pessaries

Submitted by artist on November 23, 2009 - 4:14pm
Body: 

I've recently been diagnosed with a prolapse of both my bladder and my uterus. Since it is not yet outside my body, I've been told to go home and rest. I had just booked (and paid for)a very energetic three month trip. Resting is not possible. The only other choice I have is a pessary. I haven't heard too much about what others think of them, but I'm reluctant to give up my sex life and I doubt that the exercises will have effect in the time before I leave. I could live with the way it is now but I'm worried about how much worse this will get while I'm in third world countries. Any ideas?
artist

Christine

November 23, 2009 - 9:44pm

Hello Artist,

Shortly after I was diagnosed with severe UP I took a long-planned trip to Europe with my children - then 15 and 17 years old. We took backpacks and Eurail passes and blissfully (other than my condition) wandered around for 6 1/2 weeks from Denmark to Spain and back again. I was okay physically - but emotionally a wreck, which I'm sure my kids were somewhat traumatized by. Every time we'd jump off an embankment or climb over a wall I was Truly worried that my uterus might fall out. I had no way of knowing otherwise as there was no Web and no resources available to me. Everyone just said, *surgery!!!* That trip actually taught me that I could probably live with my symptoms.

We now know the simplicity of how prolapse is stabilized and how it is aggravated. You certainly don't have to give up your sex life! and stabilization is really more about organizing the outer framework of your skeleton than any exercise routine. For sure learn firebreathing and nauli and plan to use your time away to practice this postural work. Walking is the best way to do so.

Have fun!

Christine

artist

November 25, 2009 - 4:03pm

Thanks for your input. I'm still worried (as I see you were). Im wondering if a pessary will give me the peace of mind that will make my trip less stressful. I'm not eager to have one, but I'm also not thrilled with the idea of constant worry while I'm away. Any thoughts you have would be welcome.
artist

chester

November 25, 2009 - 4:21pm

I am still not sure what a pessary is or what it is supposed to do, and also does it work, anyone explain? Chester

Christine

November 25, 2009 - 11:18pm

By all means, Artist, I think you should take a pessary along. Try the sea sponges too.

Chester, pessaries are diaphragm-like devices made of silicone that fit inside the vagina to reduce bulging pelvic organs.

louiseds

November 25, 2009 - 11:51pm

Hi Chester

Milex is one of the manufacturers. They are devices for insertion into the vagina to attempt to support the vaginal walls. I am not a pessary user, though I have used one in the past, but I found this catalog very useful for understanding the variety and size differences. A health professional with lots of experience in fitting them *gently* should be seen to find the right one for you. Probably not a job for the family doctor.

Click here for the Milex catalog.

Throughout history women have used pessaries for managing POP. They used to use lumps of shaped beeswax and various other things. Some women still use beeswax pessaries, though we haven't heard from them for a while. Other women use various sorts of tampons. Sea sponges are another type. Some women don't like the idea of them. Others find that they are uncomfortable or inconvenient, or difficult to find one that is satisfactory. Use the search box at the side to look for these keywords.

Cheers

Louise

Alix

November 26, 2009 - 1:54pm

Thanks for the catalogue link, Louise. Here is another useful site for pessary info.

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20000501/2719.html

So far I haven't found anyone in the UK selling pessaries, which is a pity because I would like to try the inflatable one, which is listed as easy to insert and presumably fits most size women. Has anyone tried this?

louiseds

November 26, 2009 - 8:57pm

Alix, I think they have to be procured through the medical system. Goodness knows why. They probably don't think ordinary women could possibly know what we need. On the other hand, one member reported that when her doctor ordered her pessary them he got a kit of sizes of the particular model. I also noticed that Milex says they are autoclavable (all of them?) so I guess they try out the kit for a patient, then re-autoclave the ones that the patient has found unsuitable and reorder the size that fitted to make the kit complete again. I guess many regular practitioners would have a cupboard full of different kits of each model.

Cheers

Louise