Hello! I genuinely have not been at my baseline since December & began to feel pain in my lower right abdomen since at least January. Like some other ladies on this forum, I have felt that many of my concerns have been largely dismissed because of my "younger" age (30). Basically, the progression of my symptoms have intensified over the last half year & upon doing extensive reading about different possible underlying diseases, I've narrowed down what sounds like what I've been going through the most, & a lot of the symptoms ovarian cancer patients reported prior to their diagnosis sound almost exactly like what I've been going through. My current symptoms as of this month are:

• Stomach that I initially thought "looked a bit bloated" back in April but has now rapidly distended over the past 2 weeks alone to the point I almost feel pregnant—even on an empty stomach. It doesn't come & go, the buscopan I've been given (which they said would relieve bloating) does not work at all so I'm sure it's more fluid than gas as it genuinely feels like an additional weight I'm not supposed to be carrying that's pushing against my back, & more recently up into my chest to the point I'll often feel short of breath, have been experiencing heart burn & can occasionally feel very nauseous out of nowhere. My diaphragm area has also began to really ache.
  • (the bloating started off as a water balloon-like feeling around exactly where my right ovary is located, & gradually began to expand & expand until it filled my entire stomach...and a very strange thing I haven't really seen people talk about in their experiences is that for me my distended stomach often hot & I wake up to it thumping very hard??)
• I can barely keep food down because it genuinely feels like there's no space. I get full SO quickly, and I have struggled eating just a spring roll, and sometimes even drinking liquids feels like it's too much & stomach pain can ensue.
• Urinating so much more quickly after drinking some water, with more pressure and in greater amounts. (Number twos are also smaller & seem more 'wet' but I don't know if that itself is a common symptom.)
• More vaginal discharge than usual, mostly clear but sometimes in yellowgreens or towards more of a light brown color (although it doesn't really smell?)
• Occasional pelvic pain. Can often feel pain/soreness where my right ovary is, & can sometimes just feel it throbbing. Interestingly enough, I feel it's the right side of my body that I feel more pain/soreness in (right ear, shoulder, hand, foot).
• This last half-year in general I have felt more fatigue than I have in my entire life. Walking has become difficult because my legs feel like literal logs, my thighs get hot if I'm walking too much (which isn't very much at all), my body in general feels SO much weaker & heavier. Lots of back pain.
• Family history of breast cancer, have had PCOS symptoms since puberty & have periods inconsistently, & some years not menstruated at all (which in general I know can lead to endometriosis & a higher risk of gynecological cancers because of the "unopposed estrogen")

