CONSTIPATION! ACK!

Submitted by howdidthishappen on January 11, 2007 - 6:27pm
Body: 

getting kind of frustrated here with constipation problem. i drink loads of water, have really been focusing on my fiber -- avoid wheat/bread/pasta products, and yet...it is a problem. i find myself sticking my fingers in my vagina to support myself as i put some pressure and pushing on to get out a bowel movement and i know that makes no sense with a rectocele. (oh please, someone tell me i'm not damaging myself by doing this, but i'm so jammed!)

what to do??

been using a product i read about here called fiber smart. also taking colasce. i'm getting regular exercise. but i'm missing something here. i don't understand why i'm not going more easily and passing stools -- which, when i do offer such great relief.

can anyone help me out with some ideas here?

thanks so much.

susan

Lilly Anne

January 11, 2007 - 7:48pm

Hi Susan:

I just read your post and I wanted to let you know that you are not alone in the constipation battle. I don't have a rectocele but I do have a prolapsed bladder. I am not supposed to strain anymore either. While our prolapses are different, and the reason that we are constipated is different, the outcome is still the same CONSTIPATED! On the days that I am constipated I just feel so gross and dirty. In my case I think the term that I read is incomplete evacuation.

I have IBS/constipation which I've written about before so I won't drown on and on and on about it. My gastro put me on Miralax and I am supposed to play with the doses. I also take colase just like you. What I don't understand is play with the doses? If I take it at night it usually kicks in around 7:30 the next morning 1 hr. after breakfast. A great big normal looking poop is expelled with no effort. (sorry to be graphic but this is the first time in my life that I've seen poop look like this). You'd think life is good and sometimes it is for a few hours. Usually sometime after lunch I feel all jammed up again. Now back to my question, play with the doses. If I take another dose, it will take a good 8-12 hours for it to work. I am a healty eater following all the "prolapse/IBS diet rules" and get plenty of exercise. I take a multi vitamin, probiotic, and flax seed oil pills. The only thing I may try differently tonight is taking a slightly smaller dose of my meds. I also take xanax which in my case is supposed to quell my anxiety. Some of the ladies already suggested that I avoid it but several of my doctors suggested that I give it a try.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that there are others out here offering support and looking for answers as well.

You no what the sad truth is, my IBS symptoms are far worse then my prolapsed bladder. Sometimes being constipated causes me to have bladder pressure.

I hope you feel better!
- Lilly Anne

aprile

January 11, 2007 - 8:16pm

Hi Ladies,

One thing that Christine mentioned that really seems to help me with constipation is eating two peeled Granny Smith Apples. I also do not think the fiber/water thing is really the end-all be all when it comes to curing constipation. It's like forcing the issue -- plus water swells up the fiber in the gut. Well it does to me anyway! Also, doesn't too much water make you have to pee all day long? I use Peter Gillham's Calm, a powdered magnesium supplement and either take it straight with orange juice or put it into my whey protein shake in the morning. If you take too much magnesium, you will get loose stools so you will be able to adjust your dosage. I sure hope this helps! Take good care, April

Grandma Joy

January 11, 2007 - 11:31pm

Just a question. Have you ladies gotten off of cheese and dairy products? Cheese has been called a "hiney binder" as far back as I can remember. I've also heard other not so complimentary terms for cheese being constipating, and it wasn't termed that for nothing. It will bind you up really good.

Grandma Joy

howdidthishappen

January 13, 2007 - 12:51pm

hi grandma joy:

thanks for your suggestion about dairy. however, i only have a spot of low fat milk in my coffee in the morning and that is truly it for dairy for me.

i just don't know what to do here.

this whole week has been so difficult and uncomfortable in terms of passing stools. they seem to be getting harder and -- sorry to be so graphic here -- coming out in smaller and smaller pieces. it is making me cry and i don't know what to do here. i feel as though my diet is really healthy -- lots of vegetables, water, not tons of fruit, some nuts, organic protein. beans have never agreed with me so i haven't gone there yet but i know my history with them. and yet, i still feel as though i'm just getting more jammed up and, well, it's scaring me a little.

i am taking supplements (vit. c, multi, etc.), doing chinese herbals.

help!

susan

Lilly Anne

January 13, 2007 - 1:09pm

day on Zelnorm and so far so good. I really, really hope that this continues. Thank you so much for your suggestions about the apples and cheese. I stopped eating cheese/dairy awhile ago because it gives me gas. I do like apples though so I will definately try 2.

Grandma Joy

January 13, 2007 - 4:19pm

Dear Susan,

I have just wrestled with thoughts of you ever since I read your post earlier today. It sounds like you are doing everything you can with the diet trying to help yourself. My thoughts brought back memories of being on chemo because it gave me bowel paralysis and they wouldn't let me take anything but milk of magnesia because all other laxatives were "incompatible with the chemo". (of course, this meant the laxative was full of chemicals which I found out after the fact). Daily, I was rigid in the torso, couldn't move, cried, had little pieces come out like you mentioned and the only answers I got from the oncologist was, "well, this happens". This went on for a year and a half! I took plain enemas, coffee enemas, and milk of magnesia because I was so toxic, my skin was yellow and would literally roll off when I rubbed it. I changed to organic foods, then found a Natureopath from whom I took 15 colonics 15 days in a row - I wanted that poison out of my body.

Now I am not recommending colonics for you. I do not have a clue as to how a rectocele would be affected by them - maybe Christine has an answer for that.

I can only suggest a fruit fast, if you are in a position to do that, or a water fast for one day to see how that goes. Also, anxiety is very constipating. Years ago, anything untoward that happened to me, I stored "emotionally" in my gut. It took me a long time to stop doing that, so be "mindful" of your thoughts to see if you clench your stomach during bouts of anxiety. Also, try a good probiotic, preferably certified organic. You really want to be putting healthy things in your body now. I stay away from chemicals because I am chemically sensitive, but I also had to research what I could do for myself to get the chemicals out of my body safely. My eldest son is an environmentalist who specializes in remediation of the soil from chemical spills, so I've had an inside track on learning about chemicals.

The only other thought is a belly massage which must be done in the correct direction; otherwise the stuff is pushed back up.

If you get to the point where you need to talk to someone, let me know, I'm happy to oblige.

Grandma Joy

howdidthishappen

January 13, 2007 - 5:59pm

grandma joy:

thank you so much for this post. i actually sent you an email...i hope you got it. i would very much like to talk with you.so interested in hearing more about probiotics, amongst other things.

i wonder if my constipation has also been made worse this week by the fact that i've been throwing a lot of supplements into my system -- msm, fiber smart, vit c, grape seed extract...the list goes on considerably. i'm wondering if that, too, has heightened the constipation. thinking i'll cut that out and see what happens.

thanks so so very much.

susan

alemama

January 13, 2007 - 7:02pm

Hey susan, I don't know if you have ever researched fiber- but there are two different types and for me I am still trying to find the correct balance of both. insoluable speeds up transit time- soluable adds bulk to stool and spends more time in digestion. or that's what I've read anyway. so maybe check on the ammounts of the different fibers in your diet.

louiseds

January 21, 2007 - 11:42pm

Hi Susan

Sounds to me like you have really got yourself in a knot over this (pardon the pun). I think Grandma Joy may have a point there about anxiety. It feeds on itself. Anxiety is the enemy of my bowels, and I do get the same 'rabbit-poo' style stools occasionally, interspersed with just getting plugged up with a solid mass, though not as much these days. There is even a medical name for it, though it escapes me at the moment.

I have learnt to recognise the anxiety when it happens, and try to figure out what it is about. An intensive 10 day Cognitive Behaviour Therapy course taught me to do this.

