thank heavens I have found you just in time

welcome lulukat
i am so glad you found WW too! the DVD is fabulous, and explains it all very well. but if you have questions just ask them here. i found with the posture certain descriptions really helped me--someone mentioned aobut a peacock, with feathers going up from my tailbone help proudly behind me. that was such a great image for me, getting me to stand tall whilst in posture. so ask away.
i'm sorry your POP have gotten worse recently, but know it can get much better with the posture and excercises. what prolapse(s) do you have?
very important things are never to strain on the toilet, each well, wear loose comfy clothes that let your belly fall naturally forward, and look at what you eat. inflammatory foods can make it worse. when i went on an anti-inflam diet--lots of omega 3, much less omega 6, no sugar etc, my POP got a good step better as did some symptoms. so there are lots of things that can help.

your doctor is right, the surgery is horrible and so many people have lots of problems after that are just so much harder to manage because they no longer have natural anatomy. you have your body to work with, and so much can change! have faith--and know the anxiety is such a normal part of this process, but i'm sure you'll get to the other side soon as you see the potential for change in your body.

Kiki

Hi Lulukat

Yay! We're glad you found us, too.

They don't call it "the Change" for nothing. It sounds like it comes out of The Exorcist. Many a time I have found myself wondering if I was possessed over the last few years, but I have now been without a period for over a year, so it is a retrospective diagnosis for me. Yes, I still have the hots first thing in the morning. Yes, I have had bad dermatitis, but that's on the mend. Yes, I have been through the floods and the famines, adn a dry vagina, but now I have no discernable cycle, and a tiny uterus I am a much calmer woman.

I have also experienced my uterus and bladder falling back and down, but they have now fallen as far as they are going to, and I can now keep them under control quite easily unless constipation or stupid overexertion intervenes. Then it takes a few days to recover again. I hope you can experience the same sort of evening out that has happened for me.

Louise

I prolapsed last May. I was still peri-menopausal at age 54. I believe bio-identical hormones and proper thyroid treatment have helped my prolapse recovery. (track my other posts). Hormone balance allows you to get recuperative sleep, muscle strength and endurance, proper metabolism for weight control, and overall feelings of well-being. I am a special education teacher in an alternative high school for behavior disorder students. I am standing most of my workday. I can't imagine this last year without my dh, this website, and my woman's health specialist. My average body temperature is 98.1 up from 97.6 and I have lost 12 pounds. I rise in the morning ready to go instead of dragging myself around. My skin, hair, and nails are improved. The exercises have my butt lifted like it was ten years ago. And my cervix is up a finger's length. I can't wait to see what another year brings. My doctor also found severe food allergies. My eliminating these foods has improved the inflammation I must have been suffering. There are so many things we can do to improve our lives. Don't be afraid to try things. This website is great for sharing thoughts and trials.
Ask questions the answers are here!
Melly

I have had not one single doctor say WW posture won't work, but their eyes kind of glaze over, and they shrug and look like they are thinking, "Here we go, another alternative treatment. Well, I guess it isn't going to do any harm, though it probably won't do any good either." Once I tell them I am not interested in surgical repairs they ignore my POPs because I am not worried about it. Only one has expressed an interest in finding out more about it.

I guess that is one of the good things about universal health care, or as I would term it, 'taxpayer funded medical treatment for all', eg UK or Australia. The dollars are short enough that they don't force treatments, surgeries or tests that will cost the government money (ie they are not lining the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies etc via private insureance), but it does mean that the highest priority patients get the quickest treatment.

I think you can track comments by clicking on my name when I am logged in. Or you might search topics. Or check back in old forums for my user name. My woman's health specialist prescribes thyroid produced by Armour. It is obtained from pork. The trick is to not totally depend on the blood tests, as thyroid, like blood sugar, fluctuates throughout the day. So, levels when blood is drawn, may not totally indicate problems. Symptoms are important to closely consider.
Charting daily temperatures is a great way to see a more complete picture of thyroid and adrenal function. You should wait three hours after waking in the morning to take your temperature, and then take it again 3 yours later, and again three hours later. Take these three temps and add them together and divide by three, you will find an average temp for that day. Make a graph (see website below for printable charts and temp taking directions) to see the whole story. I make a chart for at least a month at a time and use a digital thermometer. You should wait 10-20 minutes after eating or drinking anything as this affects the temperature of your mouth.
My doctor says a constant low temp may indicate inadequate thyroid function, while temps that are low and fluctuate show adrenal fatigue. For example, my chart indicated pretty constant low temps (97.3) except on Saturdays, when they would dip even lower, then Sunday spike up (97.9). It didn't take me long to realize I might be sensitive to MSG, as dh and I eat Chinese food on Friday nights. Several months later, Dr. did allergy testing and found many other foods and spices I showed sensitivity to. These where causing inflammation. Avoiding these foods has reduced my bloated feeling and appearance. No more puffy eyes and swollen fingers or feet, not to mention better digestion. www.stopthethyroidmadness.com is a good resource for thyroid and adrenal information.
The answers are here.
Melly

