Questions for June and July 2015 Patients

[Heather34]

Hi ladies. For those of you who have your procedure coming up in June and July, please feel free to ask any questions at all that you may have pre-procedure. It can be anything at all from what it is like to do the dilating to what fun things there are to do in New Hampshire, Boston, and the whole New England area while you are here. I live right outside of Boston and would be happy to share. I look forward to reading your posts.

[CurlyGirl]

Hello Heather,

First of all I’d like to say congratulations! I was so pleased to hear your good news and really appreciate you still finding time to support everyone on the forum now your little one has arrived.

My procedure is in 6 weeks, the nerves are starting to set in a little now but I’m still feeling positive. I’ve been picking up lots of good advice from the forum but did have a question about dilating. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for particular lubricants? I’m travelling from the UK so if there are any particular US brands I’ll do some research to see if I can get them here or if I need to stock up whilst I’m there! I know people have suggested natural lubricants, like coconut oil, and I just wondered if anyone had any further thoughts on this?

Also I’d just like to know how people felt in the days immediately after their procedure? Just in terms of energy and soreness? We’re spending a few days in Boston before we fly home, we both love exploring but I want to be realistic about fitting plans around dilating, etc., as that’s the whole reason we’re there.

Thank you in advance

Curly Girl

[Hazel]

Hi, everyone! This is my 1st post on the forum. My procedure is in less than a month now (June 15th)! I have managed to stay pretty calm about it so far, but I know I’m going to star getting a bit nervous the night before and when I step into the office. Any tips from those who have been through it before? Would you mind going through everything step-by-step as it happened? I am the type of person who does much better knowing every step before it’s going to happen.

[chrmel]

Hello All, my husband and I are traveling to Manchester for treatment on July 13th. Anyone else going to be in NH for treatment on that date? We are nervous/excited/hopeful/anxious….so many emotions! It’s encouraging seeing we aren’t alone. I agree that a step-by-step of our time with Dr Pacik and the procedure would be so great.

[ceegee]

Can someone remind me the driving time from Boston to Manchester?

[Janet Pacik]

Hi ceegee, Without traffic it is about a 45-60 minute drive; however, with traffic, it could be 90 to 120 minutes. You definitely want to avoid rush hour traffic.

[Leena]

Hi, ladies!

I had my procedure May 4th, and I could not have ever imagined it and the ongoing self dilating would go so well. So keep the faith. This treatment is a true miracle.

STEP BY STEP: I found the step by step provided in one of the chapters of Dr. Pacik’s book great – it is very detailed and lists it all out. It’s definitely worth getting the book, and if you feel a slight redundancy to the forum stick with it because it has a lot of really helpful info.

DEALING WITH NERVES: I was excited up to about two weeks before the procedure, when I experienced a whole other additional dimension of fear than I ever knew existed within me. Fortunately I have a therapist, and she was able to talk me through it. She adivsed that whenever I start getting panicked to re-focus back on the goal and to leave the emotions to the side. Just concentrate on the facts: you have a medical condition that can be treated by an expert in the field and will then need to use medical devices as part of physical therapy over the course of a year (the dilators). I had also prepared a NH playlist based on another patient’s idea/thread and was waiting to listen to it on my travel to NH, but I found that I really needed it more before that, when the nerves hit. And that helped. Here it is in case you would like to do the same thing. All songs are positive, mostly empowering, some I just like 😉

1. Brave Sara Bareilles
2. What Faith Can Do Kutless
3. Stronger Kelly Clarkson
4. Roar Katy Perry
5. Do My Thing Estelle
6. I’m On My Way The Proclaimers
7. Today Is Your Day Shania Twain
8. Three Little Birds Bob Marley
9. Desert Rose Sting
10. Powder Your Face
With Sunshine Dean Martin
11. Just The Way You Are Bruno Mars
12. Beautiful Christina Aguilera
13. Healing Begins Tenth Avenue North
14. Walk On The Water Britt Nicole
15. Fly Like An Eagle Seal
16. Pumpin’ Blood NONONO
17. I’m Yours Jason Mraz
18. All Star Smash Mouth
19. Unwritten Natasha Bedingfield
20. I Can See Clearly Now Johnny Nash
21. Firework Katy Perry

I was really tired the afternoon of the procedure and took a long nap. I also got sore and tired that night. I was fine for the next half day at the office – no soreness. I rested that afternoon, but I do tend to get pretty tired. I was in town the next day and walked around and took pictures, ate ice cream, and did take out form the Hungarian Cafe on Elm St. (by Radisson).

