A few questions and advice needed

Submitted by Lynda58 on October 7, 2005 - 6:34am
Body: 

Christine.Like countless others, I'm glad to have found this site.Have ordered your book and some Sea Pearls which should be here soon. I discovered what I'm sure is a rectocele 3 days ago. Scared me half to death, but research has at least helped me to come to terms with it.Sort if.. Haven't gone to the doc, and probably won't unless it gets worse. I can see it.. a large bulge, that goes away after lying down or sitting for a period of time.I'm sure the prolapse developed after my last round of IBS, in which my intestines were grossly swollen with gas. I don't have IBS with constip..mainly just frequent soft BMs, with tons of gas.
I do not want surgery, and will go to pretty much any length to avoid it. Been doing the scheduled Kegels, but they do make the prolapse kind of sore and a burning feeling after doing them. Is that normal? I'm sure I'm doing them correctly. The prolapse looks clean and not scarred. It's been very uncomfortable sitting down when it's out. Will the sponge help with that feeling? My question is about "The Posture" I have terrible posture when sitting.Mainly due to my work. I have to sit and paint at a huge low table for sometimes 12 hours/day. This is my busy time, and I have no choice. I sit on the very edge of the sofa with my legs spread, feet flat on the floor and hunch over my work. My doc noticed the curve in my back the last time I went to him. I never slump when walking (12 years of ballet) but it's impossible not to hunch over when I am working. I know this has contributed to most of my problem. I think I also slump over to protect my pilondial dimple. Which had never bothered me until recently. Can you suggest a back brace or something I can try to do to keep me straight, and some type of cushion support for my sore prolapse and dimple? I am going to try and raise my work table a little higher, but I'm not sure it will help matters, since I still need to lean over the work.Any advice would be appreciated..
For the record, I weaned myself off over 10 years of HRT (for menopause) about a week ago, so when the docs say you need HRT to prevent prolapse, I think they are wrong. I'm living proof of that now. BTW, I have not had a Hysterectomy, just a tubal 35 years ago.
Sorry this was so long. I have a lot more questions, but will reserve them for later.
Thanks again..
Lynda

Me...Gone to the dogs

Christine

October 7, 2005 - 8:43am

Dear Lynda,

As someone who once suffered A LOT of back pain, I winced when I read your post. The obvious question has to be, what can be done to provide you a healthy work environment? I guess you must work on large pieces so that you have to lean way out. This is the level of problem that might benefit from the services of an occupational therapist, if only you could find one who understood the value of natural posture. I would say a brace is just going to shore up an already unhealthy situation, allowing you to lean into it, and further weakening your condition. I can just visualize your current seating arrangement as having blown out the rectocele, and I wouldn

Lynda58

October 7, 2005 - 10:03am

Christine.
Thanks for your prompt reply. Your answer has given me something to work on. I have an old ladder-back chair that I could cut the legs shorter on.
And will try raising my work table with a brick under each leg.
I would love to be able to take the time during the day to relax and I can try to do that, but I'm afraid that I won't feel terribly relaxed with the work staring me in the face and numerous deadlines to make.
Sad news about the sponge for me. Mind, I'm saying I have a rectocele, but I suppose it could be a cystocele.Upon closer examination, the bulge has a slight shift to the right. I've looked at a lot of images,but can't determine what it truly is, so I will try the sponge. Is there a reason the sponge would work on a cystocele and not on a rectocele? Any way for an average mortal such as myself to tell which is which?
I have very strong bladder control which I can truly attest to daily, due to being on a diuretic for high blood pressure.I never leak, even when flying to the bathroom, and tripping over an obstacle course of objects in my way.No problem with bowel leakage either..
I'm ordering a pillow (thank you) and hoping for the best. Once I get past February, I will be able to relax a bit. Until then,it's out of my control.
Thanks so very much
Lynda
Me...Gone to the dogs

fullofgrace

October 7, 2005 - 6:46pm

Out of my lowered organs, the rectocele is probably my most pronounced. I have to say that the exercise Christine does on the video on all fours seems to help put it in place. (on all fours kicking heel up the ceiling and then bringing it back into the chest). I also try to be sure to rock forward and sit on the front of my bottom as much as is possible when not sitting in straddle position (like sitting on a horse). That also relieves that area from any pressure. Trying really hard to control my bm through diet also helps. However, when my cycle is on, it always seems to be peeking out. Nothing I can do about it during that time, so I just wait it out and it draws back up when my cycle ends.