46. Pelvic Floor Botox: My Experience & Why My Physio Told Me to Do Less

In this solo episode I catch you up on my own treatment. I talk you through what pelvic floor Botox was actually like at a specialist vulvar clinic in Oslo, why my new physio's homework for the whole summer was to lovingly touch my thighs, and what that taught me about anticipating pain and turning even rest into something to achieve. I also explain the TTNS machine I'm using, which puts electrodes on my ankle to target pelvic pain.We've now passed 10,000 listeners a month, so I share what I'd love to build next for this community, and how I got past the embarrassment of talking about vulvar pain in public :)JOIN US THIS WEDNESDAYBody, Desire and Pleasure: an online writing evening with Sara Sturek of Writing Shamelessly. Wednesday 23 September, 7-8:30pm US Central. No writing experience needed. Sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1r3R0TnRjuc9NbUPTjrsCCW1DI2B2nL0Q7EjdPD1W7gk/edit?ts=6aa2ab9f My full story episode: https://gopod.io/p/yDbwt7Sponsors:- The Pelvic People, makers of the Ohnut and the Kiwi. 15% off with code TWTC15 at thepelvicpeople.com/twtc- Origin, in-network pelvic floor PT. Get your first month of On Track free with code TWTC at theoriginway.com/twtc Connect with Mathilde:- Instagram: @theworldstightestcommunity- Website: theworldstightestcommunity.com- Newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/4h4snzzd- Support the podcast: https://tinyurl.com/mtxnzhsd Chapters:00:00:00 Introduction, Treatment Update00:01:43 First Community Event, Sarah Sturek00:02:52 Writing About Pelvic Pain Together00:03:54 My Story, Vulvodynia00:04:52 Muscular Pain, Left-Sided Tightness00:05:26 Botox Results So Far00:05:58 Oslo Vulvar Clinic, Botox Same Day00:07:23 How Botox Works; the Procedure00:08:24 Soreness, Recovery, Exercise00:08:56 Feeling Validated by a Clinician00:09:44 New Physio, Making Use of the Window00:10:48 Anticipating Pain, Inner Thighs00:11:43 Thigh Homework, Setting the Bar00:12:52 Flink, Being the Good Patient00:13:53 Going Slowly, Enough for Now00:14:29 Graded Plan; Exposure vs Anticipation00:15:43 Trust, Borrowing Hope00:16:50 Sponsor: The Pelvic People00:19:02 Sponsor: Origin00:21:13 TTNS, Electrodes on the Ankle00:21:55 Tibial Nerve, Pain Inhibition00:22:55 Bladder Research, Three-Month Trial00:23:43 10,000 Monthly Listeners00:24:46 Listener Questions Become Episodes00:25:42 What Comes Next for the Community00:26:45 How You Found the Podcast00:27:28 Shame, Embarrassment, Leaving Finance00:28:15 My Best Friend's Response00:29:36 Anger Over Embarrassment, Reddit00:30:25 Privacy, Stigma in Medicine00:31:25 Closing the Knowledge Gap00:32:31 Being More Open, Feeling Less Alone00:33:08 Wrap-Up, Event Reminder