LUBRICANT: I really like the surgical lubricant at Dr. Pacik’s office. (Surgilube) At first they mix it 50/50 with lidocaine, but after about a week you can switch to just regular lubricant (it’s not advisable to stay with lidocaine as it may cause irritation after a while and you don’t want it to become a crutch.) He sells tubes at the office, but I got a bunch through Amazon: http://smile.amazon.com/Surgilube-Lubricating-Jelly-Sterile-Tubes/dp/B00JLIFY44/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1432761181&sr=8-2&keywords=surgical+lubricant You can also get a sample of another lubricant called Slippery Stuff from the office. A lot of people seem to like it, but I didn’t. It’s just a matter of personal preference. Dr. Pacik also mentioned olive oil. I’d say try as many options at you can in the early days of your stay so that you can determine what is right for you and bring back home with you if necessary.

CONGRATULATIONS!

[ceegee]

Is it okay to leave town/fly the day after the procedure, if it’s later in the day? Or? We are on a tight budget and schedule and are arriving a couple days before the procedure so I can see Boston, but we’re thinking of leaving the next day otherwise it’ll be almost a full week there and we would rather not do that.

[lulu]

Hello Everyone!

I am having my procedure on July 15th. My husband will be coming with me. I am actually extremely excited about it all. I almost wish I had scheduled it sooner but we need time to save up for everything. I will get nervous as it gets closer I am sure. I have the fear at the back of my mind that most of us have or have had that it will not work. However, I feel this is normal and the excitement of being done with vaginismus is certainly outweighing my fears.

I am looking forward to meeting Dr. Pacik , all of the staff and any of you that will be having the procedure around the same time. Like most of us I have never spoken to anyone other than my husband and gynecologist about what I have been dealing with. I did tell my mom recently, though, mainly because I hated keeping it from her and I felt she deserved to know. She was really happy I told her and glad I found out about Dr. Pacik and the procedure.

I really do not have a lot of questions as of right now. It has been helpful to read past postings on the forum about what to wear and tips on dilating. One question I do have, and it is more of a medical question, is did anyone have a reaction to Botox? I am sensitive to a lot of things so I am hoping I do not have a major reaction.

We plan on sightseeing as much as we can. I have always wanted to go to Maine so that is top on my list. I have never been on a plane and we are flying so that will be interesting. I feel like I will be fine and am anxious in both good ways and bad ways about it. I never thought the first time I would be flying would be to go get Botox injections let alone have to get on a plane to do it. Haha.

[Dr. Pacik]

It is extremely rare to be Allergic to Botox and in the thousands of patients injected I have never seen an allergic reaction to the Botox. In the event of unexpected complications, we have resuscitative drugs and equipment. The anesthesiologist and I are Advanced Cardiac Life support certified. I hope this will help somewhat with your concerns. I look forward to helping you.

[AFHall]

Hello all,

Well I shoukd start by saying that I write out a long post about a week ago as I was so pleased thzt this thread had been put up. For some reason I felt that once the questions for june and juky thred went up it marked the start of my treatment. It made it real. Only I managed to do 4hat really annoying thing where you lose a post before hitting send 🙁 So here I am posting again.

What can I say, I am booked in for Monday June 8th! So so so soon, how did that happen? My boyfriend and I are flying in from London a few days before and will be around for a week after but unfortunately we wont be renting a car so any tips on local attractions or places we can get transport to would be great.

I’d love to know if there are other ladies having thier treatment on the same day as me.

I am just about to make an uplifting playlist for the long plane journey over.