Once I have worked out what I am worrying about I work out whether it is something outside of me or inside of me. If it is outside of me it will either pass with time, resolve itself, cease to be relevant to me or I can take some action to fix it so I don't have to worry about it any longer. If it is inside of me I can ask myself if it is a rational thought that needs to be dealt with as above, or an irrational thought that is not relevant to now, but comes from an old experience that has been replayed in some way. If it is not relevant to the 'here now' I can safely ignore it and, once identified it will lose its power over me and just dissipate by itself. Once I have done this a few times with a particular emotional reaction I recognise it straight away and just dismiss it.

This technique has brought me a lot of peace.

Grandma Joys other comment about the two different types of fibre and their different effects also rings a bell with me. I can identify with both situations. Goodness me, we do observe a lot of things about our bodies when we can share them and make some sense of them!

It sounds like you are using a lot of emotional energy throwing artillery at this enemy you are dealing with. Grandma Joy may have a point. Just stop for a bit, maybe fast and let your body adjust itself. Have a holiday from trying to attack it. Do only gentle exercise to calm your body and mind. It may then just dissipate. Remember that one of the things adrenaline does in the body is shutting down metabolic processes temporarily (digestion?)and sending all the blood supply to the extremities for purposes of fighting or fleeing. It takes time to trust the integrity of your own body and trust it to be able to rebalance itself if you just let it. This probably sounds a bit self-righteous but I have found that it does work, often by accident, when I get distracted by an interest or project (or another dilemma to solve).

Trusting your body to carry itself posturewise in a way that it can manage its own prolapses may help you to trust it to sort out its own constipation too. Just remember how long it took to trust yourself on a bicycle, not to fall over, by just keeping on pedalling forwards. I have never really understood how a bicycle stays upright but it does, and the more you practise the easier it is.

Good luck.

Louise

louiseds

January 21, 2007 - 11:48pm

Hi Susan

Sounds to me like you have really got yourself in a knot over this (pardon the pun). I think Grandma Joy may have a point there about anxiety. It feeds on itself. Anxiety is the enemy of my bowels, and I do get the same 'rabbit-poo' style stools occasionally, interspersed with just getting plugged up with a solid mass, though not as much these days. There is even a medical name for it, though it escapes me at the moment.

I have learnt to recognise the anxiety when it happens, and try to figure out what it is about. An intensive 10 day Cognitive Behaviour Therapy course taught me to do this.

Once I have worked out what I am worrying about I work out whether it is something outside of me or inside of me. If it is outside of me it will either pass with time, resolve itself, cease to be relevant to me or I can take some action to fix it so I don't have to worry about it any longer. If it is inside of me I can ask myself if it is a rational thought that needs to be dealt with as above, or an irrational thought that is not relevant to now, but comes from an old experience that has been replayed in some way. If it is not relevant to the 'here now' I can safely ignore it and, once identified it will lose its power over me and just dissipate by itself. Once I have done this a few times with a particular emotional reaction I recognise it straight away and just dismiss it.

This technique has brought me a lot of peace.

Grandma Joys other comment about the two different types of fibre and their different effects also rings a bell with me. I can identify with both situations. Goodness me, we do observe a lot of things about our bodies when we can share them and make some sense of them!

It sounds like you are using a lot of emotional energy throwing artillery at this enemy you are dealing with. Grandma Joy may have a point. Just stop for a bit, maybe fast and let your body adjust itself. Have a holiday from trying to attack it. Do only gentle exercise to calm your body and mind. It may then just dissipate. Remember that one of the things adrenaline does in the body is shutting down metabolic processes temporarily (digestion?)and sending all the blood supply to the extremities for purposes of fighting or fleeing. It takes time to trust the integrity of your own body and trust it to be able to rebalance itself if you just let it. This probably sounds a bit self-righteous but I have found that it does work, often by accident, when I get distracted by an interest or project (or another dilemma to solve).

Trusting your body to carry itself posturewise in a way that it can manage its own prolapses may help you to trust it to sort out its own constipation too. Just remember how long it took to trust yourself on a bicycle, not to fall over, by just keeping on pedalling forwards. I have never really understood how a bicycle stays upright but it does, and the more you practise the easier it is.

BTW I sometimes use the finger in the vagina trick (sometimes referred to as 'splinting' I believe?) just to push the rectocele back to what I imagine is in line with the rest of the bowel. I have to do it much less often these days, but it is very effective. Just be gentle, as you don't want to push it too far out of line the other direction

Good luck.

Louise

howdidthishappen

January 22, 2007 - 5:08am

hey louise:

thanks for the comments and support. i do totally agree with you and grandma joy. and your description of that technique is great -- i will give it a go for sure.

i also agree with what both you and grandma joy said in terms of throwing alot of stuff at this. i think i might have backed off a little and just taken a deep breath and that would have been useful to me. as i suspect comes across in my posts, i am a rather high strung person and this is certainly presenting me with LOTS of opportunities to try new ways. but this 43 year old is slow to change, so it will take time. good thing i plan on living a looooooong time so i can take it slow and easy ;).

i love your posts and your spirit. and i just read on one where you have been living with prolapse for quite a long time. i would love to hear more about that. voices like yours and christine's and grandma joy's really bolster my spirit these days. thanks.

xsusan

louiseds

January 22, 2007 - 11:01pm

Hi Susan
Thanks for the enouragement. It has given my real buzz to see the tone of your posts changing in such a positive way. Sometimes I think go a bit over the top, but somebody has to say these things, and I think this is a wonderful Forum to be able to say the unsayable and to share women's wisdom when there is no other way to do it. Hopefully we can all educate a new generation of women and enable them to share with each other all over the world the things that have been lost by not passing them on from mothers and aunts to daughters and neices, which would have happened in more family-oriented times. I think that we are also creating new wisdom, borne out of being women in the 21st century with our western lifestyle, diet etc. We seem to be discovering things together anecdotally that no standard medico or physiotherapist is going to be able to teach us, and no research programme would ever be able to scientifically prove or disprove.

I think reading The Red Tent, a novel by Anita Diamant, set in biblical times, drew my attention to the perils of not passing on women's wisdom from generation to generation, and how it can so easily be lost where an older woman with only sons dies or leaves her immediate family before her granddaughters are old enough to understand women's wisdom.

I am glad my comments are useful. Just tell me to pull my head in if I go too far.

Changing fundamental ways of operating is always hard, especially if we don't realise what is happening, and how we can so easily sabotage our own wellbeing with old habits. I too find it hard to adopt new ways, but every now and then I crack an old habit, particularly if I can see some progress happening and get some positive reinforcement from the new way of doing it, eg Wholewoman posture!

However, I think one of the really important things we can do as we get older is to keep pushing our boundaries, physically, mentally and emotionally, and not just sit back and play Bingo and whinge about our ailments as the only way we have of communicating with other humans.

Change is hard, and we are probably adapting to change at a faster and more continuous rate than any generation in human history. No wonder it is a bit taxing at times!! So you overdo it physically occasionally and suffer for the next week. Or you just can't get your head around a new intellectual concept, or you find that you cannot give up old ways. As you so wisely say, take it slower next time, and we will get there eventually, or else decide that a different path would be better. I am going to be around for a looonnnnggg time too.

Yeah, I guess I have been living with prolapse for quite a few years. It was very mild when first diagnosed, but I was having some really heavy dragging sensations during the lochia after the second birth (from distant memory) and I remember having serious pain with periods before and after having children. My uterus was identified as retroverted before babies too. I did use a ring pessary for a while, which helped a bit with pain during menstruation, but it never fitted properly and kept falling out.

