Getting older seems crap

Submitted by ClaireD on September 10, 2013 - 12:29pm
Body: 

Hi, I'm new here. I'm 47 years old. I have a tilted uterus, a small fibroid since ages that once felt huge (whilst on anti-coagulants for a DVT) and last year was diagnosed with polyps too. I was bleeding so hard the first days of my period, I could not leave the house. And I was bleeding every 10 days or so. Of course the gynecologist wanted to operate. I did what I did with the fibroid: one table spoon of blackstrap molasses every morning in some hot water. Yuk... but it works! And I also took calc fluor (tissue salts), and all the other necessary supplements (like omega 3). My situation improved within weeks and I stopped bleeding after two months or so. I take a desogestrel pill, as I am not allowed to take estrogen because of the blood clotting problem. Purely for comfort, because I am single & celibate. The story started again recently, so I am back on black strap molasses.
Anyway, the elasticity of the pelvic region is gone, and I often to urinate often, and sometimes very urgently. Also the vagina elasticity is gone. So I bought these geisha balls, and use one of course. 3 days later I was bleeding, and I felt a discomfort. I got the mirror out... and I searched for images on the internet. It seems like a had a prolapse (just to the entrance of the vagina). I found this website :), and I have started good posture, and also some squatting as I read that is good pelvic floor exercise. All seems to be back as before. But I just wonder if I still have a tiny prolapse. How do I know, unless I see a doctor of course. But I'd like to wait a few weeks for the molasses to do their work.
Anyway, getting older seems crap! I don't want to stay single forever. Luckily I can 't lift heavy stuff because I have a neck hernia. SO I really watch out for that. I bike quite often to stay fit. I should lose some weight though, it's been hard since I had serious neck hernia problems again for 10 months, thus little sports during that time and yep, the kilos added on! I eat healthily, a mainly Mediterranean diet (as lucky me lived there for 11 years). Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading my story. And thanks for all the advice here!

Forum:

123Butterfly

September 10, 2013 - 2:10pm

and welcome :-).
I'm glad you found this site and started immediately with good posture. When you're biking please stay in posture, too. On YouTube is a video, where you can watch Christine biking.
Somewhere on the wholewoman page is an article, that describes how to do a self-exam to get to know if you have prolapse and which one you have, if you have ;-).
If you have one (or more) read around here and you'll see, there are women of all ages with the same problem. But don't get discouraged, with good posture you can nearly do everything.

Best wishes
Butterfly

Surviving60

September 10, 2013 - 5:39pm

Hi Claire and welcome to the site. Have you read up on Whole Woman posture? I ask that question because most of us were raised with the completely wrong definition of good posture. We learned to pull our bellies in tight and tuck our butts under, and over time, unfortunately, that has helped send our pelvic organs into our vaginas! Go to the Resources tab, look for the video page, and watch the first one on the page for a nice 20-minute overview of prolapse management without surgery. - Surviving

ClaireD

September 11, 2013 - 2:40am

I am just wondering, as posture is so important, I guess we should sit on the couch crossed legged too? I am a designer and do furniture making, and am making a couch for myself right now. I guess I should make one comfortable for good posture and not for slouching... So large seating area (to sit with legs crossed), and straight support in the back? With a pillow for lumbar support? Any ideas on the perfect couch?

fab

September 11, 2013 - 3:10am

Just to have a look at the things you have cited:
Wikipedia tells us that Black strap molasses contains significant amounts of vitamin B6 and minerals including calcium, magnesium, iron, and manganese; one tablespoon provides up to 20% of the recommended daily value of each of those nutrients. Blackstrap is also a good source of potassium. So I imagine all these vitamins and minerals would be good for someone who through excess bleeding would be in danger of becoming anaemic.
A homeopathy site tells us that Calc fluor, is for Bone related problems, lumbago, piles, Cracked, Thick, lumpy yellow discharge from nose, Expectoration yellow mucus. Flooding in menses, and so on. I just don’t believe in a memory of a mineral, trace element etc diluted in water and then made into a pill is of much use to anyone, but lots and lots of people do.
Wiki also tells us that “Desogestrel is a molecule used in hormonal contraceptives.
In February 2007, the consumer advocacy group Public Citizens (you can google them and see if they make sense to you) released a petition requesting that the FDA ban oral contraceptives containing desogestrel, citing studies going as far back as 1995 that suggest the risk of dangerous blood clots is doubled for women on such pills in comparison to other oral contraceptives. In 2009, Public Citizen released a list of recommendations that included numerous alternative, second-generation birth control pills that women could take in place of oral contraceptives containing desogestrel. Most of those second-generation medications have been on the market longer and have been shown to be as effective in preventing unwanted pregnancy, but with a lower risk of blood clots. So I’m not sure why anyone would want to take them just for comfort. Perhaps, you can enlighten us more about this?
I’m assuming that your prolapse is uterine. I would not consider it being just to the entrance of the vagina a minor matter, but agree it is much better than if it were past the labia. Squatting for a uterine prolapse is not productive to getting it back over the pubic bone where it belongs. The relaxation of the weakened pelvic muscles would allow the prolapsed organ to escape downwards and the more you can retain the prolapsed organ in its correct position, the better will be your chance of prolapse management. Also, losing weight is not about exercise but diet. I really don’t know too many people on a Mediterranean diet who are without a tummy.

