Well Women's Check

Submitted by louiseds on July 4, 2011 - 11:03pm
Body: 

Hi All

I have just returned from my two yearly Well Woman Check. I had an internal examination as part of the checkup. The doctor said my uterus was not prolapsed and I had some laxity of the posterior and anterior vaginal walls. I asked her she would say if I told her my cervix was at the introitus five years ago. She raised her eyebrows. I then said, "That's what Wholewoman does, moves the pelvic organs forward and gets the intestines out from under the sacrum so the rectum doesn't get squashed down by the extra bulk. It is a wonderful way for women to avoid those repair surgeries!" More raised eyebrows. On the way out she asked me if I had any brochures to put on the table. Guess where I am off to in ten minutes with a bundle of brochures!

BTW, for newbies, not only was my cervix that low five years ago, but my bladder and rectum have also been that low at times as well.

Louise

MeMyselfAndI

July 4, 2011 - 11:36pm

Well done Louise

My own Dr *thinks* that pessary she ramed into me that lasted 18hrs all those years ago somehow fixed it - Of course I lether think that as she is really not my fave person in the world and I tend to see any other Dr in the surgerythat is NOT her! (Much like alot of other people on this hill I live on)

I can't remember how many years ago it was now - Maybe 3... When POPpy was always 'peeking' - Ie - Peeking out of the Introitis - Now - 99% of the time I don't even think about it... Maybe around period time it fels a tiny bit heavier - But nothing like it was 'after the fall'

:-)

clavicula

July 4, 2011 - 11:50pm

Awesome, Louise! :) Cannot stop smiling here! Well done!
Did she comment anything on the broshures?

Liv

louiseds

July 5, 2011 - 12:07am

I agree MeMyself and I. My POPs have kept changing since I started Wholewoman techniques. Now I have stopped menstruating it all seems to have been quite stable for the last couple of years. I hardly think about it, though I am now automatically vigilant for my own good posture, and automatically go for whole foods, and just don't do tight belly clothes. I really can't believe the success myself.

Occasionally, I get symptoms when I get constipated, usually with being out of routine, often with extra early morning starts to trips, which stresses me out, and means that I can't just jump out of the car and have my morning poo straight after breakfast. Gotta wait for the next town, by which time my body is over it. However, once I am back in my normal routine my organs get back very quickly to their proper spots. A couple of days later I am back to normal.

Liv, I am just about to deliver the brochures. I will update when I get a response from them.

Louise

doubtful

July 5, 2011 - 3:09am

That's wonderful Louise! And even more wonderful that she's open minded enough to ask for brochures.

I'm not sure I'll ever have anything so impressive to 'show' my closed minded GP - not sure if my 'stretched jumper' little grape sized pop will ever shrink back - but all I know is that it's smaller and tucked inside three weeks out of four and now only plays me up and peeks a little the week after my period. So, I know I've made progress, but it would be so satisfying to be able to 'prove' it to one more professional even to the extent that she suggested it as an approach to one woman and saved her from some misery.

Keep spreading the good news. ( Oh dear, didn't want to sound like a TV evangelist there.)

Doubtful

louiseds

July 5, 2011 - 7:56am

Well, I finally got there just as they were packing up, but that was OK. There will be more opportunities to pull out the box of brochures. I gave the two nurses the little bundle of brochures that Christine had sent me for a previous promotion. They seemed very pleased. I turned just as I walked out the door, and saw that they both had their noses buried in a brochure.

I mentioned WW to the same doctor a couple of years ago, and I don't know whether or not she even visited the web site, but this year's reaction was much more positive.

This has been a long time coming, and it was fantastic to see and hear.

Louise

Sammy

July 5, 2011 - 8:22am

I have found bowel contents to be significant factor for prolapse and am surprized no doctor mentioned this...Even now with the pessary that supports - when bowel has got cargo- I feel the pessary more. Still trying to alter 63 years of not paying enough attention to intake and timing of outputs...(having prolapse and severe diverticulosis motivate me)

enjoybeingsick35

July 5, 2011 - 9:15am

so happy to hear your news.....Id love to pass the word on to all women.....I will be going into see my doctor GP....in about 3 weeks and i cant wait to tell him about this work....id love to have brochures 2 spread the awareness. :)

x

Christine

July 5, 2011 - 6:43pm

This is in response to Gardengirl’s “I just love it” post, as well as Louise’s good work.

