I'm New! and recovering from surgery

Yes, there is a list on nva.org but you do have to join which costs $40ish but if you don't have the money you can put in a request to have the fee waived

Ok thanks!

Wow, your doctor sounds awesome!
Unfortunately, in Canada, I can only go to a gyn with a referal from my family doctor. The gyn she sent me to seems to understand this stuff very well, but I've had so much difficulty with him over the years because he doesn't communicate well, can be arrogant, and his staff is even worse.

At one point, several years ago, I went back to my family doctor and asked if she could refer me to a different gyn. I'd had enough. And she did. Unfortunately, that new gyn knew nothing of vulvodynia, and I got bounced from doctor to doctor, wasting time and left to feel like I was some overly sensitive crazy woman.

So exasperated, I finally went back to my original gyn. He and his office seem to have improved a great deal regarding relating with people, but still no where near what you're describing! I mean improved means now if I call and leave a message, they will actually call me back MOST of the time. And when I called to ask questions before my surgery, they actually put me thru to the doctor the second time I called. This is a huge improvement for them.

For me to feel comfortable, I really need to have more information.. or at least to have been told some kind of general thing like 'your body is going to do strange things for weeks after surgery, but don't fret about it unless you're running a fever or... whatever.'  But I got none of that, and on good days, I figure it's all gonna be okay. On my bad days I fret quite a bit about what I don't know/understand.

Does the list of specialists from nva cover only the US? Or does it also include major cities in Canada and/or other countries?

Chrisk,

That sounds overly frustrating! It was really hard to get in to see this doctor but once I finally did I have had first class treatment. They can't/don't always call back right away, but  they always do and if I need something they make sure that I have it.

I'm not sure about the list, I actually found out about it from my specialist so I didn't need to search through it, or even join the association. There are a lot of helpful articles/pamphlets on the website though if you have time to search through them and you don't have to pay a dime. I know there was another place that I ran across a way to search for doctors that had knowledge of vulvodynia but I can't think of it off the top of my head--I will do some looking/thinking for you. I truly think it is essential to have your doctor available to you, especially for something like this-where there aren't many places where you can look for valid information, etc. and I am sorry that your doctor is just not providing you with this.

I did find the website for the Canadian Foundation for Women's Health which I thought was good but I can't post the link (too new, but try googling it!) and I followed a link at the bottom, the mvprogram.org. It seemed similar to the nva.org, in fact they used NVA as a resource. You may try contacting them and asking if they have a list of doctors in Canada that are recommended.

Are you noticing any of your odd symptoms going away? I would say that it is completely normal to have odd poops for a while after a surgery in the rectal area and also for a little while after taking pain meds too, but they should straighten themselves out after a while, probably a good while. I still feel exhausted and can't bend over! My rule of thumb with worrying about things is, a) if it's getting noticeably worse, or b) if it is persistent, bothersome, and not improving, I will call my doctor.

Dr trabin in west palm beach florida. I think everything you're feeling is normal just wait til you're fully recovered until you start to worry...

shanabanana999 wrote:
I did find the website for the Canadian Foundation for Women's Health which I thought was good but I can't post the link (too new, but try googling it!) and I followed a link at the bottom, the mvprogram.org. It seemed similar to the nva.org, in fact they used NVA as a resource. You may try contacting them and asking if they have a list of doctors in Canada that are recommended.

Thanks! I found the websites you mentioned. That's exciting! I'll give a call on Monday to ask about their programs and if they have a database of specialists, etc.

As for my symptoms, the burning pain is slowly calming down, but the odor is getting worse. I've had a day or two now when I otherwise feel pretty good, but am still getting fatigued easily. I'm less worried as time goes by.. starting to look forward to the 6-week mark (I'm not quite half way there.) so that I can maybe start physio and get back to it!

Thanks to everyone who's responded to my questions/comments/concerns. Your responses are so very much appreciated! I can't thank you enough.

Honestly I wouldn't change doctors now. You made the commitment to be with him others are going to be reluctant to see you until you've healed.

yes. agreed