Guest guest Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Dear Group, As i've already posted, i went to my appointment with Kellogg on Tuesday fully expecting her to confirm what i had already reported to her by phone in September -- that her very strong suspicion at my initial August consult that i had lichens planus was apparently true since my inner labia had clearly started to fuse. I was certain that she'd take one look and i would start on some kind of steroid protocol. Well, it didn't turn out that way at all, much to my utter amazement. After reeled off several possible approaches to treating LP/LS and asked which i would prefer, i told her that before we went any further i wanted first to get her assessment. So, with me expecting the worst and Dr. Hersch, a gyn getting training with looking on, peers through her high-powered colposcopic lens and exclaims, " OH, MY! . .You look SO much BETTER!!! " And while i'm lying there thinking, huh???, Dr. Hersch chimes in: " Yes. . .If this vulva walked into my office (lol)i'd think, 'it looks GREAT for a 52 year-old!' " And both of them proceed to rhapsodize about how beautiful and normal everything looks!! Needless to say, i -- who expected nothing like this -- was in shock. Actually, i think may have been even more stunned than i was, since she reiterated just how truly awful my vaginal erosion had been in August. (What i remember her saying then quite bluntly was something like, " You look awful! You really need estradiol badly! " This, despite the fact that i had been faithfully using 0.01% estradiol 2x/day plus .1% testosterone 1x/day, both compounded in emu oil,for well over a year prior to seeing her.) I had told them before the exam that in the last few weeks i was seeing a little " re-poofing " of the lower portion of my right inner labia when i was aroused, which was exciting, but that the left side was pretty much still flat as a pancake from about 4:30/5 o'clock down. But said that that amount of fusion was really not that significant at all --well within normal ranges -- and if there was any lichoid process involved it was very minor. . .or had been arrested! And the extremely, extremely severe vascular ectasia (broken blood vessels very close to the skin surface, similar to those seen on the noses of some alcoholics), that in August she had described as about the worst she'd ever seen, was. . . world's better! In fact, to her everthing looked so good that she told me that she wouldn't even WANT to do a biopsy at this point even if i HAD agreed to one -- and that there was no need to even think about steroids at this point. OMG. What a surprise and what a relief!!! Apparently, this incredible turn-around that somehow happened without me much noticing (i always thought i was pretty observant, but i guess being a vulvar specialist who looks at hundreds of vulvas a week does give one just a bit of an edge. . .) is all due to the addition of the anti-inflammatory homeopathic Traumeel protocol that suggested i try: 10 Traumeel tablets very finely ground, mixed into 1 oz. of my emu oil, and applied to the vulva 3x/day. She feels that with my " hypersensitive constitution, as she put it, this gentler approach is the way to go. Certainly seems to be working! Had another q-tip test: still some pretty bad spots, but from my perspective less painful than the initial exam. Also rechecked my muscles internally and, based on a quite ouchy spot in one of my levators on the left side, i got my first Trameel injection. I jumped at 's suggestion that i be seen by the PT, Theresa, who happened to be there that day. (I think wanted Dr. Hersch to see her in action, which was fine by me.) She confirmed what a Fletcher had told me in July -- that my right pelvis is rotated forward and gave me an exercise to add to the ones i'm already doing. She didn't do an internal check. Let's see. . . anything else? Oh, yes: i actually had my first internal exam in at more than three years. used a pediatric speculum, was very gentle, and it wasn't all that bad. Got a pap and everything else that hadn't been done the first appointment. At that point, i was getting fairly irritated, so we called it quits. She said i definitely do have severe vestibulitis and suspects that my substantial pain/irritation with any pressure/rubbing/etc. is probably due to problems with the glands. But she wants to deal with things slowly and step by step. Also, after more than five years without any prescription meds, i had started neurontin and elavil again in desperation after my horrible hyperacusis set-back in September. Dr. Hersch pointed this out to her and asked if i would be willing to try gradually raising the n. to at least 900 mg/day, which she feels is the minimum therapeutic dose for pelvic pain, and 100 mg.(i think she said)for the elavil. (I'm currently taking just 300 mg/day of n. and 25 mg. of the el.) I'm going to give the higher neurontin a go; not sure yet if i want to do the same with the elavil. So that was the appointment. I was smiling the whole three plus hours home. . . One update: got a call today from . She was very pleased that the c. Krusei infection we found in August is completely gone. No yeast problem of any kind. So the two rounds of boric acid caps i did seem to have done the trick. However, they may have been TOO effective at eradicating yeast, since i have a mild case of BV. I could well have been dealing with this for quite a while, but this is the first time i've ever been dx'ed with it. Not sure how i'm going to treat it yet. Because it's not an extremely bad imbalance is willing to let me decide how i want to proceed, which i really appreciate. She's sending me an Rx for Tindamex, just in case i opt to use it, but i'll probably try a natural approach first instead. Hollis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Sorry. I have no idea why this double posted. Hollis ===================== Date: 2008/01/25 Fri PM 09:21:14 CST To: VulvarDisorders Subject: my app't...big surprise! Dear Group, As i've already posted, i went to my appointment with Kellogg on Tuesday fully expecting her to confirm what i had already reported to her by phone in September Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 26, 2008 Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hi Hollis: Great news!!! Glad to hear it. I've used Tindamax for BV. (I've used everything! haha). It worked well, just made me constipated. Sherri -------------- Original message -------------- > > > > **IF REPLYING TO THIS POST, PLEASE REMOVE ORIGINAL POST, > Thanks for your cooperation! ** > > *** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.