First of all, there are brochures to print out right here in the virtual Whole Woman Center. They’re in the foyer of the Center - just click the little brochures on the table (pretty cool, eh?..that was my daughter’s brilliant idea.)

Gardengirl, I feel the same way at so many levels. Each day I must care for myself and others in ways I probably would not if I hadn’t been “blessed” by pain and suffering. If we pay close attention, all trials are teachers in our ever-evolving stream of life.

Although I never lose hope of anteverting my uterus to the degree Louise has, I am with the “second string” group who lives well despite my “hanging vine” (as the old mother of one of our early members referred to her long-standing UP). I think if my prolapse were any better I might more easily lose sight of members who are struggling to see reversal. At least I can offer that you *can* be strong, flexible and energetic with prolapse - just be careful when climbing over barbed wire fences. ;)

Since the first WWY program is about balance, I’m learning a lot about that subject. First of all, many women have a serious physical balance deficit. Secondly, the development of physical balance translates to our emotional and mental lives. A little balancing work each day will lead to surprising progress in body-mind-spirit. I don’t know how I’ll ever prove it, but working with women with and without a uterus has convinced me that the uterus is crucial to the ability to balance. I have often referred to it as the “hub of the wheel”, and it seems the spokes don’t know quite how to re-align without the hub. This is a work in progress and I’ll report back all findings on the subject.

Someone mentioned “spreading the word.” If any of you have a bit of spare time and would like to look for forums where you could suggest members take a look at wholewoman.com, that would be most appreciated. One easy way to find them is to set up Google Alerts with keywords like cystocele, uterine prolapse, etc. You will get an alert when these words are used on websites. Most of what comes back is worthless (yes, mostly worthless medical sites - lol), but sometimes there is a link to a legitimate forum of women talking about prolapse. They need to know about WW!

My granddaughter came to work with me again today. She stayed up late last night watching fireworks and missed her school field trip. So, we made Swedish rye bread for her piano teacher and had lots of fun. I need to knuckle down now and get some work done!

Christine

Mishek

July 5, 2011 - 8:50pm

Good work Louise, :) the more we get the word out the faster it will snowball and one day cover the whole nation, what a fantastic feeling that would be!!:)
I have been wanting to spread the good news and thinking of different ways to do it ever since finding this website - didn't know there were brochures available which makes it so much easier. Almost everyone i know has a friend or relative with pop. I sent an email off a few weeks ago to a friend of a friend who i'de heard was thinking of surgery - i recieved a very thankful reply and to say no surgery and going to visit website.
Yesterday i phoned a department store to enquire about Magic knickers, got talking to the sales lady who mentioned that her daughter has pop so i delivered the good news again - made me feel good to be of some help.
My Gas/int who is the head person in his field in a public major hospital made the comment that he is not in favour of recommending surgery for pop as he is continually in contact with post surgery women who he says cannot be helped:( I can ask him if he is willing to accept brochures.
I asked a close friend if she knows anyone with pop to pass them onto me and immediately she remarked how her friend had just had surgery,
Damn too late missed out on that one:( My nextdoor neighbour's sister who is in her eightys has had pop for 20 years or so and said, when it pops out she pushes it back in - what a nuisance that would be for all those years and yes i shall give her a brochure as well.
I was out walking one day and saw a lady who lives close by( but don't know her) other wise i would have asked her if she was alright due to her walking funny as we do when pop is uncomfortable.
So there it is almost every person we speak to, has or knows someone, and i make it no secret that i have pop!! Good to get it out in the open!!

So let's all get into spreading the word - it's fun to help someone!!!
How else is the rest of the world going to recieve the good news that us lucky ladies have.
Thanks Louise for your inspiration:)
Mishek x

bad_mirror

July 5, 2011 - 9:30pm

Louise, the inspiration you manage to manufacture never ceases! The words "amazing" and "miraculous" come to mind, but I know that this triumph over POP is the result of much hard work, trial and error, dedication, and faith, both by you and Whole Woman. Hooray!!! So happy for you, and even a bit happy for myself, knowing what might be for me in 5+ years of WW posture! :-)

louiseds

July 6, 2011 - 1:27am

The silly thing is that I know my body is *probably* still damaged in the same way it always has been (but it may have experienced some mending just by not re-damaging itself with everyday movement). I guess the only way to find out is to order my own Will a postmortem examination and report to be sent to Wholewoman to see the condition of my fascia at death.

