Let's have another conversation about vaginas
Comments
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Iserbrown I have already received a medicare rebate on my initial consult and I have been told that I will be entitled to a medicare rebate for each of my three sessions.
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Suzieq thank you SO much for those links! Very helpful, particularly the reviews and comments from other women. I'm feeling optimistic.
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Hi - Suziq good to hear from you. Mum2jj asked re the BCNA policy action that was supposed to have been taken a while back, via our Lost Libido Ladies group. I think they were to lobby to get Mona Lisa Touch subsidised for women with breast cancer, and I think also lobbying about DHEA pessaries? YES is available on the NHS in the UK, so that would be another nice addition here. i have no idea where, if anywhere, they got to with this.
For what it's worth: I tried MLT with a gyno in training on the equipment, and it hurt so much I stopped the procedure. It may have simply been operator inexperience,but I didn't want to repeat it. So for anyone who goes ahead with it, do check that your gyno has done a lot of it, otherwise look elsewhere. The DHEA pessaries worked really well for me, as does the Yes Vaginal Moisturiser (the one specifically designed for vaginal atrophy, not the other Yes moisturisers/lubricants). I've found Astroglide by far the best lubricant for sex - I think it was recommended by another member.
For those ladies who aren't members of the Lost Libido Ladies group, do join, because there's a heap of historical info from a few of us on those pages, including more details on all the above. xx0 -
Hi, it is good to hear information about this treatment again. About 12 months ago I also had the Mona Lisa treatment. I was extremely lucky to find a Gyno doing a clinical trial, so it cost me nothing. For me the jury is still out as far as this procedure goes. I think it has made a bit of a difference, and my husband says he can notice it. For me though, intercourse still feels scratchy and uncomfortable. My biggest disappointment is that I still have no libido, and that makes it hard to get aroused or interested. I was never told the procedure would help my libido, but I had secretly hoped that without dryness and pain, I would feel differently about sex, and my libido would improve. I am now on tamoxifen after 6 years on Femara, so everything is well and truely shrivelled up. I feel sad for my husband who is not ready to live without sex, but in all honesty, I could happily live without sex nowadays. I would love some advice on finding my desire again. I am still plagued by hotflushes (10 YEARS NOW) which often arise when I am touched. A big turn off and my poor husband is so patient and tolerant and I would like to be able to respond in ways other than throwing off the bed clothes and lying like a star fish while I cool down.
Good luck everyone.3 -
Relevant research paper on DHEA. Conclusion: definitely worth discussing with your doctor.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/267316860
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Another great research paper that deals specifically with breast cancer survivors and vaginal issues:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4493485/0
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These are excellent - thank you. I note that: 'Concern remains that DHEA and testosterone are precursors for estrogenic compounds via aromatization [36].' I thought this one had been cleared up, but obviously not. So I guess if you want to be safe, use the Yes Vaginal Moisturiser - which is made of organic products - 3 x a week and see how you go. Chris, re libido: green oats from a naturopath may help. I was prescribed them for anxiety, noticed an improvement in libido, and googled them - they can help libido. As they're calming, they may help with the hot flushes. They were prescribed for me by a medical herbalist who has had breast cancer, and who also prescribed a herbal tonic that did stop the hot flushes. Expensive, like about $85 for a large 500ml bottle, and took about 6 months to work while she tweaked it all, but it did work well in the end. I stayed on it for about 3.5 years, then had to stop it earlier this year after being diagnosed with lymphoma and had to have biopsies. Oddly, the hot flushes never really returned - I get the odd very mild one now, but that's it. I'm 67. xx1
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@positive3negative
Pleased to know you can claim, hope that follows through for others to be able to claim. The site I looked at is in Victoria and said no rebates. Wishing you well with the therapy, take care0 -
Hi @DaisyMarigold , thanks for your suggestions. How do you take the green oats? Do you buy the capsules or sprinkle it on cereal? It certainly sounds like an easy thing to try.0
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Mine are in capsule form. Good luck with them Chris! xx0
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@DaisyMarigold @Mum2jj
and @Suziq.Hi, it’s Pauline from the
policy team.Re: Mona Lisa Touch, the
evidence is still limited on effectiveness but you might be interested to hear
that there is a clinical trial happening in Sydney and I’ve recently contacted
the lead investigator to get further information on the study. You can read
about the study design here.Regarding Medicare funding
for Mona Lisa Touch and DHEA pessaries, the manufacturers of these products
would need to make an application to the Medicare Services Advisory Committee
(MSAC). I wrote to @Suziq earlier this year about the YES product. The UK
manufacturers have no plans to apply to MSAC for Medicare subsidy. I spoke with
the Australian distributor of the product, the Director of Organic Trader. She was keen for the YES range
of vaginal lubricants and moisturisers to be accessible for women in Australia,
if enough women showed interest. I suggested I could connect @Suziq directly
with Natasha, as she would like to get a deeper understanding of what you would
need in terms of affordability and accessibility, especially in terms of the
applicators - which I believe are quite expensive. Natasha suggested that as an
interim arrangement while she explores options with the manufacturer, Organic
Trader might be able to offer a number of special discount vouchers to wo men
affected by breast cancer who are interested in this product. I am
not sure what happened with follow up from @Suziq and the other women participating in that post thread on Lost Libido ladies.
If you would like to get in touch with Natasha directly, you
can email her: natasha@organictrader.com.au
Or call her on (02) 8399 01220 -
Thanks Pauline - Suzie - could you let me know if you did have any contact with Natasha? if not, I'm happy to email her.0
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Hi everyone. I had my first treatment today. It was mildly uncomfortable with a bit of stinging towards the end, but not as bad as waxing.
I've had no pain afterwards and I'm feeling optimistic. You can read all about it here: https://positive3neg.wordpress.com(Don't want to put all the details because this site has rules about not promoting anything and I don't want to breach them).0 -
RE LIBIDO: Hi Chris, and anyone else interested in recovering your libido. The best advice I had was this: "You don't need a libido to give sexual pleasure to your partner. You just need to feel love and generosity." I find that often I start out feeling loving and generous (and why wouldn't I after all the wonderful support I've had), and end up finding my libido. Not surprising really. Getting someone else excited often warms things up. I also liked this advice: "You have to boil your own water." In other words, don't make your partner responsible for your libido. Find things that make you feel sensuous and sexual. Plan to seduce your partner and spend the day getting ready. This works too.6
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