Question from a Newbie

Body: 

Hi All:
I'm new at this. I've got an appointment with a Uro/Gyn next week. I want to go armed. I have no Uterus due to surgery back in '97 and at that time I had a rectoseal repair. Everything is going nuts now that I'm in full blown natural menopause--I've put off seeing a doctor about this. I was surfing this morning and ran into this wonderful site. My question is: Will Christine's book and video tell me what to do if I've already had a hysterectomy? Does it tell me what excercises I should not do?? I read a post that I should not do "fire-breathing" Before I order, I just want to make sure it clearly states what I should and should not do.

Hardt

Hello Hardt and welcome,

This is the huge question we are wrestling with. So much of female anatomy and how it affects prolapse reversal I feel content we have figured out. However, when you take out the hub of the wheel, which the uterus most certainly is, it destabilizes the entire system, as you are now experiencing. Therefore, we cannot know in the same way that we know for women who have their uterus.

That said, you still need to keep your bladder and intestines positioned naturally toward the front of your body. The only way to do that is through natural female posture. You will likely not get the same level of result we are getting with this work - and yes, I would stay away from the firebreathing/nauli, as it may pick things up and drop them further into the post-hysterectomy cavity. I believe if post-hyst women can stabilize their symptoms - even if difficult - it very well may be better than subsequent surgeries, which further obliterate female anatomy. If obliterated anatomy worked okay for a lifetime that would be tolerable - but the literature and women's experience tell otherwise.

I will be working more with the post-hysterectomy woman in my virtual studio.

Wishing you well,

Christine

Dear Hardt: (I like how that sounds!)

Welcome to the Whole Woman Forums. I'm glad you found us and I am sorry to hear of your present distress. Menopause is not nearly as much fun as it's cracked up to be....;) As you can read, if you go through related posts, we don't really know what effect the WW exercises will have on a woman whose uterus is no longer present. The exercises are designed to use the uterus as the hub of a wheel, whose ligaments attach to various pelvic "parts." It is not at all clear, according to my understanding, what exercises you should do and which to avoid. It is a topic begging for further research.

The book and DVD deliver a lot of information to help you understand female anatomy and pelvic organ prolapse. They don't contain specifics about exercise with regard to hysterectomy. I would still recommend the book, Saving the Whole Woman, 2nd edition, for the understanding you can gain about your body. Whole Woman posture may be helpful, as it assists our pelvic organs to move forward and up instead of backward and down.

Others with greater knowledge than mine can probably help you out more with this. Several people have recommended the Hystersisters website for dealing with hysterectomy issues. But please, don't despair. Arm yourself with the information in STWW and let us know how you are getting on.

Best wishes,
Saddleup

Thanks for such prompt feedback. I wish so much that I had this site back in '97--I was bleeding constantly from what they found later was Adenomyosis(sp) I bled for five long years before deciding to have my Uterus out at 47. My OB/GYN said I had a rectoseal and might as well take care of it while he was in there... Well, I had really bad nerve damage and to say that I felt like a virgin every time I had sex would be an understatement. I was young and stupid and totally trusted my OB/GYN. I urge you to tell everyone out there that these types of surgeries can cause nerve damage and ruin or drastically change ones sex life. I don't know if the damage was the hysterectomy or the rectoseal repair. When I went back to the doctor for my six week check up he was very perplexed and very sorry. But, alas, that didn't help me very much. Fortunately I was not bleeding any more--if I had to do it again I probably would just because of that. Sometimes a hysterectomy is the only solution. We had tried D&C's and all other kinds of things.

Now, I'm in menopause and I'm having problems with my bowels again and evauating. I'm thinking that I have a failed procedure and also, I've cornered the maket on Poise pads because of the urine leakage. I must say that I am on my way to conquering my IBC-C with tons and I mean, tons of fiber. That has hepled me immesaurably as well as a great diet called "food combining." Basically, I just don't eat protiens and hard carbs like bread at the same time. It has has gotten me off the anti-acids for good. Thanks Christine. If you think I can benefit from your book--let me know. I just don't want to do anything that will mess me up further. And I will be very careful and give much thought to any procedure that this doctor might have in mind. Sorry for rambling...

Hardt.

Thanks just for listening. It will make me even braver in the doctor's office on Tuesday. I'll let you know how it goes. I'll order the book too. I feel better already just knowing that there are real women I can talk to.

Hardt