[Elizabeth]

Thank you for your post on August 13th, Heather. You had asked me “what else has been helpful to you in the immediate days/first months post-procedure…..”
I think one of the most important things to do is to stay as positive and determined as you can. If you go through some “rough spots” keep going and never give up. Also, that it isn’t a race. We are all individuals and progress with dilation at different rates. If you keep at it, you will succeed! : ) I went through many stages of frustration, but Dr. P., his staff and also the support of the forum members helped me so much. One of my biggest road blocks when I first started dilating was dealing with vaginal infections and reacting to every lube that I tried. If anyone else is having issues with lubes, I found Pure Coconut Oil was the trick for me. I haven’t had a vaginal infection since using it.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you Candi and Nakitalab and Heather! : )

[Elizabeth]

Thank you Candi, Nakitalab and Heather! I’m still pinching myself!! : )

[Elizabeth]

I am a menopausal, secondary vaginismus patient of Dr. Pacik’s. On day 264 post procedure I succeeded at having pain free intercourse after a struggle for many years, beginning in peri-menopause. My husband and I are elated!!
For more details, please read my post under “Success Stores (2).”

[Elizabeth]

Yesterday, on day 264 post botox procedure I was able to have pain free intercourse. My husband and I are over the moon and sooo excited!! Here are some details of my journey. I am a menopausal, secondary vaginismus patient of Dr. Pacik’s and had the botox procedure in Dec., 2012. My husband and I had intercourse on day 19 & 25 post procedure, but it was painful for me. Up to that point I had built up to dilating for one hour with pink #5 without pain. I had tried #6 without success. I realized that, for me, I would have to build up slowly dilating with #6 to have comfortable intercourse. I struggled with this for months and my self-confidence plunged. Was I ever going to be able to build up to #6? Slowly it became more comfortable for me, until finally I was able to dilate successfully with #6 for one hour without pain. Now I had the self confidence to try intercourse again with my husband. We both decided that if our attempt was unsuccessful, we would keep trying and we should just give it a go. Right before intercourse, I dilated with #4 for 15 mins., then #5 for one hour and finally #6 for one hour. Immediately after that we had intercourse. Penetration was so easy this time and completely pain free!! I really could not believe it! Me being on top helped with my self confidence as I could control the amount and intensity of the thrusting. We built up to medium thrusting without any problem or pain. One of the things I have learned on this journey is to NEVER give up. It doesn’t matter how many months it takes to reach your goal, keep trying and you will be successful! I’m so grateful that I can now have a complete, intimate closeness with my husband again. 😀

I want to thank Dr. Pacik and his team for all their encouragement, kindness and support. I am so grateful to have found you. Hugs! 🙂

[Elizabeth]

Thank you Allie and Nakitalab!

[Elizabeth]

I had to take a break from dilating after I got a vaginal infection at day 32 post procedure. I had my ups and downs for a month, but have now resumed my dilating fully and am where I was before the infection. I’m so happy about that!! I started back slowly dilating every other day and cutting the dilating time way down at first and taking a six week break from dilating at night. I didn’t have a choice as every time I tried to get back to dilating my infection started up again. I started off just with the purple glass and then progressed to the pink glass and now have no pain with it. It takes time and patience but it works if you keep at it!

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for sharing the article about Mary and her struggles with Menopausal Vaginismus. I’m 59 years old and was diagnosed with Secondary Vaginismus and have been in menopause for 4 years. I can relate to many aspects of Mary’s difficult journey, but was able to have pain-free, enjoyable sex with my husband for many years and we have been blessed with two children. I started to have some pain with intercourse in perimenopause. This progressively got more and more painful, until when in full menopause the pain became unbearable and I was eventually diagnosed with Vaginismus. In desperation I went online searching for a solution and came upon Dr. Pacik’s website. I had the botox procedure 90 days ago and am so very happy I did!! The first month of dilating went really well for me and I was able to dilate up to #5 pink glass for at least one hour without any pain. At day 19 post procedure my husband and I tried intercourse and were able to insert only 3″ but that was definitely a good start. At day 25 and after dilating with #5 pink dilator for 2.5 hrs., we tried again and had successful, full penetration. This was painful for me, but less so than the first attempt and I was SO excited and elated! Then at day 32 things started to go downhill. Dr. Pacik and his team often said that the early days post procedure can be a real roller coaster ride and boy were they right. I got a vaginal infection and struggled with it for a month. The lube I had been using started to give me problems, as did every other one I tried until I came upon Pure Coconut Oil. It works wonderfully for me and I’m so happy that I am back on track dilating comfortably as before with the #5 pink. Dr. P. and his team are wonderful and continue to guide me along my path to pain free intercourse. Best wishes to all the women with Menopausal Vaginismus. In sharing our stories we can support and help each other! 🙂

[Elizabeth]

I found it to be a VERY sensitive subject for me to talk comfortably with my gynaecologist about. Part of the problem for me at the time was I was trying to talk about the most intimate aspects of my husband and my sex life and I was looking at a male doctor and one much younger than me too!! I was able to tell him I had extreme pain with intercourse and he prescribed an estrogen suppository to use twice a week. This of course didn’t help as I had vaginismus but didn’t know it yet. The next couple of visits I became more desperate and determined and started giving him more details. One of them being that it had reached the point where any penetration was usually impossible due to the pain. This doctor did eventually diagnose me with vaginismus. He gave me a pamphlet from vaginismus. com and then sent me along my way as he was not able to help me further himself. I then found a good physiotherapist and then Dr. Pacik’s website.

Questions the gynaecologist could’ve asked me to speed up my diagnosis: describe your pain; while attempting intercourse, describe your anxiety level on a scale of 1 – 10; is your partner able to achieve any penetration and if so, how much.

What may be helpful to others to do before their doctor’s appointment would be to jot down on a piece of paper details you want the doctor to know about but feel you may forget to mention and/or are too embarrassed to discuss with him/her. Take the paper with you so you won’t forget any important points, or pass the paper to your doctor to read……whatever it takes! Hope this is helpful! 🙂

[Elizabeth]

CONGRATULATIONS Nakitalab!!!!!! I am so, so happy for you!! 🙂

[Elizabeth]

CONGRATULATIONS Lotus!!! Absolutely amazing and so wonderful for you and your husband! 🙂 🙂

[Elizabeth]

Thanks Allie & Heather! Unfortunately I’m not able to use Slippery Stuff…..glad it works well for you though Allie! Heather, I will check out “Emerita.” Thanks for the tip 🙂

[Elizabeth]

The Vagifem is an estrogen suppository that I use for vaginal dryness but want to find a moisturizer that I can use in conjunction with it…..I’m reluctant to try Replens just now.

[Elizabeth]

Thanks Nakitalab 🙂

[Elizabeth]

I’m having success with the Pure Extra Virgin Coconut Oil as a lube!! I’m slowing getting back to dilating and all is well so far. Soon I’ll try dilating at night and see how that goes but I’m nervous because of my dryness. I had no problems dilating at night before until I started to react to the lube I was using. I’ve read that the coconut oil is absorbed into vaginal tissues so thought I could put a thin layer of cocoa butter on the dilator first and then the coconut oil on top of that which should get me through the night ok. I shouldn’t react to the cocoa butter. I’ll keep you posted on how things go. Sending hugs to you all!! I feel soooo blessed that I have this forum and such amazing women for support. 🙂

[Author]

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