When I first “cracked the code” on stabilizing and reversing prolapse, and wrote and published Saving the Whole Woman, I set up this forum. While I had finally gotten my own severe uterine prolapse under control with the knowledge I had gained, I didn’t actually know if I could teach other women to do for themselves what I had done for my condition.
So I just started teaching women on this forum. Within weeks, the women started writing back, “It’s working! I can feel the difference!”
From that moment on, the forum became the hub of the Whole Woman Community. Unfortunately, spammers also discovered the forum, along with the thousands of women we had been helping. The level of spamming became so intolerable and time-consuming, we regretfully took the forum down.
Technology never sleeps, however, and we have better tools today for controlling spam than we did just a few years ago. So I am very excited and pleased to bring the forum back online.
If you are already a registered user you may now log in and post. If you have lost your password, just click the request new password tab and follow the directions.
Please review and agree to the disclaimer and the forum rules. Our moderators will remove any posts that are promotional or otherwise fail to meet our guidelines and will block repeat offenders.
Remember, the forum is here for two reasons. First, to get your questions answered by other women who have knowledge and experience to share. Second, it is the place to share your results and successes. Your stories will help other women learn that Whole Woman is what they need.
Whether you’re an old friend or a new acquaintance, welcome! The Whole Woman forum is a place where you can make a difference in your own life and the lives of thousands of women around the world!
Best wishes,
Christine Kent
Founder
Whole Woman
Surviving60
May 10, 2012 - 4:49am
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Fistula
My response to this would be, relax and quit checking yourself until after you have seen the doctor, and let us know what he or she had to say. - surviving
MeMyselfAndI
May 10, 2012 - 6:56am
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Hmmm
The first thing I thought when reading this was 'Are you sure that is your bladder you are feeling'?
Is this 100% your bladder? Or could it possibly be the Cervix you are feeling? I know there is a dip in the Cervix etc hence asking. (think it's called the Os or something like that)
Many moons ago a couple of us on here had 'Checkerama' and all it did was make our Prolapses take over our every waking moment - As in every time we went to pee - We checked. Since getting over this continual Checkerama - Life has got much better! (Far less stressy)
I am sure you will know more when you see your specialist. Then again when I saw mine I was offered 'A little operation' which I immediately declined and since then I have just made friends with POPpy and she and I reside together in matrimonial type sharing of this body-type space.
I can say though that a few years ago (I forget exactly when) I was suffering a peeking from my POP all the time and just standing up to walk or wash up etc was so upsetting - Today I am able to do everything I need to do, and I no longer have anything peeking, no feeling of needing to check any more - In fact - I guess I would say - That 99% of the time I do not even think about it - Maybe when a heavy period is due I feel a bit weird, but that is about it.
Will this change? Who knows what is down the line in the future... But living well with prolapse means that YOU are taking control of YOUR life in your own hands.... It took me a while (and alot of freaking out) to actually get my head around the ups and downs of POPperama... But I did it! When it started and got better I got complacent - It got worse and I freaked - Over the next 3-5mths I gradually got to grips with myself... And now I can happily say that POPpy and I - We are living well with Prolapse :-)
I hope your specialist tells you what you are feeling and that no matter what - You know you will be fine :-)
PS - What you may have felt a week ago as not being there - Our insides being so fluid in there - Things could have just shifted a bit - Maybe a week from now you will feel as you did a week ago again.
Take Care!
Empty_Inside35
May 10, 2012 - 7:16am
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A dip is a good way to
A dip is a good way to explain it but Yeah it is my bladder, It's round and golf ball size.. It is the same thing I have been poking and feeling since last august when I found I had prolapse. I know I try not to look and feel so much, actually it used to be a whole lot more in the beginning, instead of once a week it was 5-6 times a day so that part I am doing better at. I am trying to just take it easy until I can get see my doctor. I am sooooo nervous. I want to stay away from any kind of surgery. Just hoping it's not a fistula because I keep getting mixed results, very few say it can heal on it's own but 90% of people are saying only surgery. And then I read ones who have had the surgery most are happy they did and then there are the ones who have had operation after operation because it wont stay fixed. Grrrr!! Just so frustration as if prolapse wasn't enough.. Especially when I just now have come to terms living with it and feeling happy again!!! Thank you for replying, It helps so much :)
Empty_Inside35
May 10, 2012 - 7:48am
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also the round ball is behind
also the round ball is behind the front wall... not up the vaginal canel.. I have never felt my cervix but when I take a toy I do feel it way up there. lower during that time of the month though!!
