Gettin' yer sexy on...Yes, it's possible

Highly relevant post over at ChronicBabe.com this week!

Jenni answers a great question from a reader, "How can I learn sexual confidence in spite of my illness/disability?"

I hope that her answer will be of use to you. I found it very encouraging since it reminded me of the fact that pelvic pain sufferers are not the only folks challenged with creating rewarding sex lives. Yup, it affects other folks with chronic illness, and let's face it, pretty much any human being.

Sexuality is about the whole person, not just the parts.

Remember to read the comments to see additional resources suggested by the awesome Chronic Babe community, and hear about their challenges and successes. 

Here's to a randy weekend!

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A note on the heart graphic:

One of my Women's and Gender Studies friends in college told me that the heart symbol evolved from a stylized depiction of a woman's vulva, viewed straight on, with her lifting the top two corners to show it off. I have no way to verify this, but I love the idea of replacing the heart's sappy innocence with something brash and carnal. It makes me smile a subversive smile whenever I see them...Rowr!

Resource Spotlight: International Pelvic Pain Society

I figured you might like to know what the International Pelvic Pain Society is all about given that I'm so pumped to be attending their Annual Fall Meeting!

They are a professional organization for health care providers founded in 1996 with the following mission:

• To educate health care professionals how to diagnosis and manage chronic pelvic pain, thereby changing the lives of patients worldwide.
• To bring hope to men and women who suffer from chronic pelvic pain by significantly raising public awareness and impacting individual lives. (Yes! Me too!)

Looking at their list of various committee members, I recognize a number of names: Stephanie Prendergast, MPT, (the co-founder of Pelvic Health and Rehabilitation with multiple offices in the San Francisco Bay Area), Amy Stein, DPT (author of Healing Pelvic Pain), Heather Jeffcoat, DPT (author of Sex Without Pain), Dustienne Miller, MSPT (a PT and yoga teacher specializing in pelvic floor pain), Alexandra Milspaw, M.Ed (co-founder of the Alliance for Pelvic Pain and co-facilitator of the Pelvic Messenger blogtalk radio show) and Tracy Sher, MPT, a PT in private practice in Orlando who I recognize from her many posts on Twitter.

This is one of those groups that I wish I had found years ago. Their short range goal is to:

• Recruit, organize, and educate health care professionals actively involved with the treatment of patients who have chronic pelvic pain.

And their awesome long range goals are 

• To serve as an educational resource for health care professionals.
• To optimize diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from chronic pelvic pain.
• To collate research in chronic pelvic pain.
• To inform men and women, to serve as a resource of education for treatment options and professional health care Members.

Sweet.

I love how clear and concise their goals and mission are. As their influence and membership grows, I think that they will be responsible for a dramatic shift in how pelvic pain is perceived and treated.

If you are looking for help, they have a Patients Page on their website with a provider directory, a shop selling IPPS members' books and DVDs, and an Ask the Board feature.

If you want to support their work, you can donate anytime, or, during this week, you may bid for items as part of their fundrasing auction.

I will learn a whole ton more about the IPPS this weekend. If you want to peruse the 2014 Annual Fall Meeting's schedule of events you can do so here. If you have questions you want me to ask at the Meeting, contact me here. And lastly, a big

* * *

THANK YOU

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to the IPPS members and administration for all of your hard work! 

Resource Round-up!

Got less than a minute? Here's the low-down on this week's posts:

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Resource Spotlight: Section on Women's Health

Did you know that physical therapists can help with pelvic pain?

If you didn't, you aren't alone. Most doctors, even gynecologists, are not aware that PTs can help with pelvic pain and dysfunction.

The Section on Women's Health is a sub-organization under the umbrella of the American Physical Therapy Association; it was founded in 1977. Originally focused on the needs of women before, during, and after pregnancy, the scope has expanded to include a variety of female health issues such as:

• incontinence
• pelvic pain
• vaginal pain
• fibromyalgia and chronic pain
• rehab following breast surgery

and more.

The site primarily serves physical therapists, but there are a few key pieces here for patients.

First, there is a page briefly explaining how these specialized PTs can help different medical conditions, what certifications they may have, and why this specific education is necessary in order to help you.

There is also the awesome PT Locator. You select your symptoms and poof!, get a list of local providers who specialize in your complaint. How handy-dandy, especially since your doc may not be a source of referrals. 

If you are all into science-y stuff, there are two things that may be of interest to you:

1. You can subscribe to the Journal of Women's Health Physical Therapy, or buy a specific article. The site doesn't seem to offer their entire catalog of articles, but it's a start.
2. You can find research projects in which to participate, a great no-cost way to

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."

(Thanks Gandhi.)

Pretty cool!

Even though the site is primarily aimed at physical therapists, it's worth a look-see, especially if you are curious about, or actively looking for, a PT. 

I hope this week's round-up of Resource Spotlights help you on your healing journey.

Be well, darlin'!

Resource Spotlight: National Vulvodynia Association

Founded in 1994, the National Vulvodynia Association is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this year. Woo hoo!

I came across the website about ten years ago, when I was first diagnosed. It wasn't much. A few pages. While part of me was relieved I wasn't alone, the fact that the website was bare bones reinforced my (erroneous) belief that this vulvodynia thing must be rare, and therefore I must be a freak, destined to a medical journey of horrors experienced in solitude... (This is a great example of catastrophic thinking in action. I don't recommend it.)

I am happy to report that the NVA has grown by leaps and bounds over the past decade. There's plenty of information on vulvodynia itself, conveniently tailored for both patients and medical professionals. So cool that they are working to educate the medical community! There's also info on the practical side of vulvodynia, like dealing with chronic pain in the workplace.

If you want even more info, you can join the NVA for access to an online vulvodynia learning center, a list of doctors treating vulvodynia, resources for women wanting to become pregnant, and more. The NVA is a non-profit organization run mostly by volunteers, so your membership donation helps them keep things running. No cash to spare?   You can write to them explaining your situation and they will do their best to accommodate your needs.

There is a full list of their activities here. One of the coolest, in my humble opinion, is the Support Network of about 100 women spread across the country to provide a personal contact and source of information for women suffering from vulvar pain. In some cases, they even organize support groups. (And as you know, I think support groups are the bomb.)

In short, if you are feeling like you are in a vulvar pain rut, the NVA can help get you out of it and on your way to feeling better. Yes! We love feeling better!

So here's a big ol'

THANK YOU

to all of the NVA volunteers for their 20 years of hard work! You are being the change we all wish to see in the world, and that is a beautiful thing.