It was only in mid-2005 that I realised that my uterus and bladder were getting very low, and I figured that it was time to find out about prolapse before going to a gyno to see what could be done about the urge incontinence, faecal soiling, constipation, chaffing, low cervix, increasing number of UTI's and thrush infections and the amount of drugs and antibiotics I was using to conquer them. Also a general feeling of loss of bodily integrity. I felt like I was slowly disintegrating, which was not nice.

That's when I found this Forum, and it has been the best thing ever to realise that I could deal with this without being cut up irreversibly, losing my uterus, and possibly ruining my sex life which provides a lot of marital enjoyment and intimacy. Life is too short to prejudice such a basic pleasure, and investment in our marriage, for the sake of uncertain outcomes.

So really I have been living with prolapse for about 20 years, possibly longer, but it has only bothered me practically for about 2 years, and I have only been actively managing it myself for about 15 months, which is when I realised that I really did have prolapses that could be life-changing if I didn't do something about it. BTW, my prolapses have never caused any problems with the sexual side of life, though penetrative sex is now much better since I understand so much more about the dynamics of the pelvic area and can now control what is happening with my pelvic floor. The prolapses have definitely not got worse (but let's see what menopause brings), and all my symptoms are experienced less frequently if at all, unless I overdo the dodgy lifting, or move without thinking what my body is doing. On the whole, I hardly even notice 'that bulge', and if I do, I know why, and how to fix it. One of the benefits of managing prolapses this way is that I am now much more aware of what is happening in my whole body and when I move, and I am becoming more aware of ways in which I can look after this ageing vehicle that carries my heart and soul around. Actually, I think I am in more of a 'here-now' space than I ever have been, which is an unexpected bonus for a woman who has always rushed around doing too much and never finishing anything. Well I like to think that's the way it is anyhow!

Cheers

Louise

howdidthishappen

January 23, 2007 - 5:33am

hey louise:

thanks for taking the time to fill me in on your story. again, i the more i hear postive stories of women LIVING just fine with their prolapses, the more i feel like i can breath.

i was a little bummed out yesterday when i had posted on a site that i consider fairly open minded and the forum i posted in is moderated by an open-thinking woman doctor (or so i thought.) her response to me about the rectocele -- even though i said in my initial post that surgery was NOT for me -- said that i'm too young to deal with this for the rest of my life and i really should consider surgery to "put things back where they belong." that is seriously what she wrote. and then, she said too bad i don't live in the denver area because she knows two female surgeons who are great who handle this sort of thing. huh? first of all, what part of "i'm not going to have suregery" is hard to understand. and second of all, the unquestioning way she just promotes surgery and, ahem, "putting things back" really put me off. she said it so easy, breezy that it sunned me. trying to decide if i want to respond with some thoughts. i couldn't yesterday because i was too pissed off about it and to respond in an angry tone wouldn't be useful, i think.

but really.

i will not subject my body to any experiments with this. not a chance.

okay, my rant with this is over.

thanks again, louise. i tend to be a very out there person who says everything that's on my mind, so i totally relate to that with you.

xsusan

alemama

January 23, 2007 - 8:56am

Louise I loved that book. I wondered if women during those times had prolapse- Have you ever studied the history of prolapse?B

bigmomma

January 23, 2007 - 1:42pm

I have not been on site for a while, but after a couple of weeks of BAD days thought I would stop by. I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you and I know exactly what you are going through! I also think my nerves are quite shot right now and that may not be helping either. I have just started taking a probiotic and stool softeners, but for the time being, am having the "too soft" problem. UGH! I'll be also looking for ideas

HUGS:)

Lilly Anne

January 23, 2007 - 8:33pm

I haven't posted in awhile but I've been reading. I started taking Zelnorm (evil drug) last week. The first 3 days were amazing. I had normal bowel movements and my stomache felt great! Mr. Doc. had me stop taking miralax and my stool softner fearing that I would get the runs. Well, my stools got so rock hard it actually got stuck while exiting. I wasn't sure what to do, it was half in and half out. It was so disgusting.

I've started taking miralax and stool softners again and after 3 days have had 2 normal movements. The problem is that miralax bothers my stomache.

I've also introduced nuts to my diet as was suggested in many other posts.

Anyway, just wanted to add my 2 cents.

- Lilly Anne

howdidthishappen

January 24, 2007 - 5:39am

hey lilly anne:

i've got to tell you, since this post, things have shifted tremendously. the big shift happened with diet -- and, it's interesting because i had thought i had quite a good diet and, though it might have been for some, i don't think it was ideal for me at this time in my life.

for the moment, i've cut out all meat protein and am eating lots of lentils instead. i frequently stir tahini into the lentils once cooked which is really yummy. (oh, i also throw in spinich once the lentils are nearly done -- i find the cooked spinach REALLY helpful to shift the constipation.) i start the day with a glass of nearly hot water -- i read somewhere that that can really get the bowels moving, and i follow that with a glass of warm prune juice and i have yet to NOT have an easy bowel movement since doing that. for breakfast i've been having some slow cooked oatmeal that i add some raw almonds to, some cut up prunes, flax oil and another flax product called FIPROFLAX. it all tastes really good mixed together. somewhere during the day, i do eat a green apple without the skin. i've added black beans to my diet, good grains. i always thought i ate lots of vegetables, but i'm upping the amount, though careful not to eat too much of anything -- i think for me, that was also a problem. just too much quantity which i think slowed things down. trying to keep things lighter all together. i am also taking one packet of metamucil at night and colasce, as well as one capsule of magnesium. i have cut out all other supplements. (i used to take A LOT!) i think this is it right now and i can tell you, having an easy bowel movement (or two, or three!) daily has created a dramatic shift for me in every single way, so i know the importance of it.

oh...just remembered that i am adding a probiotic to my diet -- just waiting for it to arrive...will fill you in on how i respond with that once i've taken it for a bit. i have also cut out all sugar which was the biggie for me! no dairy, too, but that's not a big deal because i rarely ate any.

the weekend my constipation was so extreme, i had to manually pull the shit out. it was awful and, as you might imagine, i spent the bulk of that weekend crying, crying, crying. and that was with taking the fiber smart, stool softener and drinking lots of water, too. it just wasn't working for me. something was not a good fit for my body with what/how i was eating and what was (or wasn't) coming out. i actually thought the lentils/beans/raw veg would be a problem with me and cause lots of gas because they had in the past -- christine suggested i just TRY this (i sure had nothing to lose!) and -- voila! -- it worked! and i've had NO gas or bloating with this way of eating (that, too, was a big surprise for me.)

eating nuts sounds good -- are they raw nuts? i think the raw ones are more effective (and delicious -- raw almonds? even my 7 year old has been eating them.) maybe try the oatmeal? i' m wondering what else can be shifted in your diet to help things move more easily. do you eat any raw vegetables? some carrots? a bit of red cabbage in salad?

i do also know that just because this worked well for me, doesn't mean it would work well for you. that fibersmart product has worked well for a number of women here, but not for me (oh...and that reminds me, i have an almost full bottle that i'm happy to send to someone who uses it and has luck with it!) all of our bodies really are so different. i honestly didn't think eating this way would have made such a dramatic shift but i was also desperate enough to try it. i figured i had nothing to lose. and, so far so good. (i might also add i had one bowel movement that was a bit TOO soft, but that's it. also no stomach aches and i have always had a tendency towards them.)

let us know how you're doing. i so completely know where you are right now. again, the relief in having regular, easy bowel movements is nearly of miraculous proportions. i'm sure all the women here can help you get to a better place with this as they have certainly helped me.