Now, where I've started to doubt myself (and am just praying to God that it's just a really bad case of endometriosis—but believe that's quite unlikely given the kind of abdomen distension I'm experiencing) is that I actually HAVE done a pelvic/transvaginal ultrasound AND an abdomen/pelvic CT scan with contrast at this point. Neither one apparently came up with anything that the interpreters felt especially alarming.
With my ultrasound: "Uterus normal size, uterine fibroid 5 x 8mm, endometrium 6mm, several small nabothian cysts, right ovary bulky (12mL) with multiple follicles seen (I think basically what are considered PCOS cysts) & left ovary bulky (7mL) with multiple follicles seen. No masses seen; no free fluid. Ovarian appearance consistent with history of PCOS." (Mind you I'm pretty sure this is the first transvaginal ultrasound I've done)
CT scan with contrast: "Normal appearance of pelvic structures. No free air or free fluid. No significantly enlarged lymph nodes." Only other things worth noting are apparently I have the beginnings of diffuse fatty liver & a partially distended gallbladder.
And I don't know...it's just. From what I've read, it's these two tests that have usually alerted healthcare providers of the likelihood of ovarian cancer. But in my ultrasound, they saw "no masses". Could it be possible that they're just chalking up all irregularities seen to the fact I have PCOS? One thing that did stick out to me is the fact that my right ovary IS twice the size of my left, & that IS where a lot of my pain is coming from, and where the water balloon sensation to full-on abdomen distension pipeline started so I do think that's likely the problem ovary.
And my abdomen is SO large I was asked by a doctor if I was sure I wasn't pregnant. Is it even possible for a CT scan with contrast to miss ascites?? Because there is no way this is just regular "bloating" when my belly constantly feels like it's on the precipice of imploding, feels like it's only getting larger by the day & I have been in so much pain. The ER doctor I spoke to who ordered the CT scan (& even admitted he wasn't sure what was causing the bloating yet doesn't think it's endometriosis) highly doubts it's ovarian cancer but also didn't seem to completely dismiss the possibility (unlike another doctor who completely dismissed it altogether & told me that it's "impossible at your age" even when I brought up the details that would give me a higher predisposition)...but then wouldn't they have seen something on the CT scan? They did give me a pelvic inflammatory disease diagnosis which I've heard can have similar symptoms as ovarian cancer, but he told me it doesn't explain my abdomen distension (also I did a pelvic exam in early May & wouldn't that have shown up then if PID started earlier? And a lot of my symptoms started before that..)
I think for sure I'm going to push for an MRI, the CA-125 test & of course they'll have to figure out what exactly is going on in my belly because they all told me to go back to the ER if it doesn't go down (plus the fact that I do need to eat...), but I would really appreciate input from anyone who has more knowledge &/or personal experience regarding this & suggestions with how to better communicate with healthcare providers surrounding this topic, what I should be asking for, etc etc. because it feels near impossible to even get them to entertain the topic because of my age, & I'm just really afraid I won't get through to anyone in time because I've heard it's a very fast & aggressive cancer with one of the worst lifetime prognoses if caught too late :') Thanks in advance !!!
(FYI for reference, am Canadian)

I made and appointment at a clinic because i was having bloating in my pelvic area. I told the nurse practitioner my medical history and then she gave me a pelvic exam. She used a speculum to examine me, I was lying down and not looking at her and i didn’t realize she was going to use it on me. I had heard of a speculum before and they seemed intimidating to me. My mind registered that it was being used in me after a moment or two, i told her i was scared. I was super uncomfortable and I was in pain after that. Don’t they use those when you get a pap smear?

I wanted to document my journey for you guys so you know what to expect and what to anticipate. The last 4 years I had been dealing with heavy periods like most of you. Extremely heavy periods and clots every month. I needed a blood & iron transfusion last October because I was walking around with a 4 hemoglobin. I thought I was losing my mind til I found out I had a fibroid. My gyno didn’t bother to check if I had one when I first addressed the concerns. It was when I was admitted to the hospital that they did their own exams and found it. So once I told my gyno then she recommended my doctor that did the minimally invasive surgery with the davinci robotic arm. If you live in NY especially Long Island I highly recommend Dr.Sticco. He did a great job. I didn’t feel anything during my surgery to be honest I remember switching from the bed to the operating table and that’s it. I woke up in pain and they gave me Motrin, Tylenol and OxyContin for the pain. I was able to leave the same day. It the surgery was long but there were a lot of people getting surgery that day for different stuff. My partner thinks my surgery took 4/5 hours I thought it would take 2hrs. Today is my first day since the surgery yesterday and yeah there pin and discomfort but I am able to move around and still do things. The surgeon also found endometriosis and removed it as well. I discussed him pushing in my stomach to removed excess gas after surgery cause I saw someone else mention their doctor did it for them on here and it helped. I also discussed possible blood and iron transfusion if necessary. I didn’t need it though. My bandages are like a clear glue they are waterproof. As well as the 5 incisions I have on top of my abdomen he also went vaginally to remove the fibroid. I only had one that was 4.7 cm. It was a submucosal one. You can YouTube a video of this to get a better idea. Tbh it just feels like I gave birth or was kicked I the stomach. It’s not super painful the only one that really bothers me out of all my incisions is the one in my belly button to fill my abdomen with air. That one hurts. I had some bleeding after surgery the first night now today I don’t have any. I’m hopeful that none of this will return and I can start to heal and take my life back. I’m an extremely active person. These last for years I’ve been living a pretty debilitated life because of the lack of blood and the heavy bleed monthly. I’d have to stay home completely the week of my period and wear diaper sized pads. Sex was painful for me as well. I’ll come back in a few days and let you know how I’m feeling some more. So far so good. I’d highly recommend it if you are considering it. Don’t be scared and don’t settle from one doctor. There are people who take this serious and have to tools/ resources to help you. Any questions I’m happy to answer them

