA is now undetectable, which is the result everyone hopes for. But, as Don and Clare explain, being “cancer-free” did not mean life went back to normal.

After surgery, Don experienced severe ongoing urinary incontinence. Despite doing all the pelvic floor exercises and following instructions, he was still incontinent 18 months later. Eventually, after further review, he was referred for an artificial urinary sphincter, which has made a huge difference to his quality of life.

This episode is about more than leakage, pads, clips and surgery. It is about what happens when a man feels lost in the medical system. It is about the emotional toll of prostate cancer on both partners. It is about the importance of honesty, asking questions, changing teams if needed, and remembering that there is a person attached to the prostate.

In This Episode, We Cover:

• The emotional impact of severe urinary leakage

• Why pelvic floor exercises do not fix every case of incontinence

• What can be done when continence doesn’t recover

• Clare’s perspective as a partner watching Don struggle

• How hormone therapy affected Don’s mood, personality and relationship

• The importance of being told the full picture, not just the “curative” plan

• Why some men need an artificial urinary sphincter

• The importance of second opinions and finding a team that sees the whole person

• Why prostate cancer recovery is a couple’s issue, not just a man’s issue

Key Takeaway: An undetectable PSA is wonderful, but it is not the whole story; quality of life matters.

Key message from Don and Clare:

People need honest information.

Don and Clare do not regret the cancer treatment. Don says the surgery likely saved his life. But they both wish they had been told earlier that his continence recovery was unlikely to happen without further intervention. Clare explains that people may not want bad news, but they do want the truth.

That truth gives people options. It helps them plan. It helps them understand that they are not failing. And it can prevent months, or even years, of unnecessary suffering.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com.au/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch.

Email: admin@melissahadleybarrett.com

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

http://prost.com.au/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa speaks with Sophie Smith, a prostate cancer specialist nurse based in the UK, about what prostate cancer nursing looks like on the other side of the world.

Sophie has been nursing for 23 years, with her entire career connected to urology and prostate cancer care. She now works with Prostate Cancer UK, providing information, support and guidance to men, partners and families navigating prostate cancer diagnosis, treatment decisions, side effects and life after treatment.

Melissa and Sophie compare the UK and Australian systems, including the role of prostate cancer nurses, access to sexual rehabilitation, erectile dysfunction care, psychosexual support, pelvic floor education, penile implants, radiation therapy, hormone therapy and the sometimes-controversial topic of lymph node removal.

This episode is a thoughtful and practical conversation about the parts of prostate cancer treatment that are not always discussed enough: erections, identity, relationships, grief, masculinity, intimacy and the importance of having someone safe to talk to.

And yes, as always, we talk about penises. Because ignoring them has never helped anyone.

Sophie’s biggest message to men going through prostate cancer treatment is to reach out and get support. Prostate cancer can feel lonely, especially when the changes affect sex, relationships and mental wellbeing. But you do not need to sit with those worries by yourself.

Sometimes the hardest part is starting the conversation. Once one brave person says, “Actually, this has been difficult for me,” the floodgates often open.

Resources & Links:

• Prostate Cancer UK has a range of services that can help see links below:

• https://prostatecanceruk.org/

• support services page with all the support we offer: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/get-support

• Sexual Support: https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/get-support/sexual-support

• Partners Support Group: https://tackleprostate.org/support-groups/national-prostate-cancer-partners-support-group/

• Book an appointment with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia https://www.pcfa.org.au/

Need support?

At Restorative Health Clinic and Make Hard Easy, we support men and their partners with:

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• erectile dysfunction

• peyronie’s disease

• premature ejaculation

• intimacy and sexual recovery

• partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• practical, evidence-based strategies for getting confidence back

We offer in clinic consultations in Australia and telehealth consultations Australia/ World-wide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live.

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

Host: Melissa Hadley Barrett
Guests: Rob and Linda

Category: Penile Implants| Prostate Cancer | Buried Penis | Penile Rehabilitation | Erectile Dysfunction| Men’s Health | Peyronie’s Disease

Episode Summary:

On this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Rob about his experience of prostate cancer, recovery after treatment, and the very real ups and downs of getting back to life after diagnosis.

