Introductions

[arose]

Quote:

Quote from Lou on January 3, 2012, 16:23
Hi, I’m Lou and I’m 32 years old. I’ve had vaginismus for as long as I can remember…. I live in the uk so me & my husband are flying across on Saturday.

Hi Lou,

I”ve just notices your post, and that you were flying over to have the treatment from the UK… I would love to hear how you got on! I’m from the UK, and seriously considering having the treatment (it seems to be my only option!). I’ve just been filling in the questionairre just now!

Do you have any advice for UK patients? My particular concern is affording the treatment, I am hoping to look around for some way of financing it so I can have it sooner, rather than wait a long time until I have saved up, especially considering the extra cost of flights etc. (We’ve already been waiting for a cure for nearly five years.) Do you (or anyone else reading this?) have any tips concerning this, or good flight deals etc etc…

Any way, I really hope the procedure has/will be a success. We are so lucky to be around at the right time in history when this treatments is available!!

Annabel.

[Diana]

Happy Sunday ladies! I just want to let everybody pre-procedure know that there is nothing to worry about. I had the procedure done 4 months ago, I was so excited the night before that could barely had some sleep. I remember picturing myself post-procedure and being able to dilate and have intercourse, I think that helped lowering any anxiety. Please do try that, I know it will help you. My husband Nicholas and I spent 7 years trying to figure out the reason I was not able to have any kind of penetration, we went to at least 15 different doctors in 3 different states and 2 countries. Nothing helped. When we first found out about Dr. Pacik, we felt that there was hope again! However we kept giving other therapies the chance to help and let another year go by with very little improvement. It was then that we knew we had to try botox. Everything went so smoothly that we just wish we had done this earlier. Good luck to everyone! BTW – Any spanish speakers out there? Feel free to reach me via this forum if you need any help. Language should not be a barrier for you in order to have the opportunity to get the information you need and contact Dr. Pacik so you can as well overcome Vaginismus and change your life in such a positive way. (Si hablas Espanol y necesitas ayuda traduciendo o contactando al Dr., por favor contactame por este medio. No dejes que el idioma sea un impedimento mas para vencer al vaginismo)

[Heather34]

Hi Annabel and welcome to the forum. Thanks for posting. I loved what you wrote “we are so lucky to be around at the right time in history when this treatment is available.” This is so, so true and truly is the cure for vaginismus. God how I wish that everybody knew about it!!! I’m so, so happy that we both discovered this and would love to help you with info concerning travel from the UK. I’d also love to hear from Lou or any other member who has traveled over from the UK on their experiences (i.e. flights, hotels, etc.) and I will make it a separate topic as I know so many other women can also benefit from this information. I also will be very happy to answer any other questions that you may have pre-procedure as I remember having so many of my own prior to my procedure last year. So glad that you are here Annabel and I look very forward to talking to you more!

[Heather34]

Hi Diana and welcome to the forum. Thanks for posting and my sincere congratulations on your tremendous success. You have such an inspiring story!!! You wrote “I remember picturing myself post-procedure and being able to dilate and have intercourse, I think that helped lowering my anxiety.” I entirely agree with you and think it’s incredibly important to visualize this process and the end result of intercourse with our hubbys/partners!!! You also wrote “when we found out about Dr. Pacik, we felt that there was hope again.” This was wonderful to read and I felt the same way. For those to-be-treated patients reading this, please have hope and know that this truly is the cure for vaginismus and Dr. P is really there for you every step of the way. It’s such a great feeling! I also loved how you will assist Spanish speaking patients and think this will be incredibly beneficial because as you said language should never be a barrier to this amazing treatment. So glad that you are here Diana and I look very forward to talking to you more!

[Lou]

Hi Annabel,

I had the procedure just over two weeks ago and it has been a success! We managed intercourse on day 11 which is something we never imagined! We have to keep on practicing & dilating to get used to it and make it more natural but this has just been amazing! I’ve made more progress in 2 weeks than I had in 10+ years!
In terms of travelling across, we actually turned this into our main holiday for the year so we bad a week in Boston / new hampshire then a week in the caribean. I found having a second weeks holiday helped as I meant I wasn’t rushing back home & to work, I could relax and spend time on continuing progress. I’m not sure this is what everyone does but I found it helpful.
We flew into Boston on the Saturday & i had the procedure on the Monday. This gave me a couple of nights sleep & a day to get myself adjusted to the new time zone. We spent Sunday sightseeing in Boston & this was great as it kept me busy & my mind off the procedure & also boston seems like a really nice city! We got a Hire car in Boston & it turned out to be really cheap – just $5 a day!! So i would recommend that. We actually got a hotel about 20 miles away from dr pcik’s centre, and this was about $100 (£70-£80) a night which isn’t bad for a nice hotel.
Dr p has a finance option but I’m not sure if this is available to uk folk, but it is worth asking. In total, including the treatment, flights for 2 people, hotels & food you’re looking at about £5k.
This treatment worked well for me. If you have any other questions that I can help with, let me know. Lou

