Hi everyone!

I have an Astrophytum myriostigma that has produced three flower stalks. Two of them opened up yesterday but when I checked on the plant this morning, the flowers had completely closed up. I have a few questions please: 1. How long do the flowers last? 2. Has anyone successfully collected seed and grown their own?
I've done some research on my end and it seems as if growing these guys from seed should be easy but I wanted to hear any first hand experience. I would love to get some viable seed and grow some more. This plant has been through a lot. Earlier this year, something ate a pretty big chunk out of it. I didn't think the plant would survive but it's still goin...and it even produced these beautiful flowers! Thank you for reading my post and I look forward to any feedback! Any additional information would be appreciated!