prolaspe

Hi jesuslovesme and welcome to Whole Woman. It sounds like you're getting some real bad medical advice and I'm glad you found your way here. Hysterectomy or any other kind of surgery to "fix" prolapse is about the worst thing you can do!

Please use the resources here to learn about posture. Get the book and/or the DVD if you can, because there is a lot to learn and it isn't a quick fix by any means.

Make sure you are emptying the bladder completely. Prolapse can get in the way of this! You can do it on all fours in the shower if necessary. The idea is to get the organs forward in their natural position - that's really what all of this is about. Keep reading! Ask your questions here - it's a great community. - Surviving

From a pessary?

Hi. I've never posted on a forum before..so many new things...My name"unwelcome" is in reference to my cystocele. Just had it confirmed a few weeks ago and am now scheduled for P.T. and I want as much information as I can get before heading in that direction. Not sure I'm posting in the correct forum. Lots of feelings, thoughts and questions. The flood gates have not opened with this diagnoses only because I'm trying to think of other situations that could be worse but this doesn't always help and I'm concerned about how all this is going to affect what I like to do in my life...hike, bike, garden and have sex with my husband. I have put a damper on the latter feeling less than desirable. Any thoughts out there from gals in their 50s?

Hi unwelcome - you can do all of those things, plus pretty much everything else you need or want to do, if you commit to making the Whole Woman posture correction. Please read up on the site and forum before you go to PT, because you will get a different story there. Go over to the Resources tab, look for the video page, and watch the first video. Go over to the Blog tab, put "kegels" in the search, and read Christine's articles explaining why these do more harm than good. Check out the entire site and spend some time perusing this forum. Arm yourself with the real story before you get any further into "treatments". Don't wait! I've been here over 3 years (I'm 60-something) and I can honestly say that my 'celes are very WELCOME in my life, because of where they have brought me. - Surviving

Thank you Surviving60. I will do as you recommend. I've already ordered the book and DVD.

What am I doing wrong ? Yesterday I held the posture all day and I started getting a lumbar region back ache and still have it today.

Hey I looked at your file and it said you've been here for 2 weeks, have you been holding the posture 100% of every waking moment for the past 2 wks? Because, if yesterday is the only day you've held the posture all day you're going to be sore at first! You are re adjusting all your joints tendons and muscles that have been forced to stay in the wrong position for most of your life!! When I first started doing the posture I put my all into it. I committed to it 100%. I adjusted everything I did so that I did it in WW posture. Caring for my family, housework, yard work, riding in the car! I started out limiting my activities and then increased them as I got more strongly into the Whole Woman posture!! Yeah, I hurt like hell for about the first week or two, but that pain n soreness slowly turned to strength and now 1 1/2 months later I am strong in WW posture and now if I drop out of it I get sore!! You are correcting a lifetime worth of damage and destruction, its going to be sore at first! But the reward is soooooooooooooooooo worth it!! Just keep it up and you'll see!! I wish you the best!!

Glad to know the soreness is normal at first. I'm still working up to 100% of the time but yeah, I still get sore. For me, sitting is more difficult than standing.

Can anyone explain how to bend from the hips rather than the waste as I'm having trouble still with bending/picking things up in ww posture. Also, how effective are lumbar cushions (I sit in a chair and write 4 or 5 hours a day, and are there super cheep ones that are still effective? Thanks!

Yes, it is certainly normal to be sore at first, and especially if you try to do too much too soon. There is a difference between the good kind of sore that comes from working underused muscles, and a bad kind of pain. I hope that you can listen to your body and tell the difference. Keep working at it, but don't overdue, this will take awhile to become second nature.

Tree Woman, the difference in bending is that when you bend from the waist, you flatten the lumbar curvature. When you bend from the hips, your curvature is still in place. Keeping that in mind, it's easy enough to tell the difference. If your back is rounded, then allow it to flatten and put that curvature back where it belongs. I am forever bending carelessly, but when I make that little correction, I can actually feel a huge difference.

If you need help supporting the lumbar curve while sitting, you can use just about anything. I stuff a sweatshirt behind my lower back when I drive. - Surviving

When I bend over I find it easier to keep my legs far apart and bend at my knees. This helps me keep lumbar curve.