Hi all. I started bleeding after sex a few months ago. It’s almost like a paper cut, I only notice it when I go to wipe after using the bathroom after sex. I went to the gyno and she tested for STDs and infection - all tests came back negative. She also did an exam and said that everything looked normal. Sex isn’t painful but I’m starting to feel anxiety and I feel like it’s affected my sex life.
I have tried using coconut oil as lube (I’m no longer doing that, the dr said it was bad for vaginal ph) but I still noticed blood after.
They want to do an ultrasound, which I haven’t scheduled yet. Has anyone had a similar experience? I’ve been having sex for about 6 years and this has never happened to me before.

I can’t shake this feeling of feeling like a broken woman and helpless but it’s always in my head every day at this point. I (18f) know for a fact I have vaginismus even though I haven’t gotten it officially diagnosed yet but I always knew something was wrong with me ever since my failed pelvic exam at 16. Long story short I was somewhat forced to get an IUD implant appointment by my mother because she assumed I was sexually active with my first boyfriend but I never got an IUD because I wouldn’t even let the lady put her fingers inside me without squirming away so I was on patches ever since.
I bought dilators some months ago after lurking this subreddit thinking I could just cure myself but I have only been getting more and more discouraged through my “self help” journey. I can’t seem to get past the initial stinging pain at the entrance of my vagina with even the smallest dilator in my VWELL set. It’s crazy because I was able to insert the smallest dilator all the way at some point and now it’s unbearable to do. Not long ago I also purchased a vibrator hoping I could feel pleasure from that but I feel nothing near pleasurable from that. At most, the vibrator would aid as a distraction from the pain when removing the tip of my dilators but I can’t ever reach an orgasm from using it. I never orgasmed at all actually. Not even rubbing myself feels good and I’m just at a huge loss on whether I will ever feel pleasure from physical contact.
I had 2 partners since my first relationship and I only explored my sexual life to the fullest extent with my most recent partner. I experienced the same issues of pain with penetration, not liking rubbing, and not feeling much from oral with all of my partners. My most recent partner could easily get me wet if he looked at me right but anything past kissing and light touching dried me up and would slightly turn me off. I always found myself faking it through trying to act like I enjoyed whatever sexual activity we did so I wouldn’t disappoint him but he picked up on it eventually and now I’m feeling like that’s why he left me for someone else even though he knew what my issues were.
Talking to my doctor or the people who prescribe me my birth control feels useless as they always get confused when I bring up pain with all vaginal penetration. They didn’t even know what I was talking about when I brought up the idea of wanting a surgery to remove my hymen or referring me to a pelvic floor therapist. My doctor had the nerve to say “pelvic floor therapy is only for women who recently had a baby” 😒
All of these hurdles are already causing me stress but just to add fuel to the fire, I recently discovered the cause to my vaginismus and went crying in my bed when I found out. As a kid I had back to back UTIs that would always land me in the hospital for many years and always remembered having to eventually get this VCUG procedure done at the age of 9. I know for a fact I was traumatized from that along with having memories of needing multiple forced enemas against my will around that time frame. Discovering that made me come to the conclusion that this is why vaginal touching always gave me anxiety.
I don’t even like touching myself that much and it never feels good anyway. I don’t even know if Im touching myself correctly or if I’m using the vibrator wrong, although I thought it was straight forward to just focus on the clitoris and relax. The ONLY pleasure I get is when I hold my pee for hours on end because of the pressure I feel near my G-spot. Doing this already caused damage on my bladder as I have been told I have scarring on my bladder from ultrasound testing. I know it’s a habit I have to break to help my pelvic floor but it’s soooo hard to do that when I feel no pleasure or sexual desire otherwise.
I’m just tired in all aspects and don’t know what to do or who could help me. I feel like I need a sex therapist, pelvic floor physical therapist, and preferably a new vagina and pelvic floor lol. My only action plan for now is to stop wearing my birth control patch, stop holding my pee, find a loving and understanding boyfriend in the future, and talk to a gynecologist for the first time next week. Im desperate for all opportunities to help myself and sincerely hope to get these issues resolved soon as I eventually want to have a biological kid far out in the future. Any support or advice is greatly appreciated and thank you for listening to my long rant 💕

