My most recent Facebook Live event veered slightly off the usual path of digestive and gut health. While all things ‘tummy-related’ are my speciality, I have a strong interest in anything that affects the health of women. In my years of experience as a natural health practitioner, I have treated tens of thousands of people, around 90% of them women, and when a lesser-known health issue presents itself, I always feel very strongly about creating greater awareness around it.
This is why I decided to dedicate the live event to talking about Lichen Scelrosus and vulval cancer.
I interviewed Clare Baumhauer, a Lichen Sclerosus sufferer and a Stage III vulval cancer survivor, who now runs Lichen Sclerosus and Vulval Cancer UK Awareness: https://lsvcukawareness.weebly.com/
She is also active on all social media platforms under: @vulvalcancerawareness.
Introducing Clare Baumhauer and her experience with Lichen Sclerosus
Clare began to suffer with cystitis at the age of 4 and up until her 40s, had seen over 30 GPs about her vagina and vulva. It was only when she developed an open ulcer on her vulva that her GP decided to refer her to a specialist, by which time it was Stage III vulval cancer.
Initially, the GP told Clare it was herpes and asked how many sexual partners she had had. Clare had been happily married for years, with two children, and this tested the trust that had existed between herself and her husband. The cancer diagnosis was devastating to Clare and her family, but she is in remission and now on a quest to highlight Lichen Sclerosus and what misdiagnosis can cause.
If you weren’t able to join the event live, you can watch our informative discussion here:
There were lots of questions that Clare answered, including:
What is lichen sclerosus?
Who gets it?
What causes it?
What are the symptoms?
What are the complications?
What is the treatment?
What is the outlook?
Clare also shared plenty of useful tips and advice on how to get properly diagnosed, as well as on how to treat and manage Lichen Sclerosus.
If there are any subjects you would like me to cover in my live videos, please let me know and I will see what I can do.