ClaireD

September 12, 2013 - 9:28am

About desogestrel, I am on the third generation pill progestogen only version Cerazette. After your comment I have done some research myself, and the recent studies seem to differ (I read medical reports, not wiki) so I have written the hematologist who treated me to get his opinion. He answered me (within 30 minutes!! :) as this is a low dose progestative, not associated to estrogen, so it does not make the DVT risk higher. He even sent me a 2013 study (you can't get more recent!): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23809122. I have the complete pdf report. If I can upload it here for anyone interested, I will (the complete report is not online)
Hormonal contraceptives, Absolute risk per 100 person - year
No risk increase [12,109,110]
Levonorgestrel releasing IUD 0.1 (0.0–0.4)
Progestagen only, low-dose 0.2 (0.1–0.4)
norethisteron 350 lgor
levonorgestrel 30 lg
Progestagen only, low-dose 0.2 (0.1–0.7)
desogestrel 75 lg¶
Why I take it for comfort is explained in my original post: continous bleeding. And I feel safe continuing this pill.
I don't know where you get the idea that people on a Mediterranean diet are fat, as many studies have shown the contrary. A google result shows this too: https://www.google.be/search?q=obesity+mediterranean+diet&ie=utf-8&oe=ut...
Losing weight is about exercise + diet!!! Not only is it important for your health to eat properly (the correct foods) but also to exercise on a regular basis. It promotes bone strength, it keeps the joints supple, the blood flowing, gives you a bigger lung capacity, more energy, more muscle strength,... When I bike several times a week, my weight goes down just like that. Normal when you burn calories. I'm just wondering what kind of diet you would advise to lose weight & stay healthy?
About the squatting exercise, as I can't feel the uterus near the entrance of the vagina anymore, I will continue them to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles. I have a tilted uterus, and I am guessing that is what I feel now at the end of my finger.
For the rest, I don't care too much for people who don't believe in homeopathy or alternative medicine. It has worked for me since 30 years, it works for everyone else in my family. It works for friends. I treat everything from flu (which we haven't had in more than 5 years) to colds to eye infections with homeopathy. Usually faster & better than classic medicine (and anti-biotics) would have done. Without any side effects!
Black strap molasses is indeed a good source of minerals. And there are a lot of articles out there that give it as an alternative remedy for fibroids. Trying it won't harm, and it beats getting an operation. All I can say is: it worked for me (and it stopped the bleeding of the polyps), so it did for other women. I know my gynecologist will most likely be sceptical, but what do I care when I feel better?
After all, this is why I am here: I want to try alternative methods, that I am sure are disputed or ridiculed by many in the medical profession. But if I see results in my body, that is all that counts for me! :)

fab

September 12, 2013 - 6:08pm

Thanks for clarifying. It is your life, your body to do as you wish. I was purely advising caution working from the facts that you gave us.

Surviving60

September 12, 2013 - 6:37pm

No problems, Claire, just realize that while anyone can post here, this forum exists around the teachings of Christine Kent. So we will always strive to keep that focus for the benefit of anyone who should find there way here, looking for that wisdom. - Surviving

louiseds

September 12, 2013 - 11:39pm

Hi Claire

I would say that it is important for the seat itself to be horizontal. What you do with the back is almost immaterial, as long as you have room at the top of the back to move your upper body and head to move backwards, and that you can get your butt far enough back into the junction between the two.

I would tend to have the seat rather firm, so your butt doesn't sink down into it and leave your crossed legs and particularly your knees higher at the sides. Part of the advantage of sitting cross legged is encouraging flexiojn and outward rotation of the hip joints. If your knees are held up in the air that is not allowing them to settle into outward rotation.

I would incorporate several movable and squishable cushions of different sizes and shapes into the design, so you have at hand several options for support or not.

Think about buckwheat husk filling for the cushions, or some of them. It is a wonderful filling because it retains the shape that you put it in, by the husks kind of locking into each other. My favourite cushion at home is my buckwheat crescent meditation cushion, which is 100mm high at back and zero at the front of the two arms. It keeps my lumbar curve forward really well.

Also, think about grippy fabrics like corduroy or microfiber which will hold cushions exactly where you put them. The same fabric on the back of the cushions will double the grip. Then you can put decorative trims or fabrics on the front of the cushions.

It doesn't sound like any couch I have ever seen!

Louise