Hello I have been struggling with UTI’s since i was a kid and have been struggling for the past years. I got tested in April for an UTI as it was the same pain as it normally is. But I tested negative and was told I had a concerning amount of blood in my urine, and that I would have to come back in 2-4 weeks to make sure it went down. Yet no UTI, but they gave me the meds for it anyways and I took them and the symptoms cleared up. And earlier this week I struggled with the same pain and itchiness so I made an appointment with Planned Parenthood and they did a vaginal exam, bv test, yeast, std panel, and uti test. And they all came back negative and they sent me on my way yet the pain continues, they said that if the pain continues to see a urologist is there anything that I can do to relieve this pain before my appointment or does anyone know what this is???
Symptoms Vaginal Pain pain when urinating pelvic pain on the lower right side frequently feeling the need to urinate no weird discharge no bleeding/spoting No period (i’m on nexplanon) no bumps or lumps was told that my ph and flora was good and that they don’t view it as a gynecological issue

Hello I have been struggling with UTI’s since i was a kid and have been struggling for the past years. I got tested in April for an UTI as it was the same pain as it normally is. But I tested negative and was told I had a concerning amount of blood in my urine, and that I would have to come back in 2-4 weeks to make sure it went down. Yet no UTI, but they gave me the meds for it anyways and I took them and the symptoms cleared up. And earlier this week I struggled with the same pain and itchiness so I made an appointment with Planned Parenthood and they did a vaginal exam, bv test, yeast, std panel, and uti test. And they all came back negative and they sent me on my way yet the pain continues, they said that if the pain continues to see a urologist is there anything that I can do to relieve this pain before my appointment or does anyone know what this is???
Symptoms Vaginal Pain pain when urinating pelvic pain on the lower right side frequently feeling the need to urinate no weird discharge no bleeding/spoting No period (i’m on nexplanon) no bumps or lumps was told that my ph and flora was good and that they don’t view it as a gynecological issue

