I came to The Womens Health Clinic after researching alternative methods of pain relief for my incredibly painful menopausal conditions which have occurred since I was treated for breast cancer 5-years ago.

I saw that there were two types of clinics offering a rejuvenation package, but The Womens Health Clinic offered more information than the typical cosmetic designer vagina blurb. It appealed because I have a medical not an emotional problem.

Originally I was looking for anything that helps long-term with excessive dryness and tightness but also it has to be good! Unfortunately most conventional treatments are not suitable for those of us who have had treatment for breast cancer.

Since I have been experiencing my symptoms I have consulted three GP’s and a cancer nurse — all of whom recommended typical lubricants — vitamin E or D capsules. None of which worked. Intense research over many months on the internet revealed that even natural solutions are not successful after hormone treatment for cancer. I have tried all sorts of lubricants, dilators and vibrational therapy but they haven’t worked.

I start my first treatment with Nu-V in just two days and I’m a little nervous as I am acutely aware of how dry and sore I am.

Some things I am thinking about…I have worried a little about the shrinkage side — as already being tight and sore has made me wonder if the treatment will add moisture and comfort but not enable intercourse as the tissues are already ‘shrunken’. I’ve had a bad experience with awful dryness, previously I have tried dilators but it was so painful I actually cried.

I would really like to see this take off and see other women who go through such awful forced menopausal symptoms caused by hormonal cancer treatments to stop torturing themselves trying every available product only to find it still doesn’t help and gives false hope and terrible disappointment.

What am I looking forward to? Knowing that dryness will no longer be an issue. My vaginal walls sometimes feel like they are stuck together they are so dry and thin so feeling normal is the first thing I look forward to — and later on when I am feeling more confident — having intercourse with my gorgeous husband.

I’m not from London so I’m having a minor wobble about the short walk from the clinic to the tube too but the location is handy for me to get there and back on my own. I realise that a lot of my apprehensions are just because this is all new to me and the treatments I have tried in the past have been painful and fruitless, it therefore makes you a bit paranoid.

However, I am also looking forward to knowing that any discomfort I may feel will soon disappear and could be the answer to my issues — and I have suffered for a long time now.

I am also excited at the prospect that my treatment and the subsequent outcome could be a huge ray of hope for other women too. It is a soul destroying condition and many young women go through the same thing.

How wonderful it will be to know that my journey could be the start of a revolution for women who have had cancer treatment!

DAY OF:

I was a little apprehensive this morning and the thought of an arduous train journey did nothing to help, but off I trotted to the clinic in London. It was absolutely freezing and a welcoming cuppa on arrival was most appreciated. I had a long chat with Emma who made me feel instantly at ease, and it was a welcome relief just to talk to someone who understood the issues I had been experiencing.

The problem with cancer treatment is that once the treatment is over you are expected to be grateful and move on but quality of life is often affected and if you comment about the things that are affecting you, they are dismissed as unimportant in the scheme of things. The sad thing is, that had these symptoms presented without cancer treatment other women in particular would have had more sympathy to the problems.

The treatment itself was inconsequential in that, there was absolute minimum discomfort and the majority of that was psychological. I expected it to be uncomfortable and possibly a little painful. I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Despite the intensely sore points of my body — I can honestly say that the procedure is far more comfortable than a smear, and far less painful than a wax. Even the heat of the laser on the exterior skin is nothing more than a gentle pinch. After using dilators and numbing creams in the past I can honestly say the laser was a breeze.

It is so important to say too that although this particular treatment is for a medical issue, it is a result of numerous treatments and accelerated ageing. The comfort of the room and Emma’s lovely nature made it feel much more like having a facial. It was against all the odds almost relaxing! It did not feel clinical or like a medical procedure.

On leaving the clinic, I could certainly feel that something had been done — or was happening where the laser had been. The sensation is not enough to say it is niggling or uncomfortable because it is neither, it is just something I can feel physically happening.

Whilst I do believe that mind over matter can have a beneficial or negative effect on our bodies, when your body is traumatised through illness or major incident, you are much more aware of your body and its responses to things. I do not for one-minute think what I can feel is a result of over stimulus of my mind. The nearest description I can give is to say its like having used the dilator but instead of pain there is just a sort of feeling that something has been inserted….almost like a dull ache without the ache!

