An Acceptance Mindset Resource

Submitted by Snapcracklepop on July 21, 2015 - 10:33am
Body: 

One of the reasons I come to the Whole Woman forum often is because it helps me make my default reaction to my prolapsed organs one of peace and acceptance, minimizing stress.

In my opinion I've found a cancer thriver who has Whole Woman spirit through and through and I think part of a conversation she had with the founder of the Good Life Project might be helpful.

Anyone who is interested in encouragement in accepting where they are in their journey with prolapse can check this link out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2iPurl324Q.

Although I enjoyed the entire interview, the part that dealt with what I would call healthy acceptance runs from the 5 minute mark to about 9:40. I have no relationship with either of these folks, but have definitely been inspired by their work on more than one occasion and thought that sharing the clip here might be helpful.

Snapcracklepop

Forum:

Surviving60

July 21, 2015 - 5:44pm

I enjoyed watching this interview, and I can relate to it, coming from the standpoint of someone who has recently had a serious chronic degenerative disease diagnosed in the immediate family. I don't particularly think that acceptance of one's prolapse falls into the same category as this woman's journey. If anything, this interview should make anyone grateful if prolapse is the biggest health problem she has to face. - Surviving

Snapcracklepop

July 22, 2015 - 9:01am

Though I never want to minimize the trials of anyone's WW journey, I know what you mean Surviving. The man's tinnitus is more on the level of prolapse in my opinion.

Safely Held, hope you had a good walk. I was happy to hear of the choices you were making to get a WW consult and check in with an osteopath (at least I think that's what you shared in the other thread).

I take comfort in the idea that acceptance doesn't mean I'm giving up on trying to help myself. It just affords me the opportunity to experience peace with whatever happens to be in the moment, because it's just what happens to be, for now...

Snapcracklepop

Surviving60

July 22, 2015 - 11:57am

Anyone who lives with tinnitus or knows someone who does, would certainly disagree with the "nagging, relatively small" statement. That is truly a condition over which the sufferer is more or less powerless, so acceptance is really the only path one can follow. Prolapse on the other hand, can be greatly improved all throughout the remainder of one's live, and only in a very few cases does it constitute a disability in the true sense of the word.

Sorry, but I guess I am on a mission to put prolapse into perspective. There is always so much panic and drama in the early days, but most of us should be moving past that point after awhile, and using the available tools to get on with life. As I believe Tanglefoot said in another thread the other day - let's be grateful for what we have and turn our focus outwards. - Surviving

everhopeful

July 22, 2015 - 3:45pm

for posting that link I found ot really helpful and interesting on many levels. By coincidence my husband has very bad tinnitus which was at first a mild problem . He bought a state of the art hearing aid as a prevention of further damage but a massive screaching noise ,which we r told was an lectric down load from me! , made things far worse! He has gracefully accepted this hidden handicap and learned to live with it better than I would! My prolapse almost seems to 'even things up' with us re problems which could get u down but not kill u!! Support,patience and healthy life style ,as demonstrated in the video seem the way forward. I agree with all u wrote Safely Held and will always be grateful for this Wholewoman site. :)
I considered myself very fit and healthy and worked hard to have a good diet and slim figure. I find it hard to accept that I must give up my previous figure , now that I have pop ,in order to stay healthy although I am so glad for Christines wonderful teachings. I continue to work hard on acceptance and thankfulness but it would be much harder without the support and empathy found on this site. Thanks to all u like minded people out there!

Surviving60

July 22, 2015 - 5:17pm

Ok, trying hard not to take things in ways they were not meant to be taken....but how it is you gave up your previous figure? You mean you don't suck in your belly anymore, and that gives you less of a figure? I think it gives you more. - Surviving

Snapcracklepop

July 22, 2015 - 5:26pm

Just wanted to thank you both for sharing your appreciation :-)

My experience has been that acceptance is very much a journey just like Whole Woman work. Most days, at most times I'm basically symptomless or feeling very empowered in dealing with my symptoms. And then there are times, every now and then, that I'll have a hiccup or worse and I find myself struggling. Any pity party I throw, if I feel I need one, is intense, short and has a definite end time. I don't want to waste my precious time feeling bad about life, but also want to make sure I'm not stuffing emotions and pretending I'm okay when I'm not. It's a delicate balance, but I pretty much have it down now. Only took forty so odd years ;-)

Yours in WW strength,

Snapcracklepop

Snapcracklepop

July 22, 2015 - 5:40pm

I do value your prolapse perspective Surviving and I hope that you can accept that there are others out there. What I think we all have in common here is that we acknowledge Christine's work as ESSENTIAL to managing prolapse.