This is a practical, honest, and hopeful conversation that walks through what recovery can look like for a man after prostate cancer treatment. Rob shares his story with openness and humour, talking about everything from preparing for surgery and losing weight beforehand, through to dealing with a catheter, continence recovery, penile rehabilitation, Peyronie’s disease, and eventually having a penile implant.

Melissa reflects on working with Rob across different stages of his recovery, including using tadalafil, a vacuum pump, injections, and later navigating a period of Peyronie’s disease. What comes through strongly in this episode is that recovery is rarely a straight line. Sometimes things improve steadily, sometimes there are unexpected detours, and sometimes the plan changes along the way. That does not mean things have failed it just means the journey is real and sometimes there is a bend in the road(pun intended).

Rob also talks about the emotional side of surgery and treatment. He was not necessarily thinking the worst would happen, but there was still worry about consequences, loss, and what life might look like on the other side. Melissa also brings in Linda, Rob’s partner, which adds another important layer to the conversation, the support of a positive, involved partner can make a real difference during recovery.

One of the really valuable parts of this episode is the reminder that there is no single “right” recovery story. Rob had early continence challenges, but improved quite quickly with pelvic floor exercises, walking, and staying engaged in his rehab. He later developed Peyronie’s disease, which Melissa discusses in the context of connective tissue tendencies and risk factors, and eventually went on to have a penile implant, which he describes as something he noticed was there but did not find especially troubling and has improved his quality of life.

Rob shares that his PSA is now undetectable, and despite the wobbly recovery path, he and his partner are active, travelling, getting on with life, and doing well. That matters, because many men fear that prostate cancer treatment means life is permanently diminished. This episode is a good reminder that life can still be full, active, intimate, and meaningful after treatment.

Thankfully, recovery is often less about one magical fix and more about stickability(Melissa’s favourite made up word), persistence, support, and finding the right next step.

Who should listen:

This episode is for:

• men preparing for or recovering from prostate cancer treatment

• men dealing with erection changes or continence issues after surgery

• men curious about penile rehabilitation or penile implants

• partners supporting someone through prostate cancer recovery

• health professionals wanting a real patient perspective on rehab and recovery

Need support?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• erectile dysfunction

• peyronie’s disease

• premature ejaculation

• intimacy and sexual recovery

• partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• practical, evidence-based strategies for getting confidence back

We offer telehealth consultations Australia/ World-wide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

What started as one man trying to make sense of prostate cancer became poetry, advocacy, and a way of helping other men feel less alone.

In this episode of The Penis Project, Melissa is joined again by Steve Jones, known to many listeners as the poet who didn’t know it. Steve is now five years on from prostate cancer treatment and he reflects on PSA anxiety, recovery, poetry, weight loss, peer support, and finding purpose in the aftermath of a life-changing diagnosis. This is an honest, moving, and hopeful conversation for men, partners, and anyone navigating life after treatment.

Steve shares his experience of being diagnosed during COVID, having a radical robotic prostatectomy, and then feeling like he was left to work out the rest on his own. He speaks honestly about PSA anxiety, the emotional toll of survivorship, and the reality that even years later, follow-up testing can still stir up fear.

But this episode is not just about cancer. It is also about what can grow in the aftermath of a hard diagnosis.

Steve talks about how prostate cancer unexpectedly opened the door to poetry, advocacy, deeper connection, better health, and a renewed sense of purpose. He also shares his work with A Touchy Subject, where he helps facilitate peer support chats for men navigating prostate cancer, sexual recovery, penile implants, incontinence surgery, and the many challenges no one talks about enough.

Melissa and Steve also discuss the importance of early testing, why men need better access to holistic care after treatment, and how simple lifestyle changes like weight loss, movement, and resistance training can make a real difference to health, confidence, and recovery.

This is a moving, funny, wise conversation about fear, resilience, and making something meaningful out of a difficult experience.

About Steve

Steve Jones is a prostate cancer survivor, writer, poet, advocate, and peer support facilitator. Since his diagnosis and treatment, he has become a strong voice for men navigating prostate cancer recovery, sharing his experience through poetry, media interviews, support groups, and community advocacy.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

• Steve Jones’ book Words Woke Me https://rshealth.com.au/shop/p/words-woke-me-prostate-cancer-poetry-book

• A Touchy Subject https://www.atouchysubject.com/

• Steve’s previous two appearances on The Penis Project: https://thepenisproject.podbean.com/e/126-steve-the-poet-who-didn-t-know-it/ https://thepenisproject.podbean.com/e/151-words-woke-me/

• True North on the Movember website https://truenorth.movember.com/

• Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia https://www.pcfa.org.au/

Need support?

