I've Been Cheating...

I think the only way to manage vulvodynia and pudendal neuralgia is to avoid the activities that cause pain. The most obvious for me is sitting, but guess what I've been doing? Sitting. Well not exactly sitting. I hunch down on my kneeling chair with most of the weight on the end of my spine and shins instead of my knees. Basicially, I'm sitting... To make matters worse, I've been knitting a scarf for my fiance and you have to sit to knit.

You'll never guess what came of all this sitting... Another flare. I could smack myself. I know better, but I thought by perching on the kneeling chair and lounging on the couch I was cheating the system and I wasn't really sitting.

Apparently, I was wrong. My pudendal nerve has made it abundantly clear that I was in fact sitting.

I've gong back to lying on the couch and standing in the office. I'm coming out of the flare, thank goodness. And I know for next time that I can't trick my body into thinking that I'm not sitting. If there's pressure, there's pain and if there's pain, a flare is just around the corner.

I Broke My Kneeling Chair

Here I am feeling bad about my weight.  I reach for my purse on the floor.  And then crunch!  

The right side of the kneeling part broke.  Ouch, my pride...

I called the company that made the chair and they are sending me a replacement part.  Hopefully, this one can handle me.  

I've been standing for 2 weeks now.

But two days ago, I really had to concentrate, so I sat at my desk for about 3 hours.  I flared, but like an idiot, I sat again the next day.  Now I'm in a lot of pain and it's entirely my fault.  

At times like this, I wish I could work from home.  

Making Accommodations

As I struggled with the last flare, I decided to take action. I ordered a new cushion and a kneeling chair to help keep me off me hot spot.

The cushion is from the Interstitial Cystitis Network. I learned of this product from the forum. I’ve tried cushions before with no relief. But people on the forum gave very positive reviews, so I gave it a shot. I use it in the car and it’s helping. I'm thinking about purchasing a second one for my boyfriend's car. I would definitely recommend the cushion.

I haven’t put the cushion through the rigors of protecting my butt during a full day at day. I don’t know how much help it would be, because ultimately I need to find a way to sit differently.

My mother suggested a kneeling chair. I called my doctor’s office to see if he recommended them to his patients, but his receptionist said she had never heard of them. Then I checked the forum. Again, people provided a positive response to the chair.

Unlike the cushion, with is less than $27, these chairs can be expensive. I needed to be sure it was worth the cost. After some searching, I found a back store that carried one model of the kneeling chair.

It was a perfect day to test it, because my gash were on fire. I arranged myself in the chair (it’s a little awkward) and found that the pain level was that of standing. I had just been sitting in the car (pre-cushion) and I was very uncomfortable. The kneeling chair really doesn’t allow you to put as much weight on your sniz.

I decided after sitting or kneeling in the chair for less than 5 minutes, I decided to give it a try. I ordered one online because it was cheaper than buying it in the store.

The kneeling chair hasn’t made its way to my office yet, because I park far away and I didn’t want to roll it or carry it up the street. It’s very light, but I guess that shouldn’t be a surprise considering there isn’t much to it.

I'll let you know if it can pass the test of time.