Uterine prolapse and loss of sensation ( pudendal nerve damage)

Submitted by Lossofspark on September 18, 2014 - 10:04pm
Body: 

Ladies of Wholewoman,
Please help me. Anyone. I am terrified and am in complete disbelief and shock about everything that's been happening to me. It all feels so surreal like a bad dream I can't wake from. I don't know how you all are dealing with this frightful experience called prolapse. It's a so horrifying to have our body parts falling out of us and we're suppose to go on with life being a mother, worker, and wife, etc. I can't believe that you all can make it out to the other side and be stronger if any. I don't know if I can do this and be ok in the end. I've had such dark and suicidal thoughts, I'm emotional and crying all the time. I'm completely lost. I'm in mourning of my previous self and a beautiful future I had all planned out that did not include a falling uterus and loss of my sexuality!!!
Let me tell you a little bit about myself.. I am 32yrs old, petite, (was) very healthy mother of three, all naturally delivered without complications. My youngest is 8, 13, and 14 yrs old. Sex post baby was still great no issues. Fast forward a couple of years I went from a stay at home mom to starting a job that required heavy lifting to get myself through school. I think it was during this time period I ripped/damaged a uterine ligament as I felt ripping, knife jabbing pain during a heavy transfer and uterus has not been the same since. After that came sexual dysfunction , as a distorted uterus not in its anatomically correct position can cause, right?! So for about 1-2 years had painful,uncomfortable intercourse. Saw numerous doctors for help and answers and unless your uterus is falling out they brush you off . This past year the pain has progressed to tearing and nerve-like-electric stinging pain inside vagina and cervix area. I slowly started to lose sensation and orgasms became weaker and weaker to the point now that I've lost complete clitoral sensation and uterine orgasms. As if that was not enough rectum has decreased sensation and decreased motility causing constipation. I have all the sx of pudendal nerve damage which I believe is irreversible. My question is, is that common with uterine prolapse nerve damage? And if so is it repairable and has anyone ever experienced regenerated nerves and regained sensation. (I'm scared that I may already know the answer to that). I also think that for years now sex has aggravated the prolapse, hitting and knocking at the uterus I know now has attributed to the nerve damage and sexual dysfunction. My nerve damage has caused vaginal laxity, uterus is descending upon my rectum. I can't really feel my stool until it's about near the anal sphincter.
I just don't know what to do now. I had a consult with a urogynocologist and she suggest a uterosacro suspension. But I'm afraid. Afraid if I don't do anything the pain and nerve damage can get worse and if I do do something it'll do just that, get worse. I'm all for natural healing and never been in any type of surgery. But when it comes to prolapse I just don't know if I think anyone should have to live with it.
Greatfullly,
Lossofspark

Forum:

Christine

September 19, 2014 - 12:49pm

Hello Lossofspark,

Your post is unusual, although we have heard of painful prolapse following an injury. Perhaps the pudendal nerve is involved, but here is another angle you might find of interest: https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/3663

The pudendal nerve is situated in between the ligaments at the back of your pelvis. In natural posture, those ligaments are lifted and separated from each other, so the nerve embedded in between is not compressed. It is difficult for me to imagine what might be leading to such drastic symptoms as you describe. For those of us with stage 3-4 uterine prolapse, it feels good to have the cervix/uterus pushed all the way forward. The cervix has receptors for pressure, but not for pain.

If I were you, I would learn more about your anatomy and why it is so important to bear your weight and increases in intraabdominal pressure in a natural way. Sitting with your tail tucked under you and straining against the toilet seat are two things I would change immediately. Nerves do regenerate and it is a puzzlement that you are connecting so many disparate, ongoing symptoms with one incident of heavy lifting. Natural weaknesses in the abdominal wall usually give way to increases in internal pressure long before the uterus or pudendal nerve are damaged. All the other sequelea is a mystery. Your uterus cannot descend upon your rectum and what you describe is simply not how most women experience prolapse.

