"Birds make great sky-circles
of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling,
they are given wings."

-Rumi (translated by Coleman Barks)

Monday, December 1, 2008

Progress!

I've been to physical therapy twice since my last update and a lot more has happened. I found out the extreme pain I got right around my period occurs because my muscles contract (which usually causes cramping.) Although I don't personally contract hard enough to feel bad cramps, even the slightest contraction is causing my pelvic floor to spasm and clench even tighter. Interestingly, this is also why many women with vvs (self included) have yet to have an orgasm because our muscles tighten up (like they're supposed to), but they don't know how to let go and we can't experience that release.

That session was pretty painful externally and internally. But, I was still given the small dilator and told to do the XS for 10 minutes and the small for another 10 minutes after that. I've gotten much better at relaxing and it no longer hurts to insert.

Tonight the therapy was so significantly less! I was still hooked up to the machine to watch my levels, which is still very interesting to watch. I was doing so well and my therapist said I'm doing "Fantastic." So fantastic that she asked if I wanted to skip a size (small plus) and move right to medium. I seized the day and said of course, so now I'm collecting dilators left and right. They aren't cheap either- $25 each!! I have no clue what I'm going to do when I'm done with them...

So, in short, I'm moving up, and seem to be making sweet, sweet, progress :-) I hope it keeps up!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Physical therapy is awesome as a dilator therapy supplement. I feel that it kinda "Broke up" some of the residual vestibulitis that remained following my treatment of choice. I'm really impressed.

You go to Beyond Basics, right? I saw ads for them @ my specialist's office in NYC but didn't go since a PT wound up opening nearby me a few months ago. Also, kinda far. It's really remarkable - although I recognize that it's not perfect for everyone.

You probably already know this but just in case: Try exhaling while inserting & also when you do your kegels, on the initial hold, try exhaling - this should push your diaphram down and make the kegel a bit stronger. But remember to breathe. It may take awhile to get the rhythm right.

I find it a rather interesting that you mention the increase in pain ~around menstruation. This past month I noticed an increase in this weird sciatic pain I tend to get in my pelvis... mostly it's under control now but it kinda acted up. I'm gona keep an eye on that this cycle & see if I can relax out of it.