I tried to find help from numerous professionals in that first year of marriage, including a number of GP’s who diagnosed vaginismus, gynaecologists who screened me repeatedly for STD’s and suggested that I might be allergic to my husband, and counsellors who took me through various psychological techniques to get over some childhood sexual abuse. I didn’t find any relief to the physical pain, and our relationship went through massive lows resulting in blow-ups where I would resolve to make a bigger effort towards our love life and pleasing my partner. At times my husband felt like it was all his fault, that he wasn’t able to please me and that I wasn’t attracted to him – which I could understand as I was not engaging in normal sexual activity unless I made a conscious effort to and even then was not able to be aroused. Sometimes we sadly joked that we had a better love life before we were married and attempted intercourse – the pleasure of slowly removing boundaries prior to our wedding night did not initiate any pain and was the only time in my life that I had felt real sexual desire.

Years passed, and the responses from various specialists I visited were more discouraging than helpful, resulting in avoidance and trying to ignore the problem. It was a miracle that I feel pregnant a number of years after being married, and gave birth to a beautiful baby. However the birth was instrumental and physically traumatic leaving significant scarring and bladder pain. Painful intercourse worsened after this experience, and my GP just advised me to tell my husband to “stay away” for at least a year. Some time later I shared what was going on with a girlfriend who insisted that I see another gynaecologist to try to get it resolved. He suspected endometriosis and performed a laparoscopy and removed adhesions, which provided some relief to the deeper pelvic pain.

However the external burning, bladder pain and lack of arousal continued, and again it felt almost miraculous that I fell pregnant with my second child. I gave birth to her without interventions but found the final part of the labour excruciating as I struggled to relax my pelvic floor and allow her to come out. I had a perineal tear that was poorly managed, and the dyspareunia continued even worse than it had been before. Finally I plucked up the courage to mention it to another GP, who suggested sex therapy and a visit to another gynaecologist. This gynaecologist prescribed and antidepressant, steroid cream and physiotherapy. As I left the office I was beside myself, I did not understand the therapy she had prescribed and felt degraded and misunderstood, so went back to the GP who referred me to yet another gynaecologist. I was too traumatised by these events to proceed with the physiotherapy, but decided to try the antidepressant which was a disaster – I walked around like a Zombie for the short time I took it. I had all but given up on ever finding a solution and felt myself becoming depressed and overly focused on the issue. One last-ditch attempt to find answers resulted in coming across Marek Jantos’ website – which was the beginning of my journey to both physical and psychological healing.

I read through some testimonials and was flooded with tears of relief that there were other women with symptoms and experiences similar to mine. I sent him an email hoping for a response, which was received within just a few days. I couldn’t believe that there was a real person at the other end – and was willing to pay whatever it cost to see him and even travel to the other side of the world if necessary.

The treatment commenced with a thorough explanation and introduction to treatment, and I was surprised and relieved that Marek was more interested in the fact that I had found using tampons painful as a teenager than about asking details of the childhood sexual abuse. It was so nice to have him provide a physical explanation rather than a psychological classification that had in the past made me feel that I was somehow to blame. I was also surprised at the level of ease I had discussing such personal issues with him, as in the past I had the sense that the doctors and therapists I had spoken to appeared uncomfortable and did not really want to address the issues which made me feel even worse.

As treatment progressed, I began to see significant results, and was excited to see a reduction in overall pain levels, particularly the bladder pain and urethral sensitivity. Marek made me understand that resolving this problem required a holistic approach, including reducing stress levels and changing the way I naturally responded to stress. At one point in time I set an alarm on my phone that alerted me every few minutes to do a muscle scan to remind me to stop bracing the pelvic floor, which was one of the most powerful exercises in retraining my tension patterns.

Towards the end of my treatment I had a week of intensive therapy in Adelaide, and on conclusion I estimated that the pain was was 95% improved, and could achieve penetration without discomfort. A small amount of focal point pain remains, but I am so positive with my progress thus far I am sure it will resolve with some more time and patience. I am just so grateful for Marek’s dedication to this poorly understood area of female health and his ever kind, professional approach. I hope that his approach will become more widely accepted and well known, so that many more women can achieve the phenomenal relief that I have found and avoid the amount of searching and trauma that misdiagnosis and mismanagement causes.

I walked out of Dr. Jantos’ office, smiling and very happy with my husband beside me. I saw a young woman sitting at the reception area, eyes full of tears and face turned away. My heart went out to her and I wanted to comfort her. She was exactly where I was more than 18 years ago.