Ayesha

[Heather34]

Quote:

Quote from CurlyGirl on May 26, 2015, 14:54
Hello Heather,

First of all I’d like to say congratulations! I was so pleased to hear your good news and really appreciate you still finding time to support everyone on the forum now your little one has arrived.

My procedure is in 6 weeks, the nerves are starting to set in a little now but I’m still feeling positive. I’ve been picking up lots of good advice from the forum but did have a question about dilating. I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for particular lubricants? I’m travelling from the UK so if there are any particular US brands I’ll do some research to see if I can get them here or if I need to stock up whilst I’m there! I know people have suggested natural lubricants, like coconut oil, and I just wondered if anyone had any further thoughts on this?

Also I’d just like to know how people felt in the days immediately after their procedure? Just in terms of energy and soreness? We’re spending a few days in Boston before we fly home, we both love exploring but I want to be realistic about fitting plans around dilating, etc., as that’s the whole reason we’re there.

Thank you in advance

Curly Girl

Hi Curly Girl! Thank you so, so much for the Congrats on our little one. He is sleeping away right next to me as I type this. I can’t believe he will be one month old tomorrow!!!!

Huge, huge, huge CONGRATS on your upcoming procedure! I think it’s so wonderful that you are coming over from the UK and your overall trip here plus your procedure are going to go so, so, so well!!!!!

Lubricants
This is an excellent question. There is a wonderful thread that I wanted to share where the ladies have described their favorite lubes and what has worked or hasn’t worked for them:
http://www.vaginismusmd.com/support/vaginismus-md-forum/?mingleforumaction=viewtopic&t=31.0
Some excerpts include:
My post: “In the beginning, my hubby and I used lubricant very liberally as to avoid any potential dryness. We used the Lidocaine/Surgilube mix for the first couple of times and then switched to normal KY Jelly. Now, we’re using pre-seed natural lubricant. It works so great and is fertility friendly.”
Dr. Pacik wrote: “When dilators feel too dry on removal it is due to the water based lube absorbing. Here are a few tricks: Use a silicone lube first, then the water based on top of this. The silicone based lube will still be on the dilator in the morning; Try using olive oil as a base on the dilator, then the water based lube; Twist the dilator before removing to break the seal.”
Arose wrote: “I was just looking on the Yes lube website. It mentions using the water and oil based lubes together as Heather described above, then I came across this http://www.yesyesyes.org/downloads/Ruths_Poster_2009_V2.pdf directily mentioning this technique to help aid vaginismus!!! I find it quite overwhelming that there are companies out there that recongise our problem!”
GoldDahlia wrote “Just reporting back post-procedure to say that I switched from the surgilube to sliquid organics natural on day 6 post procedure for dilating (am 9 days PP today) and finding it very comfortable. I also feel like I can take the dilator out and put my underwear on just before heading out for work in the morning with a lot less residual mess as I walk. I’m using olive oil as a base under the sliquid for overnight dilating which is very comfortable, but runny. Definitely use a pantiliner or wear something old you don’t care about to avoid oil stains if you choose this. I will continue for now, but may switch to something solid at room temperature like coconut oil or cocoa butter later on.”

Also I’d just like to know how people felt in the days immediately after their procedure? Just in terms of energy and soreness?

I definitely felt soreness for a couple of weeks post-procedure as there was just so much activity in the area where before there was none. Most recently, a November treated patient wrote a great post with a suggestion for Hydrocortisone cream and this was followed up by Dr. P: “Dr. Pacik’s suggestion to use Hydrocortisone Cream has been a HUGE help for me. My lady bits are just so dang sensitive!!! I bought Hydrocortizone10 in the Cooling Gel formula for during the day and I’ve felt SO much better – then I’ve been using the Hydrocoritzone10 in the ointment for adding to my lube mix with dilating at night. I honestly can’t believe how much that’s helped me feel better the last couple days.” Dr. P has written: “It is common for women to have some skin irritation as a result of post procedure dilation. There is suddenly a great deal of penetrative activity that did not exist in previous years. 1% hydrocortisone is an over the counter topical that is anti-inflammatory and can be purchased either as a cream (faster acting) or as an ointment (longer lasting). It is generally used as a pea sized amount rubbed into the irritated area twice a day and can be used for 1-2 weeks.”