[Lou]

Hi Annabel,

I had the procedure just over two weeks ago and it has been a success! We managed intercourse on day 11 which is something we never imagined! We have to keep on practicing & dilating to get used to it and make it more natural but this has just been amazing! I’ve made more progress in 2 weeks than I had in 10+ years!
In terms of travelling across, we actually turned this into our main holiday for the year so webahd a week in Boston / new hampshire then a week in the caribean. I found having a second weeks holiday helped as it meant I wasn’t rushing back home & to work, I could relax and spend time on continuing progress. I’m not sure this is what everyone does but I found it helpful.
We flew into Boston on the Saturday & i had the procedure on the Monday. This gave me a couple of nights sleep & a day to get myself adjusted to the new time zone. We spent Sunday sightseeing in Boston & this was great as it kept me busy & my mind off the procedure & also boston seems like a really nice city! We got a Hire car in Boston & it turned out to be really cheap – just $5 a day!! So i would recommend that. We actually got a hotel about 20 miles away from dr pcik’s centre, and this was about $100 (£70-£80) a night which isn’t bad for a nice hotel.
Dr p has a finance option but I’m not sure if this is available to uk folk, but it is worth asking. In total, including the treatment, flights for 2 people, hotels & food you’re looking at about £5k.
This treatment worked well for me. If you have any other questions that I can help with, please let me know. Lou

[mary]

All,

I grew up in a VERY strict family, where sex education was never discussed, and, whenever a sex-related topic came up, it was met with terse, disdainful comments by my parents. I remember wondering in my pre-teen years how my sister and I came to be, and, in later years, when I found out, I wondered how we could possibly be wanted by my parents since they thought sex was such an evil topic. Needless to say, I was left to my own discovery to figure out how to deal with the onset of puberty, menstrual periods, and relationships with boys.

I struggled through getting accustomed to tampons, unpleasant and somewhat painful GYN exams, and through the years completely isolated myself in school and work to avoid even having to address the possibility of a relationship that might involve sexual intercourse. At the age of 48 (pre-menopausal), I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Chemotherapy put me into menopause very quickly, and my periods never returned. (The good news is that the hot flashes only lasted two weeks, although I wouldn’t recommend chemo as a way to manage hot flashes!) Since completion of treatment nine years ago, GYN exams have become more difficult and, sometimes, impossible. I have tried progressive dilation on my own with some success, but not enough to give me confidence in being able to comfortably withstand a pelvic exam or pursue a personal relationship. All of this has led me to Dr. Pacik. He and I had a great conversation a few evenings ago, and I am scheduled for the procedure in early March.

Mary

[Heather34]

Hi Mary and welcome to the forum. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and it is truly so inspirational to read. You have overcome just so, so much and this is a true testament of your strength. Congratulations on scheduling your procedure in March. Please ask any and all questions that you may have pre-procedure. I remember having so many before my procedure in June. As far as the dilating, it is wonderful that you’ve had some success on your own with this and you will have just so, so much success with dilating post-procedure. Prior to my procedure, I couldn’t even insert a q-tip and had never been successful at dilating. Post-procedure, Dr. P and the staff delicately and so supportively train you on how to insert and re-insert even the largest dilators. I never thought I could do this pre-procedure and immediately after I woke up, I was inserting and re-inserting the largest dilators with my husband in the recovery room. Thank you again so much for sharing your story with us and I look forward to reading your posts!

[esperanza]

Hello. I was just reading all of these posts and i can completely relate to the fear and worries. I had the procedure done on January 11th and came from Europe to have it done. I was very afraid and did not know what to expect. It was so much better and easier than i thought, and most of all painless. I am realising now even more how great the whole program is. How much it has helped me psychologically and physically. The fact that there are two other women nearby going through the same makes it an incredible experience. I felt that i could see myself in these women and it really helped the part of me that thought i was “abnormal” in some way. Anyway, my fears were severe and i even cried before the procedure but was comforted and reassured by everyone involved.
I am now back in Europe and the dilating is going very well. I never thought i would be able to insert the largest dilator without any fear or anxiety or pain. But it is happening and i feel like i have conquered the world although i have not tried intercourse yet but will soon. If you have severe vaginismus i would completely reccomend this program over many others because it is easier and one is in very good hands. Dr Pacik is brilliant, very professional, humble, human, and very sensitive. He really cares about his patients and continues to be an incredible support.