The biggest difference was that this woman was about to see the kind Dr. Jantos, whereas 18 years ago when I was seeking professional help I was practically violated without any explanation. I was asked to get on to the examination table/bed where doctor proceeded to insert her fingers while I was screaming with pain. She said that everything was all right and referred me to a psychiatrist. The so-called psychiatrist tried to convince me that I was homosexual (which I knew I wasn’t). These people only made me doubt myself, made me think that my pain must be in my head and etc.

Long story short, after going through 4 years of depression while seeing the professionals, the day arrived where I decide enough was enough. I overcame depression all by myself as I started to trust and believe in myself again and led a normal life except for my sexual life. Sometimes I felt as though my whole life was a lie. My husband stood by me and supported me the best he could, even though eventually I stopped getting any intimacy from him. I settled for less as I could not give this very important part of myself to him and was not able to satisfy my husband or myself sexually. All those years I felt guilty that I could not share a child with him. And I silently suffered whenever my husband shared intimacy with a woman even though it may have being a very innocent gesture like touching hands, hugging etc as my husband had stopped sharing those simple gestures with myself.

About 8 months ago I finally got the courage to talk to my GP who I have seen for the last 10 years, a very understanding, and modern thinking one. This GP referred me to Dr. Janet Hall, who after 3 sessions with me referred me to Dr. Marek Jantos. Within 3 months of seeing Marek, for the first time in my life I was able to have intercourse with my husband and became sexually active at 43 years of age. Three months ago I could not even insert my own little finger. Thanks to Marek my husband and I were able consummate our marriage after 18 years and 8 months of married life. What a day that was!

Marek patiently help me realise that I had everything I needed to help myself right inside me. He taught me to live in the moment and to let go and relax, relax, relax. He helped me to trust and believe in myself and by doing so gave me hope as to what I could achieve. Marek brought out these qualities I had hidden deep inside myself. When I read all the other case studies I realised that many women have gone through similar situations before meeting Marek. This increased my confidence in my own and other women’s fighting spirit and self-knowing. We know our bodies and we all know that it isn’t in our heads. Thank goodness for Dr. Marek Jantos. I have fulfilled my wish of having intercourse and a sexual life with my husband thanks to Marek. He has even given me hope that I will be able to have my own child. I cannot thank him enough for all the help that he gave me. And I cannot stop praising his name, Marek helped me overcome pain and live my life as it is, without deception and lies which no-one else could do for over 18 years.

M

We have been unable to consummate our marriage of 18 years due to pain that my wife encountered. We have a unique relationship where sex wasn’t the ultimate experience in forming the foundations of our marriage. Even though we both wanted it to be solved we made no progress. We were always able to ignore it and enjoyed a very happy and successful marriage. However, now I realise that we coped by concentrating on other aspects of the life like education, careers and friends rather than solving our problem.

After our first encounter of painful sex we went to see our GP. She was from the same ‘cultural’ background as us. She prescribed my wife some relaxant tablets and virtually asked me to have sex with my wife after she goes to ‘sleep’. I totally refused to do that as it felt like I was raping her.

After few years we went to see another GP and he tried to examine my wife while she was screaming with pain. It also didn’t work and both of us lost the trust with General Practitioners. Again after few months we went to see a doctor at a family planning clinic. She inserted a dilator to my wife’s vagina while she was screaming and asked me to have a look and said ‘see there is nothing wrong with her opening’ and said we should be able to have intercourse.

All these episodes made us unable to trust GPs anymore. Meantime we worked on building a new house and were very successful in our careers. By this time all our friends had children and they started to tease us because we didn’t, and even our relatives started treating us differently. After moving to the new house we went to see a new GP. He was the same age as we were and was open to discuss any problems. However, it took us another 10 years to discuss our sexual problem with him. This particular GP referred us to a top psychologist and sex therapist in Melbourne. After few visit with her she referred us to Marek Jantos.

In our first appointment Marek he explained his approach to vulvadynia in detail and referred us to a gynaecologist to resolve some skin irritation before beginning therapy. My wife saw Marek a few times in Melbourne where she was taught how to do some relaxing exercises. She then progressed to intensive therapy in Adelaide, and after two days of treatment he asked us to attempt full intercourse. That night we were able consummate after 18 years of marriage.