I started typing my response before I saw survivings response!! Listen to her she has excellent advice!! I'm still new so I have a hard time describing how to move with the proper verbiage!! Wish u the best!!

WMLB, it's all about keeping that curvature, and you described it just fine! - Surviving

:) thank you

Thanks WMLB and Surviving, that helps a lot... and glad to know that I can use a sweatshirt or something especially when in the car. I just didn't want to do something wrong.

This is all new to me...the forum, cystocele. I'm 51 years old and diagnosed with a stage1/2 cystocele and uterine prolapse as well. I'm anxiously awaiting my book and dvd. As I sit here reading the posts I feel I'm a bit lost and want to make sure if I have questions or comments I'm doing them in the right place. What I've read as far as posts go, show a very supportive community. Many of the comments I've seen written are the same I would have posted...concerns, fears, hopes.
I too had never heard of a cystocele.
I went to my gyno. and female family doctor explaining what I felt and neither one of them could see what I was talking about or even mentioned the possibility of a cystocele. It was not until I sent my gyno. a picture of CC (as I lovingly like to call my cystocele) that she came up with this diagnosis. I'm baffled to say the least with two female doctors not coming up with a possible diagnosis when explained the feeling and timing of the bulge I was feeling. Any way, now that I know "It's not a tumor", I can deal with it. I feel a sense of comfort knowing that I can share with those that can understand all the feelings, fears, emotions. Thanks for reading...and again ...Am I in the right spot? :)

Hi! You ARE in the right spot!! I understand how confusing and overwhelming all this can be!! I had just gotten the Internet 1 wk before I found this forum and had never had the Internet before that!! I was soooooo lost and had no idea what I was doing!! Everyone here is so wonderful and caring so... Again... Yes you are in the right spot!! I'm sure if you need help with anything just ask and someone will help you!! I also sympathize with your frustration from the doctors. I was misdiagnosed by 4 doctors before they finally got it right! The good thing is you are here now and now you can start to take care of yourself!! As you read you'll learn that the Whole Woman posture is the most important thing to start on! If you type posture in the search box you should be able to get a thorough explanation of the posture! Also there is a lot of good videos and articles on the homepage and the blog!! I hope you find everything you're searching for!! Wish you the best!!

I just got my book, baton and First Aid for Prolapse DVD. Watched the dvd and will start practicing the WW posture. I suffer from scoliosis so now I'm beginning to wonder if that has anything to do with my cystocele. I will definitely have to ease into the exercise. Thanks for the good wishes. I will be off camping for a month but will take my computer and dvd with me so that I can practice.

Great to hear! Have fun, don't overdo, fill your brain with WW knowledge! - Surviving

Hi unwelcome! Like you, I am fairly new here and also have a prolapsed bladder. A little different than you is that mine is pooching out, that's how I found it. It basically stays pooched out but feels better first thing in the morning until I am up for a while. In my panic I researched, bought some things and DVD's that I don't need and then found this place. Awaiting my First Aid for prolapse dvd now. I bought the book but I think the DVD will be more useful for me.

My Dr was pretty much worthless to me except to state what I had and to tell me there was nothing I could do and that it would only get worse. I first went to urgent care because I also thought I had a tumor. Scared me! They said it was rectocele, and sent me a visiting gynecologist the next day...I had never been to these Dr's before. So he said it was the other. a prolapsed bladder.

After my research, and believe me I am very new to this, I believe this is the best place to be and we need to struggle through and make this work!