xxsusan

granolamom

January 24, 2007 - 8:27am

I can't believe how dramatically things changed for you! I'm so happy for you and wanted to thank you for sharing all of it, as you might have read my dd is struggling with consipation and I'm trying to learn all I can.
she likes almonds...thanks for reminding me about raw nuts. we can try hot water too.
I wish she liked lentils. I've tried blending them into soups and sauces and she always knows.

howdidthishappen

January 24, 2007 - 9:04am

i'm heading out the door, granolamom, and do will reply more fully later. just thinking about your daughter, though, and wondering about a few things you might "hide" in foods she likes and won't notice...

i think someone might have already mentioned putting some flax oil in varoious foods for her. i'd bet she wouldn't notice tiny amounts here and there throughout the day and that might help. have you tried any raw granny apple? my daughter eats that with nut butter on top and likes it alot (in fact, she had that this morning for breakfast). the lentils seemed especially effective which made sense to me when i looked at the nutritional info. do you think just a very tiny few in other foods would still be noticed? it might be...sometimes my daughter will notice the tiniest speck of something in food and then she will not eat any of it -- sounds like your daughter can be the same? some raw prunes cut in little pieces added to cereal? and, yeah, try the water thing. kooky, i know, but when i read it, again, i thought: can't hurt to try and its been really effective.

i'm going to think more on this and get back later when i get home.

and thanks for the support. frankly, i, too, can't believe the difference. i really can't. i am as shocked as anyone. it's only been a week and a half since that horrible weekend and the difference is radical. it sure feels good right now. i know that cycle of life is that things are always shifting -- whether we want them to or not :) -- and so i'm really trying to enjoy the present moment of steadiness and really absorb it so if/when a more difficult patch arises, i will have this to refer back to bolster me that i can get through it.

more later.

xxsusan

Lilly Anne

January 24, 2007 - 10:26pm

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a thorough response to me. Isn't it amazing that constipation is causing us so much dispair! It's been just awful. Zelnorm is an evil drug. My stomache initially felt wonderful but it TOTALLY locked me up. I too had to manually remove my bm. The train was slowly coming down the track and decided to stop just after entering the station. I freaked and didn't know what to do. What could I do, we are not supposed to strain but I did just a little. I couldn't help it, but then I stopped fearing I'd make my prolapse worse.

I am back taking the dreaded miralax & colace (BTW: buy the CVS brand, it's a lot cheaper). I have had a few days of normal bowel movements, THANKFULLY! It's strange though, yesterday I went twice and today, NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING! It's making me so damn CRAZY! I can't take it!

I have some questions. I bought almonds but they are roasted. You had mentioned raw, why? (I'm not challenging you, I am curious and you have satisfaction and I don't). Do you cook them? I like the idea of warm prune juice, it sounds soothing. I'll try that. I had instant oatmeal for breakfast yesterday. Is instant as good as the slow kind? (Although it does contain sugar). I'm always is a rush which is probably why I have stomache issues. I will try spinich again. I usually have kashi go-lean cereal for breakfast with fat-free lactaid milk. Is lactaid ok or should I just have ricemilk instead? Also, not a huge bean lover, infact I kind of hate them. I have been trying to put some on my salad though to sneak some in. Any suggestions on the best tasting beans? I do like hummus, are chick peas considered beans or peas? What other protein can you suggest? I also made some homemade applesauce this weekend (hoping it would help move things along). It is unsweetened because I realized that I don't own any sugar. I think you referenced eating the granny smith apples. I used Macs for my apple sauce. Ok?

Truthfully, I have been really down in the dumps lately, which has caused me to cheat on my diet a little. I really need to be more careful with some of my recent food choices. It just seems that no matter what I do I just can't get consistent satisfaction and I just never know how I am going to feel because of the dreated miralax. So far since I've re-introduced it back I have been ok on it stomache-wise. Every day brings different results.

I have tried to do some nice relaxing things for myself as anxiety plays a hugh roll in all of this. I hate that I am so anxious.

Anyway, now I am rambling (bad head-ache tonight)! Susan, thank you again for your support. I really am having a very rough time dealing with all of this. I just feel profound sadness. Thank you for your support and your advice. I'm really glad that you are feeling better!

Much appreciation
- Lilly Anne

howdidthishappen

January 25, 2007 - 5:19am

seriously, lilly-anne, i am.

again, i know EXACTLY how you're feeling. not even two weeks ago. also, the deep deep sadness and, for me, deep deep fear. i kept thinking this was how it would look forever and how would that be? i'm 43 and can't imagine a life time like that...honestly, lilly anne, i was sad and terrified. and, just to give you a sense of the shift, these last few days i've been at the gym in the morning, walking around the city doing errands and having just passing moments of the rectocele. lilly anne, i reall do think you will get to a much much better place with this. i think we all have had moments of real darkness with it. i have and i imagine there will be cycles of it again -- just the flow of things.

okay, the food thing. first of all, i want to give christine the credit here. she was the one who suggested these diet changes and, again, i was feeling so desperate, i went whole hog. she suggested i cut out sugar and i did, completely. now, i've got to say: THAT IS THE HARDEST THING FOR ME! I LOVE SUGAR! there are posts of hers in which she talks about the "gut" and keeping things moving and she says it all with the deep knowledge and reading of it that i don't have -- i only have my personal experience here. but with the sugar, i cut it out completely. so i'm wondering if you might try to find instant outmeal without the sugar.

with the nuts -- i have frequently read that roasting removes alot of the nutrients in them but i would eat them anyways. so when christine mentioned raw, and i asked her why and she basically said that energetically they were more lively. and, again, i can only tell you my own experience was that i decided to just go to the health food store and get raw almonds and try. she suggested eating 10 to 20 in the morning, with some prunes, maybe an apple. i decided on the oatmeal because i live on the east coast and it's cold here, and i just needed something warm, you know? so i looked in the healthfood store and found an oatmeal that had high fiber and protein and got that. gave it a go, adding the almonds and prunes and its been really delicious and satisfying.

the apples -- it's funny because i love apples and one of the ONLY things my gyn said to me when she diagnosed me was DON'T eat apples. just to add to my happiness, hm? she said they were constipating. (hm. no comment.) there is a post on this site from christine about the granny smith apples specifically, eating one without the skin. now, lilly anne, i have NO IDEA why this is the one she specifies but, again, i just decided to make that switch and i did and, in fact, it seems helpful. again, just my experience with it, though maybe you want to give it a go.

the milk thing...i've never been a milk person so i don't know about that. i do know lots of people have diary issues and i guess the thing i 'm thinking i that if you've been eating that and its been working then that would be fine. but right now, perhaps you want to switch things since the whole stomach/bowel piece hasn't been easy for you -- and when that isn't going right, my experience was it made everything black and i spent ALL my psychic energy thinking about it.

i think hummus is great. i'm eating alot of it, too, though adding some extra tahini to it for some more protein and fiber. (i love the taste of it so its easy for me to do.) i'm pretty sure that's considered a bean, though maybe someone else can clarify. okay, bit of a confession here...my husband is a chef so he has been making batches of food for me on the weekend so the lentils?...super yummy. he cooks them in a pot while in a separate one, he cooks up lots of vegetables. towards the end of the lentils cooking, he throws in the vegetables and the spinach and it's just so good. i tend to add a bit of tahini into that, too, just to thicken it and add more flavor. i ate the last of this weekend's batch last night so i'm on my own tonight. i'll be cooking them and i'll let you know how it goes. he said it would be easy for me (and he knows i am NO COOK so i trust his assessment...but again, i'll let you know.) i happen to love black beans -- black beans and brown rice almost feels like comfort food to me. have you tried that? i happen to also love lima beans and can, in fact, make a good lima bean soup. super easy. happy to pass along directions. (separate post? this one is long already!)

