K&R – Queensland

Case Studies – Sisters

I am 23 years old and have been consciously dealing with vulvodynia for a couple of years, since getting married. I was fortunate that my sister was diagnosed with vulvodynia several years before me, so at least I had an idea of what was going on. This didn’t make it any easier to deal with though, I couldn’t believe that it was happening to me as well, and assumed for quite a while that I really was making it up, just copying my sister. It took me a while to go to doctors and gynecologists, and when I finally did they dismissed me with a very cavalier ‘The pain will go away, just keep having sex’. We basically stopped looking for answers after that. My mum stumbled onto Marek’s website through sheer desperation for my sister and myself. I visited Marek with little confidence, but after a few months of biofeedback exercises and stretching I came back with my sister in tow for a week of intensive therapy. The week was very hard physically and emotionally, but very successful. This time was made a lot more comfortable due to the fact that Marek had a fantastic girl working with him, Sherie Johns. The pair of them worked in perfect unison to complete the treatment of myself and my sister in a supportive, caring and understanding manner. I will forever be grateful and would recommend any woman out there to these two amazing people.

I am 26 years old. I have been aware of my chronic pain problem for just over three years – ever since I got married. My very understanding Mother dragged a very reluctant me along to a Gynecologist who diagnosed me with Vulvodynia a year after my marriage. Although she was helpful and I was thankful that she suggested lots of different solutions, at the time it was too much for me to deal with and I played the whole Ostrich-Head-In-The-Sand trick from then on. I also found myself horrified at some of the suggestions i.e. “its really just in your head because your brain is telling you that it hurts when it doesn’t.” This gynae also said one of the ways of reducing the pain was to have surgery and cut all the nerves. As you can imagine I never went back. So I continued on not having sex. It wasn’t until my younger sister got married that we realized there really was a problem. I have to say that, very selfishly, I was relieved she had a problem too. It made me feel that much less of a freak. It sounds horrendous and I would never wish this on anyone but I was glad someone else understood exactly what I was going through. My sister however, wasn’t going to settle for being told there was nothing wrong. She tried out doctor after doctor until she was nearly at her wits end. We had many tearful phone calls to each other wondering what we were going to do. We could hardly expect our husbands to stick around for a lifetime of no sex now could we. When our Mum found Marek’s website I was dubious. I had reached the stage where I thought nothing could be done so I might as well just wait for my husband to leave me. However, in the mean time Rachael had begun treatment with Marek and was so positive about her experiences that I started to consider it myself. Finally, she gently talked me into coming down and having an intensive week with him. I decided it was worth a try. It was a very full-on week but so very worthwhile. Marek is a wonderfully gentle and sensitive man, and to help him out he had a wonderful girl assisting him called Sherie Johns. Knowing that Sherie has gone through this same situation made all the difference for me. Between them both I believe I made progress and I can honestly say I know there will be a light at the end of the tunnel. Its up to me now to continue doing the work to get there. I would highly recommend both of these terrific people to any woman suffering out there – they know what they’re on about and with Sherie there it’s like Marek has a secret weapon – one who knows exactly what you’re going through.