Hi, I have prolapse but am an avid horse rider and do not want to give up my riding. My interest and passion is classical dressage training, and the one thing I noticed straight away on purchasing the WW book was that the illustrated posture is almost exactly like the classical dressage seat when riding. I do not think my riding has caused the prolapse, but possibly two vaginal births 25 and 23 years ago, and particularly with my first as I had a very significant episiotamy with a huge cut (still a scar) through my pelvic floor muscle structure (my husband was horrified at the time as he said it looked like I was almost cut in half!). The Gyno in the first birth told me to 'push, push, really hard!', but with my second baby the nurse said 'don't push, let your body do the pushing', and I had an easier birth. I purchased the WW book and DVD about four years ago, lent the book to a lady friend who inadvertantly took it to a 2nd- Hand clothing shop in a bundle of sheets & blankets! I had read the book though, and I still fortunately have the DVD. Oh well, maybe someone out there is enjoying the book!
I recently went to a Gyno examined me and told me that my vaginal walls are basically 'caving in' therefore causing the prolapse. She fitted a donut pessary after trying two sizes, and chose the smaller one, but on the way home it worked it's way down and eventually after a few hours just fell out. So I guess I will have to go back next week and try the larger size. I have also ordered the Jade & Pearl sea sponges, but have been warned against using them by a registered nurse due to the risk of TSS. Does anyone have any comments on this?

Hi Horsepassion and welcome. Yes, we have had some riders here, and if you use the search box up above and to the left, you can find these discussion threads. I'm not a rider but my impression is that WW posture would be, as you say, compatible with the sitting posture of a classical rider. However, I can't recall this being confirmed by any members who were both experienced riders AND fully living the posture. I guess we never heard enough follow-up to know for sure.

Holding the vagina open, as some pessaries do, tends to work against prolapse management by allowing the other organs into that space. I don't think you mentioned your type of prolapse, but pessaries are especially unhelpful (and potentially aggravating) in the case of rectocele.

That being said, we do have some pessary and sponge users on this forum. You can find these discussions in the search also. - Survivingg

I am fairly new here too and a dressage rider and was recently fitted with a pessary. I must admit I was nervous the first time I rode and was cautious the first week as my Gyno told me it might fall out. My story is similar to yours and she tried two sizes before settling on the smaller one. I am now in a one month trial and I must admit I am thrilled with the result of the pessary. I can ride with no problems at all. My book and DVD just arrived yesterday so I am gradually working my way through all the info but from what I had read on this forum I realized the classical dressage seat was very similar to the WW posture with some minor adjustment. As I said in my first post, I was bit of an ostrich and did not deal with my prolapse until I had to because I was in a panic that I might be forced to give up my riding. I am 69 and still have my last little horse to bring along before I want to stop. I never had a problem while riding as I think the support from my dressage saddle was good.
I agree that I don't think the riding caused the prolapse but I did have four children now ranging from 40 to 50 years old and was told that I had a weak bladder all those years ago! I am so comfortable with the pessary and my trips to the bathroom have been reduced hugely. I had forgotten what it feels like to be normal.
I am following the WW posture as much as I can in my daily life and plan to follow the exercise program as well since I also have a dance background.

Hi Surviving60 and Nikko,
Thanks for your great encouragement Surviving60, and Nikko how great it is to make contact with another dressage rider! I have often wondered how many other women riders there are out there with POP? Glad your pessary is working well for you. I'm booked in again with the Gyno in a few weeks' time to apparently have a larger donut pessary fitted, but have noticed that the option of surgery has been mentioned more than once as a naturally occurring next step if the pessaries fail, but I am not prepared to go with that option at all. I do consciously try to remember to keep in the WW Posture most times, and do the fire breathing, but have also ordered and just received my Jade & Pearl sea sponge pessary. I have given it a try in the last couple of days, and it seems to be staying in and firm. I also had a couple of questions I emailed to the J & P people and had a very helpful response.
I had not been riding for a few months because I was getting abrasion from the POP every time I got on a horse, which as one can imagine was totally getting me down. But today I decided to give the sea sponge a 'road test' on a horse to see if it stayed put better than the silicone pessary. I just rode for about 20 minutes, did rising trot and sitting trot (which I think is possibly the most gravity challenging movement to do on a horse). The sponge held up my organs really well, I didn't feel it coming down. After I put the horse away I lunged another filly and was basically on my feet and active for a couple of hours, hosing down horses, picking up and cleaning out hooves, grooming, rugging, etc. I finally came inside and checked myself and the sponge had slipped down slightly but was still feeling firm and by no means felt like it was going to come out. So I am pretty happy so far.