don't know about the apple sauce, lilly anne. maybe someone has thoughts on that. though i would think homemade applesauce -- what could be bad?

i know for me, the anxiety was a huge factor, too. i tend to be an anxious person and when the constipation was happening, i woke up in the morning and already felt the knot of anxiety in my stomach. awful. and certainly wasn't helping.i think grandma joy suggested a soothing technique to me for helping me relax at night. let me see if i can find it and get it to you. very calming. oh...any possible chance you might be able to get a massage? i find them really calming, but personally hard to fit it because of both time and money. but i did have one last week.

the other thing i might suggest is castor oil packs? don't know if you've tried them -- i hadn't till last week, but they were very very calming and also might of helped the bowel/gut. i can also get you that info if you want.

oh, and i just had my prune juice and it is soothing. and yummy. i get that at the healthfood store, too, unsweetened. but it's still naturally quite sweet (and i DO have quite a sweet tooth.)

lilly anne, do let me know if there is ANYTHING else at all i can do to give you a hand. ask any questions you want, feel free to post them here or e-mail me directly. i know you're in a hard place. i know very well how sacry and crummy it feels -- it's all still so very fresh for me as the extreme constipation was so recent. but i am also very very very confident that this will shift and you will be looking back at this period as a learning moment you got through. i really do believe that. things will get better and it will not only shift how you are feeling physically but psychologically as well. i know this. you have much much support here.

xxsusan

roaddba

January 25, 2007 - 9:00am

I was dealing with consitipation for a long time. I am taking the stool softener three times a day. (Word of warning - don't take with milk unless you are ready to blow yourself to the moon!) I also eat a very high fiber breakfast (either high fiber waffles and activia or a high fiber oatmeal), then drink lots of fluids during the day. I have had one day of constipation (when I forgot the stool softeners), but other than that - have been regular.

A way to know if you are getting enough fluids is the color of your urine (assuming that you are not taking high doeses of vitamin C), it should have NO color. With the exception of first thing in the morning, you have clear urine.

If I am really having issues, I will drink a cup of warm prune juice (I actually like the taste - okay I am wierd).

I have a rectocele and am actually voiding pretty completely with the above regimine.

Lilly Anne

January 25, 2007 - 7:46pm

Susan:

Thank you so much for your very caring response. I actually thought of you this morning while I was drinking my warm prune juice. I had never thought of drinking it warm but I will admit, it worked! 1/2 way through I got some satisfaction. Today was one of the bad days though, I felt like I had to go all day. This evening, before I left work I decided to have an apple. COMPLETE satisfaction, not to be gross, but it was huge. It's almost like you have to feed it for it to expel.

So, I did make some food shifts based on your advice. I didn't have any candy, that was big for me (I love candy). Lately, I've been sneaking 1-2 pieces. I had my Kashi cereal with warm prune juice and I did have my lactaid milk. My morning snack was instant oatmeal. Lunch was salad with a little turkey. Had an apple before the gym. Tonight I had some almonds, 1 piece of soy cheese, home-made hummus, home-made apple sauce with some flax meal mixed in, Kashi waffles and salad. It wasn't completely perfect but it was a start. (can you tell I'm single, I had waffles and hummus at the same meal). I really need to go grocery shopping. I'll try the raw almonds as you suggested and perhaps beans. Your lucky that your husband is a chef. Yes, I'd be very interested in sharing recipies. Wouldn't it be fun to post recipies too?

I'd would be interested in learning more about your caster oil packs. Some nights I go to bed with my "bed buddy" at least that is the name that I have given it. It's one of those mircrowave packs. I put it on my stomache and it usually soothes it. Not to mention, its chilly up here in CT, it keeps me toasty warm.

Susan, the amount of support you have given me is amazing and I truly appreciate your help. Both with advice and with your support.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- Lilly Anne

Lilly Anne

January 25, 2007 - 7:56pm

I tried warm prune juice today and it worked! I never thought of drinking it warm. I also take a stool softner and miralax. Still I get constipated. Its awful. I don't get stomache pains but I can feel that somewhere along the way close to the bottom it just sits there. It is probably the same sensation that you have with a rectocele. My gastro is suggesting that I have a
Colonoscopy.

I have a prolapsed bladder but also have IBS. I have been a complete wreck since being diagnosed. I know that isn't helping being that there is a mind/gut connection.

Your fluids comment was very interesting. I'll have to pay more attention to that too!

Thank you for your comments and support!

- Lilly Anne

howdidthishappen

January 26, 2007 - 6:19am

lilly anne:

i'm so incredibly happy for you that things are moving. i so know the relief that that brings. it shifts everything about this, doesn't it?
and it's kooky about the warm water and warm prune juice thing. so simple, but really effective.

i also totally get the candy hook. though i'm not much of a candy person, sweets really get me so that was hard to give up right now. (can't think about the rest of my life on this one so i'm just keeping thoughts of it contained to the present -- easier to swallow, as it were.) after a few days, though, it didn't feel like a big deal. i just got my period yesterday and there was one day when i felt a yen for sweets, but i just distracted myself and moved on. i have to say, too, just as an added bonus, my usual difficult pms was barely a blip this month -- i suspect the diet shift with that one. i know for me the sugar was a big one that wasn't helping my bowels.

i do know some people find also cutting out wheat is very helpful -- personally, i try to avoid it as it has always made me feel bloated. don't know if that is an issue with you but, again, something to try to eliminate for even a few days and see how you feel. i also suspect that cutting out meat protein was really helpful for me and that has surprised me a lot. but the week things got super stuck, i was eating fish and/or organic chicken daily. wouldn't have thought that would be a problem, but my body is the only experimental field i can base it on.

i think i already posted the castor oil packs just last week -- if you can't find it, though, i'm happy to do it again. once my period is over, i'm going to do a series of them. the first night i did one, i had to get up after about 10 minutes to have a bowel movement and then that same night, right after i was done, i went again. very very relieving and, as i expected with my period, things have slowed down just a touch (only went once yesterday and today -- clearly not a problem at all, but i think once the hormones shift, that might increase again) so i want to maintain things as best i can. i know first hand the difference easy moving bowels make to every other piece of my life.

honestly, lilly anne, these last few days, i really have been pretty much unaware of the rectocele -- even with my period, when i know things can sometimes feel not terrific. i've also been thinking and working with the posture a lot and i think that's a huge difference as well and doing exercises every day, but it's honestly not consuming me 24/7 like it did initially.

and, yes, the mental/enxiety connection to constipation. very connected for me, at least. no question. and that is a serious work in progress for me. i have anti-anxiety meds, though i haven't taken any for quite some time. at this point, i would prefer to avoid them, but i do have them. i am thinking that some sort of yoga/meditation practice would be smart for me. i will explore that soon. i think it was grandma joy who sent me this beautiful e-mail with a technique to help me relax at night. let me look for it -- she is a gem and full of wisdom. alot of these suggestions also came from her.

okay, lilly anne, let me help my daughter get ready for school. i am here. don't hesitate to ask anything. i can't tell you how happy it makes ME feel that anything i might have suggested has helped you. it all works in a continuum like that, though, i guess. we all help each other. and we are all completely fine.

xxsusan

bigmomma

January 26, 2007 - 7:20am

Hello,

May I ask what kind and the strength you are taking 3 times daily? I am taking 250mg. of the generic colace 2X a day. I am just trying to see if maybe I am taking too much or not enough, I also have chronic const. issues and rectocele and would appreciate any advice.