Christine
May 10, 2012 - 9:13am
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rugae
These natural, sometimes deep, folds in the vaginal wall are what allow it to expand like an accordion. The layers of and between the vaginal walls are thick and strong. Fistulas result from knives.
mom30
May 10, 2012 - 11:40am
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That's right where my
That's right where my "ureathrocele" is. Maybe it's just that.
Empty_Inside35
May 10, 2012 - 4:44pm
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But where I am feeling is the
But where I am feeling is the ball "behind the wall" opposite side as the wall where the rectocele is.. All these months when checking it I was told that was my fallen bladder. Its always been smooth in that area and now there is a hole/dimple like feeling in it. I am getting so confused over this.
I looked at pics of a ureathrocele and it points outward towards the vaginal wall and the thing I am feeling is a drooping ball with a inward feeling (as if you took a balloon and poked it, there isn't a hole but it pushes inward) ...this us going to be one long week!!!
alemama
May 10, 2012 - 6:49pm
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anxiety
Hey, look, you've got the appointment right? Why not try to take some deep breaths and when you start to feel worried, do something fun...Let us know how it goes!
Empty_Inside35
May 10, 2012 - 8:21pm
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mom30 ..I have a question
mom30 ..I have a question about the ureathrocele if you don't mind. Do you also have a cystocele too or just the Ureathrocele? I ask because I just found a pic and uploaded it (after I marked it in red) I think maybe ..just maybe that is where I am poking. Still unsure but it would make sense if it is a whole finger and a half up. I just always thought that the ureathra was shorter then a finger and a half ...
http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l605/jm_2012/image749sssssssssssssss... ..let me know what you think? Thank you for checking it out I appreciate it very much :)
mom30
May 11, 2012 - 8:01am
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I have a cystocele too(and
I have a cystocele too(and rectocele). I've had it for about 7 1/2 years now. Yep, pretty sure that's it :)
Empty_Inside35
May 13, 2012 - 2:44am
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Tilted Uterus
I ended up getting in on friday due to someone cancelling.. I could never feel my cervix before so I was thinking that would have been the last thing it would have been lol Well I found out in deed was my cervix, but also was told I have a tilted one at that ...Anyone here have a tilted uterus? Does this mean because it is tilted it will be easier for it to fall down in my vaginal canal? I was in so much shock that was the only thing I didn't think to ask :) In the end though it wasn't a fistula which made me happy to at least to hear that. Thank you for the help, I appreciate it so very much!!!!
aussielou
May 13, 2012 - 3:45am
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Tilted uterus = retroverted uterus
From my understanding when gynos talk of a tilted uterus, they mean retroverted uterus. So the top
Of the uterus is pointed backwards and the cervix, (the opening) you can feel pointing forwards.
Mine used to be retroverted, and with the WW work my uterus became nicely anteverted. But, yesterday when I checked it was feeling more retroverted. So there is definitely room for movement. I can't think what might have caused it to retrovert, but I will work on getting anteverted again.
I don't believe the angle makes it easier to fall into the vagina, but am not an authority on that.
Sounds like plenty of women have a retroverted uterus, without it being a problem - other than with conception, so I wouldn't let it worry you.
Good to know it is not a fistula...you can do without that:)
Lindy
jaylove
May 13, 2012 - 9:18am
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Happy Mother's Day
I just wanted to wish all Lady Friends and Mother's a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!! Hope you all have a good one. My Son's in the Hospital so that is where I'll be spending my Mother's day but thats fine because he pulled through the operation and is on the mend. My Mother's day present is that he is alive and making a full recovery. Hugs to all of you.
Surviving60
May 13, 2012 - 10:04am
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Thanks Jaylove and may I add
Thanks Jaylove and may I add my wishes to all the mothers out there. So glad that your son is doing OK, can't ask for a better Mothers Day present than that! - Surviving
Christine
May 13, 2012 - 10:07am
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Happy Mother's Day!
I hope all our Mothers, Daughters, Sisters, and Friends have a lovely, peaceful Mother's Day!
It's a wonderful day here...Louise and our other WW teachers will be at the WWCenter in only a few hours!! We are going to have a great and powerful week - and then the spectacular WW Conference.
Stay in the Posture, everyone!!