At Restorative Health Clinic and Make Hard Easy, we support men and their partners with:

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• erectile dysfunction

• peyronie’s disease

• premature ejaculation

• intimacy and sexual recovery

• partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• practical, evidence-based strategies for getting confidence back

We offer telehealth consultations Australia/ World-wide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live.

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

Host: Melissa Hadley Barrett
Guest: Richard Connell

Category: Men’s Sexual Health | Peyronie’s Disease | Penile Rehabilitation | Erectile Dysfunction

Episode Summary:

Peyronie’s disease can affect much more than the penis. It can impact confidence, intimacy, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Many men suffer in silence or give up on treatment when it feels too hard, too uncomfortable, or too embarrassing to talk about.

Episode Description:

In this follow-up episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett welcomes back Richard Connell, inventor of the Comfort Grip, to talk about what’s changed since his first appearance on the show (Episode 194).

If you’ve ever struggled with the original RestoreX clamp (or any traction device) slipping, pinching, bruising, or simply being too awkward to use consistently, this episode is packed with practical insights. Melissa and Richard discuss why so many men give up on traction therapy too early, and how small design changes can make a huge difference to comfort, confidence, and long-term results.

Richard explains how the Comfort Grip helps men who find the standard clamp too painful, too fiddly, or too difficult to reach in a flaccid state. The conversation also explores his newer innovation, the Comfort Bend, which is designed to make counter bending more comfortable by reducing pressure points and improving the way force is distributed during treatment.

Melissa also shares what she’s seeing in clinic, including how these add-ons are helping men stay consistent with traction therapy, especially those with Peyronie’s disease, penile shortening, or difficulty tolerating the original setup. The episode finishes with a broader discussion about innovation in men’s health, the lag between clinical evidence and real-world problem-solving, and why practical, low-risk solutions matter so much in this space.

In this episode we cover:

• Why some men find penile traction therapy difficult to tolerate

• Common problems with the standard RestoreX clamp, including slipping and discomfort

• How the Comfort Grip may help improve comfort and usability

• What the Comfort Bend is and why it may help with counter bending

• Why consistency matters in Peyronie’s disease treatment

• The challenges some uncircumcised men may experience with traction devices

• Why practical solutions in men’s health can make a real difference

• How better support and better design may help men stay engaged in treatment

About Richard Connell:

Richard Connell is the inventor of the Comfort Grip, an accessory designed to improve comfort and usability for men using the RestoreX penile traction device. His work has focused on solving the real problems men report when trying to use traction therapy consistently, including pain, slipping, awkward setup, and difficulty with counterbending.

Need support with Peyronie’s disease?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men with:

• Peyronie’s disease

• erectile dysfunction

• Premature ejaculation

• Phimosis

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• sexual recovery and confidence

• men’s health concerns affecting intimacy and wellbeing

We offer telehealth consultations Australia/ World-wide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

Host: Melissa Hadley Barrett
Guest: Carlotta Thomas

Category: Partner Support | Prostate Cancer | Intimacy and Sexuality | Penile Rehabilitation

Episode Summary:

Prostate cancer does not just affect one person. It can affect the couple, the relationship, the way intimacy feels, and the confidence both people bring into the bedroom. Many men and their partners feel alone in that. This episode reminds listeners that they are not broken, they are not failing, and they are definitely not the only ones trying to work out what comes next.

It also gently challenges the old idea that intimacy only “counts” if there is penetration or a reliable erection. Thankfully, human connection is a bit more creative than that.

Episode Description:

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa Hadley Barrett speaks with Carlotta Thomas about something that does not get talked about nearly enough, the partner perspective after prostate cancer. Carlotta is a breast cancer survivor and the partner of a prostate cancer survivor, and she shares a deeply honest, thoughtful, and hopeful perspective on what it means to navigate love, intimacy, communication, and recovery in a relationship touched by cancer.

Melissa first met Carlotta through a Canadian support and education organisation (The Walnut Foundation) for men and their partners affected by prostate cancer and was struck by how openly and powerfully she spoke about the realities of being the partner of someone going through treatment and recovery.