We are living well with prolapse by coming back to the true female pelvic organ support system, which urogynecology never described accurately and refuses to acknowledge.

Wishing you well,

Christine

steadele

September 19, 2014 - 8:14pm

Hello Lossofspark.
I am also new to pelvic organ prolapse and am feeling all the same feelings that you are. It has been 3 months since my diagnosis. After visiting the urogynocologist and researching treatment for prolapse (hysterectomy) I felt like a piece of meat rather than a healthy woman with an anatomical problem ( at work (teaching young offenders) I tell them I can't play basketball for a while because I have a sports restriction). Like you I feel scared and shocked and sad at what I perceive is the loss of my femininity and I just want it all to go away. However, I have now made a decision to keep my uterus for as long as I possibly can. I am now seriously following Christine's Whole Woman approach to avoiding surgery. I am determined to make it work. I think that is what has to come first. Commitment to change. I have changed alot of things in my life. I bought the book Saving the Whole Woman and read it carefully, started doing the exercises at the bar and on the floor. They are very challenging but I must say that they have helped almost immediately to pull everything up and relieve back pain and foot pain but more importantly I have become more aware of every aspect of my body. I practice The Whole Woman Posture all the time. This is also a challenge ...a huge one! after 3 weeks I am now starting to feel my pelvic organs move forward and be supported by my pubic bone. This reduces the bulge. The more work I put into this the more manageable this prolapse problem seems to be. For the past 2 days I've been optomistic..... thinking I can do this! So take heart Spark! Once you decide to take action and control you will be able to better understand what is happening to you and decide how to fix it. One piece of invaluable advice that I took from Christine's book was how to manage elimination. I make sure I am not constipated by taking pro-biotics, eating grains and fresh fruits and veggies,drinking plenty of good water and getting exercise. If constipation is a problem then I use my mother's remedy of eating prunes or drinking prune juice. And I now sit on the toilet the way Christine suggests. It has helped so much. When i read your post Spark my heart went out to you. I was reminded of the words in a song "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans". I hope you can come to terms with this condition and control it rather than have it control you. By the way, I've also bought the DVD and the baton and am doing the First Aid exercises. My body is starting to tone up and look fit and even sexy. So there is definitely hope.
Warm regards, Sparkle
Adele

Christine

September 19, 2014 - 11:59pm

Hi Adele and thanks so much for believing in the work and giving it your best. Wonderful advice to Sparkle and I hope she is able to hear your words.

I just got home from Scottish Country dancing (my favorite thing to do in the world), where I danced in WW posture and sat in WW posture during all the breaks. I could feel that my cervix was low when we left the house early this evening (remember, my condition is different due to bladder suspension surgery), and I came home prolapse-free. WW posture just works! But you really have to commit to it, which doesn't mean you can never hang out in your favorite couch or chair again. Right now I'm relaxing into my grandmother's overstuffed chair after being strongly pulled up all those hours. It feels great, but it won't for long as my body screams to pull up again.

So many conditions that seem set-in-stone can be reversed by strengthening the body in natural posture. I believe the brain and emotional centers are helped too as neurons fire more effectively when we're properly aligned.

Keep up the good work and thanks again for giving hope to another newbie.

Christine

Surviving60

September 21, 2014 - 7:28am

Adele, this is simply a lovely inspirational post and I too thank you for taking the time to share. I hope that not only Lossofspark but everyone else (especially worried new members) will read and take it to heart.

LOS, please start teaching yourself how to hold your organs forward, and I believe over time, the rest will follow. All surgical "solutions" to prolapse are risky and permanently damaging to the structures of pelvic organ support. Returning to natural female posture not only stabilizes prolapse, but your hips/spine/entire body as well. It is the single most important thing you can do for your present and future health and happiness. There are countless women like myself who consider their discovery of prolapse to be a blessing in disguise. You're either laughing or crying at that thought, I know. Take a deep breath and get going on it. - Surviving