Lots of love from Christine!
curiousity
May 13, 2012 - 10:39pm
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Empty_Inside - tilted/retroverted uterus
I was interested to hear that your dr said you had a tilted uterus - from the picture you posted and your description it sounded like what you were feeling was on the anterior wall - and I couldn't quite picture, if this was your cervix - how your uterus could be retroverted. If the cervix is on the front wall wouldn't that mean the body of the uterus was facing forward rather than back? I'm no expert but I just thought I'd post in case you were wondering the same thing. Does anyone else have any thoughts?
Empty_Inside35
May 14, 2012 - 1:03am
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Tilted/Retroverted Uterus Peeking from other side of Cyctocele
As I was laying there she took her fingers on the front wall and told me to feel and she would describe everything that was going on down there.. she went up, then said ok there is your cystocele and then moved that just a tad and then there was the cervix on the other side going towards the bladder. It's as if the cervix and bladder were kissing each other lol She said the first bulge I was feeling which is where I pointed to in the pic was my bladder which was what I was thinking but the reason I was thinking there was a hole (fistula) in my bladder because the bladder and cervix were kinda scrunched together so it was feeling as if it was all one big body part. I now better understand now that she actually showed me everything, I have never had a doctor do that for me. I sure hope I did a ok job explaining this, I did the best I could :)
Empty_Inside35
May 14, 2012 - 1:32am
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Ok I just went to feel around
Ok I just went to feel around again, Now that I think about it I now am confused too lol Maybe when she said it was tilted it was not fully tilted because IF it was fully retroverted the hole would have been coming from the other direction. So you are right about not being able to picture it, funny how everything seemed clear before and you gave me something to think about and so after replying I was like Wait a minute I did feel the hole coming from the side of the bladder that is hanging a bit, if it was coming from the other side if it had been fully retroverted I wouldn't have felt it because my bladder would have been in the way. FINALLY I HAVE IT FIGURED OUT!!! It is amazing how everything down in that area can be so hard to figure out. Nothing simple about the inside of the vagina that's for sure especially when it comes to prolapse!!!
curiousity
May 14, 2012 - 2:52am
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Glad you've figured it out!
If you do a search on retroverted or retroversion in these forums, you'll come up with heaps of information. I find the google search works better than the internal one: site:www.wholewoman.com retroverted.
All the best!
Empty_Inside35
May 14, 2012 - 7:43am
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Normal position Uterus Upright? So tilted can go both ways
So I am assuming since she said my uterus was tilted it didn't mean retroverted because I would have not felt the hole where I did. I was doing some research and this pic I found (Diagram) I believe from my understanding mine is the pink position ... http://i1126.photobucket.com/albums/l605/jm_2012/endosu1.jpg
Also copy and pasted some paragraphs which made me more understand:
What Is an Anteverted uterus?
An anteverted uterus is when a woman's uterus tilts forward, toward her bladder. This condition is opposite of a retroverted uterus, which is titled backward, toward the rectum. Typically, an anteverted uterus does not pose a problem. In fact, many women do not even know they have this condition. In addition, it is the most common variation of the position of the uterus.
The uterus is a pair-shaped organ that is made to house a developing fetus. It is composed of two sections. The upper half is the known as the fundus, and the bottom half is the cervix.
The fundus is where a developing baby will live. This also is the section of the uterus that tilts when an anteverted uterus occurs. The cervix is the neck-shaped part of the uterus that is located closest to the vaginal opening. The cervix closes during pregnancy to keep the baby safe.
An anteverted uterus does not play a role in complicating conception. In fact, rarely, if ever is an anteverted uterus the cause of infertility. This condition does not even cause symptoms.
During pregnancy, an antverted uterus usually does not cause a problem. Sometimes a woman who has an anteverted uterus or a retroverted uterus will notice less of a tilt after pregnancy. Overall, this is a normal condition that affects many women. It doesn't pose a problem, so there typically is no need for medical intervention when this condition occurs.
An anteverted uterus is when a woman's uterus tilts forward, toward her bladder. This condition is opposite of a retroverted uterus, which is titled backward, toward the rectum. Typically, an anteverted uterus does not pose a problem. In fact, many women do not even know they have this condition. In addition, it is the most common variation of the position of the uterus.
The uterus is a pair-shaped organ that is made to house a developing fetus. It is composed of two sections. The upper half is the known as the fundus, and the bottom half is the cervix.
The fundus is where a developing baby will live. This also is the section of the uterus that tilts when an anteverted uterus occurs. The cervix is the neck-shaped part of the uterus that is located closest to the vaginal opening. The cervix closes during pregnancy to keep the baby safe.
