[VPD} Re: All about my appointment today

[Guest guest]

Becky. YOu say below that you went to the docs today - the 16 and she did a culture which came back negative . A culture takes a number of days to grow. It the the material taken from your vaginal swab, placed in a petri dish and allowed to grow - if there is anything present to grow. This takes days - and the more sensitive ones take longer than that. So she did NOT do a culture and you don't know anything more than you did berfore you got there about your yeast status. Except that she looked under a microscope and based on her experience with looking at the swabs deems that it probably isn't present. If you really want to rule out yeast, you need the culture and the strain identifcation.

Dusty

-----Original Message-----From: VulvarDisorders [mailto:VulvarDisorders ] On Behalf Of Becky ThornSent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 4:52 PMTo: VulvarDisorders Subject: [VPD} Re: All about my appointment today

Hi all,

Thanks for your advice and for sharing your experiences concerning biopsies (didn't have to have one!) and appointments. I had my appointment today with a vulvar specialist who is also a university professor (at SLU, for any of you in St. Louis). Her course of action was to start slow. She did not want to start prescribing all sorts of meds because then we wouldn't know what was working. She basically wanted me to be sure I was doing everything on her vulvar care list (change detergent, soap, etc.) and use olive oil as a daily lubricant to add a protective barrier to my vestibular glands, and come back in 6 weeks.

I was a bit disappointed because I had put together a considerable amount of information for her about patterns I've observed in my body (not just vulvar issues) and have come to the conclusion that this is not just a localized problem, rather a whole-body approach is necessary. To this, she replied that there does seem to be a link involving VV and other immune-system issues, however there are no studies to show a "cure" for all of it. Also, I keep fertility charts using basal body temps and cervical mucus, but she prefers Natural Family Planning, which is a slightly different method than Fertility Awareness. She didn't seem to care about the potential ailments my temperatures were showing over the last 8 months. Anyway, I asked to have my estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone levels checked and she said she would have to know exactly what point I was at in my cycle (again, she did not trust my charts). So, I guess before I go back in May, I will look into her method of choice so she can accurately gage my hormone levels? (Unless of course, the olive oil does miracles in the meantime:))

I also asked her to test my thyroid, and she sent me to a lab, though I could tell she was rolling her eyes on the inside. I should get the results within a week. However, the only tests ran were for TSH4, Free, Reflex, whatever that all means, and I thought I had read on this site that you needed additional thyroid tests (TSH2, 3, etc.). Does anyone know why they don't order all of these at once?

One good thing is she did swab me for a very sensitive yeast culture and it came back negative. So at least that's ruled out (about time, after 10+ years!).

She also checked my pain response to her touching my pelvic muscles (which was very minimal) and told me my vestibular glands were red and tender to the touch (oh, really?).

Goodness, this turned out to be long--sorry! Thanks for letting me vent! Any recommendations on what to do when I go back in May (again, barring any unforeseen miracles from the oil or change of detergent?)?

Becky

Becky Thorn Music Instructor

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[Guest guest]

Hey, Molly

I am in Crestwood (near Kirkwood and Webster Groves). Many more St.

Louis people and I really think we will have to form a face to face

support group! I know we all feel so alone all the time.

Have you had any success with any doctors in the area?

When this first got really bad I went to Weinstein at MO

Baptist Hospital. He diagnosed me with VV and prescribed Elavil. I

never went back to him because I felt he had a terrible 'stir

up'side manner. Anyway, I tend to think male docs (although some

try) can't understand what itching in the vulva feels like!

I have an appt. with Carol McLaughlin at St. s Mercy Hospital

for later in April. She is highly recommended by my primary

physican. I will keep everyone posted on what her thoughts are.

I also have a PT appt for Tuesday with a physical therapist in West

County that specalizes in women's issues. I am interested to see

what her evaluation finds.

I am keeping my fingers crossed on all of it!

Best Wishes, Kathleen

> >

> > Becky. YOu say below that you went to the docs today - the 16

> and she did

> > a culture which came back negative . A culture takes a number

> of days to

> > grow. It the the material taken from your vaginal swab, placed

in

> a petri

> > dish and allowed to grow - if there is anything present to

grow.

> This

> > takes days - and the more sensitive ones take longer than

that.

> So she

> > did NOT do a culture and you don't know anything more than you

did

> berfore

> > you got there about your yeast status. Except that she looked

> under a

> > microscope and based on her experience with looking at the swabs

> deems that

> > it probably isn't present. If you really want to rule out

yeast,

> you need

> > the culture and the strain identifcation.

> > Dusty

> >

> > [VPD} Re: All about my appointment today

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > Hi all,

> > Thanks for your advice and for sharing your experiences

> concerning

> > biopsies (didn't have to have one!) and appointments. I had my

> appointment

> > today with a vulvar specialist who is also a university

professor

> (at SLU,

> > for any of you in St. Louis). Her course of action was to start

> slow. She

> > did not want to start prescribing all sorts of meds because then

> we wouldn't

> > know what was working. She basically wanted me to be sure I was

> doing

> > everything on her vulvar care list (change detergent, soap,

etc.)

> and use

> > olive oil as a daily lubricant to add a protective barrier to my

> vestibular

> > glands, and come back in 6 weeks.

> > I was a bit disappointed because I had put together a

> considerable amount

> > of information for her about patterns I've observed in my body

> (not just

> > vulvar issues) and have come to the conclusion that this is not

> just a

> > localized problem, rather a whole-body approach is necessary.

To

> this, she

> > replied that there does seem to be a link involving VV and other

> > immune-system issues, however there are no studies to show

> a " cure " for all

> > of it. Also, I keep fertility charts using basal body temps and

> cervical

> > mucus, but she prefers Natural Family Planning, which is a

slightly

> > different method than Fertility Awareness. She didn't seem to

> care about

> > the potential ailments my temperatures were showing over the

last

> 8 months.

> > Anyway, I asked to have my estradiol, progesterone, and

> testosterone levels

> > checked and she said she would have to know exactly what point I

> was at in

> > my cycle (again, she did not trust my charts). So, I guess

before

> I go back

> > in May, I will look into her method of choice so she can

> accurately gage my

> > hormone levels? (Unless of course, the olive oil does miracles

in

> the

> > meantime:))

> > I also asked her to test my thyroid, and she sent me to a

lab,

> though I

> > could tell she was rolling her eyes on the inside. I should get

> the results

> > within a week. However, the only tests ran were for TSH4, Free,

> Reflex,

> > whatever that all means, and I thought I had read on this site

> that you

> > needed additional thyroid tests (TSH2, 3, etc.). Does anyone

know

> why they

> > don't order all of these at once?

> > One good thing is she did swab me for a very sensitive yeast

> culture and

> > it came back negative. So at least that's ruled out (about

time,

> after 10+

> > years!).

> > She also checked my pain response to her touching my pelvic

> muscles

> > (which was very minimal) and told me my vestibular glands were

red

> and

> > tender to the touch (oh, really?).

> > Goodness, this turned out to be long--sorry! Thanks for

> letting me vent!

> > Any recommendations on what to do when I go back in May (again,

> barring any

> > unforeseen miracles from the oil or change of detergent?)?

> > Becky

> >

> >

> >

> > Becky Thorn

> > Music Instructor

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > _____

> >

> > Yahoo! Mail

> > Use

> >

>

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