New and struggling

Body: 

Christine, I have been doing your dvd exercises most days since January and find them very good, although my hips turn in slightly so some are hard to do properly, I love the music. However I am still unable to get up after bending down without a strong suction type of pulling down. I am also unable to sit on a chair even in the wwp or lift anything or walk up the stairs or any distance without the same feeling. I just sit on the floor. Are these symptoms of prolapse. I have recently been diagnosed with rectocele and cystocele. I stretched with my first baby who was foreceps 27 years ago. and had some repair done 10 years ago for a rectocele. I then started yoga and pilates classes. My periods stopped a year ago after 6 weeks heavy bleeding and then the hot flushes began and a lack of strength, and when they are bad my symptoms get worse.

Hi and welcome, Rainbow,

It it likely that your anatomy has been altered to a degree that does not allow full closure of your vaginal walls. The major problem with posterior colporrhaphy is that it obliterates the fine fascia layers separating your back vaginal wall and front rectal wall. Therefore, these two "compartments" are obliged to move as one rather than slide past one another. In normal anatomy, when the movements you describe are attempted, there is a natural sense of things pulling forward. In women with full-on rectocele repair, the back of their pelvic interior becomes more like a frozen block. When your bladder, uterus and intestines are moving forward, they are met with sutured resistance at the back. Of course you feel a strong pulling-down sensation.

The question becomes, do you push toward naturalizing the back of your pelvis or not? This may or may not cause a worsening of your condition - I have no way of knowing. Rectocele cannot be successfully repaired for the long term because it destroys natural anatomy and therefore sets women up for much more severe problems. As amazing as it sounds, gynecology does not understand, nor teach, natural female anatomy. If they did, no doctor with a heart would ever perform these surgeries.

I always say that we have to work with what we have. Some of us have been terribly injured through hysterectomy and others scathed by episiotomy or other surgery. Use your best judgment and with the help of a good, holistic practitioner decide which course of action to take to stabilize your symptoms. It may be that floor exercises are your best bet. We do them here on our tummy rather than on our back. I will demonstrate in the village WWC in a few more weeks.

Wishing you well,

Christine

Thank you Christine, but, oh dear.....I have to have some hope...I shall look forward to the exercises you are going to put on soon.
Since 5 months ago when this pulling started I have been trying to work out why I am unable to sit on a chair but can sit on my heels as you show ( except I sit on a 4 inch block with my feet tucked back at the side ) I can also sit cross legged but only for 10 minutes. I have not been out the house since this happened except for appointments as I can only sit cross legged in the car for a little while. Do other people manage to get out?

Hi Rainbow

It sounds like you are quite restricted by this pulling, which Christine seems to think is related to your rectocele repair. It seems weird that it has only happened now, after all these years. The uterus shrinks as menopause approaches, until menstruation stops. Perhaps the shrinkage of the uterus means there is not so much 'give' in the vaginal area now. We also know that there is less elasticity in the vaginal tissues after menopause, which would exacerbate it further. You might be able to identify what is pulling by inserting a finger into your vagina and having a feel of what happens in the positions that give you problems. You might need an extra 6 inches of length in your arm though! Good luck.

I think Christine is right. You will just have to see what you can do, and do that, rather than lamenting your inability to do all the exercises.

Louise