Dear Aunt Vadge,
I had my uterus taken out and a vaginal mesh implant inserted at same time. I had to go back for two erosion repairs, within five months. I went to another Dr. asking about having it taken out, but he said I had way too much scar tissue in there, so another surgery would make me even worse.
In the past year I have kept a tear inside my urinary meatus. It won’t heal. I tried sex with my husband a month ago and it hurt so bad we had to stop. What can this be? Is it possible it’s from my past surgeries, because I am much worse now than before I had them.
Sincerely,
Hurting
Age: 53
Country/Area: Alabama
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Dear Hurting,
Sorry to hear you are in so much pain and discomfort. That sounds really uncomfortable.
It can be a bit pricey, but I would really recommend that you find a clinic that offers radiofrequency treatments or laser treatments for vaginas. They often call it ‘vaginal rejuvenation’, but what these treatments do is stimulate the vaginal and urethral cells to regenerate, resulting in stronger tissue. You may need a few treatments, but it will help hold you together and may resolve the tear on your urinary meatus. This tear could be a caruncle.
These treatments are often touted as a cosmetic treatment, but they’re just quite incredible for urinary and vaginal issues. They use a rod to send the waves up into the vagina and urinary tract area. It’s quite a comfortable treatment, with no downtime, no surgery, no blood and the results appear quickly, but develop over the coming weeks and months as the cells regenerate.
Once you lose your oestrogen flow, your vaginal and vulvar tissue can get quite weak, so boosting it with these treatments could be just the ticket. You will be looking for a clinic that has the ThermiVa, Juliet laser or the older model of the Juliet is the Mona Lisa laser. A combination treatment of both these devices would be ideal, since they both reach different levels of tissue, but either of them would be good. If you get to choose only one, try the ThermiVa.
Also discuss with your doctor using an E3 oestrogen cream to boost your vulvar tissue, including the urethra. (E1 and E2 can enter the bloodstream and after menopause, be dangerous for oestrogen-dependent cancers.)
You sound like you’re suffering from weak tissue, which is a hard one to fix, but not impossible. If you have the funds and there is a naturopath around, I would recommend seeking treatment, since a naturopath can give you advice on your diet, so you are giving your body everything you need to have strong flesh. It’s really important, and not something your doctor can help you with. They can also offer you herbal medicines that can help soothe and strengthen your tissues.
Please write back if you need more suggestions, as I realise that not everyone can afford the treatments they need and they may not be offered on insurance in the States.
Warmest regards,
Aunt Vadge