first appointment

I met the physical therapist today. She actually has a practice in a nearby town, but sees patients at my women's clinic a couple of days a week. She is friendly enough to make an otherwise awkward thing very comfortable. (While examining me, she noticed I tightened up and told me, "If you have gas, just let it out. I don't mind.")

The appt started out with going over the basic anatomy and answering all the personal questions. Then, the exam: undressed from the waist down.

She first checked where my pain is. She pressed on 12 places in a circle around the pelvic floor, like a clock. The major scar on my perineum is at 6, and that is the only place that I had pain. Next, she did the same thing inside the vagina, in addition to "plucking" 4 nerve endings on each side. I had pain at 6, 7, and 8 - the right side. I only had pain for 1 of the nerve endings, again on the right side.

She had me do a few Kegels for her to check my strength. My muscles are very weak, so I wasn't able to tighten very much. Also, when she had me hold it, my muscles had a very hard time relaxing. She also had me bear down (as if having a bowel movement) and said that I did that part perfectly normally.

After hearing my answers to the questions, she said that it sounds like I have a nerve ending that got trapped in the opening of the tear when they stitched me up, and it is now stuck in the scar. After the exam, she is sure that's what's going on. That is irritating my muscles, which is what makes it hard for them to relax when they have been tightened. This is the first thing we'll address.

Since the pain is only on one side (it's usually the left, but I'm special), it possibly indicates that my pelvis shifted during delivery. She will check that the next time she sees me.

Also at my next appt, she'll hook me up to sensors that are connected to the computer, and I'll do Kegels. We'll see how strong my muscles really are. And I'll be able to learn to do Kegels correctly. Before then, I am not supposed to do any.

Since she only has a couple days a week at my clinic, her schedule is super busy and backed up. The first opening for my next appt is in May!