On the day of and day after my procedure, I commuted from NH to Boston where we live. While I felt sore, I was still able to ride in a car. I also felt like I was on such an emotional high post-procedure b/c it was finally over and I was able to have something inside of me for the first time and it did not cause intense pain. At the most, it felt strange and uncomfortable at times b/c it was something I had to get used to. Several of the other girls on the Forum have posted that they were able to visit the beautiful coast following their procedures as well as explore Boston.

Ok, sending you huge CONGRATS again on your upcoming procedure and I am so, so, so happy for you! Sending my support!

[Heather34]

Quote:

Quote from Hazel on May 26, 2015, 15:38
Hi, everyone! This is my 1st post on the forum. My procedure is in less than a month now (June 15th)! I have managed to stay pretty calm about it so far, but I know I’m going to star getting a bit nervous the night before and when I step into the office. Any tips from those who have been through it before? Would you mind going through everything step-by-step as it happened? I am the type of person who does much better knowing every step before it’s going to happen.

Hi Hazel! Huge CONGRATS on your upcoming procedure! I just know it is going to go so, so, so well for you! I had my procedure in June of 2011 and remember it like it was yesterday. I will definitely go through what happened for me. I drove up to the office with my hubby and was absolutely terrified and had severe anxiety (threw up in the car on the way up even)! Once we arrived at the office, Dr. Pacik and all of the staff knew how nervous I was and helped me through it just so much. I’ve written this so many times before but can never say enough times how awesome they all are and how much they truly care. Prior to discovering this treatment, I visited doctors who did not understand vaginismus and it was such a bad experience. Dr. Pacik and his staff are nothing like this and, in fact, are the exact opposite. They all understand the condition both generally and also what each and every one of us has gone through while having it individually. So, due to the level of my anxiety, I was able to have IV Verced which helped to eliminate all of my physical symptoms of anxiety (i.e. feeling like leaving the office, passing out, crying, etc.). Thereafter, I recall going into the procedure room and next waking up from the treatment with the largest dilator in place. I was groggy and felt like I needed to pee immediately. I went to the bathroom and removed the large blue dilator; peed; and then was able to insert it right back in while standing. This was such a huge moment for me b/c prior, I was never even able to insert the slim sized tampons or anything at all. After this, I practiced removing and reinserting the dilators with my hubby right by my side for support and I later included him by placing his hand over mine as I practiced with the dilators. It may sound silly but for us, it brought us closer as a couple and I was able to trust him and he was able to see that something could be inside of me and did not cause pain (which I had always experienced and expressed to him in the past). Then, following the procedure and dilating, we left the office and drove back to Boston. On Day 2, I went back up to NH and we started the day by practicing with the different sized dilators again. At this time, I was able to talk to another woman who had her procedure on the same day and we bonded and still talk to this day. It helped to have someone else going through the same thing and up until that point, I had never met another person who had vaginismus and felt very alone and like I was the only one with it until meeting and opening up to her. Then, on Day 2, Dr. Pacik and Ellen provided excellent counseling to us about all aspects of vaginismus plus extremely helpful tips for making the transition to intercourse. I then left the office and went home to begin working at our house. There, I dilated in the morning and evening and kept in very close contact with Dr. Pacik plus the staff about what was working and how I was feeling both physically and emotionally post-procedure. We then transitioned to intercourse on July 4th, just 7 days post-procedure. So, so special. Then, while I probably didn’t need to, I dilated regularly for a full year post-procedure and my vaginismus has never returned (thank God and thank Dr. Pacik so much)!!!! I so cannot wait for you to have your treatment and, again, I know it is going to go so great for you! Sending my support!!!

