Almost one year ago to date, I wrote this post about healing over on my community page on YouTube. It was written in the thick of my current healing experience and, as I now near the end of my recovery from pudendal neuralgia, I want to share it again and expand on what I wrote here. When I talk to others about healing, I still find myself encouraging the same things—relying radically on yourself, listening to your intuition and cultivating that kind of relationship with your body, embracing trial and error, and trusting in your body’s innate ability to heal itself (given the right conditions and optimal healing environment). I…
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UTI FAQs: Your Questions Answered
Back in April of 2017, I made a video called “How I Cured My Chronic UTIs Without Antibiotics,” and in May of the same year I made video about curing an acute UTI without antibiotics. One request that I received often in 2019 was to create an update/FAQ video — what am I doing now, am I still UTI free, do I still use d-mannose, etc. I skimmed through all of my comments on both videos, and compiled a list of what I would call my most frequently asked questions. I answer them one by one in the video below and here in this blog post! Are you still UTI free? Yes!…
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Prostatectomy/Prostate Cancer Surgery: What To Expect & What Your Doctor Might Not Tell You
Prostate removal surgery, or prostatectomy, is a very common procedure. It is often performed when someone is diagnosed with prostate cancer that has not spread anywhere else in the body. Prostatectomies are life-saving surgeries. Because prostatectomy often accompanies a diagnosis of cancer, many men undergoing the procedure are only aware of one of its outcomes—becoming cancer-free! However, there are other definite and potential outcomes of the surgery that every man undergoing the procedure deserves to know and understand. This article outlines what to expect after surgery, specifically: a change in penis length, dry ejaculate, urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and increased risk of hernia. If you’d rather watch me discuss these…
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Should I Douche? Tips for a Happy, Healthy, Clean Vagina!
Vaginal hygiene is a topic that I discuss a lot with patients. “What is good for my vagina?” “How do I keep my vagina happy and clean?” “What is bad for my vagina?” Often, this topic is paired with a different question. “Should I douche?” “Is it okay to use vaginal wipes?” “Is it good to scrub with soap and water?” “Should I use vaginal deodorant?” The short answer? No! Your vagina is amazing. You do not need to douche, use wipes, scrub with soap, or spray yourself to keep it clean. If you’d rather watch me discuss this topic than read about it, check out this video from my…
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Anorectal Manometry: Why Did My Doctor Put A Balloon In My Butt?
Anorectal manometry tests the function of your bowels. You might be a good candidate for anorectal manometry if you are constipated, have fecal urgency (a constant feeling like you have to poop, but you don’t actually have to), or fecal incontinence (the medical term for leaking poop). To understand anorectal manometry, you need a good understanding of your gastrointestinal, or digestive, system. We’ll start by breaking down your digestive tract before diving into the details of the testing. If you’d rather watch than read this content, check out this video from my youtube channel: Your Digestive System: An Overview Let’s follow a piece of food from your mouth to your…
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Having Pain with Well-Woman, Annual, or Pelvic Exams? Read This!
Pelvic medical exams, whether performed by a gynecologist or pelvic pain specialist, can be scary. Especially when these exams are physically or emotionally painful. I see this a lot in my clinic. Women share with me that a pelvic exam was too much, but they didn’t know how or what to say to interrupt the process, or what other options they had. So, instead, they suffer silently. Healthcare can be difficult to navigate, as there is often an imbalance of power between the healthcare provider and the patient. My intention in writing this article is to empower you, the reader, with words and tools to use before, during, and after…
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My Doctor Gave Me Dilators… Now What?!
So, somewhere in your journey through the healthcare system you’ve been given dilators. Maybe you reported that your underwear bothered you, or that tampons were irritating or difficult to insert, or that you had to use the smallest speculum at your gynecologist exam, or that you were having painful sex, or maybe avoiding sex because you can’t tolerate penetration of any kind. You told your healthcare provider something along the lines of “touch and/or penetration hurts my vagina,” and you were given dilators. Now, what? Dilators can be a very helpful, therapeutic tool; however, they can also be very scary—especially when no one explains how (or why) to use them!…
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Water-Based Lubricant: Important Considerations for Vaginal and Anal Sex
What kind of lubricant you are using is important! Whether you are having vaginal sex, anal sex, or a combination of the two, if you are using lubrication we should talk about it! This post focuses specifically on water-based lubricants because, as a human, your cells are made of at least 50% water if not more—thus, both your vagina and rectum reabsorb water-based lubricants. This isn’t inherently dangerous, but you should know what you are introducing into your body. If you would rather watch than read, check out this video from my youtube channel! As an aside, while water-based lubricant is reabsorbed by the body, it is the easiest lubricant to…
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Your Pelvic Floor: Where Is It & What Does It Do?
Hello! Let me first say, I am so happy that you are curious about your pelvic floor! All of the media used below is made by yours truly, please feel free to let me know what I can do to better depict this wonderful group of muscles! If you would prefer to watch a video on this topic, please check out the video below! Let’s start by saying that, if you are reading this—with female or male biology—you have a pelvic floor! The term “pelvic floor” is used to describe a group of muscles that connect inside of your pelvis, from your pubic bone to your tailbone, often likened to…