Ilaria, 32Eight long years to get to the diagnosis of vulvodinia. Gynecologists who gave up, treatments that didn’t work, attempts of all kinds. Pain so great that it prevented her from leaving the house, wearing underwear, even walking. But finally Ilaria came out of the tunnel, after trying the last resort: medical biomechanics. And there she found the ultimate solution
Let’s rewind the tape: when and how did it all start?
I was 17 years old and had a normal life. Then came the first intercourse and together the first cystitis that was immediately framed as post-coital cystitis and treated with classic antibiotic therapy. The fact is that with each intercourse the cystitis recurred, and by dint of taking antibiotics, of course candida appeared as well. In short, the situation worsened. The cystitis, in addition to being recurrent, had become hemorrhagic. But not only that: the burning no longer occurred only following intercourse but had become practically constant. The condition was increasingly difficult in all respects: psychological, physical, relational
Faced with this condition, how did the gynecologists deal with it?
It goes without saying that as the complaints intensified, the visits multiplied. And they were themselves a source of suffering since every time I underwent a Pap test I would faint from pain. “Because she is too agitated,” the doctors kept telling me. I don’t know how many specialists I changed. I felt hard that it was all “in my head,” that nothing was wrong with me. They treated me like a crazy person
So no one was talking about vulvodinia?
Absolutely not. It was 2010 and still this pathology was not talked about. Faced with this situation I started surfing the Internet and there, looking for a connection with my symptoms, I found the magic word “vulvodinia.” I went to the gynecologist who was following me at that time who, however, did not give me an answer, adding that even if that was the problem, at most she could treat me with homeopathy or pain therapy. Nothing else
I guess you didn’t give up?
I made an appointment with another gynecologist also found on the Internet and whose expertise included being an expert in vulvodinia who confirmed the diagnosis of severe vulvodinia with generalized clitoralgia. I was happy just to have come after eight years to the diagnosis. But a happiness that lasted a moment since the situation had worsened considerably: the burning was constant, wearing pants impossible, and even contact with panties was intolerable. The gynecologist prescribed the classic drug treatment protocol, recommended Tens sessions but all without the slightest result. So I tried to change doctors. The new gynecologist, who is also an expert in vulvodinia, increased the dosage of medication to go along with electroporation. But even in this in case I had no improvement to the point that the specialist himself one day dismissed me with a “have patience, I don’t know what to do with you…” My life was ravaged by pain, and I didn’t know where to hit my head. I got to the point where I couldn’t walk: I did a whole year in bed, moved by arm or in a wheelchair simply to go to the bathroom. And five very long years practically a recluse in the house
How did you react at that point?
I didn’t give up, I sought out another gynecologist who continued on the pharmacological path and pelvic floor rehabilitation. Initially the therapy seemed to have some effect with an appreciable reduction in pain. But then everything went back to the way it was before. At this point, it was the specialist herself who suggested that I give it a try with an acquaintance of hers, Prof. Ernesto Di Pietro, an osteopath, who was involved in medical biomechanics .
How was the approach in this case?
Completely different. He started by looking at the upper part of my body, the teeth and the first vertebrae. He found that I had three wisdom teeth still included, and the C1 and C2 vertebrae not aligned. These two conditions through a complex mechanism were coming to cause the painful condition I had been going through for years now. I removed the teeth, underwent orthodontic treatment, and underwent a course of vertebral manipulations. Slowly I stopped the medication and within a year I was practically reborn
Now Ilaria, how are you doing?
I am completely healed. I have enrolled in the Faculty of Psychology, just completed my bachelor’s degree and will now go on to my master’s degree. I want my future work to be a support for women like me who are facing this disorder with such a dramatic impact on daily life. And that is precisely why it deserves to be recognized by the state as a disabling disease.