Pro-lapse and Trimo-san cream

Gina,

Welcome to the site. We are a really wonderful group of women who have avoided surgery. You need to go to the search slot on the side and search posts already made for all of your questions.

You will find a discussion on Trimo San and you need to look at the posts on Whole Woman Posture. It does help quite a bit.

You won't find any positive discussions on surgery, however, because we, as a group, do not recommend it.

Read, read, read, and relax. It's not life threatening. It's not going to hang down to your knees.

Judy

Hi Gina

Welcome to the Forums. So glad you found us before jumping into irreversible surgery. You really are at the beginning of a journey, and have doubts about what the future holds. You are right. It is hard to find stuff about prolapse that doesn't follow up by offering surgery. You will find it here though. Go to the homepage, www.wholewoman.com and read the FAQ's. I would thoroughly recommend Christine Kent's book, Saving the Whole Woman, which will give you all the information you will need to understand what is happening to your pelvic organs, why, and what you can do about it. It is a small investment for the understanding it will give you, and the tools it provides on top of what you will find on the site.

If you are still interested in surgery there is a great chapter in the book that describes all the different surgical procedures that may be offered to you, along with the risks and possible complications. If you currently find it all very confusing this chapter will clarify it for you. If you get to the end of the chapter and are still thinking about surgery as a first option, I will be very surprised!

Yes, there is a future for you without resorting to surgery, and with perseverence, time and maybe a little luck you will be back to doing your normal activities, maybe slightly differently, but you will. Many women find that the only things they can no longer do are really heavy, repetitive lifting of heavy loads and jarring exercises. Prolapse is often a wakeup call for Superwoman. An adjustment in your brain is definitely part of the recovery and ongoing management process.

I have had the unexpected benefit of recognising my own femininity, and enjoying being female more than I ever have before. Wierd, I know, but there you are. BTW, sex is not a problem, just a little different, and definitely for me just as enjoyable. There is no TMI here. We share all sorts of stuff that we wouldn't share with anybody else.

Sorry, I cannot help you with the Trimosan question, as I do not use a pessary, but Trimosan is stuff I would rather not use anyway. I would prefer to just use a good lubricant, and ensure that I could remove and insert the pessary myself so it is not in my vagina the whole time. Just remember that oil based lubricants may damage the pessary, so check with the pessary manufacturer. There are lots of Members who do use pessaries, so you'll probably find that they will post with their suggestions.

Keep calling back to the Forum with more questions.

Cheers

Louise

I am a newbee at all of this - Wow, what an eye opener this site is and your knowledge and experience. I am 55 and have noticed frequency and feeling of a tampon. I noticed a bulge in my vag a little over a year ago, and was horrified. I started searching the web and then went to my gyn - I was mortified at disucssing this with him, and then felt even worse after I did. First thing out of his mouth - "well, you could have surgery". I said what about a pessary (I had read on them) and he said - "well that's for old ladies who are sedentary and can't have surgery". Anyway, I did nothing after seeing him, but this year searched out a special uro-gyn doc because they specialize in pessaries, p.t., creams, and then last option surgery (so his web site said). But, again to my dissapointment, this new doc recommends a uro-dynamic test to the tune of $3000 and a hormonal vaginal cream (which he said was natural - only to find out at the pharmacy it may be more natural than a premarin cream - or something - but it still has potential side effects). And for this I went out of my area - I am rural and I traveled 6 hours to a bigger city for this advise. I have not scheduled the test or returned at this point and don't know if I even want to call and discuss other options because I think he is set in his ways or why would'nt he have suggested lesser approaches - less expensive, less dangerous. I am so discouraged with docs and it's all about they want our money. So, back to the internet when I found this site - talk about timing. There is so much to read - I may become obsessed. But bottom line - I had asked friends my age and older if they experienced any of this and I have not found one yet - so, I was feeling rather lonely in my misery. I was so afraid this was going to get so much worse - but am encouraged now that perhaps that is not the case, and so many women are "living" with this. I was told I am stage II cystocele, stage II rectocele and stage I uterine prolapse. I plan to study the posture thing - the eating thing - and any creams. Can you or anyone recommend where to start on this site for those approaches - what about creams - do they help or just fell better. Does anyone know - does physical therapy help - or is that a money scam too. What about pessaries - do they help the advancement or just the symptoms. And where do I find the eating part - like do's and dont's. I am so excited to be a part of your group. Thanks. Judy

Hi Judy,

We’re glad you found us too! Yes, urogynecology generally has a few tricks up their sleeve – pessary, PT, HRT, and surgery.