Although our marriage was happy and successful I had a very difficult task to convince my wife that I was not having affairs with other women. Whenever I was close to another woman she would accuse me of having affairs. When she saw me being affectionate to others she thought that I was getting my satisfaction from outside. I now realised that I used to shutdown/turn off the sex part of my brain. I lost libido. I was not intimate with my wife. I concentrated most of the time on my studies, hobbies and on my professional career.

None of the GPs were able to diagnose this condition. They always thought that this problem was in my wife’s head. Only now do we realise how much it has affected our marriage. Thanks to Marek’s vast knowledge and experience in this issue we have been able to resolve this issue. He is a very calm and collected professional and it’s easy to openly discuss your problems with him.

I have been always proud of my wife’s achievements. However, the efforts she put forward to overcome this condition made me realise that how much I love her. She did it for both of us. We proved that a marriage can survive without sex but with commitment, love and care for each other. Yes, you will encounter disagreements and accusations. You can survive if you are faithful, care and love each other.

As a partner of a vulvodynia sufferer I can assure you that there is hope. We were able to overcome it with the help of Marek. I sincerely hope that people who need help will get it from this remarkable person. After 18 years of sexless marriage we did it so any one can do it.

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.

I had two sessions in Melbourne with Dr Jantos and then a week intensive session in Adelaide. I was nervous for my first session in Melbourne but it went really well. I was given a number 1 dilator and a device to contract and release the area. While the device was not huge it was bigger than anything I had ever imagined could be inserted. I looked at Dr Jantos and thought; hmmm I do not think this is going to work – I was very fearful of the pain that it would cause. But with the help of some numbing cream and encouragement from Dr Jantos it got inserted. I was very proud of myself for managing to get something to actually go in. I practiced at home until the second session where more progress was made.

The breakthrough came during the intensive sessions in Adelaide, which I strongly recommend. Towards the end my body felt very relaxed and a large dilator could be inserted and I no longer had to use the numbing cream. Amazing progress was made during that period. The day after our return to Melbourne we finally had sexual intercourse for the first time. It was pain free and it has been very easy ever since. I am so grateful to Dr Jantos.

I highly recommend Dr Marek Jantos. He helped me when I was just about out of hope. His knowledge and methods can help anybody with these issues. His professionalism and kind nature also made an uncomfortable process more bearable.

My symptoms often seemed to hit with a vengeance just as I lay down to sleep making sleep elusive and often disturbed. How many days I went to work on just 2-3 hours’ sleep then came home to the household chores. The problem was first diagnosed when I was 35 years old. At that time my children were 11, 8½ and 5 years old, my husband worked away from home much of the time, I had just gone back to full time employment in a demanding occupation that also involved bringing work home each night and, oh did I mention the delinquent dog that no-one else would have kept but we loved dearly for 16 years! I just did not have time for the demands of vulvodynia! I just had to put it out of my mind and soldier on.

Maybe, like me you have trekked around a variety of medical practitioners seeking understanding and relief from the symptoms but without finding any great improvement. My experience has been that gynaecologists are happy to have patients who are pregnant or trying to conceive but dump vulvodynia in the “too hard basket” and have no treatment to offer. As the years passed and I got older every doctor wanted to write a prescription for Hormone Replacement Therapy and see me on my way but I did not want to take HRT and they had nothing else to offer. In desperation I tried numerous treatments from chemists and health shops and even invented a few home remedies of my own.

One GP had suggested that the PH factor of the vaginal lining was to blame and I used some Acijel jelly which did relieve the symptoms somewhat. Unfortunately the symptoms were the same if I was too acidic or too alkaline so again I started trying to find out how to test and again no-one I saw could help me. Still looking for a test for PH, I ended up at a clinic in the local hospital where the doctor suggested the problem was vulvodynia and referred me to a physiotherapist who treats the problem. He also told me that the PH would not be a factor after menopause.

I made quite good progress with the physiotherapist working with dilators to stretch out the vagina but hit a brick wall when I reached dilator number 5. It took 10-12 very painful minutes to insert but I persevered for 18 months improving slowly but steadily with occasional “flare ups”. After one of the “flare ups” she suggested another treatment but required a doctor’s prescription for the medication. My GP was reluctant to prescribe and referred me back to the clinic at the hospital. This is when my tale of woe became a fairy tale with a happy ending because the hospital doctor sent me to Marek Jantos and I see him each month when he comes here.
Even when I spoke to him by phone to make the appointment he offered some advice that would make me feel more comfortable. At the first consultation he gently started to desensitise the muscles. This was uncomfortable but no worse than the symptoms and I then enjoyed two pain free weeks. I saw him two consecutive days in the second month and the desensitising was much easier. I enjoyed 2½ pain free weeks and was able to insert the size 5 dilator in 10 seconds and feel comfortable. How I wish I could have seen the surprise on my face as it slid into position. The improvement continued over the next two months and I have one last visit to come.

