Non-Hyterectomy vs Hysterectomy

the very cornerstone of this work is the assumption that you have your uterus. the posture, the direction of forces, the 'pinning' of pelvic organs against the anterior abdominal wall, etc all rely on that assumption.

it is fantastic that some hysterectomized women are still able to find help with this program, and I think (at least in the beginning) the thought was, well this probably won't help all that much, but since there's not much else to do, you might as well try it. happily, we're learning that's not exactly the way it is. the human body truly is amazing, with its capacity to heal, isn't it?

I hope that more hysterectomized women continue to come here and be helped, just as I have been helped, but I honestly do not worry that this will become a site dominated by the hyst'd woman or that others would think that hyster is required for this work. a quick read through of the faq's here would squelch that pretty quickly.
and I haven't found that anyone here is saying that they are particularly thrilled to have had a hyster (well, no one recently anyway) or that it made life any easier in terms of POP. but then again I don't always read the hyster forum when I'm short on time.

I hope that anyone and everyone who's come through here and found help continues to pop in every now and then and update or just hang out with the newbies a bit. that helps keep things real in terms of who this is for and how much change one can expect, how quickly and with how much commitment in terms of lifestyle change, exercise, posture, etc. I do understand that life gets busy, and once POP isn't any longer in the forefront of one's mind, one tends to move on. and for some, that's probably necessary for mental/emotional wellbeing. but remember that we're charting new territory here. there's no statistics or research mapping out the recovery patterns of women who opt out of surgery and try this instead. likewise, no stats for women who try this after surgery. so the more the merrier, I say : )

fairmaiden
Granolamom,

I haven't been here in awhile & I was glad to read your post. I have been on this site for about 6 yrs.(almost since this site first started)& can vouche that this site helped me tremendously. When I first heard "you need a hysterectomy",I said no,no,no. When I heard uterine prolapse, I searched all over the internet for alternatives that I could live with to avoid a hysterectomy. I had no idea what POP was. I just knew there was an alternative--a holistic one. I did--here. I have managed it very well until up now. Yes, it is MY decision to have a vaginal hysterectomy on July 1. I realize that I can't go back once the surgery is done but this decision WAS & IS all mine. Hubby supported me in whatever I chose. He realized that this is my body--not anybody else's.
Yes, I have learned alot on this site. Hystersisters talk about constipation & I think to myself that wholewoman talks about natural ways to relieve it. and turning to your right while having a bowel movement. and squatting to pee. I still do that in the shower to completely empty the bladder. I thought that I would/could never post on this board after July. I notice that I can now and not offend anybody. That is a relief.

Oh Fairmaiden...in the words of my 2-year old dgd, “Wha happen?” Can you try to explain how you came to this decision?

Living with a uterus is not always easy. Living with a severely prolapsed uterus is challenging indeed. I can certainly empathize on that score. I also have a terrible case of LS, which has turned my entire bottom into raw hamburger. And I have a cervical polyp to boot, which has been growing since I started back on pregnenolone to try to relieve the symptoms of LS. Yesterday after going pee I saw what looked like small bits of raw hamburger in the john. I figured maybe my granddaughter had thrown something into the potty and didn’t give it another thought. Tonight the hamburger bits were back and further investigation revealed I am bleeding from my cervix. Not much, but any post-menopausal bleeding is a concern. sigh. Perhaps it is the particular herbs I am using as well. Science is so close to understanding the conditions for the onset of a wide array of inflammatory diseases and cancers. I just wonder if the ever-more-powerful medical/pharmaceutical/industrial complex will allow widespread, inexpensive cures. The cancer industry is perhaps the most powerful in the world.

I guess there’s not much to say to you at this point, regarding your surgery. I do believe I am at least beginning to understand why the post-menopausal spine is prone to significant change. Perhaps you will continue with the postural work post-hyst and prevent greater skeletal damage.