So that’s the end of day one, procedure one, with procedure two already booked.

DAY 1

No one can resist a peek can they? Just to see if there’s any change — as you do. But in the interest of the blog and science… here’s my finding’s!

The skin is lightly red, more flushed than sore looking, but is not tender to the touch. Already there is some plumping which could be light swelling but I do not feel swollen. I do feel a little bit of an ache, a very distant ache a bit like the dull ache I used to get with a heavy period but it is not uncomfortable or painful in anyway — just noticeable, but then I am very conscious that I have just had a treatment.

When you are a model for student nurses throughout all your pregnancies and births, and then for uterine prolapse followed by vaginal hysterectomy, sometimes your body does not feel like your own and any checks including smears feel very invasive. Sometimes the clinical poking leaves a bit of a mental scar that you feel like a product rather than a person. It is not sexy!

Today is the first time in a long time that I feel like I have taken charge of my body and I did not feel violated or like a medical specimen. The procedure may be medical but it did not feel clinical. I felt like I was having a treatment not a medical procedure and already the emotional/sexual side of me feels more confident and content being able to physically see as well as feel some changes happening. Knowing that invasive procedures are not necessary to plump up depleting dry tissues and having the body in effect repair itself makes you feel like you have control over your body again.

Having nurses who understand your concerns and understand the importance of sexual health really helps make you feel at ease. I did not feel this was a vanity exercise, I felt wanting quality of life and a sex life without pain was my right not just something women in my position no longer should be bothered about. Relationships matter.

It will be interesting to see if my UTI’s also become less frequent, I am prone to mild infections at least once a month and more serious ones at least once every three months. Although UTI’s are often said to be the scourge of menopause, they can be extremely painful and it means taking yet more medications to keep them at bay.

The discomfort and cost is something I think most women could well do without!

I was offered an operation to stretch the urethra to help prevent UTI’s taking hold but declined this on the grounds for every cause there is an effect and invasive procedures are not the way I want to go. They often cause more issues than they cure. Scar tissue in older women is also often a problem.

I will keep writing, I just felt that someone like me (who perhaps hasn’t been able to research or understand the research stats etc.) would benefit from a detailed account. If just one symptom I have resonates with one woman who can change her life through this treatment — my blog will have been a success. I think a day by day account — a following treatment through would have been more likely to make me come for treatment. Sometimes the testimonials for treatments seem to be just ‘great’, ‘amazing’ or ‘Wish I’d had it years ago’, but they lack substance for someone who has a particular issue and wants to know exactly how it effects you every step of the way.

Day 2

It is funny what you notice. A little over 24 hours since the first treatment and after a full day at work, it wasn’t until I needed the loo that I realised something small — but significant.

Due to the environment I work in, I tend to wear jeans a lot, and as a result skin sticking to the gusset of my pants is something I experience several times a day. I also get it when wearing a skirt but not quite as often.

It suddenly dawned on me — I had no issue on dropping my drawers — there was no ‘paper dry skin’ sticking to my underwear. On reflection — I did not notice any ‘sticking’ all day! I am liking this!

A positive side effect of treatment that I did not expect. Feeling the external skin, I can confirm that somehow it feels less dry and less paper thin. No noticeable change in lubrication as yet — but early days!

Day 5

So day five after treatment finally arrives. Intrigue gets the better of me and I decide to see if the small dilator is still too painful to insert. This is the clinical bit that has always detracted from the intimacy in my relationship with my husband, it takes all the fun away.

I spoke to my husband about testing the small dilator whilst he sat the other side of the bedroom sending an email. I think he was choosing to ignore me to save me feeling disappointed or embarrassed. I used a very small amount of lube for obvious reasons and gritted my teeth. But — to my absolute amazement — the dilator went in with no pain, no discomfort and no sore spots inside!

Feeling braver now, I decided ‘well what the hell, let’s see if size 2 is any different’. I was a little tense in trying size 2 so was relieved when, as with size one there was no discomfort or effort in inserting. Size three was a big challenge… I prepared myself and tried to relax- absolutely stunned to find again, no problem with insertion or discomfort and most definitely no pain! No sore spots!!

Now I’m almost leaping out of the bed with joy and think to myself, ‘to hell with it’ let’s try size four. Now size four felt almost uncomfortable — but not quite — and there was definitely no pain and no sore spots.