Dr. Lawrence Piro is a guest host.
​

• Dr. Piro would tell Doherty, you cannot associate your cancer with your friend’s. They are different diagnoses. You have to walk your path.
• After Doherty heard that, the pain went away. It had been a mental thing.
• Sometimes when people tell their cancer story, they leave out certain things. So the person listening can’t be fully educated. People try to make themselves look like they’re on the right path.
• Doherty’s friends went to several different protocols, anytime something was uncomfortable. Doherty says the more protocols you blow through, the less options you have.
• The reason doctors don’t talk about specific people they cured, is because those are anecdotes. Doctors have to study the overall numbers of how effective something is.
• If you do homeopathy, you have to make sure they aren’t counteracting what the prescribed medicine is. Things like that should be in conjunction with the prescribed treatment, so they work together.
• Piro was caring for a person with cancer. His girlfriend, whom he would marry, decided to stop feeding him the liquid diet. And they would feed him yogurt mixed with antioxidants and berries. Piro told him he could call him anytime.
• The patient then called one day and said “I think I’m dying. I’m bleeding from my nose, mouth, everywhere.”
• Piro went into the patient’s house and lifted up the sheets. He asked for lotion. He put the lotion on his feet, to calm him down. The in home nurse didn’t even know he was the doctor, and she was confused at first.
• Piro then asked what he had been eating. Piro concluded that he had a vitamin K deficiency. That’s why he’s bleeding. He sent the mom to go to the pharmacy and get vitamin K. The bleeding stopped.
• Well intentioned changes, without discussing it with the doctor, resulted in a scary moment for the patient.
• Doherty had thought for a bit, that maybe doctors don’t know everything. But after hearing that story, she changed her mind. Doctors understand how drugs interact with each other.
• Doctor has never felt that she had to keep her mouth shut, with Dr. Piro. But, she’s realized doctors know about all kinds of data associated with different treatments.
• It’s ok to do research and push back against an opinion.
• Prior to the internet, all medical knowledge was in medical books. And medical books were only sold to doctors. The doctor was viewed as the keeper of all medical knowledge.
• Doctors became inflamed because of the internet, because patients would come in with 75 page printout from the internet and tell doctors what the patients self diagnosed what they had. Doctors would then take those printouts and trash them.
• The white coat is symbolic of being a professor.
• Dr. Piro: People didn’t want to be on my team, they wanted me to be on their team.
• Doherty didn’t want infusions at one point. One of them was making her throw up for 14 days. Dr. Piro said you can take responsibility for it, and if you get sick from not taking them, then come back in and we’ll get your an IV drip. Dr. Piro says she knows her body. She was right about this.
• It’s like when a patient says not to use a vein because it doesn’t work. A patient knows their body.
• Does it take a toll on you when you lose a patient, or are you able to stay detached?
• Dr. Piro: Just make the process as the patient wants it, including the dying part. You’re most vulnerable when you’re dying.
• Dr. Piro: I’m honored to have helped people die well.
• Dr. Piro: I’ve seen people have miraculous responses. “Miracle” is a complicated word, because I imagine someone waving a wand. I have seen unexpected results. I do believe there are factors beyond our control. They are biological, physical, and some spiritual.
• If you have anal bleeding, don’t just chalk it up to hemorrhoids. Have someone take a look. Tell your doctor to visually have a look and examine that area. Anal cancer is caused by HPV. It requires a finger exam and a visual exam. Scopes can miss that area.
• Some women feel that if they have anal cancer, it means it’s because they were having sex there. That’s not true. Vaginal secretions can pool into that area and infect that area. Don’t let anyone embarrass you into not asking for the right exams and screenings.

Hello beautiful people! Just got out of a really easy checkup and thought I’d share my good news and offer some encouragement and reassurance ❤️‍🩹 I’m 54, I had a laparoscopic procedure May 13th, surrendered everything except my ovaries. I can’t say enough good things about my surgeon, if anyone here lives in Silicon Valley/Bay Area I’m happy to recommend her - she has a specialty in treating endometriosis and special training in robotic surgery.
https://stanfordhealthcare.org/doctors/m/kristine-miller.html
I had a very large fibroid and a slightly enlarged uterus with multiple fibroids and now they are both gone. I’m feeling my humor and energy coming back after years of anemia!
On the bummer side, still not cleared to exercise (which is very difficult because I am still low key hyperactive and mange it through yoga and dance). Also, no internal exam and I was advised to just let everything continue to heal, still nothing internal until the next check up in 3 more weeks. I told the doc I was feeling minorly anxious about it…like, do I have a vagina anymore? She was kind and reassured me that even though she removed my cervix, it’s not part of the vagina, she didn’t remove any vaginal tissue and if I did lose any depth we’re talking millimeters, not inches.
I hope that everyone is also having easy check ups and feeling the dawning relief of a life without chronic pain 🫶🏼

