Research

A colleague at work who forgets that I have pudendal neuralgia, not vulvodynia (still, at least she knows and cares, right) sent me a link to this article. Thought I'd share it in case some of you haven't seen it.

Guidelines for Management of Vulvodynia Issued

"Clinical care should follow the principles of general chronic pain management," the review authors write. "Treatment should be holistic and focus not only on the primary site of pain but on its subsequent impact on the patients' lifestyle and sexual functioning. The evaluation of different treatments is very difficult because published research on vulvodynia has many limitations with poor patient selection, limited follow-up data and a paucity of randomized clinical trials."
"These guidelines act as a starting point to aid doctors and other healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of vulvodynia, and to increase awareness and education on the condition," the review authors conclude. "The clinician should play a role in the assessment and diagnosis of vulvodynia and liaise with colleagues in difficult cases. Team work should be nurtured and developed."

Some Dramatic Title

I really just want to go to bed. I want warmth, comfort, dark, and quiet.

Let me just add:

Fuck.

Fuck.

Fuck!

FUCK!

(insert tantrum about it being "unfair," how lonely and sad and hopeless I feel, and how much I don't want to do anything for anyone right now)

Lonely

My husband and I are lonely together in the same house. We have been in this mess for so long. It's not just sex that's missing anymore, but that is at the root of it.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Some people cannot allow themselves to be helped even though they are begging to be helped, and I have to understand and remember that.

Blatant Call to Know I am Not Alone

Anyone out there reading this also have pain (not discomfort, though that sucks **** too), but outright pain all the time? Just ALL THE FUCKING TIME? No matter what?

Things I Want to Post About But Am Not Ready to Write About Yet

-PT

-My emotional state

-How this particular pain affects my work with my patients

I thought there was more. Huh. Maybe it'll come back to me later. Maybe Phineas & Ferb can build an Improve-Your-Memory-Even-On-Narcotics Machine. Ya think, Lora?

Update to "Right Direction"

The ligament distraction worked in that it decreased pain a bit for 1-2 days each of the about six times we did it. My doc has me in PT now, where we did pelvic floor massage. Not MUCH, mind you, and the pain has been significantly worse since then - nine days ago. Jesus Christ. PT said if this is too much, we'll go back to ligament distraction. I really just want to scream.

Yesterday, the NP I saw at the pain clinic (my daughter says I need an "anti-pain clinic") increased the oxycontin. Very despairing.