Together, Melissa and Carlotta explore the reality that for many couples, sex and intimacy after prostate cancer may need to look different, especially in a newer relationship. They talk about the common assumption that sex must always mean penetration and why broadening that definition can be both freeing and healing. Carlotta shares how she and her partner navigated those early conversations, how they learned what worked for each other, and why intimacy can be as simple as touch, affection, holding hands, and being emotionally present.

This episode is particularly valuable because it normalises the awkward bits. The conversations that feel hard. The fear that a partner may withdraw. The uncertainty around erections, desire, and body confidence. Melissa and Carlotta talk openly about how communication is not optional if couples want to stay connected through change.

There is also a strong message of hope in this episode. Melissa reflects on how many men eventually regain erectile function, sometimes naturally and sometimes with support such as rehabilitation or injections, but that the process can even improve people’s intimate lives. Carlotta’s message is that this journey is one that involves faith, love, courage, resilience, and communication.

In this episode we discuss:

• the partner perspective after prostate cancer

• navigating intimacy in a new relationship

• why sex is more than penetration

• how to talk about awkward or emotionally difficult topics

• the impact of treatment changes on connection and confidence

• how couples can adapt and find new ways to be intimate

• why communication is one of the most important tools in recovery

• hope, resilience, and learning together as a couple

About Carlotta Thomas:

Carlotta Thomas is a breast cancer survivor, advocate, leader, and the partner of a prostate cancer survivor. Melissa describes being struck by Carlotta’s honesty and vulnerability when they met through a Canadian prostate cancer support and education event. In this episode, Carlotta shares her lived experience of navigating love, partnership, communication, and intimacy in the context of cancer recovery.

Need support with Prostate Cancer or Intimacy?

At Restorative Health Clinic, we support men and their partners with:

• penile rehabilitation after prostate cancer treatment

• erectile dysfunction

• intimacy and sexual recovery

• partner-inclusive support where appropriate

• practical, evidence-based strategies for getting confidence back

We offer telehealth consultations Australia/ World-wide, making it easier for men to access experienced, compassionate support no matter where they live.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

In this eye-opening episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa chats with Chris Bustamante—better known online as Injector Chris — a New York and San Diego–based Nurse Practitioner who has become one of the world’s leading experts in penile aesthetics, including penis fillers, scrotal enhancement, ShowTox, Scro-Fill, HoleTox, and more.

Chris brings a unique combination of artistry, anatomy, and sexual-health expertise to a niche area of men’s health that is rapidly growing but often misunderstood. Together, Melissa and Chris unpack the science, the artistry, the risks, and the motivations behind male cosmetic procedures—from girth fillers to anal Botox—while smashing stigma and celebrating patients’ right to feel confident in their bodies.

Whether you're curious, skeptical, or considering enhancement yourself, this is an honest, deeply educational, boundary-pushing conversation you won’t want to miss.

This Episode, We Cover:

Chris shares his journey from makeup artistry → biology → nursing → nurse practitioner, and how combining aesthetics with sexual health led him to create Lushful Aesthetics, one of the most recognised male-enhancement clinics in the US.

Melissa and Chris dive into:

• The difference between cosmetic artistry and simply “knowing the technique”

• Why penile filler is nothing like facial filler

• The rise of revision work—and why many patients are coming in after botched jobs elsewhere

• Ideal candidates for girth enhancement

• Why proper technique preserves sensitivity

• What partners think—and why many return to get procedures themselves!

Chris also explains some of the most intriguing procedures in modern sexual health:

ShowTox™

Botox in the shaft to reduce retraction and help men appear more like a “shower” than a “grower”.

HoleTox™

Anal Botox for:

• Easier and more comfortable anal play

• Anal spasms

• Proctalgia fugax

• Chronic fissures

• Post-surgical spasm
(With important safeguards to prevent incontinence)

Scro-Fill™

Scrotal filler to enhance fullness, particularly for men experiencing:

• Testicular retraction

• Loss of volume from testosterone suppression

• Aesthetic concerns

• Preference for a fuller “hang”

Penile Filler 101

• How Chris approaches girth enhancement with an artist’s eye

• Why anatomy varies dramatically and requires tailored technique

• The dangers of “one-size-fits-all” injectors

• Typical filler volumes, costs, longevity & touch-up schedules

• Why shaft fillers should be placed along the sides, not the top

• Preserving the dorsal nerve to maintain sexual sensation

• How to counsel men who want only subtle changes vs. those wanting dramatic gains

Peyronie’s Disease & Aesthetics

• Why filler cannot treat plaque—but can improve post-treatment symmetry

• When cosmetic filler can help visually balance a penis after deformity

Premature Ejaculation & Fillers

• Can glans filler help?

