Another aspect of atrophy is shrinkage of the size of the vaginal introitus. I was down to two fingers after two years of treatment and celibacy (with two damaging episodes of sex during that time). In a fun little experiment with my fingers last week I managed to tear the edge a tiny bit, like less than 1/4". I started applying ointment nightly (I usually go twice a week) and when I looked closely yesterday I realized that what had torn was a small scar that had sort of pinned a folded the edge of my perineum (I think that's called the fourchette) and it had opened out to where it was two years ago. The triangle exposed is pink skin, not LS white crap. So, I'm continuing nightly for a few more days and lots of coconut oil. And, by gum, these fingers are going to keep that from happening again. Why wait till you're prescribed a set of dilators and why have irritating, friction-intensive intercourse when we can use our own fingers to stretch just enough to keep the edges from scarring closed? I was doing this in baking soda baths nightly a year ago, but my relationship had gotten so hopeless I thought, why am I trying to save sex? As long as I can pee when I'm 90, that'll do. Well, now I have the prospect of a good man treating my LS as his own personal 'cold case' (40 years of painful sex with insensitive men) I'm you-bet doing my homework!
Sorry to every one of you with whom I've been a cynical grump about sex for two years.
Thank you. Whatever works eh?
Hi Morrell. I was wondering if I could ask you about the progress with lichen planus. You have written in the past about skin, scalp, etc issues with it. I have oral patches and some vaginal altho i have been so diligent with aloe and coconut oil and have minimized the discomfort i had a year ago. I just wondeted if you had any insight for treating lp in different areas. Thx so much
Hi Morell,
It sounds like there is a little spark of hope within you. Keep fingering. There is a life in spite of LS.
I'm marching on with my baking soda baths and rinses and coconut oil and dilating. Marching on to have a life. Though sometimes tired of this regiment. One can not always be strong.
I hope you will continue to find strength and hope to make life worth living. It is not so easy. Small wonder that there are times we are grumpy and loose mental strength. No apology needed on this site.
Hi, dear Morell. I think you do the right thing, thank you for sharing this post.
I do the same with the help of dildo and lots of coconut oil, so i hope i can prevent that devastating shrinkage. Doesn't matter what you put in your vagina to stretch it.
And I would definitely advice this method to all the rest here..
Great news keep at it girl it sounds like a plan. Im not doing so good at the mo, I went in for biopsies on Friday expecting two small pea size sections to be removed and woke to find the whole of my left inner labia and part of my right had been removed and I have 10 or 12 stitches! Ouch. It has been a hell of a shock and I feel even more maimed now, in fairness my left labia had shrunk/been absorbed a lot but I'm worried the skin will be even tighter now. Did you or anyone else have huge biopsies like this?
I only have psoriasis, not LP. Hanny has LP. She's here a lot, too.
Thanks, Debbie. My sister had exactly that many years ago, between two kids, lots of good sex since then. It's definitley no fun and surgery can be a trigger for an LS flare (the Koebner effect) temporarily. But part of why we're happy to have a diagnosis is so this can be caught and nipped.
HI Lyn,
I have LP in my mouth. Brushing my teeth with baking soda and rinsing with coconut oil (pulling) has helped me enormously. Perhaps this helps.
I didn't think you were a cynical grump lol!!
Hannys right, sometimes it is easy to forget the enormity of what we are all having to deal with, something that would send grown men weeping to their doctors, and yet we battle on. Mentally I think I am over the worst, by that I mean the shock, the shock of knowing I will never really be able to have sex again in the same way, that being said, there does appear to be some interesting new developments afoot, so one never knows what may happen for the future.
Aha, that sounds tantalizing. There is light.
Guppy.. Everyday it baffles me as to why there isn't a cure for this. It's like no one really cares and if you have it that's just really unfortunate. To have your genitals affected like this is just awful. Makes me angry. But like you said there are some new developments.
Debbie why was the biopsy site so large? Were the doctors unsure of where to biopsy so they just took a large area?
That is the way I feel too. Battling this for the past 15 years and nw 70 years old. I just wonder if as many men had this horrible disease would we not have more money put into finding a cure. Not meaning to bash men, mind you, but stating a feeling that they would be more vocal and perhaps heard a lot louder! Good luck every one and keep the information flowing, at least we can help one another.
Hi
Simple question. I keep reading how coconut oil helps. Is there a particular brand or type? I need to get some!
Thanks
Barbara
Any food grade coconut oil, most of us get organic. It's like shortening at room temperature and liquefies easily on the skin.
well someone here mentioned that sex is good physio....so go for it!!!
Glad you're finding something that is working! And happy to hear you have a considerate man in your life. You can bet if those previous inconsiderate partners were going through similar on their penises they'd be crying and cursing the world.
I think he's just naturally a slow mover, so it's good timing. I tended to end up with manipulative seducers, way too fast.