Thanks,

Bigmomma

howdidthishappen

January 26, 2007 - 7:40am

hi bigmomma:

i'm taking three of the 100mg. capsules. i take all three in the evening, pretty much at the same time as one package of metamucil.

it's hard to figure all this out, isn't it? especially when what works so well for one person might not for another (like that fibersmart product i've already mentioned. i know some women have had great luck with it -- just not me.)

the constipation and rectocele thing is challenging to figure out. i can tell you, a serious work in progress for me. i've already posted a bunch on this thread about how what i've done in the past couple of weeks to help things shift. what's going on with you?

xsusan

bigmomma

January 26, 2007 - 12:13pm

Hey howdidthishappen (love the screen name!)

I have had some pretty unnerving constipation issues that I'm still trying to get all hammered out after discovering my rectocele about 10 months ago. I can really relate with your situation and find that even when I'm doing everything right, or everything wrong, some days are good, some are okay, and some are a nightmare. These past couple of weeks have been especially bad, and it's nice just to be able to vent! Right now, I'm trying a stool softener twice a day, which I don't really know is doing anything, I do take flax seed meal every morning, and just started a probiotic twice a day. I am about 6 1/2 months pregnant with my fifth, and I know pregnancy makes const. worse, but I was having these problems before I got pregnant, and did not have nearly this much trouble with the other four, so I cannot chalk it all up to the pregnancy. I have researched magnesium suppliments and if I take the maximum that my midwife's suppliment suggestions recommends (1000mg), it does seem to help, at least it did one day when I took it all at once, the next time I tried to split the dose and it was not nearly as effective, so tonight I'm going to try the one big giant dose again. Being pregnant, I do have to watch and research what I am taking and being somewhat limited can be frustrating. It is nice to be able to complain about this with women who are going through what I am. How's it going with the warm prune juice, I haven't tried that one! :)

Bigmomma

Lilly Anne

January 26, 2007 - 11:10pm

Susan:

Well the Miralax and Colace have kicked in. I went twice today but I still feel constipated. Damn IBS! I actually found an interesting web site on constipation that I'd like to share with you http://www.aboutgimotility.org/largeintestine.html. (Scroll down to the section on constipation). I was trying to figure out if I had normal or slow motality. This site explained that with IBS I was probably a mixed bag. My gastro had suggested that I take the Miralax with Zelnorm. (Initially he suggested that I stop the Miralax & stool softner and take just Zelnorm). When it didn't work by the second day I got scared and quit. I think I may try 1/2 of a Zelnorm tonight. I'm so happy that I am going but I still feel crappy (pun intended). The motility thing is the only thing that I could come up with. I don't have the signs for obstruction thank goodness. There is a possibility there could be a kink somewhere. Almost sounds like a rectocele but the 3 Drs. who diagnosed me said I had a prolapsed bladder. It's funny, being on the Miralax makes me feel symptamatic. I'm not always sure if its the IBS flaring or if its the prolapsed bladder. Something feels funky and I HATE, HATE, HATE IT! I'm just really having some coping issues. (You'd think that I would be beyond this by now). I just want to feel better. There was also some info. on pelvic floor disfunction. Is that what we all have or is it something different? (Perhaps Christine can shed some light on this)?

Well, I went grocery shopping today and purchased lentils. Not a clue what to do with them. Any suggestions? I also bought almonds, spinich, plain instant oatmeal, chick peas, prunes, rice milk, and granny smith apples. (Thank you so much for all your food advice).

I'm not ready to give up chicken cold turkey just yet. I have decided to eat smaller portions of it and to suppliment the rest of my meal with beans of some sort. (it's huge for me to buy beans, I hate them!) While I do like my candy, I have no problem giving it up. I can't say that my consumption of sugar is zero but it is very, very, very low.

I'll look up your old posts on caster oil packs. Hey, if it works for you it will probably work for me. I'm all about the "going" at this point.

I wonder sometimes, will life ever be normal? I used to be fun and cool. Now, I am sitting home alone in my jammies on a Friday night writing about constipation.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much for all your support and advice. I wish you continued "feeling good"!!!

- Lilly Anne XOX

Lilly Anne

January 26, 2007 - 11:17pm

Hi Bigmomma:

I am taking 2 colace pills in the evening. They are 100 mg. each. I take them with Miralax which is a laxative.

Be sure to scroll down to a post from howdidthishappen, she gave me wonderful diet advice.

Warm prune juice and granny smith apples seem to be key! A sprinkle of flaxmeal is also helpful.

Feel better!

- Lilly Anne

howdidthishappen

January 27, 2007 - 6:02am

hey lilly anne:

i am SO INCREDIBLY HAPPY that things are shifting. now, here's the thing, you will OF COURSE go back to having a fun life. you HAVE to. i think being in this initial learning curve certainly has made ME feel a little like i'm in hibernation mode, but this past week has already felt so very different. just didn't think about it all that much. the basic self care with it was so much less time consuming and the postural work -- i like the posture when i'm walking around so it doesn't feel like a bummer at all (ahem.) and i had an interesting appointment with a gyn physician's assistant here who has a reputation as being very alternative. she said there are some people who get this sort of a diagnosis and just go on out and don't give it another thought. clearly, i am not of that ilk and i actually think it's for the better to give myself this foundation of understanding and figure things out and then i feel like the world will be that much more unencumbered to me. does that make sense? you will be getting back out into the world. i'm certain.

i never did do the lentils myself so i am going to give them a whirl later. what my husband suggested was putting them in a pot with water to cook -- they cook fairly quickly, about 45 minutes. in another pot, he cooked onions, carrots, some fennel, and garlic in a little olive oil. when the lentils were almost cooked, he salted them then, added the vegetables and then threw in the spinach in small handfulls. (yes, the spinach at the end, as it cooks pretty much immediately and cooks down to barely anything.) make sure things are seasoned enough for you. i then add some tahini (a teaspoon or two) for flavor and a sense of richness. honestly, lilly anne, so so good.

let me try and think of other bean things.

let me also mention that i got a probitotic product that grandma joy had recommended (there is a specific post from her about it). i received it about 4 days ago and, again, even with my period, going to the bathroom has been easy and feels as though it's been complete. i've been going about three times a day, and there hasn't been any too-soft issues, save once. so, right now, this is clearly what my body needs. and, in turn, i'm just not that crazed by the whole prolapse piece. it honestly doesn't feel like a big deal to me (and, if you look at my initial posts here, i could barely stop crying!) but i'm wondering if the probiotic would be especially helpful with the IBS. maybe you want to post about it? grandma joy might have more information about it, too. i would imagine it would be beneficial so you might want to think about it.

lilly anne, i'm also wondering if you have explored the possibility of some pelvic floor pt? just a thought. i know some women here have tried it with no luck but i started doing it the week after my diagnosis and have found it helpful. there is this whole kegel discussion and, as i think has been talked about here, for the most part, they aren't dont correctly. (even my gyn misinformed me. grrrr.) my pt uses real time ultrasound so we can really see what's happening and it took about 2, maybe 3 sessions, for me to do them correctly, isolated muscles. just a thought here. i do know initially i was experiencing some urine leakage even though my gyn said my cystocele was minimal. that has competely stopped with the pt and this work. (i think you live on the east coast? i do, too. i could pass along some referrals if you were interested.) we also do alot of other work as well. she does massage, other exercises to strengthen the surrounding muscles -- really, very much like the exercises on christine's dvd. it makes me feel more confident to have someone there to give me a hand with them.

i know this is all alot. believe me,i know. i have a family, a busy life, i'm in school, i like to do alot of stuff. right now, i've had to hone things down to focus on this. but, i look to christine, grandma joy, lousie as examples of women who really do not seem slowed by this AT ALL. i am determined to have this time for myself with the confidence that i will have all the rest of my life to do EVERY SINGLE THING i want to do, but with this foundation so that i can really not get distracted by it. it will be a barometer for me, in a way, but also just a part of me, like my arms or legs, you know? not some isolated piece that i will always be focusing on. i honestly feel totally confident that will happen. i am equally as confident that will happen for you.

xxsusan

bigmomma

January 27, 2007 - 7:57am

Hey Lilly Anne,

I have been reading your and howdidthishappen's posts and feel like you are verbalizing exactly what I am going through. I also feel like I always have to go no matter how many times I do. IBS? I've never seen a doctor about this, but I am wondering if my problems are more than rectocele related. Thanks for listening!