On my initial examination before treatment there was significant granular tissue and this was causing the intense pain. I have not felt it with my fingers to see if it is still there — but if it is — it is no longer a problem!

I was so excited after months and months of intense pain — after 18 months of trying but failing to have intercourse that I called over my poor husband to show him the achievement with size 4. Needless to say I literally jumped on him hugging him and being a generally over excited idiot!

One thing eventually led to another but whether that came forth through sheer shock, joy or circumstance I cannot say. What I can say is — that we had full intercourse — and not a ten second knee trembler either! It was just amazing to feel so close again when before I heard about this treatment I really felt there was no help.

I can honestly say hand on heart that this is treatment one, five days on and it really is nothing short of a miracle. I am not one for big elaborate shows and statements — but this IS a miracle treatment.

The frequency of going to the loo has settled now too, so I think I was right in assuming the nerve endings were just waking up and letting me know they had been disturbed. Like the other bits and pieces of me down there — they had been dormant for a while!

I am — to use the turn of phrase — gobsmacked. Harry Potter’s wizardry does not have a patch on the magic this treatment has performed in less than a week.

1 WEEK POST TREATMENT

I am still trying to find the right words to describe how I am feeling. There are so many emotions going round in my head — but they are all good ones! It dawned on me that if I had read my own blog as someone who was in a similar situation — would I believe the hype? I probably would be intrigued and perhaps interested but would I really believe it — or was it just another throw your money away on some pointless exercise just in case it worked a little?

I have on occasion, been foolish enough to part with money — sometimes a little — sometimes a lot — on some miracle product only to find that my home made versions are far better and cheaper! We all get desperate at times for a miracle.

I was also thinking that in my position — I had searched endlessly to find something- anything! that would help with my condition. Using chemicals to numb my inside is not something I attempted lightly. How desperate was I?

The searches were pretty fruitless really aside from using DHEA, vitamin E, aloe-vera, tea tree (ouch) and vitamin D, none of which were enough even in high doses to help. DHEA has its own issues with someone like myself who is limited to not being able to use hormones but I tried none the less… The DHEA was also rather messy and my lovely GP had just run out of ideas!

I am just such a fortunate lady with the most amazing husband who has always supported me in my health and lack of. He has seen me cry scream and get angry at how unfair I felt it was that finally in my life I meet someone I adore and bang — all the ‘good things’ we should be sharing get wiped away from under me.

I cannot stress enough, with my hand on my heart how much I believe in this treatment. Actually — no, not believe…. after all I am enjoying the evidence.

I did sort of decide to have it as a last resort but the truth is I really did not expect it to be anywhere near this fantastic! I had in my head expected to see slight changes perhaps by treatment 2 and was hoping by treatment 3 changes would be significant enough that intercourse would be possible even if there were still a few difficulties. When I say the pain was unbearable I really do mean that. I have had four children and a hysterectomy with a few perineum cuts too and I can say none of them were a patch on the burning tearing pain intercourse caused.

I am going to continue this blog because I am always interested in being a part of something new if it helps someone. A blog would have helped me make my decision.

Even if this treatment had cost three thousand pounds I have to say it would have been worth every penny. I am just so flabbergasted at the brilliance of it! I am not paid to write this blog and in truth neither would I want to be. I am also no affiliated with the company in anyway (other than being its biggest fan!) If just one woman out there who has had even half of my issues decides to try this — I will have been successful in changing someone’s life for the better. I cannot stress enough that this blog is not only the absolute truth but one that is heart felt. I am now just impassioned in telling everyone who will listen.

I have discussed my issues and the treatment with my children ranging from age 23 to 30 and told them to tell all their friends and to get them to tell their mothers. There are thousands of women who are going to benefit from this, I am living proof that it works.

I was also thinking — sceptics that we women are — that there will be many women who are concerned that down the line this treatment will begin to have side effects. This is why I shall continue to blog. Aging has side effects but this treatment has just knocked twenty years of my mental state and wow has it knocked back the premature ageing years of my lady bits like nothing you can even imagine! I love that it works naturally with the body.