[Heather34]

Quote:

Quote from chrmel on May 27, 2015, 15:18
Hello All, my husband and I are traveling to Manchester for treatment on July 13th. Anyone else going to be in NH for treatment on that date? We are nervous/excited/hopeful/anxious….so many emotions! It’s encouraging seeing we aren’t alone. I agree that a step-by-step of our time with Dr Pacik and the procedure would be so great.

Hi chrmel! Huge, huge CONGRATS on your upcoming procedure and trip to NH! So, so exciting and I know it is going to go so well for you!!! I felt every single emotion that you describe prior to my procedure in June of 2011. The Forum didn’t exist then so I remember not talking to anyone except my husband about it and just being super, super nervous. Before meeting the other woman who was also being treated on the same day as me, I felt like I was the only person in the world with this condition and it felt very isolating. Meeting her was so eye opening and I knew that I was not alone with this and my husband also felt the same way when he met her husband. Please know that you guys are not alone with this at all and we are all here to support you. I just wrote Hazel a step-by-step of my treatment experience in NH and wanted to share the same with you (see below). So importantly, I want you and your husband to both know that you are in tremendous care with Dr. Pacik and all of his staff. They have such a special way of treating the couple and they all understand so very much about the condition of vaginismus generally as well as each of our individualized experiences with it. Sending you all my support and, again, please know that it is going to go so well!!!!!

Step-by-Step
“Due to the level of my anxiety, I was able to have IV Verced which helped to eliminate all of my physical symptoms of anxiety (i.e. feeling like leaving the office, passing out, crying, etc.). Thereafter, I recall going into the procedure room and next waking up from the treatment with the largest dilator in place. I was groggy and felt like I needed to pee immediately. I went to the bathroom and removed the large blue dilator; peed; and then was able to insert it right back in while standing. This was such a huge moment for me b/c prior, I was never even able to insert the slim sized tampons or anything at all. After this, I practiced removing and reinserting the dilators with my hubby right by my side for support and I later included him by placing his hand over mine as I practiced with the dilators. It may sound silly but for us, it brought us closer as a couple and I was able to trust him and he was able to see that something could be inside of me and did not cause pain (which I had always experienced and expressed to him in the past). Then, following the procedure and dilating, we left the office and drove back to Boston. On Day 2, I went back up to NH and we started the day by practicing with the different sized dilators again. At this time, I was able to talk to another woman who had her procedure on the same day and we bonded and still talk to this day. It helped to have someone else going through the same thing and up until that point, I had never met another person who had vaginismus and felt very alone and like I was the only one with it until meeting and opening up to her. Then, on Day 2, Dr. Pacik and Ellen provided excellent counseling to us about all aspects of vaginismus plus extremely helpful tips for making the transition to intercourse. I then left the office and went home to begin working at our house. There, I dilated in the morning and evening and kept in very close contact with Dr. Pacik plus the staff about what was working and how I was feeling both physically and emotionally post-procedure. We then transitioned to intercourse on July 4th, just 7 days post-procedure. So, so special. Then, while I probably didn’t need to, I dilated regularly for a full year post-procedure and my vaginismus has never returned (thank God and thank Dr. Pacik so much)!!!!”

[Heather34]

Quote:

Quote from ceegee on May 28, 2015, 09:01
Is it okay to leave town/fly the day after the procedure, if it’s later in the day? Or? We are on a tight budget and schedule and are arriving a couple days before the procedure so I can see Boston, but we’re thinking of leaving the next day otherwise it’ll be almost a full week there and we would rather not do that.

Hi ceegee! Huge, huge CONGRATS on your upcoming procedure! I know it is going to go so very well for you! I’ve written above my step-by-step of what occurred during my own June 2011 procedure and experience in NH. Please know you are in absolutely wonderful care with Dr. Pacik and all of the staff. I would check with them while you are here or send them an e-mail to see if it is ok if you leave town/fly on the day after the procedure. I can’t wait for you to meet Dr. Pacik and all of the staff as well as the other patients who will be treated on the same day. This was so eye opening for both my husband and I as we had always felt like we were the only ones experiencing vaginismus and it helped so much to know we were not alone! Please know you have our support!!!!