After just five treatments I am comfortable 90% of the time and if the symptoms start I can quickly say “oh, no you don’t” and use the techniques I have learned to fight back. What a delicious feeling the first time I was able to turn over on my side to go to sleep instead of having to stay on my back because of the burning sensation. I now sleep for several hours each night. Now the discomfort has eased I can improve my posture again instead of being partly hunched forward in an effort to gain relief. The moisture has returned to the vagina and I have been able to resume intercourse with my husband. Best of all, the treatment requires no drugs. When I look in the mirror I can see the tension has released from my face and can feel that other muscles in my body that were taut and painful have also eased off so my whole body is more comfortable. This is a remarkable achievement considering the problem had been firmly entrenched for over 30 years.

It wasn’t until I discovered Marek Jantos and his biofeedback program on a blog that I started to make significantly progress and he also discovered problems that no one else had detected.

I am happy to say that I can now have pain free sex with my husband. I am still continuing to use the dilators to help keep the muscles soft and stretched. The peace of mind that I now have is unbelievable and I would not have progressed to this point without Marek’s assistance and guidance.

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.

A few months later, my boyfriend and I first attempted to have sex. This was one of the most excruciating experiences of my life. However, again I thought nothing of it and told myself it’s just “first-time jitters”, it hurts for every girl. So we tried again…and again and again to no avail. My boyfriend was the one who told me to go and see my doctor because something just was not right. So I did just that. I am so grateful that I decided to go and see her because she was the one who first diagnosed me with the condition. However, as I wanted to go and see a female gynaecologist, I was put on to the “second-best” option. I was told to try three different types of anti-depressants, in which I was quite confused about because I thought to myself I’m not depressed and I don’t think my vagina is depressed! But still I tried them. It was not a fun experience; I gained weight and felt lethargic everyday. I also was feeling very down (funny that as they were meant to be ANTI-depressants!). I also went to see a dermatologist, who did nothing, a psycho-sexual councillor, who was very good but I just was not progressing, and finally I went to see a physio who specialised in pelvic floor exercises, however it was not working.

Finally I got referred onto Dr Ross Pagano, who is the “guru” in vulvodynia. He told me it is not a neurological condition, as the other specialists had told me and that it was not all in my head, but it is a physical chronic pain condition. He then referred me onto Marek Jantos to try bio-feedback.

At first the progress was slow; however I then started to see an improvement and was beginning to gain confidence. It wasn’t until I went to Adelaide for some intense treatment with Marek, that the treatment really took effect. After the first session I already noticed a huge difference and by the end of the week I felt 90% better. One week later I was successfully having sex with my boy friend.

All throughout this experience I noticed I had a very low sex drive which almost non-existent, Marek mentioned that it is all related. Furthermore I also was experiencing irritable bowel syndrome, which again is all related to the vulvodynia.
I hope that for whoever is reading this that you don’t think twice about seeking help and having bio-feedback treatment because after all the experimentation this treatment was the only one that fixed me. I am much happier now and my relationship is much stronger with my boyfriend, as this condition was starting to come between us. Furthermore had I have not told my mum about what I was going through I would not have been able to do it all on my own. My family, my friends and my boyfriend have been fantastic support which has helped me get to where I am now.

My Mother’s comments

My 20 year old daughter was diagnosed with Vulvodynia approx 18mths ago. We were “lucky” that her GP diagnosed her immediately and then referred her to a gynaecologist at our request. Then commenced the run around of various specialists whilst eventually trying three different drugs (Endep, Allegron and Epilim) with no improvement. As a mother (and also midwife) it was upsetting to see my daughter struggle with this condition, not improving and then trying to cope with the side-effects of these drugs. At the same time she was being treated for Endometriosis and all that entails. All I could do was offer as much support and encouragement as possible whilst trying to remain positive.

She is extremely lucky to have a very supportive partner (and parents!).
I also found it difficult not being able to share with anyone her condition as it so misunderstood.
Eventually Dr Ross Pagano referred her to Marek to try Bio-feedback before considering surgery as a last option.

At first I was sceptical that the treatment with Marek would work as I knew so little about it. She made slow progress and it wasn’t until we travelled to Adelaide together for intensive treatment that significant progress was made. Once again I was hesitant as the cost of the trip and treatment had to be considered. However S has had the most wonderful results after her Adelaide treatment and we will always be so grateful to Marek. At all times he was extremely professional and caring.

