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LS and stress

Posted , 9 users are following.

Bridge_of_Sighs
Bridge_of_Sighs

After years of being very stable I've just been through a horribly stressful time when my young(ish) fit husband was found to have a congenital heart defect and had major surgery. Through keeping everything going and managing the kids, hospital visits, cooking decent soups to take him (how anyone gets well on hospital food I don't know) etc I neglected to look after myself. Plus I ate loads of sugar. Kind people kept baking us cakes!

The next time I checked down below half my labia had gone. No warning, no itching. Def. to do with the stress/sugar combo. I was begining to relax, thinking I's got it's measure. Just shows you can't. Ever.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • glyn186
    glyn186 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    Yeh I've been extremely stressed lately and eating lots of choc cake etc.Reading your post I'm thinking this maybe giving me this latest horrendous painful flare up. I've now dicovered a lump between the cheeks of my bottom . It's extrememly sore but dont know if its this LS or something else. Suppose I'll have to go back to docs again. I will stop the sweet stuf and see if it helps. Hope your hubby gets well take care and good luck x
    • Guppy007
      Guppy007 glyn186

      Posted

      Years ago I used to get boils inside my vagina, incredibly on the inside of my labia minora!!  I was soo upset, they were the size of peas, and sometimes I would get two!! This was about ten years ago, and so Morrill is correct I think, it is all linked to Lichen Sclerosus, although at that time I was completely unaware that I had Lichen Sclerosus.

      I think I would not touch it until it is ready to burst, and then a hot bath might be in order; that should do the trick.  That being said, if it is not a boil then you need to see your doctor.  If I remember rightly, I was treated with antibiotics for about ten days, and they cleared up, until the next time that is!

  • mary84420
    mary84420 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    So sorry Bridge of Sighs, this time of year can be stressful too, we all have to watch out for ourselves even moreso. I have only been diagnosed recently, but have been watching my diet even before so sugar was not a big deal for me to lose. However, being from the south everyone wants pralines at this time of year!  Me too!!

    I have stepped up my battle with LS, bathing short warm baths 2x daily with baking soda and immediately applying my ointment, wait about 15 minutes then apply the coconut oil. It has helped me so much. My inner labia is gone, but I no longer have itching or burning, my only sore spots are on the perineum, and thats where the white patches are as well. I guess my biggest issues right now, are sitting comfortably(ha-ha) and keeping that area well moisturized, can't imagine working full time and dealing with this. I am no longer sexually active, so that is not a problem, but I do wish my husband was more interested in learning about LS and why it impacts me so much. I can't wait for the day to come, that I can maybe go to 1x day treatments but we will see. My initial biopsy site is finally almost all closed up. WEEKS!!! I miss comfortable drawers and yoga pants too and staying fit on the treadmill. It just makes me too sweaty down there and miserable feeling. Does anyone have suggestions for that?

    I hope you find time each day for you. My husband also went thru a terrible scare and hospital admit of a month, so I can totally emphathize with you being the chief cook and bottle washer.

  • Morrell1951
    Morrell1951 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    Too true, I just wrote last night in another discussion, about the stress-eating of sugar that creates a double-whammy. The lump may be a cyst/boil. Iused to get them along my groin. It's part of LS. Of course every time, starting in my teens, I always thought it was cancer.
    • glyn186
      glyn186 Morrell1951

      Posted

      yeh its really painful and I always thought if its sore its not cancer ? is this true.

       

    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 glyn186

      Posted

      Oh, I wouldn't know about that. But if it's a boil it comes to a head and goop comes out. I had so many from ingrown hairs. I think our crappy LS-affected skin is just more vulnerable.
    • vicky2000
      vicky2000 Morrell1951

      Posted

      Infected hairs or boils or abscess. And labia minora just disappears. Color changes. Skin ridges. You ladies are saving my sanity.
    • Morrell1951
      Morrell1951 vicky2000

      Posted

      Vicky are you being ironic or is all this talk freaking you out?
  • hanny32508
    hanny32508 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    Shows you - a person can never slack with the care for LS.  Boooohooo.  And going without sugar is so hard in times of ultimate stress.  All those well meant goodies....

    I hope that your hubby soon will recover and you can spend more time looking after self.  

  • Guppy007
    Guppy007 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    How awful for you.   I do think one of the most shocking aspects of Lichen Sclerosus is losing your lady parts, and not even being aware of it!!!  It's a dreadful disease.   I hope your husband is recovering well.
  • sandra01720
    sandra01720 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    That combination of stress and sugar is disastrous to LS. I find sugar is my biggest foe.

    Sorry about your husband. I hope he has a speedy and full recovery. Take care of yourself. Breathe deeply and do try some baking soda baths. They are so relaxing and soothing. It's a delight for me to be able to do those baking soda baths.

  • vicky2000
    vicky2000 Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    Once you figure it out don't back off. Thats the main thing I notice in all the advice. Even when it gets to be one of those days where you just don't want to care it can set you back weeks. I know its tough right now. Hang in there. And please ask these women when you need a bit of support. They are amazing!
  • Bridge_of_Sighs
    Bridge_of_Sighs

    Posted

    Thank you all for your kind thoughts, it's lovely to be part of this forum. I have been reading it all, though not posting, through the past couple of months. He's getting better at such a rate, I'm astounded and deeply grateful to our wonderful NHS. He was in a flagship heart institute and the care he got was amazing. It ran like a well oiled machine. For our stories though... very different and it's heard not to be angry. If they can do several state-of-the-art open heart surgeries a day, then why can't they sort us out? Do some research into LS?

    It was very interesting to see that once he was discharged from hospital, the care was overstretched and underfunded again. Obviously it's all an up-front-show these days.

    Just re-reading this and he's obviously getting better as I move from worried back to angry!

    Thanks again for all good wishes

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