I remember you describing your prolapse situation as nature's pessary and I think I'd describe my own situation very much the same way. That said, I have to imagine that the experience of profound uterine prolapse or postpartum prolapse may create other perspectives, not to mention that each person copes in their own way, very much like each person has to figure out which foods to eat to keep constipation at bay. Nothing is one size fits all in my experience.

Please receive this in the spirit that it is shared, one of honoring difference.

With respect,
Snapcracklepop

Surviving60

July 22, 2015 - 6:18pm

Yes, I have nature's pessary, you have nature's pessary, and since it is the most common form of prolapse, probably the majority of our members have it too. It is quite manageable with the WW work (surely an easier road than for those who have a profound uterine prolapse, or, far worse, complications from surgery or hyst). Yet so many women come to the forum needing to be convinced that their lives are not over because they have a prolapsed bladder or the like.

I also experienced PP prolapse, as I have described many times on the forum.

No, my perspective these days is of a different type. I think only when serious chronic disease (or the equivalent) comes into one's life, does prolapse (in ALL its variations) take on a different complexion. I was never good at drying people's tears over prolapse (but thankfully, many of you are). These days, I just want to tell women to be grateful for what the WW work can bring to your life, and be thankful if that's the worst health issue with which you struggle. - Surviving

everhopeful

July 23, 2015 - 2:33am

I would like to answer your question! I would like to explain how much I appreciate my health and fitness. I have always searched out as much information as I could and all my life tried to keep fit. Yes I did many sports,even aged 40, went to the gym ,visited personal trainer after work ! ,used a trampoline:( , watched my diet,sucked in my stomach and stood tall. Yes I said I was a strong and healthy woman and helped with building projects some men would hesitate to do. Yes I enjoyed buying clothes which fitted around the waist.
I now know that my education was flawed and that finding and following Christine's teachings would have saved me from prolapse for a long time. That is why I desperately want to spread the word of Whole Woman just as you do.
Experiencing severe prolapse at 63 ( yes I know I am lucky !), was a shock because all my life long held beliefs about being fit and strong seemed shattered. I felt broken and stupid for causing a prolapse through trying to stay healthy! Acceptance and self forgiveness has been hard for me.
I have gratefully followed this site for over 2years and learnt much . I have noticed that there are women who come here and feel like I did ,suddenly broken and unfit . I have also noticed that others did not feel fit and healthy or even slim until they have followed Christine's excellent life style advice.They changed so much but I have only to change my posture ,buy clothes which do not fit around the middle and find mental acceptance and gratefulness. I continually work on this.
I recently read ' Holding The Ball'. It is comprehensive advice on prolapse told through one person's journey.It is quite a first in the UK and an interesting read.However I would love to know your opinion of this book Surviving! The author tells the reader that every option has been investigated and guess what? Wholewoman was never discovered! I am so sad about this that I hope to write my own book as prevention of POP would be so much better for all young women.
I would once again like to thank you for all the time you put in to allow this site to exist and to give us the chance to share our points of view. :)

Surviving60

July 23, 2015 - 3:57am

Thanks for this post, I enjoyed reading it and I do understand where you are coming from. I hope you can understand how discouraging your statement about losing your figure, might sound to anyone reading it, especially a newbie who is trying to wrap her mind around this work. So for the benefit of anyone who thinks you have to suck it all in, in order to have a gorgeous body, I'll repost one of my favorite YouTube videos. - Surviving

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O_MFK7mabEs