I actually sat in on a couple of her treatments and was most impressed at how dedicated he is to helping these girls. His treatment makes so much sense, I cannot believe it is not more widely practiced. Best of all though IT worked!

- Mother (Midwife)

I first went to a gynaecologist about six or seven years ago. He prescribed a numbing cream, some relaxant tablets and other than that suggested a bottle of wine to relax. But I don’t drink alcohol, and was too frightened to take anything that would relax me so much I wouldn’t be in control. Five years ago I went to a doctor a few times and she was trying to get me used to being touched on/near the vagina but I got busy at work and used that as an excuse not to go back. I then ordered a kit from the US with dilators, book and DVD about overcoming painful sex. I completed the early chapters quickly but did not manage to progress to inserting anything. It made me cringe just thinking about it. I was supposed to do Kegel exercises but I don’t think I even did that right. If anything it made me notice I probably clenched those muscles all day long. I now know this to be the case.

I didn’t know for certain that I would have painful sex because I never even get that far. My whole body would become tense and then pull away. I don’t know why. Nothing negative happened to me as a child. My husband blames and strongly suspects my religious upbringing. I don’t recall being told anything bad about sex. I don’t really recall talking about it much either though. I never looked at myself in a mirror while growing up. I tried a couple of years ago, after a while I did see inside a little and was proud of myself for getting that far, I even called my husband in to see as well. But then the next step was to try inserting something which I never succeeded at. Neither finger or narrow cotton tip made it through.

About two years ago, in despair, I emailed a psychologist whose website talked about others with similar problems. I started seeing this psychologist with a goal of achieving penetration by learning to relax and feel confident about my own body. Through hypnotherapy and maintaining a daily diary, I was able to track my progress of getting familiar with my own body, being comfortable looking at myself and working towards making an insertion starting with a finger and working upwards to the ultimate goal. Unfortunately I just could not achieve any insertion at all. My mind seemed to work against my hand movements.

Realising I was not succeeding in making it to the next step, my psychologist decided I needed to see a more scientific report on the state of tension in my body. So I was referred to Marek Jantos as he has a device that would produce a graph showing the muscle tension in its relaxed and tense states.

In my first appointment Marek explained how the muscles contract and cause discomfort. He talked through the treatment plan, explained how to breathe in a better way and sent me away with the U-Control and probe to try to insert it at home on my own, though I was not able to manage this. A month later at my second appointment however, I was able to insert and it turned out to be a simple, pain-free event. I literally skipped all the way back to my car I was so proud of myself and full of hope for the future. And now, after 6 months of monthly appointments with Marek Jantos, I have gone from not being able to insert anything at all to being able to control my pelvic floor muscles and fully inserting the largest dilator size, without pain or discomfort.

Through teaching me to breathe deeply, instead of the shallow breathing that sometimes leads me to hyperventilate, and now recognising the feeling of the pelvic floor muscles in both a braced and released state, I can now comfortably insert any of the dilators myself. Marek has identified for me the muscles, both internal and external, that have been held tight by me for so long, and has taught me exercises to relax all of these tense areas. I now look forward to practising these exercises with my husband at home, and to also begin our first real efforts to achieve penetration in the coming weeks. I write this with a feeling of excitement and eager anticipation.

Marek’s knowledge about these issues seems to me to be vast and I am so grateful for all that he has done. His demeanour is so calming and reassuring that you cannot help but feel comfortable and trust in his advice and instructions. I do hope that people who need this help can find him easily as I truly believe that if I, after more than 10 years, can get over this within only six months, then anyone can.

It wasn’t until I discovered Marek Jantos and his biofeedback program on a blog that I started to make significantly progress and he also discovered problems that no one else had detected.

With Mareks guidance’s and support, I started practicing with the dilators and biofeedback device and as my muscles softened I was able to progress to larger dilators.

From there we worked on releasing the tension from other skeletal muscle; inner legs, buttocks and stomach which had become very tender to touch as it was where I was holding a lot of my tension which was causing my pelvic muscles to brace.

I did progress very well, then we focused on my bladder pain during 3 days of intensive therapy in Adelaide.

I am happy to say that I can now have pain free sex with my very husband. I am still continuing to use the dilators to help keep that muscle soft and stretched. The peace of mind that I now have is unbelievable and I would not have progressed to this point without Marek’s assistance and guidance.