This may also be another example of different day, different diagnosis, or the fact that I am not going to ever bear down as hard as I used to so a doctor can assess my POPs. Maybe my pushing wasn't purple enough yesterday?

I am certainly not going to test it out, and put my own tissues under stress. I do know that when I sneeze I do feel pelvic contents in my vulva. Then the sensation goes away completely. I guess this means that descent is still potentially possible.

I wonder what it feels like to sneeze if you don't have POP? I cannot remember. I suspect that my 25 year old, nulliparous daughter may be primed for POP, or have it already for various reasons, so there is little point in asking her, though I might anyway.

Does anyone have female relatives or friends who know that they don't have any POP, who could be asked, "What do you feel in your vulva when you sneeze?" Does such a women indeed exist at all?

louiseds

July 6, 2011 - 1:59am

Hi Mishek

Thanks for expressing all these ideas. They are all small, but each has the potential to save one or more women from having unnecessary surgery, help them to rebuild their shattered faith in their own body, lose their fear. and recover from their grief.

There is always the risk of rejection every time we open our mouths and suggest something which goes against common beliefs. We are all a little vulnerable to rejection, particularly by those near and dear to us. However, when we may never see the person again, like the woman you saw walking strangely, we don't really risk losing a relationship by asking the question and slipping a bookmark into their hand.

Christine, is the Bookmark still on the site somewhere?

I have left a few in the women's bathroom blocks at camping grounds, and watched them disappear one by one, over the space of a week or so. It is kind of like leaving breadcrumbs out for birds. This is a way of putting info out there without even having to ask another woman a difficult or embarrassing question, which she certainly won't be expecting! And a little ziplock bag containing 20 bookmarks takes up very little space in a handbag.

BTW Mishek, what was it about the woman's walk that told you she was experiencing serious POP?

Louise

Christine

July 6, 2011 - 7:43am

I can't find it, Louise. We had several good links, including your bookmark, but it looks like they didn't make it over to the Village. Send it to me again and we'll find a place for it.

louiseds

July 6, 2011 - 8:32am

Christine, it may take a day or so. It is very late now. Working tomorrow. I will need to find the right version and email it to you.

:-)

Sammy

July 6, 2011 - 12:15pm

I thought a lady at work must have POP because she appeared to walk the way i felt. She still has not gone public with this but has had surgery and treatment for bowel cancer.... our walk says things about us. I suspect a poor self image has given me very bad posture but really really love the right on comments on this site to encourage women to keep chest height and neck straight etc.

Mishek

July 6, 2011 - 9:21pm

Hi Louise,
This lady looked to be in her maybe mid sixties and i could tell, that by the way she walked, (gingerly) her discomfort appeared to be coming from very low in the vaginal or rectum area. She walked like me (with caution) when i am in discomfort due to organs being low or when i get that heavy feeling in the rectum. It's funny cause when i go walking with dh and if it is one of my uncomfortable days i feel embarrassed for anyone to see me walking like this, so i say to dh "Lets walk up here or over there so no one can see us" and his reply is "Don't worry about what they think as they couldn't care less." So back to this lady - i think that she has had some kind of surgery or she has pop. I was with dh that day and i think if i was on my own i would have eased into a friendly little chat with her. it would have been unfair for her having a male present. Any way i know what to do next time.

It's amazing how others are willing to share when we open up to them first. It's almost like they are relieved to find someone who has the same issues that they can relate to as they are undoubtedly feeling very alone.
Just like us, we feel so alone with our pop, but if someone were to tell us of theirs, we would be happy and comfortable to share knowing that we have this in common.
I have printed out one brochure only just to see how i go and the reverse side is upside down so i'll have to get it right.
Imagine printing out a large amount - wouldn't it use up masses of ink??
I would certainly be interested in the bookmarks as well!!

Hope this answers your question Louise and don't have too many of those Muzz buzzes!!!:)

Mishek