Getting older, but not dead yet

I went in for my first diVa procedure yesterday and everything went well. I first inserted a numbing gel inside via a syringe and then waited about an hour before my actual procedure. The nurse doing the procedure told me that women doing this procedure vary greatly in how much pain they experience, but clearly walked me through the different steps of what she would be doing. With the diVa procedure, they insert a glass tube or "sheath" into the vaginal area in which the laser is then inserted within so the laser never actually comes in direct contact with the vaginal tissue. I guess some women find this step a little uncomfortable, but I did not feel any discomfort at all. She also described that the laser is actually inserted twice inside the sheath. The first time it spins continuously 360 degrees and emits the dual wavelengths that treat both the surface tissues and the subsurface tissues. The second time it actually just rotates the laser head back and forth to specifically treat the tissue near the urethra to directly address issues of bladder control. In both cases, the nurse told me that women experience different degrees of pain primarily when the laser was closer to exiting out of the sheath, but it only last a few moments. I told her I understood and prepared for the procedure. As she had said, I did feel the laser inside me and I can only describe it as feeling like little puffs of air continually popping against my vaginal tissue as the laser rotated inside spinning its way out. I did feel a slight pain when it got near the exterior opening, but on a scale of 0 to 10, I had to say it maybe was like a 2. The second laser pass was easy, but I was surprised that I felt a little more pain near the end and would rate that as closer to a 4 on a pain scale. After the treatment, the nurse commented that I had done exceptionally well with the treatment and asked if I had been using hormone replacement therapy. I told her that yes, I did take hormones and also used the estradiol inserts (vagifem). She then said that she had noticed women who are on hormones seem to tolerate the laser treatments (and had less pain) better than women who have never done the hormone replacement therapy. Her comment was that by taking the oral hormones, the vaginal tissues were less atrophied compared to women who had the treatment without taking hormones. So unintentionally, I guess that using the vagifem inserts had actually helped me feel less pain! I have not experienced any spotting, pain or cramping since the procedure. All are possible side effects, but I haven't had any. So far, everything is good. . . .

I grew up hearing my mom say that "we come from a long line of hair dyers and age-liars" so I never expected to just grow old without showing a little resistance to the process. However, my mom died before I hit menopause and so she wasn't here to fill me in on some of the side effects associated with getting older. I knew that female hormone levels plummet somewhere around 50. What I didn't know was that one of the symptoms associated with this drop in hormone levels was vaginal atrophy and dryness . . . think Sahara desert dryness! I had no idea that the desire for intimacy would also decrease and that intercourse would be so painful!!! I don't know about you, but this is not what my girlfriends and I easily talk about when we meet for lunch. I had tried to talk about this subject with my gynecologist, but he tried to tell me that I should look into counseling to address the pain associated with intercourse . . . hello . . . I am feeling physical PAIN! . . . this is not a psychological issue! My husband and I have enjoyed intimacy and SEX for over 30 years . . . thank you very much! However, he did write me a prescription for estradiol vaginal inserts (Vagifem) which I faithfully used for two years and found very little change in the health of my vaginal tissue. So when I did have the chance to talk about this very personal topic with my sisters, I found out about the new use of laser treatments to improve vaginal tissue quality again. I researched the different procedures that are available and have easily decided that the diVa treatment offers the best treatment for this problem. It uses a combination of laser wavelengths that treat both the cells on the vaginal surface and the tissues underneath to improve collagen production. Other treatments only treat the surface tissue. After the procedure, the vaginal tissues are suppose to be close to premenopausal condition . . . something that both myself and my husband are looking forward to. I have also researched several plastic surgeons in my area and have decided that Dr. Elizabeth Slass Lee is also my first choice for doing the procedure. I have gotten an updated pap smear and had my yearly OB/GYN checkup so I can do the procedure. I am scheduled to do my first treatment at the end of this month!!! I may be getting older, but I am not dead yet!