[Beatlegirl]

I’m 25, and for the past 8 years I have had no sex drive, no energy, and significant vaginal pain. I started having frequent UTIs, or at least what seemed to be UTIs, and pretty soon, I just had the symptoms without infection.

I went to doctor after doctor, had test after test, took medication after medication, tried physical therapy, tried counseling, and cried at least once a week. Most doctors said, “There’s nothing we can do for the female libido.” Others said, “You can’t really test a woman’s hormones.” One world renowned urologist even said, “Just drink some wine. Relax.” And all of them said, “You’re too young to have any of those problems. Do you have normal periods? Well then, you’re normal.” Wrong.

I’m young and happily married, so I couldn’t understand why the idea of sex began to repulse me. I never had any sexual trauma, I wasn’t abused, and my marriage was movie perfect. Seriously…perfect. I married my Jr. High Sweetheart: devastatingly handsome, brilliant, kind, loving, patient, altruistic, tall, talented, giving = perfect. So who wouldn’t want to have sex with this increcible man? I wouldn’t, I guess. It was killing me, and I knew it was killing him. I felt like my twenties were doomed.

I looked for specialists: Dr. Oz, USC, UCLA, Cedars Sinai, etc. No one could offer a solution. Finally, somehow I thought to enter the search words “sexual medicine,” and Dr. Irwin Goldstein of San Diego Medicine popped up. Later, my parents taped a 20/20 (I think) special, and it featured Dr. Irwin Goldstein. I watched women just like me (although older) telling their stories, but their stories had a different ending than mine- they were healed!

Immediately, my husband and I scheduled a courtesy call with Dr. Goldstein. He figured out my issue with the ease of ordering a burger. This blood test is key: SHBG. Although my body looked like it had enough testosterone, it was all bound up, and my SHBG # was too high: 99.7. It should be in the 25 range. I made an appointment.

Dr. Goldstein’s office is unlike any other doctor’s office I’ve visited. His staff is warm and kind, and they talk to you like a friend. You feel as though they are as committed to your healing as you are.

Dr. Goldstein spends quality time with you in his office, showing slides, pictures, powerpoints, articles, etc. He makes sure he understands every aspect of your sexual issue, and he makes sure that you understand every aspect of your sexual health issue. He’s kind, understanding, warm, and funny.

He looked at my blood tests, specifically the SHBG test, and found that my body is unable to access testosterone like it should (which accounts for no sex drive, lack of energy, mood, etc.), and the glands that rely on testosterone for healthy functioning and the creation of mucous in the vestibule are inflamed and irritated, thus creating my pain and even mimicking the pain of a UTI. He then taught my husband and me about the different stages of vaginal growth, how the body uses testosterone, the effects of birth control, the importance of bioavailable testosterone, etc.

He confirmed his theory using a microscope/camera and taking pictures of this while showing the images on the screen in front of me. I could see the red, inflamed glands, and he tested for pain by aggravating the glands with a cotton swab- horribly painful. He also tested sensitivity externally using heat, cold, and vibration- and found these areas are lacking sensitivity. He attributes all of this to birth control, and now I am in state of puberty/menopause evidenced by the stunted growth of the labia majora/minora and inflexibility of the hood of the clitoris. He was able to show that half of the labia minora is completely undeveloped.

So I started testosterone gel and estraidol, then I started to get Testopel implants, and now I’m self-administering tesosterone injections once a week.

A few months after following the initial treatment regimen, I met with a Kaiser specialist in LA, he also performed an exam and compared what he saw to Dr. Goldstein’s notes; the redness subsided, and everything looked normal and healthy.

Although I am not completely cured, I have noticed a significant decrease in pain and a mild increase in sexual desire. Also, I have hypothryoidism, and once that’s on the mend, the tesosterone should work wonders.

And I’m a BIG believer in the power of energy. I imagine myself healed, try to think only about what I love and what I want, and I thank the Universe everyday for my healing. When someone asks me how I’m doing, I say, “I’m feeling back to 100%, and my body is following.” I don’t speak of it anymore; I only talk about how much better I’m doing, how excited I am to have a roaring sex life, and how healthy I am otherwise.

I think 26 is going to be pretty incredible- Thanks, Dr. Irwin Goldstein. And to all the women who read this: Start today. Imagine yourself healed. Call Dr. Goldstein today. Good luck, and peace to you all.