Bigmomma

howdidthishappen

January 27, 2007 - 8:08am

you know, before i got things moving along, i, also, had that sensation of pressure and that frequent i've-got-to-go feeling. not delightful, i know very well. and, frankly, it kind of scared me because i thought i would always be experiencing that and i'd just have to get used to it. but with the posture and diet shifts, that's gone, at least at the moment. and that is, in fact, a great relief. it has helped me not be thinking about all this in an unpleasant way 24/7. my guess is that once the bowels are moving more freely, that, i suspect will shift for you, too. and, perhaps if that still is an issue after moving bowels easily, the postural work might help?

since you're pregnant, i do know that things slow down in the bowel alot. i'm wondering if the probiotic might be useful for you? totally painless, easy thing to introduce and, i would think, only beneficial. the product i got came via grandma joy's recommendation and it's nearly all food based. wonder if other pregnant women might chime in with this. from my own experience, it has already been really helpful. (the product is quite green and based upon my, uh, observations with what's coming out -- :) -- , i can tell you it is moving through eas-il-y! sorry about the graphics with this, but, we are talking poop, after all.)

xsusan

Lilly Anne

January 27, 2007 - 4:46pm

Hi Susan:

I am very happy to report I actually had a good day today!!! YIPPIE!!! I felt great but I am cautiously optimistic. My new medicine regime is: miralax, 2 stool softeners, and I also took the evil drug zelnorm. From what I read on that constipation site that I referenced in a previous email is that the combination of the two should work for me. I really hope that I have continued success. I am just so afraid that I have done further damage. Something feels kind of funky down there. I can’t see or feel any changes though. I am hoping that perhaps something is just irritated from being constipated for so long.

I also think the diet shift is helping too. I haven’t gone cold turkey like you but I have cut down considerably on my portions of meat (chicken/turkey). My home-made hummus rocked. I think I’ll make some more tonight. I don’t have a recipe to share because I just kind of made it up as I went along. I just used a can of chick peas, some lemon juice, olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder and a little Miss’s Dash. I am also really being fastidious about eating my fruits and veggies! I also try a little sprinkle of flaxseed on my yogurt and my salad. It’s actually quite good. I am so forever grateful for all your diet advice.

Thank you so much for your soup recipe. How funny is this, except for the beans it sounds good. All kidding aside, if it gives me “satisfaction”, I’m game to eat them.

I actually already take a probiotic. It is supposed to be good, I got it at Wild Oats. Do you have a Wild Oats near you? You had mentioned that Grandma Joy suggested her brand. Do you have a web site where I could read about it?

Susan, thank you additionally for your emotional support. You helped me through some really dark moments. My sadness at times really scared me. Today, in this moment I feel a little bit better. I am trying my best to think positive thoughts. I just really need to fix this awful, awful constipation. I really hope the meds will help.

Feel good and thank you!

- Lilly Anne

Lilly Anne

January 27, 2007 - 5:07pm

I wanted to comment about what is better, to think about prolapse or not think about it. In some respects, I wish I didn't think about my prolapse all the time. When I initally got diagnosed I completely freaked. All I could think about was, "OOOOOOOOHHHHH My GGGGGGGGGGOOOOODDDDDDDD, my bladder is going to fall out of there and and take all the other ones down with it".

I sometimes wish I was one of those ladies that could receive a diagnosis and continue on with my day. Perhaps I would be one of those ladies if I weren't so constipated. Also, I am a google freak. I like to self diagnose. That in and of itself is both good and bad. I'm smart but I can freak myself out.

My sister-in-law on the otherhand recently received the same diagnosis as me and she just doesn't care.

Who is better, who is smarter?

We probably both are. She is in some respects because she isn't letting a diagnosis change her life. I am in some respects because I am trying to make some changes in my life so that it doesn't get worse.

Just needed to do some open ended thinking, venting!

- Lilly Anne

granolamom

January 27, 2007 - 9:58pm

lilly anne...was reading your post and it rang a bell...my ped had recommended mirilax for dd and I did some reading. apparently you are not alone, I did a google search and mirilax, while it does produce bowel movements, does have a possible side effect of leaving you feeling 'like you still have to go' until your next b.m.

sorry you're going through this, I hope things start moving for you soon!

Lilly Anne

January 27, 2007 - 11:14pm

Granolamom:

Thank you so much for your support!

- Lilly Anne

howdidthishappen

January 28, 2007 - 5:56am

you know, lilly anne, i, too, was worried about whether or not i had "damaged myself" somehow after that awful weekend of cement stools. a number of women reassured me that sometimes it feels as if there is a setback, but with a bit of time with diet, posture -- you know, all the things you're working on -- that sense of backsliding will more than likely improve. i think that has been so for me and i highly suspect it will be for you. please try not to worry about THAT ONE. you are doing all the right things, things are moving in the right direction -- i honestly think everything will slowly but surely start to feel better and better. i really do. our bodies are pretty incredible and this whole process is reminding me of that, how much healing can happen -- far more than most of us think. you are setting all the right groundwork for that. you really are.

and as to the way you're handling you're diet -- maybe you don't NEED to go where i'm going with it right now. honestly, you've made changes that have clearly already made quite some difference, so check in with your own body -- which is most clearly having things move much more easily -- and perhaps for you, you are doing ALL the right things you need to right now. i know i have a tendancy to want to throw everything at a problem all at once (note the way i went whole hog with the diet...) sometimes that can work for me -- as in this example -- but i also know sometimes it can be too much and it's as though it only adds fuel to the situation, if you know what i mean, rather than really help with support and healing. does that makes sense?

oh...and as to the probiotic i got from grandma joy's recommendation, there is a thread just called probiotic that she started in this forum. i'm pretty sure you can get the link through that. if it's not in that post, let me know and i'm happy to e-mail it to you. i have to say, i'm really happy with this probiotic. (oh...and i live in new york, we have no wild oats here, just whole foods which i find fanstastic. also lots of great local health food/organic markets so that has made shopping pretty simple for me. thankfully. because i can be pretty damn lazy!)

i am so glad things are feeling better for you, lilly anne. i completely related to your feelings of sadness and fear because i was there, too -- and will probably have moments like that again. it is all a continuum. i just know when i was feeling so dark and hopeless with this, having the light of women like grandma joy and christine, posts by grace and louise really led me through it and out. so i know first hand that there's nothing like that support of other women who really get it and have been there. and you add to that chain for all of us.

let me know if you don't find that probiotic link! and, by the way, that hummus you made sounds great! i'm going to do it myself.

xxsusan

howdidthishappen

January 28, 2007 - 5:59am

hi bigmomma:

just wanted to check in because i was wondering how things were going with your constipation issues. any improvment yet?

xsusan

Lilly Anne

January 28, 2007 - 11:35am

Susan:

I just need to let you know that your words are very healing to me and that you have really helped me both emotionally and with all your great advice. I am a little frustrated today though. I am not feeling as good as I did yesterday but I still feel much better then I have been feeling. Does that make any sense? IBS can be a tricky bugger to manage. I am relieved that I do feel better then I did though.

