Newbie

Submitted by KatKat on August 20, 2008 - 10:50pm
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I am 63 and have had no children. I saw my gyno in June after feeling something dropping a bit through my vaginal opening and got the diagnosis of a cystocele. Wanting to avoid surgery, I asked about using a pessary and was told that pessaries were usually only used by old women and if I wanted to stay active (as in jogging, weight training, backpacking), I needed to have surgery. I didn't find anything at all re-assuring about surgery with the bit of online research I did and it wasn't clear how I was supposed to remain active with the restrictions that seemed to be required after surgery.

The earliest date I could get with the surgeon was August 19th. I had been searching for alternative approaches to dealing with a cystocele, but didn't come up with anything until the evening of August 18th when I googled for "cystocele support forum" and got the Saving the Whole Woman web site. Talk about relief! It all made so much sense. I can see that my normal posture is all wrong (tail under, shoulders rolled forward). So I met with the surgeon knowing that I wasn't going to opt for surgery. She said that I also have a rectocele and my uterus has dropped some, so it was worthwhile finding out how things are.

I can control the situation OK with a tampon and don't have urinary problems yet. Fortunately, constipation is not an issue. I should get my book tomorrow so I can get started with the program. It is wonderful to have hope that my prolapses can be controlled without something as drastic as surgery. Finding that others in this community have been able to find relief with the posture correction and other exercises has really lifted my spirits.

louiseds

August 21, 2008 - 2:35am

Hi KatKat

Welcome. You have indeed done your research well, and have just had the same sort of Aha! experience that I had four years ago, after discovering Wholewoman prior to a surgeon's appointment. I am 55, still menstruating, sort of, and have not been tempted at all to go back to explore the surgical option. I believe all women who present at a doctor's surgery with questions about POP should be automatically directed to Wholewoman for information and a twelve month trial of all the WW management techniques before surgery is even seriously considered. If my gynaecologist was a true seer of the future I would be crawling round on hands and knees, an incontinent fool by now, begging for surgery to save me from disappearing ing down my own plughole!

I would guess that, at 63, you are well through menopause. I wonder what caused this descent of your organs? I know that the uterus gets very small after menopause, so it doesn't necessarily keep the bladder and rectum from descending any more. There is also a normal age-related sagging of tissues and loss of collagen which means that our bodies are less elastic than they were before menopause. I guess this is the price to be paid for getting wise, eh?

KatKat, I am sure you will experience much improvement with your prolapses, just with attention to posture and clothing amendments, and perhaps examining carefully how you lift and carry that rucksack, and other physically demanding activities. I have found that my brain can get me around most prolapse-challenging tasks and I really do not have to limit my activities at all, except for awkward or very heavy lifting, which I can usually deal with by being patient and requesting help when it comes along.

Call back with further questions and comments as you go. We Members together have experienced between us just about all the possibilities of prolapses and how to live with them. We can come up with suggestions about anything! We also look forward to hearing your observations, theories and comments as you progress. This Wholewoman thing really is a work in progress, and is putting together the experiences of women all over the world to come up with the best ways of doing it.

As you say, surgery does appear to create a whole heap of limitations. Life is too short!

Cheers

Louise

Cheers

Louise

KatKat

August 21, 2008 - 11:03am

Louise,

The most likely factors are my lack of lumber curve and aging. Maybe my physical activity contributed to the situation. Believe me, it was a real shock when my problem showed up. I didn't know such prolapses could happen. I am grateful to have found a program that will help me manage things.

Your story has certainly been encouraging.

KatKat

mommynow

August 21, 2008 - 6:46pm

Do you live in Canada? Your doctor sounds the same as mine about the pessary being only elderly. This time I go I am not going to be so naive and say nice try doctor I want to try every available option that DOESN'T INCLUDE surgery. There are young women that have pessaries that have learned to take them in and out and only have to use them now and then. I am not saying it will help you but it does help some. I want to explore that option just in case. You could also try sea sponges which are more natural.

KatKat

August 21, 2008 - 11:42pm

I don't live in Canada. Maybe they went to the same medical school. My gyn couldn't have done much for me in the pessary department anyway. She only had a big, heavy donut thing that she had trouble bending when she showed it to me.

During my frantic web search on the night before my meeting with the surgeon, i found a chart showing quite a variety of pessary styles. Also, I learned that the styles you could use would depend on your medical needs. The surgeon (who also has a gynecological practice) said she had several types when I asked her about them. She would be willing to work with me if I wanted to try a pessary.

Right now I am doing OK with a tampon. I tried the Platex Sport today that a member on this site said worked for her. It works better for me too because of the way it is shaped than the other brand I was using. It is so wonderful to find this forum for such practical information as that. I do want to try the sea sponge.

KatKat