Law enforcement and uterine prolapse

Submitted by JessicaRRosenberg on November 21, 2007 - 10:25am
Body: 

I am 28 y/o and have recently been diagnosed with a "large cystocele with mild uterine prolapse" So far I have minimal urine leakage, but a noticable "bulge" protruding from my groin when I stand on active days. I gave birth to my second child in May (the oldest child is almost 4). Neither vaginal delivery was "traumatic." In fact, my last delivery was a walk in the park. My first delivery (Jan 2004) did have a retained placenta that was removed by D & C though.

I am an avid runner (and have been since 1993) and work in law enforcement, daily carring a web belt with pistol and other supplies that I must wear for my job. This gear adds about 10 lbs to my hips and I wear heavy boots as well. I live in Alaska, so I often wear have coats and additional gear, which adds more bulk and strain to my "small" frame. Help--the Whole Woman posture is quite difficult for me to do when I am "on" shift! I am a decent weight (67 in tall and 135 lbs, very muscular and decently fit). My lower back hurts like crazy though.

Any advice for me besides quitting my job?

Also, I am breastfeeding (not exclusively) my 5 month old. My doctor prescribed estrogen cream localized at my vagina. There are numerous warnings about this cream and breastfeeding (as well as the cream causing cancer, etc.) Does localized estrogen cream help this condition (as I am producing less estrogen breastfeeding.) I have not used this cream yet.

Would seeing a doctor of internal medicine help? An OBGYN? Our small Alaskan town has neither...

I am gernerally opposed to surgery and prefer to help my condition the natural way. Also, running and fitness are very inportant to me. Any advice in keeping this going for me.

I am also doing Kegels (at my doctors request) but your webisite said they don't work.

Please advise. Thanks

Christine

November 21, 2007 - 11:38am

Hi Jessica,

Thank you so much for posting. Yes, even women who give birth gently can experience cystocele. The uterus is attached to the bladder at the cervix, so if one comes down the other is usually in the neighborhood. Your post is so poignant and I want to respond further, but am unable to do so just now. I will get back within the next few hours though. Again, there is nothing that sounds out-of-the-ordinary about your condition...except the heavy gear and physical requirements of your job. Cystocele is not very responsive to surgery. The good news is you are a perfect candidate for reversal.

Wishing you well,

Christine

alemama

November 21, 2007 - 1:55pm

I think you are going to be just fine.
I am extremely fit and when I started the posture my back ached. All I can tell you is to rest when you can. I can now sit and stand in wholewoman posture, not think about it at all and do it all day. Recently I saw some pictures my mom took when I was playing at the park with my childen and to my great delight my posture was perfect in every shot. I didn't even know she was taking them. It is just how I stand.
My dad is an LEO and his belt sits very low on his hips- maybe try wearing it a little lower. That is what I do when I am wearing my ERGO baby carrier. I belt it right around my mons pubis.

Try the abdominal isolation exercises. The made my cystocele go away. Now if only my rectocele was so willing- but it seems like everyday is a better day.

I'd stay away from the creams-I think they are kinda gross- Christine has developed some balms- I haven't tried them yet though but everyone who has seems to like them. and if you have your cycle back then your estrogen levels are great!

and in my personal experience kegals do work- to strenghen the vaginal walls and improve the quality of sex-as well as to prevent urine leakage. But too many is no good. and done the wrong way can make a POP worse.

There are other "tips" besides the posture- like watch how you lift- no straining- sleep well- eat well- live well

lanny

November 21, 2007 - 5:00pm

hi jessica,

i'm christine's husband. she sends her apologies but she's sick as a dog in bed and probably won't be able to get back to you for a day or two. chin up though...sounds like your situation will be manageable.

one thing to be aware of, it is inadvisable to use your real name as a login name as it will be picked up by the search engines and doing a search on your name will bring up the intimate details in your post. if you click on "my account" you can edit your login name.

all the best,
lanny

elleninala

November 22, 2007 - 8:39am

Lanny --

It's so nice of you to come on the forum when Christine could not. Please give her the tons of love and support that are being sent to her while she's sick. So sorry to hear that!

It's nice to "meet" you, Lanny!

Best regards,
Ellen

Grandma Joy

November 24, 2007 - 12:41am

Hi Jessica,

I was a law enforcement officer in Colorado lo-o-o-o-o-n-g years ago but I do remember the weight of all the paraphenalia we had to wear. My first suggestion to you is "try to lighten the load". Back then, I had a choice of a lighter weight Sam Browne belt. Don't know if they still call it that or if you can get a lighter weight one now, but I should think with all the new technology, there is bound to be one available. Also, I carried a 38 S&W which was a much lighter pistol than the different calibers others used. Light weight boots are available as are lighter weight clothing such as the Patagonia brand that has some excellent layering items for warmth, comfort and maneuverablity, particularly for extremely cold areas, although they are pricey. I remember the department issue jackets being uncomfortably heavy, too. There should be LE style jackets available in the lightweight gear for extremes, but the department may not want to pay for the cost of it.

My second suggestion is to get Christine's book and begin practicing how to manage the prolapse. I assume you are in a cruiser frequently so you need to learn how to sit so it doesn't aggravate the POP. Generally speaking, I think most everyone has had the lower back ache prior to and during the learning and practising phase of the posture. You sound as though you are very fit, strong minded and strong hearted, so I feel you will come around to handling this, even on the job. And no, I wouldn't consider quitting your job. I think you should give yourself time to learn Christine's information and instructions on how to live with this. On another forum, the Maya massage instructions were posted. My massage therapist recently told me she kept her prolapse under control with that but I haven't done it, yet.

A last suggestion is definitely the WholeWoman balms over the estrogen cream, but then I'm an avid believer in organics.

I hope I've been of some help to you and I wish you the absolutely best in everything right now. And, congrats on the new baby!

Hugs and blessings,
Grandma Joy

louiseds

November 24, 2007 - 3:47am

GrandmaJoy, you are a treasure. Who would have thought that this sort of support and experience would be right under Jessica's nose? Together we all have an enormous and varied resource at our disposal in the experiences and wisdom of each other. Aren't we blessed?

Be patient and brave, Jessica, and I am sure you will find the optimum path for not letting this thing defeat you.

Cheers

Louise