petition for women's health

[laura-thrice.livejournal.com]

http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/bc/pledges/bc_mast_pledge.html

Insurance companies are trying to make mastectomies an outpatient surgery -- "drive-thru," if you will. By signing this pledge, you are supporting the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2005, which will be sent to Congress to show our Reps and Sens what an abomination it would be if mastectomies became a treat-em-and-street-em procedure.

One of my patients had a mastectomy.

She had an incision over her right breast extending to her axilla/armpit with about 8-10 staples, a Jackson-Pratt drain [sucks out the fluid that builds up after invasive surgeries such as this], and a dressing covering the drain and another over the incision site. This was anteriorly/on the front. Posteriorly/on the back, she had an Abram's drain [same kinda deal as the JP] with a dressing over that. She was a single woman with no kids or parents, just a working sister who had 4 kids of her own to take care of her. My patient could not effectively care for her dressings/drains by herself and was kept in the hospital until it was safe to remove the drains. It was also important for her to be there to have a continuous antibiotic IV drip, as these types of surgeries located so close to lymph nodes have HUGE infection rates (even worse, a radical mastectomy removes the lymph nodes and his or her immune system is compromised even further).

impaired adjustment, anxiety, self-care deficit, impaired mobility, disturbed body image, caregiver role strain, ineffective coping, ineffective denial, hopelessness, disturbed personal identity, risk for infection, imbalanced nutrition, acute pain, powerlesness, delayed surgical recovery, risk for situational low self-esteem, sexual dysfunction, impaired skin integrity.....

This is ridiculous and something I'm outraged about. Please help!

http://www.lifetimetv.com/reallife/bc/pledges/bc_mast_pledge.html

Swimming pool chemicals/yeast infections

[cpt-babypants.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever heard of swimming pool chemicals causing a yeast infection? Both me and my roommate have one right now. Neither of us are susceptible to them and it seems odd that we'd both get one at the same time. The only think I can think of is that we both went swimming saturday. I know the chemicals involved are pretty strong and are meant to kill all sorts of bacteria. Has this happened before? I am at a loss here.

NuvaRing: Safe to Orgasm/Beach

[mormon-princess.livejournal.com]

Question 1: Okay. I've been on NuvaRing since June 12th. My one week mark was on Sunday. Was it safe for my guy to finish inside me yesterday without a possibility of pregnancy? 

Question 2: I'm heading off to the beach for an early birthday celebration on Friday since I can't celebrate on Sunday, my actual birthday, for religious reasons, and small family "celebration". I was wondering...Is NuvaRing safe to take to the beach? Can it fall out in the waves or something? Does anyone have a beach experience to share with the ring? 

I wanted to thank everyone who helped me last time with the douches question I had. THANK YOU!!

 I thank everyone in advance who is helping me with these questions. 

EDIT: I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBEM WITH THE RING FALLING OUT, IF THAT HELPS!

X-Posted to: nuva_ring, birthcontrol, vaginapagina

(no subject)

[ktshot1110.livejournal.com]

Hey Ladies...what do you think is better for cramps? Midol or Motrin?

PSA: IUDs and Menstrual Cups

[jennifer0246.livejournal.com]

I am 25, nulliparous, and sexually active in a heterosexual monogamous relationship. I had a Mirena IUD, and it and I got along pretty well. It was inserted back on March 6th. My IUD and I had successfully navigated the first three months, when expulsion is more likely, and were settling into a comfortable routine. I had biweekly "periods" - bouts of light bleeding/spotting. I also bled sometimes after intercourse, and my "periods" were fairly crampy, though of the light-cramp variety, not the ow-make-it-stop variety.

This morning, I was in the shower, and needed to empty my divacup. I began that process, when my shower turned ridonkulously terribly uncomfortably hot. I startled, and jerked out the cup. Bad move. I didn't break the suction well enough (at all, really) and thus dislodged the IUD. I knew before I checked that the IUD had dislodged - I felt a sharp cramp as I pulled the cup out. Sure enough, my strings were nearly outside my body and I could feel the ... shaft? (that seems like such a wrong word to use, but you get the idea) of the IUD.