I just saw a wonderful women's pelvic physio who has given me the diagnosis of vulvodynia after months of worsening pain. I had told my GP and my child nurse my problems repeatedly, but I was ignored and told that it's vaginal dryness from breastfeeding.
I don't know how it started. I don't know what triggered it. All I know is that these past few weeks in particular have been agony. I can't sleep at night unless truly exhausted. Wiping myself after using the toilet hurts. Sitting down and driving my car hurts. Everything hurts. It's maddening.
It's so bad that the physio couldn't get more than the tip of her finger inside of me. When she did I almost clenched my legs shut on her. She completely stopped the exam because of it.
My husband and I are on a complete sex ban until my physio is able to get more than her finger in without pain. Considering the tip of her finger couldn't even enter without pain... that seems impossible.
My life went from normal to on fire one random day, and I'm scared that I'll never get that back.

I’m a 32F and on Monday I started having an uncomfortable sensation in my pelvic/vaginal area. It felt like something was loose almost, and a feeling of pressure or heaviness. I also found that I had to pee a lot but never felt completely “empty” after. Nothing appears abnormal on the outside and I did try to do a quick self check but I really am not sure what the inside of my vagina should feel like normally. It felt fine to me?
I went to see my doctor Tuesday and she did an external exam and just pressed on my abdomen and pelvic area. I didn’t really feel any pain, just felt like I had to pee. She said it’s probably a UTI and prescribed me meds and took a urine sample.
It’s been a few days later and there’s no relief. Still feel the need to pee. Sometimes i feel discomfort peeing or when i “push”. It’s worse standing up then when laying down. It feels like I have alternating shooting and throbbing pain on my left side down my pelvis and vaginal area and down my leg. It almost feels like I pulled something internally?
I also have been experiencing bloating. No idea if it’s related. I was due to start ovulating on Monday and I do have PCOS but I’ve had it for years and this absolutely does not feel like this. I’m at a loss and it’s not really painful but it’s so uncomfortable and distracting.
Any ideas would be really appreciated.

I had some pain in my nether regions. I am prone to UTIs, but this time I suspected it was something else. I could not get in to see the Ob/Gyn or my general doctor, so I went to the immediate care affiliated with the hospital.
The doctor was male, but asked a female NP to take the vaginal swabs, after which he returned to discuss the next steps (test, cultures, etc). I have no issue with a male doctor, but obviously would be more comfortable with a female if possible. For this situation, she was just taking swabs (not a full pelvic exam, etc) so the risk was minimal.
I have had my share of mixed experiences with NPs, but this seemed to be okay. Thoughts?

Hi, I’ve been struggling with heavy and painful periods since around 2018. Large clots, but not anemic and pelvic pain 3 out of every 4 weeks. Intercourse can be painful and palpation of my lower abdomen. I had a vaginal US today and I have the results but I am unsure if I should be concerned or seek out a different provider other than my PCP. Thoughts?
Impression Small bilateral ovarian cysts with echogenic content (O RADS US 2) which may reflect either small hemorrhagic cysts or endometriomas. Recommend follow-up in 8 to 12 weeks. Endometrial thickness is in the upper limit of normal.
Please see below for data measurements: LMP: 5/6/24 Uterus: Sagittal 9.4 cm; AP 6.2 cm; Transverse 4.0 cm Endometrium: 1.4 cm Right ovary: Sagittal 3.0 cm; AP 2.2 cm; Transverse 2.3 cm Left ovary: Sagittal 2.5 cm; AP 1.8 cm; Transverse 1.4 cm
Narrative EXAM: US ENDOVAGINAL (NON-OB) LMP: 5/6/24 COMPARISON: None TECHNIQUE: Ultrasound views of the pelvis were obtained endovaginally using gray scale and color Doppler imaging. Spectral Doppler imaging was also performed.
FINDINGS: UTERUS/CERVIX: The uterus was anteverted and measured 9.4 x 6.2 x 4.0 cm. No focal myometrial mass was seen. The endometrium was normal in thickness, measuring 1.4 cm. OVARIES: The ovaries were seen well transvaginally. Small cystic areas were seen within both ovaries compatible with follicles. Bilateral cysts with echogenic content measuring up to 1.4 cm to the left and 1.5 cm to the right. Appropriate arterial inflow and venous outflow of the ovaries was documented on color and spectral Doppler imaging. The right ovary measured 3.0 x 2.2 x 2.3 cm and the left ovary measured 2.5 x 1.8 x 1.4 cm.
OTHER: No abnormal pelvic free fluid.

