JULIE/Re: Surgeons

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I will be very truthful with

you and tell you I don’t know where or how (specifically) my vestibulectomy

was done. This pain was so far inferior to the pudendal nerve pain that I had –

that I didn’t pay much attention to when Dr. Conway told me that he would

do that also since I was already having surgery in that area and he thought it

would help. I literally said – OK, whatever. The pudendal nerve surgery

was far more intense and scary than a vestibulectomy in my mind. In comparison,

a vestibulectomy was like having a tooth filled at the dentist – it was

just so minor in my thoughts. Maybe that was dumb, but I had complete trust and

confidence in Dr. Conway that he sincerely wanted to help me get well. I had

pain and burning 24/7 in the entire perineum area. There also was pain on contact

and during the day (when I was alone) and at night I never wore any clothes

from the waist down. I was slathered in creams and gel and ice packs. What

worked the best for me (and no joke – I bet I tried 75 or more) was Estrace

cream and Lidocaine 5% ointment. I can’t think of any more descriptive word

to use. Sometimes the area was red and swollen, sometimes not. The pain was

awful, but nothing in comparison to the terrible pain that I have with pudendal

neuropathy. And keep in mind, my vestibulectomy was very successful, and others

on this list have successful ones also, but I can’t say that yours will

be successful, if you have it done. My mother had cataract surgery that damaged

her cornea and she ended up blind (for many years) before cornea transplants

were developed. Many, many cataract surgeries are done every minute that are

very successful, and some that have complications. I guess that would be a

question you could ask Dr. Conway – what are his success rates

percentages. Should you shop around until you find a doctor whose percentage

rates you like? Just because your friend had a bad experience is no reason that

you would have one. I can’t find one complaint about Dr. Conway. He is wonderful

in the office, he returns phone calls, the hospital care was outstanding, his

employees in the office are wonderful, and he is providing me wonderful aftercare.

My surgery was one month ago this coming Wednesday, and I will be seeing him tomorrow

for my third post surgery visit. I have heard all the horror stories on this list,

but again, even if it didn’t help, and I was still left with the same

pain, at least I know I tried. And I just don’t understand what “barbaric”

is all about. The vestibule is just another area of the human body, no

different to me than my scalp or the soles of my feet.

Below is info on Dr. Conway

(web page and email). He is located in New Hampshire, and his patients come to

see him from all over the US. He is a family man with three small children, and

still delivers babies as part of his practice. He is just a plain nice guy –rare

anymore in the medical field. He will return phone calls and emails. You can

tell him that I recommended him.

His email address is Mark.Conway.MD@...

Phone number is (603)

883-3365

http://www.stjosephhospital.com/medicalsvc/painmgt.php

I hope I answered some of

your questions, and you can always email me privately, and if you still need

some reassurance, I will give you a call.

nne

From:

VulvarDisorders [mailto:VulvarDisorders ] On

Behalf Of femifesto

Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 11:25 AM

To: VulvarDisorders

Subject: [sPAM] Re: Surgeons

hi marianne--

i am really so thrilled for you that you had such a successful

surgery. i am interested in talking with you more about what kind of

vulvar symptoms you had....

i just want to say that until recently i hadn't heard anything more

than 1 positive story about surgery, and i had heard many, many

stories of women who were worse off from it. i had a friend who had

surgery, and they re-stitched her improperly and then refused to

return her calls and she attempted suicide right then and there

because the pain was so bad. luckily her husband came home and found

her. so she was taken care of before she actually died.

she is fine now, pain free (not from surgery but from meds she took

many months later), but i just want to say these stories are why i

considered surgery barbaric.

now that i've heard more successful stories from women who have

symptoms like me, constant pain in the vestibule, i want to consider

it as an option.

from what i had heard, surgery just meant more pain, it didn't mean

that i would be pain free.

so i just wanted to explain that. i am really so happy for you that

you have found some relief.

i know you had constant pain, but was it localized to the vestibule?

what type of vestibulectomy specifically did dr. conway perform? (like

i know that christina had a complete vestibulectomy where they removed

the glands entirely instead of just the surface.)

again, so happy for you. please enjoy some freedom from pain for me!!!

julie

>

> I guess the women who feel that surgery is barbaric are the same

women who

> also want natural childbirth with no episiotomy. To each his own, I

guess.

> But I will choose " pain free " any day. Women are faced with so

many

> decisions on what to do with bodies. I don't have the years left to

try the

> " natural or homeopathic " methods. And I want to spend my later

years

> enjoying the time I have left in comfort. I postponed having my yearly

> mammogram, because I have been lying on my side in bed all year. I could

> have something far worse going on that I don't even know about. When

I go to

> PT, they put me in a room right away, because they know I cannot

sit. It is

> very humiliating and embarrassing to continually explain that I

cannot sit,

> much less why I can't. I chose to have surgery so that I can get on

with my

> life. I have made some great friends on this list who I hope to stay in

> touch with for a very long time, but I am thrilled to say I no

longer need

> to be part of the group, because of need, just hoping to find a

solution to

> a problem I now no longer have. I am free. I found my doctor through

a woman

> I found on this list, and I will be forever grateful to her. Rosie

> O'Donnell wrote on her blog - " Don't b afraid 2 share your truth.

It's YOUR

> Truth. It may not b true 4 some & that's OK. Y r we so afraid 2

search 4 the

> truth & 2 share our own? We need 2 Listen.then seek & speak the

truth. Ours.

> " That so says how I feel. For those who choose surgery, I will

always be

> available to support them in their decision.

>

> nne

>

__