Damnit damnit damnit! I was (and am, really) so angry at myself, and at my shower, and at my landlord for doing something stupid to my shower so it did that. Completely preventable and yet definitely needing attention. I called my GYN's office (she's the one who put it in) after they opened, some 2 hours after the shower incident. They told me to come in, and I did (this is when it's nice to live a block away). She pulled the IUD (she counted to 3 and told me to cough on 3. That seemed to let my whole body spasm enough to cover up the pain. I suggest mentioning it if your doc doesn't bring it up and you're getting a removal).

We then talked about future contraception: she doesn't particularly want to put a new Mirena in, after I expelled one. I'm not sure I want another Mirena either - crampy light bothersome periods every 2 weeks weren't fabulous, and I got a migraine the day after it was put in (I'm really sensitive to hormones), and I may have had other systemic sorts of side effects. I did like the freedom of the IUD though, and I can't take hormones (I have tried many many kinds of pills, including progestin-only, and nuvaring), and I'm latex sensitive, and I'm sensitive to spermicides. This drastically limits my contraceptive options. I figure I'm down to Paragard copper IUD or FAM, and I don't know if FAM is effective enough for me, or if my life is such that I'll be able to practice it reliably. So, Paragard it is. My doctor agreed to insert it, on my next period, and it'll be covered fully by my insurance (I have really great insurance). She said she'll trim the strings short (she thinks I grabbed the strings in the cup - I think it was just the suction), but she does not recommend using a menstrual cup with an IUD in the future. I'm undecided about how I feel about that and how I will proceed.

So: that's my story. Beware the use of menstrual cups and IUDs. Be very sure you dislodge the cup gently, and break the suction, 'cause it's a bummer if you don't.

[crossposted: jennifer0246, vaginapagina, menstrual_cups, iud_divas, birthcontrol]

:/ Irregular period

[seafeed.livejournal.com]

Okay, so of course, I feel extremely strange about asking online people about this, but here we go (especially since my mother is NO help :P)

I got my period January of this year. So I was 14. k? okay.

It went:
January [x]
Feb [x]
End of Feb [spotting only.]
March [ ]
April [ ]
May [ ]
Now middle of June [ ]

No period for almost 4 months....
... any explainations?

Weird discharge and skipped periods?

[jebe.livejournal.com]

Hello, hoping you can help me. My period normally comes every 35 days (and was meant to come yesterday). But about 3 weeks ago I got this weird...mini period thing. It was just like the very end of your period - basically darkened discharge. And about a week ago it happened again, only accompanied by mood swings, breast tenderness and bad skin, as if I was having my real period. What's going on? this sort of dark watery discharge i've been having doesn't smell funky or anything. When's my real period going to come. :(

Thanks for any help you guys can offer.

EDIT: I'm not sexually active, if that's any help. Thanks!

Studies show stress can make women infertile

[fruchtzwergchen.livejournal.com]

I'm not all that shocked, stress also causes me to have really odd periods...

Stress can make women infertile

( From the Daily Mail )

Boob question

[sparklesistah.livejournal.com]

I'm at my wits end seriously....My nipples are sooo dry and cracked and peeling and ITCHY and I have nooo idea why...I haven't changed detergents or anything like that!

I did have thrush of the skin on my upper arms which I thought may have contributed so I have tried hydrocortisone cream on them which treats ezcema etc...But that didn't work. I have been using E45 cream (Don't know if you get it in the US) which is a cream for treating dry skin conditions, and its a really good cream...But THAT hasn't worked either!

Anyone have aaaaany suggestions because i'm at a loss, an itchy loss!! thanks!

Hi

[99memories.livejournal.com]

Hello, I just joined this community :)
I wanted to introduce myself and ask a probably silly question.

First off, I'm a 20 year old female in my Junior year of college. I'm studying psychology and hopefully have a future in it somewhere.