Uterine not vaginal bleeding verified during speculum exam. Pelvic soreness and fatigue. No sharp shooting pain.
Tested negative for pregnancy and for STIs.
Anovulation speculated via Tennessee OBYGYN ER doc.
Prescribed progesterone and OBGYN visit.
Clear bright red blood bleeding for 24h, 200-300mL worth every 6h for past 12 hours. 300-400mL with 0.5cm diameter blood clots since exam.
Blood comes when sitting, pad is dark red but not filled after 2h.
Bull riding event occurred 48h ago.
25F. 130lb/5"9. Regular periods lasting 3-4 days monthly all my life starting at 12.
Live in NYC, exercise regularly. No hormonal conditions. PID diag with no STIs at 19. No symptoms apart from some soreness after sex.
Traveling home today from vacation today, and OBYN apt set up for 2 days from now.
What can I do to minimize any further damage, and prevent infertility? Should I go back to the ER and request a specific type of exam?
Can anovulation start randomly in a healthy 25 y.o woman with no previous OBGYN conditions?

Uterine not vaginal bleeding verified in ER speculum exam. Pelvic soreness and fatigue. No sharp shooting pain.
Tested negative for pregnancy and for STIs.
Anovulation speculated via Tennessee OBYGYN ER doc.
Prescribed progesterone and OBGYN visit.
Clear bright red blood bleeding for 24h, 200-300mL worth every 6h for past 12 hours. 300-400mL with 0.5cm diameter blood clots since exam.
Blood comes when sitting, pad is dark red but not filled after 2h.
Bull riding event occurred 48h ago.
25F. 130lb/5"9. Regular periods lasting 3-4 days monthly all my life starting at 12.
Live in NYC, exercise regularly. No hormonal conditions. PID diag with no STIs at 19. No symptoms apart from some soreness after sex.
Traveling home today from vacation today, and OBYN apt set up for 2 days from now.
What can I do to minimize any further damage, and prevent infertility? Should I go back to the ER and request a specific type of exam?
Can anovulation start randomly in a healthy 25 y.o woman with no previous OBGYN conditions?

21 F. In August of 2021, my nightmare started. I had gotten yeast infections before, so I thought, no big deal. From then until October 2023, I think I always had a yeast infection. I had no idea what was causing it, and I had gone to my OBGYN more times than I could count. Each appointment was brutal, as it consisted of a pelvic exam followed by the OBGYN telling me to drink less coffee, wear cotton underwear, use condoms, don't use tampons, change my laundry detergent, etc. I did every single one of these things and nothing helped. I felt so defeated, and the OBGYN always made me feel like I was doing something to cause this. Every time I went they would take a swab and look at it for yeast, and every time it came back positive. Every time they would give me an oral or vaginal antifungal, I took fluconazole probably fifteen times. Every time they would say, don't have sex for two weeks, and every time I wouldn't. At the time I had been with my boyfriend for four years, and sex is a very important part of our relationship. I would listen to my OB and not have any sex, but when the two weeks were up, I would go to have sex and be met with terrible pain and irritation. Eventually, my OBGYN told me that they can't help me, and didn't know what else they could do except prescribe the same antifungal creams and pills. I tried baking soda baths, probiotic supplements, manuka honey, boric acid suppositories. You name it I tried it. At a loss, I decided to go to a different OBGYN near me. I explained to her what was going on, and she prescribed me a low-potency antifungal suppository that I would take every night for 6 months. Did that, didn't work. Afte that she suggested I tried Brexafemme, an newly approved antifungal pill (which has now been recalled). Did that, didn't work and I felt so sick for a week after I took it. I had the Mirena IUD from July 2017 up until this point, and in october of 2023, my OBGYN suggested I get the IUD removed, and start the pill. She told me I should not take the placebo week, but instead just go straight into the next pack. This way I stopped having periods, which she suspected were causing my PH to change and trigger my infections. Suprisingly, this worked, and I havent had a yeast infection since. However, I still have severe pain every time I try to have sex. It feels like I'm tearing open every time, and I get horrible internal pain and heavy bleeding when I try. My sex life is dead, and I'm at a loss. I feel broken. I've scheduled an appointment to see a vulvar specialist, but they couldn't get me in for two months. I'm so scared to go to this appointment and have them tell me that they don't know what's wrong with me, or that they can't help me. Has anybody else had similar experiences or am I alone in this?