My diet is still a work in progress. It’s a struggle of several things. Eating tons of healthy things which include fiber and getting the right amounts of protein so that I don’t loose muscle mass. Before the prolapse, I had been working out with a trainer and he put me on a diet which was pretty balanced and I was getting good results muscle wise. Now I need to find ways other then eating as much chicken/turkey to get the same results. I made another huge batch of hummus, so, that’s a start. I had just bought a Rachel Ray cookbook and she had a recipe in there that included rosemary. I added it to my hummus and it was quite good. When you make your batch you may want to include that as well.

Thank you for sharing your fears with me that you thought you damaged yourself as well. It actually helped me out a lot. Mostly, for realizing that my thoughts aren’t completely crazy or irrational.

I have been taking my probiotic for about one year. I bought it at Wild Oats which is a new chain in CT . It is equivalent to Whole Foods which just opened up here as well. I too am very lazy and am happy that they are pretty close. With IBS I used to be very gassy, taking the probiotic has helped me a lot with that issue.

Thank you again for your support!

- Lilly Anne

Lilly Anne

January 28, 2007 - 12:44pm

I posted a little while ago saying that today hasn't been as good a day as yesterday. I started to get that packed up familiar feeling and was close to tears. I then peeled a granny smith apple because it helped a couple of days ago as well.

Well 10 - 15 minutes later I got relief. I am thrilled!

I'm not sure what it is about them - but who cares! THAT IS HOW I SPELL RELIEF!

I also tried that standing/squatting thing.

- Lilly Anne

bigmomma

January 29, 2007 - 7:38am

Hello,

Well, its still a work in progress. I usually go really well once in the morning and then sometime after lunch I feel like I need to go again, but I can't. This is the most frustrating part! I am trying some different things and will let you all know if anything works. BTW, the magnesium does seem to make things very soft, maybe too soft. Any of you had any luck with psyllium?

Therese

January 29, 2007 - 8:27am

I think psyllium is very tricky! I do not do well at all on it or huge amounts of any fiber--oatmeal and flax do not help me but bind me up...I have heard that things like Metamucil can create excess mucous? in some people etc. so I guess it is a every woman is different thing since I know some do well with psyllium. I personally do not. I drink a lot of prune juice! I actually like it now!! I also notice it takes at least a full day or two for my system to respond to any diet change. I never get any sort of instant relief--like with the apples...I wish!

Midwest Star

January 29, 2007 - 9:50am

After reading a book on magnesium, I've been upping my levels and it's really making a difference on stool consistancy, whereas fiber never did before.

I'm taking one magnesium oxide pill with a full glass of water half an hour before each meal. My last BM was not the small hard pellets like usual- but a big soft log that just slipped on out! It was kinda gross, but also a welcome change.

Also, the magnesium seemed to help a LOT with menstrual cramps. At least a 75% pain reduction without drugs. Since magnesium is required in hundreds of cellular reactions, I expect *everything* to start working better soon. :)

Hooray for magnesium! :)

bigmomma

January 29, 2007 - 10:14am

Hey there,

What is the milligrams on your magnesium pills and how long have you been taking them? I started the mag. about a week ago, and did notice a definite softening. I am still having bulk issues though ( too small) even though I do eat LOTS of fiber. I have just started trying into introduce some psyllium, but just in the last 24hrs, so I haven't seen a big difference yet.

Bigmomma

bigmomma

January 29, 2007 - 10:20am

Hey there,

Thanks for your input. I am a little weary about the binding dangers of psyllium, so have made sure to drink LOTS of water with it. I just started taking it yesterday, so I am waiting to see how it effects me in the next few days. I also just bought some prunes to snack on, is there a big difference in the effectiveness between the prune itself and the juice?

Bigmomma

Lilly Anne

January 29, 2007 - 7:05pm

I'm constipated again! Is this what I should come to expect that living with prolapse is going to be like.

Before prolapse, I always had constipation but not like this. I think the medication to help me go is making it worse. I plan to talk to my gastro tomrrow.

They suggested I have a colonoscopy but I don't have enough of the classic symptoms to suggest that I have an obstruction or poylop (sp). I am just so frustrated.

My diet is stellar! I give up!

- Lilly Anne

mommynow

January 29, 2007 - 8:38pm

I am not constipated but I never seem to be able to completely empty when I go the bathroom so I know this contributes to the continuous pressure I feel. There are so many ideas on this thread and others in this forum for constipation. Does anyone do anything that helps make bowel movements "slide out" for lack of a better description haha.

alemama

January 29, 2007 - 9:20pm

this seems to help me- I get too much insoluable fiber and my stool is really mushy I can't completely empty. but if I get the perfect amount then I am good to go- the stool is larger and firmer but not hard. B

howdidthishappen

January 30, 2007 - 5:16am

i was nearly finished with my reply and lost the whole thing. i suspect this won't be as comprehensive, but here goes...

i am sorry things are feeling backed up again, lilly anne. i remember reading something recently about a g.i. med that has the side effect of making you feel as though you never fully empty your bowels. i'm just wondering if that the same med you're taking or if it's something else. also wondering if you have looked in to all possible side effects of what you are, in fact, taking. you might just want to check that and see if there's any connection? just a thought.

i am also wondering if you might want to explore the probiotic grandma joy recommends. i only used it for 5 or 6 days until i was sick yesterday, but my stools were passing with virtually no effort, lilly anne. it was pretty amazing. as easy as peeing, frankly. i can only talk very highly of it and though it certainly wasn't inexpensive, it seems one of the smartest things i can do -- as well as easiest! you might want to check that out.

lilly anne, i promise you you will not be thinking about your bowels and prolapses all day long, forever. you won't. you are on a serious learning curve right now and so more of your attention is going there. but it will shift when you have a rhythm to all of this, and you will get there. this past week was so different for me, even with my period, when i would have thought the recotcele would have been that much more distracting. it wasn't. and i'm learning to stop poking around in my body to feel it (which is my latest insanity -- can really make me crazy! i'm hoping to accept that if i don't feel it, i shouldn't freaking poke it to check it! it's nuts! but it's hard to stop. and, if i do feel it, i have found if i check my posture or shift my sitting position, i can't anymore -- so really, why worry about it at all??) but, on that note, i'm thinking of pursuing relaxation/meditation. there is the basic stuff that everyone here on this site is working to take care of. but sometimes, even with doing those things, i still find my brain is hooked into obsessing over the prolapse -- even if i don't feel it at all or if it's totally minimal. that will probably be the hardest piece for me to shift as my nature has always been a rather tense, high strung one. (and do i really have to WONDER about why i've had a life long struggle with constipation??? don't think so...) i think that will be the big missing piece for me and i suspect i will be able to find the balance of good self care and not obsessing and just living life that way. someone on this site spoke about kundalini yoga which is especially focused on the breath so i think i might try that first.

lilly anne, honestly, i know you will get to a point when this will all be very managable for you. in fact, a point when it's probably no big deal at all. please, try to relax about it just a bit and know that maybe you don't believe things will get better and easier for you, but i believe they will. and i'm sure a lot of other women on this site do as well. so hold on to our confidence right now if you don't have it for yourself. (i have frequently "borrowed" other people's faith and trust when lacking it in myself, figuring, oh, why the hell not, and have always found it led to me finding my own -- go figure...) but really, i am totally confident that you will find a steadiness to this for yourself and your life will be as full with other things as you want it to be. no question.

(oh...one other quick thought...do you have christine's dvd? she has a brief exercise section on it and i'm thinking doing the sequence of them might be really helpful to you. just a thought. i'm going to start doing it every day as soon as my period finishes (i have endless periods...)

let us know how you're doing today, lilly anne.

xxsusan

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