J.N. Age 31 – Sydney

I would like to share my journey of dealing with vulvodynia and bladder pain. Compared to many other women whose stories I’ve read, I find myself lucky, as I had been dealing with my problem for only a relatively short time before I found Marek Jantos and started the very successful therapy with him.

I am currently 31 years of age and have been with my partner for 4.5 years. My symptoms first occurred in late 2006. I remember having an acute urinary tract and bladder infection, which needed to be treated with antibiotics. My urinary tract took a long time to recover after that, as I was plagued by frequent bouts of cystitis and discomfort, which I know recognize as bladder pain. After about a year my bladder symptoms subsided somewhat, but I started to develop another condition. I started to experience gradual discomfort during intercourse. I ignored my problem for a long time – tried to grind my teeth, think it was a normal occurrence in long term relationships, but mainly I just tried not to give it much thought. There came a point (early to mid 2009) when I couldn’t ignore it any more, as the discomfort turned to pain and became so intense that oftentimes I had to stop intercourse. The entry to my vagina became very sensitive to touch. On top of that my bladder problems returned. My work requires lots of movement, lifting and physical strain – which seemed to aggravate the symptoms too. There was a period of time when I’d come home in pain and drink a few sachets of Ural with painkillers to be able to sleep. It was a difficult time, not to mention my plummeting self-esteem and a growing conviction that I wasn’t able to be normal, not a full woman. I felt so ashamed that I chose to suffer in silence, closing off from my loving partner as well.

In this time I visited a couple of GPs and gynaecologists, who couldn’t find any physical abnormalities during the examinations. One of the visits was particularly unpleasant, with the doctor suggesting in a blunt way that I had severe mental problems and needed therapy. Later I was to learn that this experience is shared by many women who come across ill-informed and not very compassionate physicians in their search to relieve the suffering.

When I finally decided to take matters in my own hands I conducted some internet research, which rewarded me with Marek Jantos’s vulvodynia site, I had been growing desperate. It was of course huge relief to find out that my condition was indeed real and that there was someone treating it. After a few e-mail and phone conversations with Marek (who from the first moment sounded very comforting and trustworthy), I made my first appointment in Sydney. Things progressed quite quickly from there. Under Marek’s caring and competent tutelage, I started practicing with biofeedback and dilators, as my pelvic muscles were indeed both weak and hypertonic. We also did leg, buttock and stomach muscle stretches and massage to release the tension stored there. Especially working with dilators and manual stretches resulted in speedy progress and it wasn’t very long (a couple of months maybe) before I was feeling better and could enjoy intercourse again. My partner stayed loving and supportive throughout my ordeal. I was so happy!

While my vaginal muscles continue to loosen through my practice, I was still experiencing the bladder pains. Marek indicated that vulvodynia and bladder pains are often linked. I was shocked when we first investigated the trigger points in the fascia surrounding the bladder – it hurt so much! In consequence our next few sessions focussed on releasing and desensitising these points, which brought about big shifts. And during the intensive 3-day therapy session that I attended last month, I feel that I’ve let go of most of my tension problems.

It’s been an emotionally intense journey, but in many ways I feel grateful for this experience. It’s left me with a lot of knowledge about my body and the way I operate. It’s helped me to feel more empowered and in control as a woman and brought me closer to my partner. While I still occasionally experience tightness and twinges of discomfort, the quality of my life (including sex, work and exercise) has improved dramatically. I just know that I need to be careful; keep stretching my muscles, practice relaxation and not overdo with intensive sports and work routines. This knowledge helps me to be more at peace and balanced.