Anyway, I'm not sexually active or with anyone, but once with a friend we both got drunk and he started fingering me. Then, being very uninformed/confused/etc, I skipped my period that month and flipped out. I was to the point of nearly vomiting I was making myself so sick. Thankfully the university health center was open 24 hours and they helped me, but my period has been irregular ever since.

The very next month I got my period (ovulation and all). I was fine until the next month I skipped once again and I flipped out again. When I looked back, I blamed it on the fact I stopped taking my medicine cold-turkey and I had the worst finals week of my life...but at that point I couldn't tell if I was just making up excuses or what.

I took a pregnancy test and it came back negative. I was drinking with my older cousin at the time, and she wanted to help me calm down. She said the alcohol wouldn't affect the outcome of the home test, but I made a gynocologist appointment anyway. I talked about all of this with my doctor and after checking me out said that nothing was wrong, and my periods were just irregular (there's a term for this). She said to keep track of my periods until December and call her back.

So...do I have anything to worry about? The lab results from the exam (papsmear etc) haven't come back yet, but I don't think I have anything to worry about there. I'm completely consumed by this. I wake up every day and check myself in the mirror to see if I'm gaining weight or anything. It's been 4 months now, and I'm waiting to get my period this month.

Thanks for listening and nice to meet all of you :)

Bump on labia

[nera-fiore.livejournal.com]

For the past 2 weeks, I've had a single bump (about 1/4" in diameter) on my labia majora. It doesn't hurt, not really even when touched. However, it's been there for 2 weeks and hasn't gotten bigger or smaller.

I don't think it could be herpes, because I've never had sexual intercourse - I HAVE had unprotected oral sex, but not for about a month (having broken up with my ex-boyfriend) and it doesn't seem like herpes anyway. It's just a single, painless bump that been there for awhile.

I masturbate with a hard plastic vibrator a lot, so could it perhaps be irritation? I've only used that once since the bump has been there, but still, this thing hasn't changed size and is still here.

Any idea on what it is, and what I could do about it? I don't really want to have to pay to go to the gyno's if it's not necessary.

EDIT: It can be kind of itchy, every now and then.

(no subject)

[miss--kay.livejournal.com]

This is the 4th time I have bv. at least i think its bv..cause i have the same symptoms..again. but this time it actually hurts wehn i go pee. it was never that bad or could it be that i have a uti on top of the very disturbing bv?
i cant go to the doc for now..or should i really go?

bartholin's glands and vvs

[mermaiddrowning.livejournal.com]

So I have had swollen Bartholin's Glands for over a year which is related to my Vulvar Vestibulitis. A while ago, I had a really bad case of vulvodynia which I have since recovered from. During that time I also experienced pelvic floor dysfunction which cause my pelvic muscles to become incredible tight causing my Bartholin's Glands to become swollen and tender. I do NOT have cysts, the glands are just swollen. My vulvar specialist told me that once I no longer had the pelvic floor dysfunction my glands would go back to their normal size.

However, it's been over a year and the glands are still swollen. They cause irritation ranging from minor (most days) to extreme pain (rare occurrences). Either way, I am wondering what my options are and if there are any treatments that would help my glands besides/without surgery to have them removed. I can not return to visit my vulvar specialist because one visit can run from $500-$1500 a visit and I am already struggling financially and drowning in medical debt from the vulvodynia. My regular gyn has nothing to offer me concerning this. I have also sought out three other opinions from gyn's at my clinic and they too are clueless (they've never even heard of vvs, vvd or pfd!!).

So my question is, does anyone have any experience with swollen Bartholin's Glands? What are the treatment options? I was unable to find any information about this besides surgery and information for Bartholin's Glands cysts. Thank you.

waxing & pubic hair?

[sasstress-baby.livejournal.com]

I checked the FAQs and couldn't find anything helpful for my problem.

