It rears it's ugly head again... Cystocele

I hurt my neck in bed sat night (no, not doing wild things with dh, the baby slept on my shoulder!) and by sunday evening, pop goes the cystocele. I know its because my posture is all off, I couldn't keep my head upright without excruciating pain. and its all connected (yes, christine, I DO believe that raising your eyebrows raises your uterus too!).
now that my neck is mostly better I hope the cystocele will retreat to its hiding place.
and like you, sue, I hopped on the treadmill anyway. would've tried the sex thing too if the baby wasn't sleeping on my shoulder....

we will be ok. and yes, lets take this as a reminder that managing this well is a lifelong commitment.

((hugs))

Bliss Balm (available from WW) for the dryness? It has a pleasant subtle fragrance, is organic, and is quite effective as a lubricant. I find that it allows a bulge that wants to peek, to slip back inside when it can. I rely on it so much that I have put a small amount from the jar into a tiny travel jar and carry it in my purse. Really helps.

Ellen

Ditto. Vulva balm is just about as good for this, and Christine tells me it has a mild antiseptic in it as well, just in case there are any nasties on your knickers. Better still, go without knickers for a bit to stop the rubbing and stop the knickers wicking up whatever moisture your vagina/vulva is making for itself, but my guess is the period story is the one. Gets me every time, and at a time of the month when I am experiencing black clouds anyway.

I use so much of this stuff that I have some pairs of knickers that a sanitary napkin will not stick to any more! Time for a hot wash for those to remove the oil.

Have you tried wearing a slip instead of knickers? Synthetic doesn't catch on your clothes like cotton, so just shorten them to mid-thigh so you can still sit on them at the back but get plenty of ventilation. Does the same job as knickers unless you go arse over breakfast in the supermarket and scare the living daylights out of all the shoppers with your pussy fur! But I am a lady (think Little Britain here), and I don't go A over B in the supermarket.

Learn Natural Family Planning and chart your mucous and waking temperature for a bit, then you'll know when you ovulated, then you know that fourteen days later you will menstruate. Voila,works like clockwork when you have a menstrual cycle that still produces ovulation, but holey moley, I wouldn't want to try and make sense of my perimenopausal cycle with it!! My mind plays tricks on me in the second half of my cycle and I forget what day it is, so it is good to have ovulation day marked in my diary. Once you write all this stuff down patterns emerge to do with mood, prolapses, state of cervix, discharges, body sensations etc. Once you know your pattern you know more where you are, and it takes a lot of the worry away, so you can think of higher things (like your place in the universe, and how good sex is and stuff like that).

Good luck Sue

Cheers

Louise

Louise you are hilarious. Arse over Breakfast? Where oh where did that phrase come from???? and I won't even comment about frightening shoppers. what a chuckle.

You ladies who are so experienced go through this everyonce in a while- it really generates good ideas.
But I am sorry you have to go through this. I hope you feel back to normal soon.

In my opinion anyway! I can always rely on to set off interstitial cystitis symptoms..Just one orange will do it, so I avoid like the plague! And actually I blame the copius amount of OJ and cranberry juice that I used to drink for causing IC in the first place.... Don't know whether I'm allergic to the things or its their acidity or what but anyhooooo, maybe give oranges a break if you notice they're causing frequency?...Apples are good, dried fruit is too...and probiotics may help things?

Merry Christmas! and for christmas since you have been such a naughty child you get.....A LUMP OF COAL.

I am so sorry you aren't feeling better YET.
What can you do? What options have you not considered yet?
Are you able to do the DVD from Christine? Is sex not working to help move things around a little bit? What if you took a few days and hung out on your elbows and knees? Is the "pessary option" knocking o you door? What about a sea sponge?
It is so scary when this happens-have faith that you will feel better- and maybe try something new.
hope it happens soon.
I will be thinking of you often- so keep us all updated.

Oh Sue (((Sue)))

I am so sorry that this has not resolved. Have you mastered dropping your lower belly? I have found that this is really helpful, though I still have to do it consciously. I don't know that it will ever be automatic. These days posture for me is about lifting the breastbone, hanging tall by the crown of my head and then releasing my lower belly, which is a pleasant, kind of tingly thing to do. It is accompanied by a slight feeling of panic and almost subconscious thoughts about the 'danger' of letting go, but once I have dismissed this stupid thought my pelvic organs drop forward into my belly and it feels much better. If it doesn't drop forward I just lean forward from the hips and jiggle around a bit then stand up again. It is easier to jiggle it all forward when I don't feel dry in my vagina, so keeping up the frequency of sex is useful, as well as using plenty of WW Balm. I find that KY gel dries out too quickly. Must be something to do with my vulva being more open these days and letting the wind whistle around. ;-) No, actually it is more likely to be the menopause thing.

Good luck. Keep trying.

Cheers

Louise

I really hope that you are able to reverse your condition once again. You are always so upbeat about all this and reversed your condition from a stage 2 to 1 which gave me lots of hope. I really hope to hear from you soon and hopefully it was just a really heavy period on its way. It really picked its time to give you trouble!

Take care and wishing you a Happy New Year.

A

Hey, MeMyselfAndI:

Cystocele sympathy from me. This is sometimes a depressing condition. You're cruising along and it comes back to get you. The ups and downs are literal in this condition, aren't they?

I have been doing better, but sometimes I experience a random leakage of urine once or even twice during the day. I can hardly stand my body then, but it's the one I have. I am frustrated and angry at these incidents.

Have you tried doing the WW exercises every day? I am wondering whether it would make much difference if I were to do them consistently over a long time period. I started off doing them more often but it has gone down to once or twice a week, so maybe I need to gear up on the dance exercises.

Technically, I suppose I have a mixture of stress incontinence and urge incontinence, but I think it's Stupid Incontinence because it happens so randomly and without urge or warning.

Does walking/running on the treadmill irritate your little cystocele friend (fiend)? I know that if I wear a tampon my bladder stays nicely in place. I just don't want to do that all the time.

Here's hoping that you return to your previous condiiton of blissful unawareness of your prolapse. We are all here to share our stories, frustrations, and successes.

Saddleup

Hi Sue,

I am so sorry your prolapse is acting up. Having just gone through that, after all this time, I can relate to your feelings. My problem was the opposite of constipation, from being on antibiotics, and it played havoc with my prolapse. It was, without a doubt, the worst it has ever been. Very depressing since I had it so under control with the posture, diet, exercise and lubricants. Now, that I am off the antibiotics things have returned to normal...thank goodness!

Like you, I also get that dry feeling when my prolapse starts to peek. I use Christine's Bliss Balm lower and Replens to help the dryness further up. Replens carries some risk, but it is small and worth it to me.

However, I do have to say that since I started on megadoses of vitamin C (thank you Balride), I have hardly had to use any lubricant because (for whatever reason...I'm still not sure I really understand it) my prolapse is higher (still there, but not peeking). When I feel it getting lower, or starting to peek, I pop another Vit. C. I take about 3,000 mgs. a day..sometimes a little more and that seems to work for me. I take that in pill form and try to get lots of C through my diet.

Hope you are doing better soon! You'll get things back to where they were...I just know it!

Warm regards,
~Mae

How nice is that Sue! Just looking at the post, not the date I guess! Good news..glad you are happy and doing well with your POP, my wish for all of us in this sisterhood! (stealing lines from my dear friend Blue again!).

Warm regards,
~Mae