Hey Melly,
I've always had a lower body temperature than most people. I sit in the 97 range. I don't think I have any problems with thyroid though- except after pregnancy when I lose a ton of hair and feel really tired for about 4 months-
it doesn't happen right after the baby is born- it takes about 2 months to kick in. Then I get a little sad - nothing terrible, but I know there is a little dark cloud I deal with-
and then magically it gets better- my hair stops falling out and I feel happier.

What do you think? Traditionally low temp with no symptoms probably means my thyroid is good? or am I looking at developing problems later on?

There is a screening test you can take online that has over 40 symptoms of low thyroid. (I'm sure a google search would find it) When I took it I had 38 of the symptoms. Cold hands and feet, thin eyebrows from the arch down toward the ear, high cholesterol, inability to loose weight, brittle fingernails, lethargy, mood swings, melancholy, poor muscle tone, low temperature. I had these symptoms all my life and regular blood tests showed me to be in the low normal range. I am so new to the research. Christine, understands the deeper causes. I agree that anything medications can do, supplements and diet can manage. However, at present I am fighting food sensitivity and cannot eat many of the foods rich in what I need. I am taking iodine from kelp daily as well as mineral enriched Celtic Sea salt. I know that I used to sleep until 11 am on weekends, and now I am awake a ready to start my day by 7 am. My hair and nails are great, and I had my first ever eyebrow waxing. I haven't needed to do this until this year and I am almost 56 years old. That may not seem like a milestone unless you have spent your whole life with only half and eyebrow over each eye. It gives you sort of a sinister look. Ha Ha. I am just throwing my experiences out here for others to pick through and discard if they don't fit. I really seem to have most of the ailments that go along with inflammatory disease. I am seasonally and food sensitive, overweight, thyroid deficient, diabetic, and my prolapse involves my entire pelvic vault. The uro-gyn wanted to perform a hysto, urethra sling, and mesh my rectum last July. I worked very hard last summer with WW methods so I could return to school in August. I started seeing my specialist in woman's medicine in September and I didn't miss a day of work all school year. Life is great!
The answers are here with WW
Melly

I'm so interested in reading what you write about thyroid.
I've always had a low temp (in the 97 range), low bp (a typical reading for me is 70/58 and sometimes even lower), slow pulse. my hands and feet are always cold and I have depression/anxiety issues.
after the birth of my oldest child I developed a goiter (I was also dropping weight like crazy, eating like crazy, couldn't sleep and had my fist episode of panic attacks). thyroid blood work was normal (?) but my dr diagnosed me with postpartum thyroiditis, which resolved on its own. but I wonder if it ever really did. I had terrible PPD with each of my babies and this last pg when I was so lethargic and depressed, my mw ran thryoid function tests. all normal except free-T3. I took supplements and wow, the difference was incredible. I told my mw I felt so good this must be why people do drugs and she said no, that's just how normal people feel. amazing to feel energetic and happy for no good reason.
I'm no longer seeing my mw (ins no longer covers her) and my obgyn knows less than nothing about this.
from what I hear, many traditional endocrinologists scoff at the idea of free-T3 testing/treatment if the other values are 'normal'.
like with the prolapse, I've got so much self education to do so that I can find the answers I need. thanks for that website link. I will check it out.

This is exactly why this website works. My experience prompted you to think about your own possible solution. I believe health problems might come off in layers like an onion. We need to peel away each one. I still think the core is inflammation. Fix that and you can live well. Can't wait for Christine's information and food ideas.
The answers are here!
Melly

I find this interesting - I notice quite a few of us POP ladies have had thyroid problems. I guess it is a pretty common condition. I had postpartum thyroiditis too, and in the past have had underactive thyroid. All ok now, thanks to wonderful herbs - only took a few weeks, very pleased :-) I also feel a lot better mentally since thyroid rebalanced too, I am sure it was contributing to my emotional state. Also T3 is the active hormone, and therefore the most important on the test - so if this is out of course you will have symptoms, it can be frustrating when you can't get the tests you want.

Be careful with supplements, and kelp, as I have had my underactive state go into overactive as kept on stuff for too long. I think you need to monitor it regularly once you have had a problem.

And I also thought I was alone and I was shocked by this. I was a nervous wreck when I went to the doctor this week. Now I am having a heck of a time getting use to my pessary. But I do feel better knowing that there are others out there with this. Please let know what works for you.

Another one here with underactive thyroid.