An anteverted uterus does not play a role in complicating conception. In fact, rarely, if ever is an anteverted uterus the cause of infertility. This condition does not even cause symptoms.
During pregnancy, an antverted uterus usually does not cause a problem. Sometimes a woman who has an anteverted uterus or a retroverted uterus will notice less of a tilt after pregnancy. Overall, this is a normal condition that affects many women. It doesn't pose a problem, so there typically is no need for medical intervention when this condition occurs.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-an-anteverted-uterus.htm
What Causes a Tipped uterus?
While a normal uterus is usually in an upright position, a tipped uterus is tipped either toward the front or back of the body. This is a common birth defect in some females, and it may also occur because the organ does not position itself correctly as a girl matures. Pregnancy and menopause are also common causes of a tipped uterus, since both of these can cause the ligaments that hold the organ up to become weak. Scar tissue on the inside of the abdominal wall can also push the uterus out of its normal position.
Generally, an anatomically correct uterus is situated so that it is upright in a woman's pelvic area. A uterus that is leaning toward the spine or the front of the abdomen is often referred to as a tipped uterus, or a tip uterus. If a uterus is tilted toward the spine, it may be referred to as a retroverted uterus. A uterus that leans toward the front of the abdomen is referred to as an anteverted uterus.
A tipped uterus is usually caused by genetics. This means that some women are simply born this way. Often, other female members of their families, such as their mothers or sisters, will also have tilted uteruses.
Pregnancy is another of the most common causes of a tipped uterus. During a pregnancy, the ligaments that keep the uterus in its upright position can become strained with the excess weight of the fetus. This extra weight can cause the ligaments to stretch, which can cause the womb to sag. In some cases, this condition is temporary, and the uterus will eventually return to its normal position.
A woman may also discover that she has a tipped uterus after menopause. During this time, the estrogen levels in the body begin to drop. Like pregnancy, this can also cause the ligaments that hold this organ in an upright position to become weak.
Scar tissue is another one of the common causes of a tipped uterus. Scar tissue that forms on the inside of the abdominal or pelvic cavity can push the uterus out of position. This scar tissue can be caused by several things. Some diseases, such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease, can cause scarring in this area, for example. Pelvic trauma and surgical incisions can also cause scar tissue to form in this area.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-causes-a-tipped-uterus.htm
Empty_Inside35
May 14, 2012 - 7:46am
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Thank you curiousity and
Thank you curiousity and everyone else who helped!!! This board has opened my eyes so much when it comes to not just prolapse but my body. And it only took 35 years lol I just wanted you all to know I APPRECIATE IT! Thanks again and much luv to you all *Hugz*
chickaboom
May 14, 2012 - 1:40pm
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do a search
on tilted uterus. A ton of posts, and Louise describes it wondefully - wont leave you lost trying to figure out whats what.
Surviving60
May 14, 2012 - 1:49pm
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And speaking of search, I
And speaking of search, I want to second Curiosity's comment above, about using the search function. One day recently I was having a heck of a time finding a particular phrase that I KNEW was on a thread somewhere on this forum. Tried with and without quotes. I didn't find it until I did exactly what Curiosity described above....put Whole Woman and the phrase I was looking for into a Google search together, and it popped right up. I don't know anything about indexing things for a search, just making the observation for what it's worth.
chickaboom
May 14, 2012 - 1:55pm
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oops i missed curiousitys comment
:) what happens when ur trying to type with a 1 yr old squirming in your lap
blissedout
May 17, 2012 - 11:42am
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still seeking any women re post rectocele ops
Hi
Three years after undergoing a rectocele/enterocele repair op, symptoms of discomfort are increasing - I am keen to find any other similar women, as I am determined to find evidence that this surgery is more damaging than beneficial - my findings I shall then take to the hospital in question for discussion. I was told that I was the first person in 17 years of surgery to complain - I suspect not!
many thanks
Blissedout
curiousity
May 17, 2012 - 3:52pm
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Good on you blissedout
I think it's important that surgeons get this feedback. Otherwise how do they know? They've done the op, sent you on your way and never hear from you again. Unless they explicitly follow up with you (wouldn't that be nice?) then they assume everything has been successful. Let them know it hasn't!
blissedout
May 18, 2012 - 7:59am
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post op disgust!
many thanks for your reassuring reply - have been on the site on and off for three years but so far have only discovered two fellow sufferers! Good luck with your issues!
Good wishes