Hello everyone, I'm sorry if this is too off topic, I was just wondering if anyone had any insight on this.
I'm currently undergoing treatment for +++ BC and there are a few cancer cases in my family. I tested for mutations after my dx and it came back negative, but my great grandmother on my grandpa's side had cervical cancer 30+ years ago, my grandma had breast cancer 20 years ago (and lived a full life after it with no recurrence) and I have an AYA male cousin in palliative care for brain cancer.
My mother is a 66 year old doctor and, like most doctors, doesn't take care of her health. She lives alone in another state, went back to our hometown recently and my relatives who are also doctors noticed she was having tremors and urged her to consult with a neurologist.
So she went to the doctor, who prescribed a different drug for her labyrinthitis, and also ordered a bunch of exams, including a CT scan. The results of the scan came out today and the images found a "primary vaginal neoplasia" and I'm trying to make sense of this! I haven't even heard of vaginal cancer before, but it sounds scary.
I'm not in the same city as her right now either, since I live 300km from my hometown. My older sister is trying to be on top of this and is asking the doctor who asked for the CT what are the next steps. I think she should go to a gynecologist asap.
I underwent surgery for suspicious pre-cancer HPV-induced lesions on my cervix a few years ago too. It was uncomplicated and I was hoping her case would be similar.
Does anyone have any experience on this? Any words of wisdom? Thank you so much in advance.

I had my Hycosy procedure scheduled for today and oh man was i nervous. What made me nervous is all negative stories i found online, once again i made a big mistake googling procedure 😬 I took 2 Advils and 1 Tylenol 1 h before procedure. I got checked in, a lovely nurse checked my vitals and then i proceeded to the room. My hubby went with me, we didn’t know that was an option, but i am glad he could go in with me. They started with vaginal ultrasound took some pictures and then we waited for a doctor to come in. After the doctor came in, she explained everything and inserted a speculum. Same one they put for pap smear or a regular pelvic exam. I always feel a lot of pressure with that, but nothing too bad. Once the speculum was in she placed a small catheter, i didn’t feel anything and then she took speculum out and put a transvaginal ultrasound wand in. Once everything was placed she started injecting the dye. Thats when i started feeling a little pain, like a little intense period cramp but very tolerable. They checked both my tubes and they were open. My hubby was looking at the monitor and the bubbles. They did that twice and once they visualized both tubes they took the catheter out and the procedure was done. Overall pain was 5/10. Very quick. Doctor explained everything afterwards and i was given all the results from the procedure. So far procedure wasn’t as bad. I am a few hours post and i feel a bit crampy. And just in case i will take day slowly.
If you are scheduled for a procedure my advice would be just take pain meds prior and go with an open mind they will take a good care of you. And if you are in too much pain speak up, because it shouldn’t be excruciating. Good luck 🍀