A few women – esp. those with primary cystocele – can wear a pessary successfully, but if you polled this group you’d probably find less than 3 percent doing so.

You’ve probably read my take on PT. The practice as a whole just doesn’t get prolapse or the concept of pelvic organ support. In fact, in the eyes of the totality of medical science, it’s all about the pelvic floor yada yada.

Hormone creams do nothing for prolapse and are associated with new-onset urinary incontinence. And the last option – surgery – has nothing positive to recommend it.

Oh yes – there’s one more option usually offered : “do nothing” – which in my mind is akin to fattening the lambs…go on doing what you’ve been doing until your symptoms become so severe that you beg for surgery.

Do read the FAQs and buy the book (the balms are lovely too!) :) Your symptoms sound classic so please take a deep breath, relax, and join in the conversation whenever you wish!

Christine

Hi Judy:
I'm on my way out the door soon to go to work, but I wanted to say Good Morning and Welcome to this forum - the most wonderful group of women you'll ever find anywhere! I was 58 1/2 when I discovered my POP. I'm sure it was developing for a long time before it finally dropped and I saw it for the first time.

Take your time to read as much as you can here, and also be sure to get a copy of Christine's book.

Goldfinch

'Life is not holding a good hand; Life is playing a poor hand well'

Welcome to the forum. I'm Judy too - better known as Clonmacnoise which is the name of a wonderful cat who died this past year.

I'm 57 and have about what you have. I also regard doctors as the enemy camp and have been know to say, "I'm never sick unless I've been to the doctor!"

I was miserable as well with the prolapse, and I tried everything I could think of including Replens which burned like heck, and the sponge which works OK until it descends and feels like sand paper, and finally - in the past week - found my solution - at least temporarily!

I started using olive oil because of Christine's warning about the Replens. I think a 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil three times a week works better than Replens, it sure doesn't burn, and it doesn't present as a bowl full of cottage cheese every time I pee.

Every morning I climb into the bathtub and put my feet on the wall above the spigot and relax. I insert a sport tampon by Playtex and then relax again. I can go all day long and feel absolutely normal. Of course there is the problem of wearing a tampon - sigh - but it's making my life a whole lot better.

I went to the pool today with 50 children and I swam with my grandson. Last year, I couldn't have done that comfortably. I would have been thinking all the time, "How am I going to get back on my chair?"

The olive oil helps lubricate and the tampon which is shaped like a bowl helps to keep things up.

Welcome again,

Judy

Hi Judy;

What exactly do you do with the olive oil? Or maybe I mean how? And what does it do for comfort? I am ready to try anything that doesn't start with an su and end with a gery. I have thought about a tampon for night time when things really get bad. I see you wear yours during the day. Do you use the olive oil to help insert it, or is that a separate thing? I will definately try the tampon and as soon as I have a clearer picture of the olive oil I will do that too.

Thanks!

Cynthia

Cynthia,

I use the olive oil in the same way I used the Replens. In fact, I use the applicator that came with the Replens. I have a small glass jar of olive oil I keep in the bathroom, and I use the applicator to extract about 1/4 teaspoon, and insert it as high as it will go into the vagina and plunge. I never feel a thing, and there is no leakage or drainage. I can use this every day or every other day. I usually do this at night, and then in the a.m. I use the tampon. Today I went without.

I wash out the plunger with baby soap in my sink, and it's good to go the next time.

Why is night time worse for you than day time?

For me it's a "time on my feet" thing. I am usually OK in posture until I've put in 10 hours on my feet and then there is a vaginal pinching and draw that drives me crazy. It's my sign that I need to sit down!

I find the olive oil soothing and because it's not dangerous like the Replens. I don't have to worry about poisoning myself which is what happens to me every time I use a pharmaceutical.

Good luck with it,

Judy

Judy:
Do you mind sharing what brand of olive oil you use? Is it EVOO or just canola oil or something?

Goldfinch,

Same stuff I cook with - extra virgin olive oil from the grocery store. I figure if you can eat it, you can use it in other places!

Judy

I wonder if you can buy salad dressing in Adult Shops?

Louise,

Don't know about that, do they have refrigerator sections? I've never been. Poor image for a preschool teacher :)

Judy

Can't remember if they had a fridge, but I make my own salad dressing anyway! :-) I would leave the coarsely ground black pepper out, cos they would be a bit gritty. This is all going downhill. No more on this topic, methinks.

Test pattern and muzak follows...