I also wanted to add, that prior to treatment, I had a long discussion with my GP as to what the treatment entailed. He was very interested in how it would actually be afterwards. He gave me the all clear to go ahead and try the procedure. He asked that I go back and see him after each treatment as he would like to discuss the results because he agreed with me when I said it will help hundreds of women. I am looking forward to going to see him with the biggest smile on my face!!! It will be interesting to see what he says being that he is a non-biased third party. I just know he is going to be as amazed as I am!!

If my blog is enough to make you think that this treatment might just be for you — book to see your GP and get the all clear to try. Settle your mind and then speak to one of the team at the clinic. They were fabulous with me when I rang and during treatment. You will be one step nearer to being the woman you deserve to be.

10 DAYS POST TREATMENT

so here we are — ten days after the first treatment, and the excitement of feeling like a ‘woman’ is only just starting to settle down. Having said that, everyday has been a good day for me since about day 3!

It’s not just about the being able to have sex, its about being able to wash without feeling you are ripping your skin off, its about not feeling dry itchy and sore all day long, and not having to plan which one of many lubricants you will use to get through the day and making sure you don’t forget panty liners to mop up the horrible mess pessaries leave behind.

In myself, I have found I suddenly have a new lease of life, and although last week and the coming week are exceptionally busy for me, I find I am actually looking forward to ‘me’ time. Instead of feeling like a washed up old woman, I feel much more like a sassy lively woman who is confident in her own skin. It is not just a physical change, it is an emotional one too. I sometimes think other people do not realise how much impact such a personal but perhaps in some ways insignificant change in the body can impact your life and well being. It is not until you cannot do something that you realise how important it was to you — and to your relationship.

Even though I am a 50-year old woman, I feel attractive again, I feel full of vitality and I don’t have the dreaded fear of ageing. I find now I am embracing life again, and enjoying not having to plan everything around being sore dry and embarrassed. I have been frivolous in buying a new skin care regime and woo hoo, I wore a thong for the first time in what seems like forever! Jeans no longer rub horribly!

I have also found when I pee, that the urine is much more streamlined now and doesn’t just flow where it feels fit. It makes me feel cleaner and I am sure that for women who suffer with UTI’s or urine problems the change must be even better! It is the little things I notice and the little things that make the biggest changes.

For a lot of younger women experiencing similar problems to mine, I am quite sure that sex is one of the biggest issues and challenges they face. With family or financial commitments, I understand that reading and learning about this wonderful treatment is still not enough to sway your opinion or make the decision to go ahead and book. What I can say is, I had got to the stage it was so bad — I didn’t want to wait anymore. I felt everyday I left it was another day for my condition to get steadily worse. I honestly wish I had heard of this last year or so — going through what I have could have been avoided, the only real positive to waiting until it was so bad it was ruining my life, is being able to tell others my honest and true experience in the hope it helps them.

Getting back to a very active sex life is going to be fun! Watch this space!

I am still in shock as to how this treatment has surpassed every expectation, and it has been on my mind a fair bit. If a treatment can be this successful for someone like me — someone who had no had intimate contact for so long because of the pain… I am wondering how it could help women — like my sister — who have had vaginal/cervical cancer and also have pain and shrinkage problems. I am far from a doctor but it does make you think… like colitis … a laser is having such a positive effect when all else failed — just what else can it do?!

11 DAYS POST TREATMENT

Subtle changes are still taking place. I find physically I am more aroused and therefore I have an interest in sex again! The feelings when my skin is touched now has become pleasurable again — there is no sensitivity in regards of pain or discomfort.

On external examination, I can see how much plumper the skin is and how the lips fold around the urethra and vaginal opening now which I am sure accounts to less discomfort as the most sensitive areas are now no longer exposed. I have noticed a moistness too which is consistent and leaves me feeling soothed and healthy.

Little things make a difference, such as wearing jeans and not feeling like I am being chaffed or cut in two with inappropriate seam positioning!

I have not experienced the slightest twinge or beginnings of a UTI and I cannot tell you how much difference that alone has made to me. I haven’t thrown away the sachets and home remedies just yet but it is a lovely feeling to bypass them on the shelf! Even after an evening of wine — there was no hint of a UTI starting.

I even treated myself to a wax — so the skin is more exposed than it was before treatment. For the ladies who like to wax…here is my experience.

Prior to treatment and waxing, the wax’s I have had have been painful and the skin being exposed has meant lubricating both inside and out for comfort. I am guilty in that my wax’s in the past were more for my patient husbands benefit than my own.

