Testimonio desde Arkansas, United States

I have been incredibly lucky with the resources I've had in my journey to being diagnosed with vulvodynia. I started noticing discomfort around 3 years ago and pain with intercourse. My name is Isabella from Arkansas, United States, and I am 26 living with vulvodynia.

First piece of luck: My sister is a doctor, so I would call and text her constantly with different theories of what I could have. She gave me the courage to stand up to my doctor and confront her about all of my debilitating symptoms. I couldn't dress how I wanted. I was uncomfortable sitting at work all day. I couldn't be intimate with my partner. I am in my prime years...so why am I suffering so much?

After going to the gynecologist on 3 different occasions, I was told to go to pelvic floor therapy and was given all sorts of ointments and medications. I believe in holistic medicine for certain things, and I did not want to be medicated in order to survive. After months of pelvic floor therapy and patience from my PT doctor there, I began to gradually improve! Second piece of luck: She actually listened to my calls for help and was eager to assist me. From her I have learned a lot of exercises and useful information on how to cope with vulvodynia.

One thing that scared me the most was telling a future partner about my condition. How do I broach the topic? Will I ever be fully intimate again? Will they be accepting of me?

Last piece of luck: I am now learning to live with this condition. I have a dilator, I have a special seat cushion, I have new clothes, and I have a supportive partner who understands my symptoms. Vulvodynia scared me at first. It started to take over my everyday life and make a lot of decisions for me and how I acted. But it's now something I have to live with everyday, with some good days, some bad. I can manage it. It won't define me. I guess I got lucky that way. :)