Something Uncomfortable: Day 18

http://www.facebook.com/SomethingUncomfortableSteppingFromFearToFreedom

There are certain parts of your body that you should NOT be aware of unless you choose to be: your eyelashes, your fingernails, your vagina. When I woke up this morning and realized this was the fifth day that I have been oh-so-aware of my vagina, I knew this was going to be a day filled with uncomfortable conversations. It was time to call my OB/GYN.

I had to tell the nurse on the phone what was happening. Then I had to tell the other nurse when I got to the office. And of course, I had to tell my doctor. My OB/GYN is one of THE best doctors I've ever had. And she has a great sense of humor. I'm not sure why I was nervous about telling her, but I was. 

After saying things like, "Oh my... I bet that does hurt," she ran a culture to rule out other possibilities. The bottom line is that I sustained an injury due to vaginal dryness. Of course I have. Oh and I definitely have some estrogen issues because my vag is pale. Are.you.kidding.me?!?!?!?

Here are some valuable things I learned from this whole experience:

1. If you are experiencing vaginal dryness, do NOT have intercourse without lubrication.
2. If intercourse hurts, stop immediately. Do NOT be a martyr.
3. If you fail to follow numbers 1 & 2... hydro-cortisone cream and Paladin will take your pain away. 
4. If after 3-5 days of doing number 3, you are still extremely aware of your vagina... call your doctor and schedule an appointment immediately.
5. Your doctor can prescribe an estrogen cream to help with the recurring vaginal dryness.
6. This is important: Do NOT use the estrogen cream while you have such an injury. It contains alcohol which creates an unfortunate burning sensation. 

If you have been wondering about how to deal with vaginal dryness, I hope this helps. And if you are sick of me talking about my vagina... I'm truly sorry. Hopefully we can move onto something else for a few days.