Skin would be sensitive and often uncomfortable afterwards until such time hair had grown back and offered a sort of buffer or cushion. However, with hair comes a dryness where the hair absorbs any moisture and so the cycle perpetuates. Waxing would be painful and I would often have spots of blood and find skin sticking to underwear or liners.

This last wax was done a week after treatment — a bit of a punishment perhaps! I was still on an immense high after seeing such amazing results from treatment that I didn’t think that a wax might just not be the thing to do at this stage!

However, aside from spending half the appointment time waxing lyrical (hahaha!) about the laser treatment, I was ‘almost’ pleasantly surprised.

The wax did feel warmer than usual — but whether that was as a result of my body kicking into gear and responding from the laser, or whether the wax was slightly warmer I cannot say. However, it did not burn or feel too hot. The process of pulling out the hairs was not what you could call nice — but it was far less painful than I both expected and have experienced in the past. Not only that, but recovery time was almost instant, within a couple of minutes the skin had stopped tingling. There were no spots of blood, and no sticking to underwear bar a tiny amount of wax left on the skin that attached itself to myself and my gusset! Removing it was not an issue and I did not wince.

There was very little redness — a flush afterwards but nothing to write home about. There was no soreness! Now, several days on — the skin is still nice and plump, has a natural blush of colour and is not itching like hell (as it usually does after a wax). Now the wax is done for MY benefit and I feel fresh clean and not exposed or unprotected.

2 WEEKS POST TREATMENT

I am still noticing changes! The skin is so much plumper…I feel like I did 8 years ago it’s terrific! I’m comfortable, I feel fresh…there’s no soreness.

The changes in the way I feel are completely immeasurable. Feeling like a woman again is just nothing something you can explain unless you’ve had severe issues. The effect on the whole of my life has made me a better person. I feel healthy happy and look forward to jumping my lovely hubby’s bones. Our relationship was always very strong but the bond is even better now. Having gone through the issues together and managing to avoid them was not always easy. A lesser strong couple may not have survived that. It made me think about those who don’t and the upset for the newly single woman knowing sex with someone new was always going to be an issue.

My husband and I are having a lovely time getting to know each other all over again…it certainly has romance and sparks flying…it’s wonderful. Can’t wait to see how the next 2 treatments work out given that so far the treatment has achieved so much when I was ready to give up all hope.

3 WEEKS POST TREATMENT

I’m nearly three weeks post treatment, I had the first on the 9th February. The second treatment is in 3 week’s time on 23rd March.

I am still seeing improvements. The area is much plumper and the lips don’t gape over the vaginal opening so much now. My blog today is more about thoughts — given there was an article in the Daily Mail this week about how teenagers demanding designer vagina’s has hit an all time high in demand….

Today’s blog is fuelled by a news story! I am so cross having seen it!

Reading an article in the news this week about teenagers (although I don’t know how they can afford such a treatment!) requesting ‘designer vagina’s’. Whether or not this is just another pointless truth stretched article or not does not really concern me, but it has hit a few heart strings. Most of the issues young girls experience is just confidence and the desperation to be the ‘best’ in bed and look perfect because sadly — that’s what teenage girls do… and in my day it was all about wearing the ‘iced magenta’ lip colour or you were not hip whether it suited your colouring or not!

It is this type of article that takes away the miracle of this treatment. Older women are generally much more comfortable with themselves and sex is not about ‘being the best in bed’ its about so many other things that generally then make sex much better than it was in the younger years. I felt sad seeing the headline thinking that this type of article is actually off putting for women who really do need help — and it is very ageist.

I am thinking not just of my own age group here — who have issues for whatever reason, but those younger women who are suffering from various medical issues or subsequent treatment will be seeing that article and feeling it is a vanity exercise rather than a clinical ‘cure’. And I am concerned that these young women who feel a designer vagina is the way to go are missing out on building their own personal and sexual confidence. It makes you wonder what are they doing wrong to feel they already need to enhance their sex life before they hit their twenties!! And, for those young women who can not afford ‘designer vagina’s’ and have image anxieties it just adds to their issues and thus fuels a cycle.