I shave 'down there' fully when i'm going to have sex with my boyfriend, but after about a day or two it comes back as stubble and is sensitive when i'm touched, which sucks. I want to try waxing but i'm a (UK) size 14 so not the skinniest girl, so i'm too shy to go to a salon. I want to try it myself but i want to make sure i won't hurt myself since i'm not ecactly working with a size 8 canvas down there, if you know what i mean. I'm not fat, but chubby so i guess i just don't want to tear skin or anything. If that's possible?
Any help is appreciated.

skipping a period on OTC-lo

[krysty.livejournal.com]

next wednesday is my 21st birthday and to celebrate I'm going to las vegas with my boyfriend and some family. the problem is that I just realized that I'll be starting my period probably on the day we get there! I'm on ortho tri cyclen lo. is there a way to postpone or even skip my period? I know that if you have a single dose of birth control its possible if you just start a new pill pack right away, but since I'm on a 3 phase pill I'll still bleed anyway, right? what if I started a new pack and only took the high hormone dose pills? would that postpone it? or would that be a bad idea? anyone have any advice?

Odd scents

[pyralisdawn.livejournal.com]

This isn't exactly vagina related, but I suppose this is the best place to say this.

I don't know how else to put this, but... my chest and breasts seem to have a very distinct scent, which is different from the rest of my body. It isn't overpowering, I only tend to smell it when I'm putting on a shirt or something and my face is closer to the area, but it's noticable. It's not a bad smell either, just different.

Now, a couple months ago I went out with a guy, and while we were close watching a movie I realized that the way he smelled was exactly the same as my chest! It weirded me out just a little bit, but moreso made me curious.

So, I suppose my question is: has anyone else experienced an identifiable breast-y scent? And have any of you before encountered a guy (or girl) who smelled just like them?

Crazy vagina question

[delerium69.livejournal.com]

Hello, this is my first time posting and I'm bit concerned. I've had this yeast infection that's being very tricky (which is unusual for me), and since the over-the-counter Monostat option the doctor said to use haven't been working (they actually seem to make my itching worse, which never happened before), I decided to try one of the home remedies, namely douching with diluted apple cider vinegar. Now, I've never douched before in my life, and I just decided to go with ye olde turkey baster method. I've looked up how to douche but couldn't find actual instructions, so I was just balancing over the toilet. I realized after a couple of times that it didn't seem to be working, so I tried lying down, which did seem to do the trick. But then I remember reading in "Our Bodies Ourselves" that air into the vagina could inflate the organs and kill you.

Of course, my immediate reaction has been to PANIC!

How can I be certain I didn't cause myself great harm and should I just abandon the baster and buy the douching product at CVS to just use the bottle and follow those instructions? I can't tell if I feel uncomfortable inside because I'm panicked or there's an actual injury.

Um help?

Could I be pregnant?

[youintheglass.livejournal.com]

Ok, ok, so I'm in need of some advice from you lovely ladies.

Here goes:

So, my boyfriend and I have fooled around quite a bit, but we've never had vaginal sex and we're both virgins. Today, whilst fooling around, his penis found it's way into my inner labia, but there was no penetration. Afterwards, he told me that he may have came, but he wasn't sure if he had or not. Things got pretty wet down there, and we weren't sure if it was me or him.(He said that the feeling was a new, very pleasurable one, and that he was so caught up in it that he'd lost track of things) There was no condom involved so now I'm a bit freaked out that I may end up pregnant. From now on I'll insist on using a condom when we fool around like that. I'm very worried about the chances of my being pregnant, because I'm only sixteen and raising a baby would be insanely difficult for me and there's no way I would be able to abort it. Also, you can't get pregnant from pre-cum, right? I'm really going to have to start being more careful.


On another note:

I'd like to get on birthcontrol, but I'm not sure how to go about doing so. It would be very difficult for me to see a doctor; is there any way of getting it? And, my mother reacted poorly to birthcontrol (I can't remember exactly what she said happened; a stroke, I think), and I was wondering what the chances are that I'll have a similar reaction?

Thanks so much, gals. :)

fingering

[bluesuitcase.livejournal.com]

When fingering oneself, is the "come-hither" motion front-to-back, or vice versa? [i.e. in which direction should one's palm face?]

Thanks!