How Soon is Too Soon?

          Gordon Studer

Those TV commercials for Viagra and Cialis and a few other drugs that promise to restore sexual vigor to men over the hill are quite intriguing. How do they work, I wonder. It's like some sort of magic trick. But they always end with the advice, "Seek medical attention right away for an erection lasting more than four hours," which I find alarming and downright confusing.

Does the seeking of medical attention "right away" start at exactly four hours, or should you start seeking it sooner, like maybe at three and a half so that you are getting the attention at four hours? What about after three hours -- are you still sitting around calmly like everything is fine, sipping wine and playing Scrabble? And does "right away" imply calling an ambulance, or just deciding to get in the car and drive to the emergency room? Not that I ever have been with anyone in that particular situation, but just in case, considering my age, it would be good to know. Sort of like the Heimlich Maneuver--you never know when it might come in handy.