In my experience — some three weeks after the first treatment, I can say that I am pain free- although occasionally I feel a little discomfort with penetration, but this is 100% better than the agonising pain I was in before. Discomfort is perhaps too strong a word, it is not exactly uncomfortable, just perhaps best described as a little strange…. but then again it has been a long while since I had a regular pain free sex life!

My body is beginning to produce moisture/lubrication on its own and so the whole area feels more comfortable (think dry mouth for months with chapped lips and the thrill of lip balm and a gin and tonic!)

My sexual relations with hubby are improving — slowly — but at my request and as a result of this I am feeling better about myself and I am loving life again. It is absolutely amazing how just feeling like a normal woman/ wife again can completely change the way you feel about so many things. I find I am happier in myself and I do not feel like a dried up old washer woman anymore.

I am three weeks post treatment one and have not had a sniffer of a UTI -and that is pretty amazing! In fact, the worse thing I am experiencing is the dreaded itch with new growth after the wax. I have decided to keep waxing so I can see clearly the changes and blog on them. For some women the external changes will be very important to them — and I have noticed significant plumping and tightening of the lips but with much more elasticity in the skin — overall a more youthful feel.

1 MONTH POST TREATMENT

Here I am almost exactly a month since my first treatment. I was not just going to sit back and forget about it — after all it really is a miracle! I read through my blog and have to say it just made me feel quite emotional. I had forgotten how much I had written, and how much honesty I had put into it. It brought back many memories and feelings that I had just accepted now things are so much better.

I visited my GP — as I had promised to give him a full update. I have known him some 20 years and he knows me well with my no nonsense approach in medical matters. I am not a nurse — and definitely not a doctor, but I have always had an interest in natural medicines — food as medicine and so on. I spent many years studying with the Open University as I originally wanted to teach biology. Having had cancer and been with the GP throughout that ordeal, it is fair to say he knows me well. He was to say the least — amazed!

My GP (bless him — he is really very good) had been looking into the procedure and its reviews. Mine was the first honest review he could take as being honest… after all the physical evidence was there and not just lovely flowery reviews. I spoke to him about younger women who go through what I did — especially after cancer and the issues us slightly (haha) older women have naturally, without forced menopause.

This treatment has to be pretty darn special because he is more than happy to have some bumpf — leaflets and things to hand out to patients and have on display in the waiting room. In fact, he welcomes it! He has seen the evidence for himself and has asked that I continue to see him after the next two treatments. He agreed that this treatment has done in 5 days what medicine and natural remedies could not in 5-years.

So, this is just not your average joe blogs woman who has had cancer and a terrible menopause shouting from the rooftops but now my own GP is on board with how this can change lives. There are very few medical (or natural) remedies for the awful debilitating conditions associated with menopause — but this treatment works and works like a dream.

My desire for my lovely husband is steadily improving — as my confidence in this new found sexuality grows. So much so that we are soon going away in sunny Fuerteventura for a week to celebrate (and have a rest from the busy life we’ve had in the last few weeks!).

I am a now 51-year old woman, who has had breast cancer, four children, a caesarian, forceps — a traumatic birth (10 weeks early with placenta separating and baby was pulled out) and one normal (easy) birth. I have had a uterine prolapse — a vaginal hysterectomy and an anterior repair (back vaginal wall). I have had perineum cuts, I don’t think in hindsight things have been easy for me! As I am sure I have said before, numerous and very painful/severe UTI’s have blighted my adult life. Sex has been painful and uncomfortable.

Now … I am in no pain, no discomfort, not had a sniff of a UTI, I feel absolutely wonderful. So wonderful that I am going to do a video review and set it up on YOUTUBE so you can see me — and you will see that I am not a dolly bird, not vain, and the honesty of my blog and review will shine through I am sure.

I am still seeing and enjoying a plumpness, comfort and lubrication that had just vanished from my life, I am still shouting from the roof tops and told the girls on reception at the GP all about it! And I have told all my friends and told them to spread the word. If you are still wondering whether or not this treatment is worth the cost, trouble or anything else … Stop worrying! Just go for it! I know there is a saying that ‘it it sounds too good to be true it probably is’ in this case all I can say is ‘sometimes in life a miracle happens’. We hear of miracle babies, miracle escapes, and now a new revolutionary miracle treatment that trust me … a month on I can still hand on heart say ‘it exceeded every expectation 100 fold!’ Just go for it! You wont regret it!!!!