Tips for upcoming Fall patients

[Heather34]

Hi ladies. For those patients whose procedure is coming up in the Fall, please feel free to ask any questions at all that you may have pre-procedure. New Hampshire is an absolutely beautiful area to visit during the Fall season and the foliage is always gorgeous. Aside from this, one of the most helpful tips for all patients pre-procedure is to talk to each other and also the veterans on this Forum as we have been exactly where you are and we are all here to support you through the process.

[coffee]

Hi Ladies,

My procedure is coming up Sept. 18, so the count down begins, already having sleepless nights because of worrying about the procedure and how i will do, just from hearing other members say as well about being nervous this is normal. One of my questions is Do you start the dilating right when u awake in recovery?

[coffee]

i meant to say i am sure this is normal from hearing other members about being nervous.

[K Howard]

Hello Coffee,

I’m so glad that you’ve decided to have the procedure! I had the procedure on August 13th and yes, after you wake up post procedure with the dilator in (usually an ah ha moment because for the first time something is there pain free!!!) you generally go into working with the dilators. Not to worry though as the staff are there to assist you in any way that you need be it helping you find the right position, angle and tips on insertion. You will do just great! The best of luck to you and can’t wait to read of your success!

Karla

[Heather34]

Hi Coffee. Congratulations on your upcoming procedure and I KNOW you will do so, so great. You asked “do you start dilating right when you awake in recovery?” This is a great question and, as Karla said, you will practice with the dilators after awakening from the procedure. This day and aspect of the treatment was a great experience for both my husband and I and actually brought us much closer. At first, I wanted to practice taking the dilators out and re-inserting them without involving him at all. After really listening to the recovery room nurse’s advice and allowing him to be an active part of the whole thing, it was just a great experience that we still remember today. For me, I was entirely ecstatic that I could insert, remove, and re-insert the dilators pain-free for the first time in my life and for my husband, he was in complete awe that something was inside of me and I wasn’t crying or in any pain whatsoever. It, again, was a wonderful experience to do together.

Another patient has also commented on how practicing with the dilators together really does bring you closer to your partner. She also writes:

“Upon arriving to the office, we worked with the purple, pink and blue dilators at our own pace and was assisted by Dr. P and his staff if needed. It was an amazing experience for me because I really bonded with my husband during the dilation. I have a Type A controlling and perfectionist personality and dilating for me is showing me that I have to let go of some of my control and allow my husband to assist. He was amazing in that when I got stuck at points during dilation, he reminded me that I had already had the largest dilator in me yesterday and he guided the dilator with me until it went in! We were both shocked and looked at each other in awe! We realized that we needed each other more than ever and the dilation was also assisting in our communication with each other. Who knew that dilation could bring a couple closer?! It was great and almost as monumental as the procedure itself.”

I KNOW you will do great Coffee and we are all here to support you!!!!!

[coffee]

Thank you so much for all your inspiring words of encouragement, I will be leaving on the sept. 17, 2012 for the procedure. I will keep you all posted as well take all your encouraging words to heart. 🙂

[Heather34]

Good luck coffee! I KNOW YOU WILL DO GREAT!!!!!

[Heather34]

Hi coffee. It was wonderful speaking to you on the phone tonight and I just want you to know again that you are going to do GREAT with your procedure tomorrow. I also wanted to share with you and the other ladies on this forum an excellent testimonial from Shellie, the designer of the glass dilators used today, who had the opportunity to observe Dr. Pacik’s treatment program last September.

http://www.vaginismusmd.com/stories/testimonials/a-guests-experience-witnessing-vaginismus/

An excerpt from her testimonial includes:
“Dr. Peter and his staff are AMAZING! I watched him address the very obvious fears of one of his patients who would have just as soon gotten back on the airplane and flown half way around the world back home that very minute than move ahead with the procedure. He calmed her, reassured her and treated her. When I returned for the counseling session the next day, it was a very different young woman in front of me; she was calm, approachable and looking forward to the next steps of her treatment. When I ended my three days with this group of women today I could see the excitement in their faces that there was every possibility that he had solved their problem and they could now look forward to leading normal lives with their partners.”