[esperanza]

Mary, Good luck with the procedure i am sure it will go well. I admire what you are doing. Just know that you are in very good hands!

[Heather34]

Hi Esperanza and welcome to the forum! Thank you for sharing your story and my sincere congratulations on your amazing successes!!! You wrote “my fears were severe and I even cried before the procedure but was comforted and reassured by everyone involved.” For those women reading this who are waiting to have the procedure done, it is entirely normal to experience pre-procedure anxiety and both Dr. P and the entire staff have a way of making you feel just so good and so supported through every step of the process. You also wrote “I never thought I would be able to insert the largest dilator without any fear or anxiety or pain … but, it is happening and I feel like I have conquered the world.” Wooooooh! I’m so, so, so proud of you for this and remember feeling the exact same way! I couldn’t even insert a q-tip prior and right after the procedure, was inserting these large dilators PAIN-FREE. It’s the best feeling in the world and you want to shout it from the rooftops!!!!! It will only get easier for you now and we are all here for you 100%. Finally, you wrote “if you have severe vaginismus, I would recommend this program over many others because it is easier and one is in very good hands.” This is so, so true! Thank you so much for sharing your story and I can’t wait to read more of your posts!!!!

[Anonymous]

Hello, I’m looking forward to having treatment in March. I’ve been suffering from vaginismus probably since I was 11yrs old, I’m 30 now. I’ve gone to many doctors for treatment of pelvic pain and have gone to pelvic physical therapy and tried many other treatments that didn’t work. So after doing my own research I found Dr. Pacik online and some hope of a solution. I’m really hopeful I’ll have the same success as some of the other women who have had treatment with Dr. Pacik.

[pratts811]

Hello all! I was told I should post here to ask any questions and discuss this issue. I have technically never been diagnosed but the one time I tried to have a gyno exam, it just didn’t happen. I’ve been married for 4 years and thankfully have an extremely understanding husband. Intercourse is basically impossible. I heard about this site from a Yahoo group I joined with other women with vaginismus. I also learned about getting pregnant through the syringe method from that group. Well after months of trying that method…it worked! I just found out I am pregnant! But I am completely terrified that I won’t be able to find a doctor that will understand my vaginismus. So if anyone knows of a great doctor in the Cleveland/Akron area that would work with me, please let me know. I am in contact with a few doctors but I just don’t want to be humiliated. Thanks for letting me vent as I don’t discuss this with anyone but my husband! 🙂

[Heather34]

@ kcd, Hi there and welcome to the forum. Thank you for posting and sharing your story with us and sincere CONGRATS on booking your procedure for March. You wrote “I’ve gone to many doctors … and tried many other treatments that didn’t work.” This is, unfortunately, so true and so similar to myself and so many other women with vaginismus. I know ‘bazillion’ isn’t a word, but I felt like I went to a bazillion uninformed doctors and failed at numerous treatments before finally finding Dr. P and the cure. You also wrote “I’m really hopeful I’ll have the same success as some of the other women who have had treatment with Dr. Pacik.” I promise you kcd that you will have tremendous success with this treatment as it truly is the treatment that works to cure vaginismus. I secretly thought that I would be the only one that it wouldn’t work on and Dr. P told me that every single one of his patients feels like this pre-procedure. It truly does work and is the cure out there for vaginismus. Please feel free to write more and ask any questions at all that you may have pre-procedure. This really does help as we all have been exactly where you are right now. Congrats again and I can’t wait to hear back from you soon!

[Heather34]

@ pratts, Hi there and welcome to the forum. Thank you for posting and sharing your story with us and sincere CONGRATS on your pregnancy! This is so EXCITING!!! You wrote “I am completely terrified that I won’t be able to find a doctor that will understand my vaginismus.” We will help you to not only find a doctor who understands it but is also fully supportive. I wish we could transport Dr. P into all of the states and countries in the world but, because we can’t, we have to work to find other doctors who do understand the condition of vaginismus and also educate them ourselves regarding the condition. I did some research of ob/gyn doctors in your area and The Cleveland Clinic seems to be a very good place. I also read some amazing reviews about Dr. Beri Ridgeway (216-444-6601). I would encourage you to request pamphlets from Dr. Pacik’s office and bring them with you to your appointment. They thoroughly explain just every aspect of the condition of vaginismus very, very well and in detail. Ok, hope this helps as a good starting point. Ladies, what other suggestions and ideas do you have??? Can’t wait to hear more from you pratts and please post often. You wrote “I don’t discuss this with anyone but my husband.” Many of us suffered in silence with vaginismus for years (i.e. not even telling family and closest friends). Please write us about anything at all and know that we are all here for you!!!