• What the early research shows

Stigma, Masculinity & Why Men Want Enhancements

• The shift toward openness in gay and straight communities

• Generational differences in disclosure

• Why older men (including 70+) are embracing enhancements

• Male cosmetic procedures as the new “sports car”

Connect with Chris

Instagram: @injectorchris
Clinic: Lushful Aesthetics (NY & San Diego) https://www.lushfulaesthetics.com/

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA

In this episode of The Penis Project Podcast, Melissa is joined by internationally recognised intimacy expert and relationship coach Allana Pratt for a wide-ranging conversation about emotional healing, embodiment, vulnerability, and what it truly means to build meaningful, intimate relationships.

With over a decade of podcasting experience and more than 20 years working with individuals and couples, Allana brings a powerful blend of psychology, spirituality, body-based awareness, and practical tools to help people reconnect — with themselves first, and then with others.

This episode goes far beyond sex, exploring how unresolved emotional pain, self-rejection, and disconnection from the body can show up as relationship struggles, sexual dysfunction, and ongoing dissatisfaction — and how learning to truly feel can be transformative.

This episode offers a powerful reminder that sexual health is not just physical — it’s emotional, relational, and deeply human.

In This Episode, We Discuss:

• Allana’s journey into intimacy and relationship coaching — and why intimacy is about far more than sex

• How intimacy with self is the foundation for intimacy with others

• The link between emotional suppression, trauma, and physical symptoms — including sexual dysfunction

• Understanding the autonomic nervous system and emotional regulation

• Why repeating relationship patterns is a sign of unresolved emotional work

• What “becoming the one before finding the one” really means

• Practical communication tools for couples to build safety, presence, and trust

• Why structured check-ins can prevent resentment and emotional drift

• Dating as a practice ground for honesty, boundaries, and self-worth

• How to respond to rejection without collapsing into self-blame

• Why vulnerability is a strength — not a liability

Key Takeaways

• Healing doesn’t happen in the head alone — it happens through the body

• Secure intimacy starts with self-acceptance, not performance or achievement

• Relationships thrive when two whole people come together — not two people trying to complete each other

• Communication isn’t about being right; it’s about being heard

• Emotional safety allows desire, pleasure, and connection to return

About Allana Pratt

Allana Pratt is a globally recognised intimacy expert, relationship coach, and host of the Intimate Conversations Podcast, now in its 14th season. She works with individuals and couples to heal heartbreak, develop emotional resilience, and create deeply fulfilling relationships grounded in authenticity and embodiment.

How to Work with Allana

Podcast: Intimate Conversations with Allana Pratt
Instagram / YouTube: @allanapratt
Patreon Community: Weekly Q&A and teachings
Website: www.allanapratt.com/connect

Special Offer for Penis Project listeners:
Use the code READYNOW to access a subsidised Intimacy Breakthrough Experience call with Allana.

Resources & Links:

• Book a telehealth consult with our sexual health nurse practitioners at Restorative Health Clinic

• For more information check out our websites http://www.rshealth.com.au/ , http://www.makehardeasy.com.au/ and http://www.melissahadleybarrett.com/

Listen & Subscribe

• If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast! Your feedback helps us continue bringing important conversations to light. Search for The Penis Project Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.

Connect With Us

We love hearing from real people, navigating penile health. If you’d like to share your journey or ask a question, get in touch. Email: admin@rshealth.com.au

Websites:

https://rshealth.com.au/ All genders

https://makehardeasy.com.au/

https://melissahadleybarrett.com/

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/melissahadleybarrett/

https://www.instagram.com/restorativehealth.clinic/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@melissahadleybarrett

TikTok: @melissahadleybarrett

Facebook:

https://m.facebook.com/p/Melissa-Hadley-Barrett-100085237672685/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085146627814

Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-hadley-barrett/

TEDX:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHj1YTmLoA