Support

For me it’s been really important to be in touch with other ladies also suffering from Vulva and Pelvic pain. Who knows better than somebody that is also suffering too? It’s not just for the support from these great ladies but I have picked up a lot of knowledge specifically following the Happy Pelvis yahoo support group and the LVPSG (London Vulva Pain Support Group)

The Happy Pelvis yahoo support group is an American e-mail support group set up by a lady suffering from vulva pain, she has now recovered but the group still runs. It’s very interesting getting an American perspective, it’s how I learnt about physiotherapy to rehabilitate the muscles and nerves in your pelvis thus helping vulva and pelvic pain.(see previous post on useful books re :Isa Herrera’s book). I loved the title happy pelvis so much you'll see that was the inspiration for the name of my blog!                                                               

The London Vulva Pain Support Group meet regularly in London for support group meetings and they also have an on-line support group which is really informative as well as supportive. The LVPSG have a smears without tears guide, they talk to the training midwifes in Hertfordshire about Vulva pain and raise awareness of Vulva pain along with lots of other great things. This was the first group I found where there were women also suffering from Vulva pain. Check out their website https://sites.google.com/site/londonvpsg/home

I am a member of Endometriosis Uk, it is a Charity which costs £20 a year to be a member, which I urge you to join. They send you a quarterly magazine, they run regular support group meetings around the country and have an on-line support group, check out their website http://www.endometriosis-uk.org/ . They are based in London. We need to raise awareness of endometriosis, it affects 1 in 10 women and lots more people if you include all of the supportive partners and family that you being sick also affects. I have found the on-line group to be supportive and really useful talking to other ladies especially after/before surgery's.

The Vulva Pain Society is a charity which was set up in 1996 by a doctor and a nursing sister to support women with Vulva Pain. Check out the website http://vulvalpainsociety.org/

Another endometriosis charity is the She Trust http://www.shetrust.org.uk/index.php based in Wolverhampton, I believe they hold support groups in that area.

The Pelvic Pain Support Network is another great site to look at http://www.pelvicpain.org.uk/

I wouldn't be able to write a post on support without mentioning three amazing supportive professionals. 

Wendy Rae Mitchell is a nurse care practitioner at The Royal Surrey Hospital, she helps me through tough times especially in the last year following my bowel re-section for Endometriosis. When I came out of hospital she called me daily to see how I was, which was fantastic to have that medical experience at the end of a phone, it made me feel so much better. Wendy is the emotional support you need when suffering with Endometriosis and is always there for a chat if I need her. She also runs a hospital led support group at Guildford Hospital and raises funds for Endometriosis in her down time. 

Brent Osborn-Smith is an Osteopath and Acupuncturist based in London's Sloane Square, he did some of his training in the States and France. He treats me by using Osteopathy, Acupuncture and dry needling to help rid me of trigger points, dry needling is particularly helpful for trigger points. Brent has been really supportive and over time helped me to focus on the positives. http://www.clickaback.com/


Maria Elliott is a Womens Health and Pelvic Pain Physiotherapist, she trained in Dublin and has practised in Chicago and France and is now working in the UK. I have only been seeing Maria for a short time but she is very knowledgeable, easy to talk to and very upbeat. She has helped many women in pain, I found her through a personal recommendation. She is doing both skin rolling to free up my connective tissue and working to elongate my pelvic floor muscles.
http://www.simplywomenshealth.co.uk/


By joining some/all of the charities we, the ladies suffering in pain get a voice. We can help raise awareness of these conditions so that other ladies don't have to follow our journey and may get diagnosed quicker and easier and get the correct treatment before too much damage is done in the pelvis and makes healing a difficult thing to achieve.