went in to be checked out - got the bottom line

Submitted by mytfly2day on January 21, 2008 - 1:46pm
Body: 

God bless my nurse-practitioner. She worked for years at the OB clinic I've gone to all my life and now she does general practice. I went in and told her everything that was going on. She's just wonderful and very understanding. She did a pelvic and it appears as if things might not be as bad as I had feared. She told me that it probably feels worse than it actually is - my husband put it this way - kind of like when you get an eyelash behind a contact - it FEELS awful, but it's not life-threatening!

I do have some "slippage" but it's not just dreadful. My cervix is lower than normal, I suppose, but it didn't move when I bore down and she said that was good. My urethra is "pronounced" as she put it and we're still not sure how much the urethral syndrome is playing in. But nothing she was alarmed about.

She said I don't need anything at this point except some pelvic floor exercises that she thinks will definitely help. I am breathing a little easier now. I got tickled, in my "air bubble" post someone talked about feeling like everything is just hanging out and that's exactly what I told her - I asked, so, six months from now, all my "stuff" is not going to be hanging to my knees? And she laughed and said, no, not unless something catastrophic happens!

Have been paying very close attention to the constipation problem the last couple of days and I think that is getting better. I stopped at the health food store and got some raspberry leaf tea, am going to try adding that to the diet. Anxiously awaiting the book so I can really do some reading about all this. Plan to work on posture, diet, exercise, etc. Me in general.

It is HORRIBLY depressing, though. I told her I've never felt old in my life (I'm 47) but now I feel like an old woman. She really tried to reassure me with all that. I just get this picture of me all hobbled over wearing Depends and not being able to leave the house. I am clinically depressed to begin with, so this doesn't help. It's that realization of our own mortality thing. My body is starting to fail me. I didn't expect it this young.

Being here helps. I just want to feel "normal" again.

Emily

granolamom

January 24, 2008 - 6:47pm

it IS horribly depressing
when I found my prolapse I also felt like an old lady with a failing body (I was 33, or 32? don't remember)
but I feel normal again. and so will you.
and you are so right, being here helps

louiseds

January 24, 2008 - 7:05pm

Hi Emily

Yes, it does make you feel old when these people start throwing around big words, then the imagination kicks in and conjures up horror stories. Once you have read Christine's book and implemented the things you need to do (as you are already doing with diet) you will probably feel that there is more power in you and your body than you previously thought possible. Once you are in charge and learn to understand what has happened it is a lot less scary and you will be able to manage it yourself, avoid surgery and set your own limits. You will probably find that it hardly limits you at all, and you will start to feel younger and capable again.

Actually you realise that you can de-code all that medico-speak, which is really just a secret and very specific standard language that they all speak so they can understand each other. Most of it is just describing symptoms using different words.

Cheers

Louise