Hi Australian mum needs help

Hi and welcome, Jocelyn,

Yes, we ship internationally and you can find the answers to your other questions at www.wholewomancenter.com/store

:-) Christine

anne-helen

Hi jocelyn,

It's very hard to find out at the beginnning, but from all the stories on line hopefully you'll be able to see how normal women can and are managing and perhaps notice the progression many of us have had from outright freaked (me for example!) to being able to handle it and as you say feel much less abnormal.

I hope you're able to get the book - it really is a fantastic empowering read and there are few on the topic (from a holistic non pro- surgery perspective.)

best wishes

anne-helen

I, too am mom of 3, with first boy born almost a year ago. I love my darling little boy! (and my girls, too!) Not long after, i too discovered prolapse. Welcome, and I hope you find all the information and support you need here.

Blessings.

Marie

Welcome to Wholewoman Forums Jocelyn. It's great when another new (Oz) woman turns up online, who has discovered that there are other ways than surgery of dealing with prolapse. I know that you will receive heaps of support and learn a whole lot of new stuff about your body from all the women who have been where you are.

This is the place where we share things about our bodies that we would not *dare* share with anyone else. After a few months though, you will probably feel a lot more at ease with your body and a lot more comfortable about speaking with other women around you about prolapse. You will also know a lot more than you do now, and hopefully will be feeling a lot better physically.

I searched in vain for Australian resources, though there are some potentially promising organisations for getting all this information out into the community. GAIN www.gynsupport.com is currently very cancer oriented, but I have them in my sights to publicise this site and offer some more support in the pelvic organ prolapse area. Pelvic organ prolapse certainly fits the scope of the organisation. They do support a vulval pain support group, so that's a start as it often seems to be related. So pay them a visit.

The Western Australian Continence Resource Centres are another potentially useful group of organisations. Not sure whether or not they exist interstate. The phonebook or your local hospital can tell you where to find them, and you can use other centres that are not your local one. They all operate differently. Lack of knowledge of non-surgical management seems to be a bit of an obstacle at this stage, but they could also be potentially useful.

Both these organisations seem to have strong links to the gynaecology and oncology professionals and related paraprofessionals. This may or may not prove helpful in getting the word out about non-surgical management of prolapse. My jury is out on that for now. ;-)

That's all I have been able to dig up I'm afraid. I was so relieved to find this site, and Saving the Wholewoman has been life-changing reading for me. It really puts the facts about surgery in front of you, all in one place, so you can decide for yourself whether you want to take the documented risks for the different procedures, and the medical part of it is so well referenced from peer-reviewed scientific journals. Both have filled me with hope for the future and given me affirmation that I have made the right choice in deciding against surgery. And no, I couldn't find any Australian bookshops that carry it. Just get it from Wholewoman.

Let us all know if you find any other organisations or resources in Australia. There is one other Australian member that I know of. There are probably more. Anyone out there from Oz, feel free to email me, and of course register for the Forums and join the rest of us in sharing our wisdom.

Cheers

Louise

Hi Jocelyn,
One thing I have learned through all of this is that everyone experiences prolapse in different ways. I have a rectocele and cystocele but actually don't experience any bulges unless I bear down and then bulge a little to the vaginal opening. I don't experience any symptoms either for which I am grateful unless I try to run and then everything feels horrid! I was tested on Friday to see whether I am retaining any uring post voiding but I am not. I think it is really such a personal thing and someone who may have a mild or more severe prolapse may experience symptoms or may not. This makes treatment such an individual thing too. Good luck with your appointment and keep us posted!
Take care.
Michelle.