New Blog – Botox Treatment for Vaginismus: Tips for Overcoming Pre-Procedure Nerves

[Heather34]

Hi all. There is a new Blog posted titled: Botox Treatment for Vaginismus: Tips for Overcoming Pre-Procedure Nerves:

http://www.vaginismusmd.com/botox-treatment-vaginismus-tips-overcoming-pre-procedure-nerves/

Excerpts from the Blog include:

“There are many helpful tips that I have learned from my patients that have helped them overcome pre-procedure nerves including the following:

1. Participating in the VaginismusMD Forum. Reaching out and posting about your fears and talking openly to others who either have gone through or who are also going to go through the same procedure can be extremely helpful. The community is there to support you and so many of the veteran patients have felt these similar feelings and fears pre-procedure. For the patients who are too shy or anxious to post, even reading through posts on the VaginismusMD Forum can help greatly to reduce your anxiety.

2. Speaking to one of my previously treated patients. I often contact one of my previously treated patients and ask them to communicate with new patients via e-mail, text, phone calls. By speaking 1:1 with another patient who, again, has gone through the procedure and experienced similar feelings is extremely helpful in reducing pre-procedure nerves.

3. Leaning on your significant other. Many of my patients have shared that their partner during the process was their rock and was extremely helpful and supportive through every aspect of the treatment, including being there pre-procedure. Even if it is a gentle hug, holding your hand, or just letting you vent and even cry, they are there for you and will help you through.

4. Speaking to me or a member of my staff about your fears. We are all here to support you.”

I encourage you to read the Blog and welcome your comments and feedback here.

To the veterans, what helped you with anxiety pre-procedure?

[jessbee]

take it from someone who has suffered from anxiety her whole life, and who tends to have serious control issues..there is absolutely nothing to be nervous about. it is normal to feel excited/anxious/nervous, but don’t let those feelings talk you out of going through with the procedure or worrying yourself sick. you are in absolutely great hands. Just as Heather mentioned, what really helped me a great deal was being active on the forum prior to the procedure. I also sought help from a therapist, in which she helped me mentally prepare for this day. Although I was still a nervous wreck a week before the actual procedure. I was able to mentally and emotionally prepare myself so well that I was so ready to get the procedure done, anesthesia no longer scared me, getting the iv was the least bit painful, and the absolute joy of waking up and realizing that, YES, i am able to have penetration and YES, this really works!! its still almost like a dream, just 3 days after the procedure and i am able to insert dilators like I’ve been doing it all my life. In addition,reading Dr. Pacik’s book helped me better understand the procedure and the actual problem of vaginismus before deciding whether I was serious about going through with this.

[Dr. Pacik]

Jessbee-after speaking to you and knowing how nervous you were in the weeks leading up to your treatment, I never thought it would be possible for you to sail through the treatment like you did. Nerves sometimes get the best of us, but you were and still are a champion!
This is an important thread for others to know that it is normal to be nervous about having treatment in a state that you don’t know, by a doctor that you have not met (other than a phone call or Skype conversation) and placing your trust in a procedure that you don’t fully understand. It is truly a leap of faith.
I would love the others to describe their nerves with fear and anxiety issues and perhaps for our vets to comment on how they dealt with these issues. What approaches if any you employed to help overcome this dread?

[23years]

Fear? Anxiety? Pre procedure nerves? Almost backing out? Doubting the doctor? Not trusting that “I” could be one if the chosen ones? Doubting my instincts? Questioning EVERYTHING?

Yup. All of the above and then some.

There is also a strange thing that happens sometimes when you’ve lived with the “known” but you are going into the “unknown”. What if? What IF this makes it worse? What IF I like the “old” me better than the “new” me? What IF this doesn’t work? What IF it DOES??!!!! Yikes!!

SO SO many roads we travel down the anticipatory road of recovery!

But here is what happens…

Like EVERYTHING we go through in life, no matter how hard, our first training bra, the dreaded period, the peer pressure, fertility, infertility, childbirth, GYN exams, SEX, etc….

Just like ALL of that, and then some, we do what women do best. We cope!

We cry, call a girlfriend (OK who am I kidding? We call TEN girlfriends). We talk about it, read about it, research, study the statistics, worry, wring our hands, bite our fingers, eat a BIG bowl of chocolate ice cream perhaps…..and THEN! Then we plunge forward.

And an “awakening” begins. We get to the other side.

And then the NEW journey begins, whatever that is for each of us. No two women are the same.

But we find, we are OK, maybe even BETTER than we had hoped. Maybe even wiser and maybe with a few more gray hairs, but who is counting?

Bottom line? What do we have to lose?

My approaches were all of the above. And I found it was helpful to be a little more open. With people who were “safe” for me. And that’s how I received comfort. And not to downplay the real STRENGTH of this forum. I can’t say that enough. There is POWER in education and listening to others stories and reflections. I got a lot of peace from speaking to women like “us”

Ladies, WE ROCK!

Hugs to everyone!
23 years

[Dr. Pacik]

Thanks 23 years for your words of wisdom.

[Heather34]

Quote:

Quote from Dr. Pacik on August 18, 2014, 05:52

I would love the others to describe their nerves with fear and anxiety issues and perhaps for our vets to comment on how they dealt with these issues. What approaches if any you employed to help overcome this dread?

I think with so many procedures coming up, this is a wonderful Blog to revisit.

To the veterans and, especially, newly treated patients, what helped you in regards to managing pre-procedure anxiety (i.e. visualization, speaking to others, posting and/or reading the forum, partner/family support)?