Let’s Get Personal - Chapter 5

The real appointment day!

If you haven’t read chapter 4, go do that now! This is the last chapter of my diagnosis story, where I attend my rescheduled specialist appointment almost a year into looking for an answer to my pain.

The first thing I remember about this day was the forms I had to fill out. I had to do a DASS (Depressive Anxiety Stress Scales) questionnaire on my mental health and fill out a secondary questionnaire about my daily life and sexual life. The next check point was sitting in with the head nurse and answering her questions on my medical history. I say checkpoint, because that’s what each step felt like. Going to these appointments for me was nerve-wracking and exhausting, so I would break them into smaller steps that were a little less stressful. After speaking with the nurse, she took me into the exam room where she looked at my labia and took a swab, and then left for a little to share the results with the specialist. They both came back into the room about 15 minutes later.

I will never forget the beaming energy this specialist had.

She just came flitting into the room, talking quickly about how she knew what was wrong, sees this often and knew exactly what I needed. She was quick to explain and tell stories of other women and their experiences. It was a lot to take in.

I think she could tell I was struggling to digest her words, because she suddenly sat down, put her hand on my knee, stared directly into my eyes and said “honey you’re not crazy, the pain is real, and you’re going to get better.” Tears streamed down my face as our eyes locked, it was the first time someone was SEEING me and my pain, recognizing what I had been through. She then joked about past patients that had brought in huge photographs of their vulva’s in an attempt to get some answers . I remember laughing, as I wiped the tears from my face.

She explained that it is so hard to know the cause, and sometimes there isn’t just one - so I needed to stop searching for now and focus on getting better. I was given a referral to a mindfulness counsellor and she told me to see a pelvic floor therapist - which I informed her I already had my first appointment booked funnily enough by recommendation from my Naturopath.

And just like that, the appointment was over.

It was so quick, and surprisingly easy?

You mean to tell me all this time this is all the info I needed??

It’s funny, because my pain story is just starting from here. While pelvic floor therapy was the answer. Those sessions have been some of the hardest and most emotionally draining moments of my life.

But we’ll get to that eventually 😉

If you have followed this journey from the beginning. Thank you.

And if you ever feel like sharing yours. I’m here.

Until then,

xoxo

D