I THINK I KNOW WHY MONA LISA IS SMILING

Mona Lisa - The Middle Page

Good Morning, everyone! I hope your week is progressing nicely. Mine, not so much! My dad was taken to the hospital on Monday night with some strange symptoms. He couldn’t talk, was agitated, confused, glassy-eyed, and didn’t feel good. All of the tests came back fine, so we are still trying to figure out what is wrong. Hopefully, today will be the day! Why do I have a photo of Mona Lisa and why do I think I know why she is smiling? I’m about to tell you.

Why is breast cancer the gift that keeps on giving?

This is a hard post for me to write because I am going to tell you some very private things. Some things you only say to your best friends. Well, you all are like my best friends, right? I am discussing my vagina (which shall be called Hoo-Hah for this post). If you don’t want to hear about my Hoo-Hah, then exit this page now! Let me go back to over five years ago when my lady parts were just fine and start there. I have never had a problem with dryness down south and felt good about that part of my life. Then cancer hit and then chemo was given (dose-dense).

When I visited my gynecologists after my chemo was over, and after looking up my Hoo-Hah, she remarked that breast cancer was the gift that kept on giving. I asked her why she said that and she told me it was because my Hoo-Hah was starting to look like every other cancer patients vagina she sees. The chemo dries them out. Lovely! She wanted me to start on a low dose estrogen pill. After having cancer, everything has to be run by my oncologist who quickly said “no way!”. The only thing she would let me use was something called, Vagifem, but only twice a week. Vagifem is a little pill that is inserted via a “smaller than a pencil” applicator up to the Hoo-Hah.  My cancer was not hormonally fed, but she still wouldn’t agree to anything more.

What not to put on your Facebook Profile

Let’s just say that sex (okay you can skip this if you want TMI!) started to feel like shards of glass up the Hoo- Hah, accompanied by bleeding. So fun, right? You can imagine how badly I wanted to participate in that (not)!!! Each year at my gyno appointment the same thing is said by my doctor…” you have the driest vagina east of the Pecos River” (not what you want your Facebook profile to say) and each year my oncologist says ” absolutely not” to anything with estrogen. My gynecologist sat me down this past October and told me that if I don’t do something, that my bladder will be affected. I had already had some bladder spasms, so it scared me a little.

Enter The MonaLisa Touch. My doctor sent me to a urologist who confirmed that I needed to do something. He suggested the Mona Lisa and sent me on my way to a group who performed this procedure. The MonaLisa is an FDA approved, Co2 fractional laser treatment for vaginal revitalization. It’s is safe and painless (not the first one), and delivers immediate and long-lasting relief for menopausal or in my case chemo and menopausal symptoms. The MonaLisa Touch delivers gentle laser energy to the vaginal wall which in turn stimulates a healing response with enhanced moisture levels in the ol’ Hoo-Hah canal. Most women only need three procedures done every six weeks. If you have been through chemo, like me, we get to go for four or five (lucky us!).

Five Minutes is all it took

When I went for my first procedure, I was very apprehensive. The machine is a little scary looking, and the probe is a bit larger than I imagined. A friend of mine, that had already had this done, recommended that I get numbing cream for my first experience. I did and am so glad that I asked for it. The nurse practitioner examined me and said that my Hoo-Hah looks like all of the chemo patients she’s seen.

What did that mean? She noted that the color is pale and I was bone dry. Thanks, cancer! Anyway, once the probe was inserted, it did not hurt at all. I could feel pressure but no pain, and it literally took five minutes. Also, I was a little sore that night, but no bleeding. I have since been back for my second treatment and did not have to use the numbing cream which was a great sign.

So I bet you are wondering if this is helping.

Do you remember the Vagifem applicator, that is as small as a pencil, I was telling you about? That applicator used to hurt while inserting but now I can pop it right up there with no pain at all. And, as far as sex, that’s my business, you naughty girls!  Seriously, The MonaLisa Touch is for anyone who experiences, painful sex, vaginal dryness, itching, burning, or urinary incontinence (younger women experience some of these symptoms as well).

Many patients have reported that they have relief right away and some by the second treatment or week six. The MonaLisa provides lasting results and a once year refresher is recommended to maintain symptom relief.  As of now, it is not covered by insurance (but penile implants are, and that’s really fair!)

This post is not sponsored.

I thought long and hard about whether or not to write it, but I think many women don’t know that this is an available option and I felt, as your friend, that I should share it with you. We are all going to go through menopause and you know what the symptoms are. At least this is one way that can help minimize dryness or any other symptoms you may have. If you are looking for The MonaLisa Touch, I suggest talking to your gynecologist and asking for a reference. If you are in Dallas, I recommend North Dallas Med Spa (214-577-1777). Ask to speak to Holly.

 

 

Mona Lisa

Image: Via

Well now, that was probably too much information about my Hoo-Hah. What are you all doing this week? xx