Godspeed, dear lady,

Christine

Hi Fairmaiden

Great to see that you are still visiting. I can see that you have well and truly made your decision, and nobody can say you haven't thought about it. I don't care what anybody says. There is always the possibility of changing our minds about the effectiveness of Wholewoman techniques at some time in the future, and going through the surgical door instead.

I do so hope that you are one of the women who has a successful surgical outcome. You are certainly going ahead with your eyes open. You will be in our prayers.

Please call back and tell us how you are going a while afterwards, so we will have your complete story. It is great that you called back before surgery and have seen that Christine is now working with the post-hyst women.

(((((Fairmaiden)))))

Louise

Christine, please swallow your pride and get your hamburger to a doctor, and a herbalist(?) for an opinion. You don't have to take their advice, but you would be wise to get checked out, and hear what they have to say about the bleeding. This must be very distressing for you. You are in my prayers too.

love from Louise

Thank you for your concern, Louise, and I would surely get help if need be. At this point, I don’t think there is anything anyone can help me with - except to cut off the polyp, which I’m going to ask my husband to ligate. I can’t imagine that a few weeks of preg caused enough endometrial activity to shed...today it looks like I’m having a last-last-last period and feels like it too. I’ve heard of women menstruating into their sixties and really hope I’m not one of them. Btw, sorry for the earlier graphic description - I couldn’t believe I wrote that!

The extreme inflammation I am living with has become a great teacher. You know, we get so entrenched in our cravings and habits that even if we’re looking very hard at something, the answers can be difficult to see. But the data from a disease like LS will not let you sit still until you find something that works - for many women that means hopping through and through the pharmaceutical hoops. For me, it means changing what I am doing - knowing that my body will eventually balance given the right conditions.

This week I have made sweeping changes with the blessings of my concerned family. For starters I asked to be relieved of daily lunch/dinner duty. Each afternoon I prepare a huge meal and call the others to the table, after which I may or may not get help with the dishes. Dh and dd get to work at their desks until “dinner is served.” Honestly, I have always loved doing this, but have come to the conclusion that it’s just not reasonable anymore. Doesn’t a mother Ever get to retire? Today I felt like a free bird!

Many of us know that we can affect prolapse symptoms by changing our internal environment. A point in time comes when our body teaches our mind that our prolapse is stabilized and from that time on, WE are in control. We may still have bad days, but we always get better. Why should it be any different in other chronic disease states? What if we Knew in our bones that we could control the conditions that breed inflammation and deadly disease? What if we had every confidence in our intelligent body to repair damaged DNA, reverse cell proliferation, and generate healthy tissue?

A truly intelligent Universe wouldn’t have it any other way.

The real problem is, how much are we willing to change?

As for hysterectomy, it is and always will be an exceedingly poor option. And it certainly cannot be called a “choice”, given that choice implies informed consent. I do not believe any woman is completely well after hysterectomy, because to be truly well is to have a body that you can count on into the future. For Heaven’s sake, when the entire anchor of the pelvis is removed, as the lion’s share of post-hyst women know, both the urethra and rectum come crashing down sooner more often than later. There is no mystery here. Only uninformed, misinformed, and hopelessly optimistic women.

And for the woman who Must have her uterus removed? Well of course - we wrap our arms around her wounded soul and give her all the love we can. For we know her life will be forever changed.

I am willing to bet I have the very worst prolapse of all our members. The sides of my front vaginal wall were pulled forward and permanently sutured to my abdominal wall, which caused my uterus to slide immediately and permanently into the open space at the back. However, I still have an innate pelvic organ support system trying to pull my uterus forward with every breath I take. I have learned to respond to that data by pulling ever more strongly into the posture day after day, which I will continue to do until I can no longer stand and walk. Then I will sit using the strength of my own spine for as long as I am able. Then I will lie down and rest, knowing I am still continent and whole, and that I lived a full life - with prolapse.

Much love,

Christine