8 years later

Welcome to this site. I am assuming that you have already had a chance to browse around on this site. There are areas here for women who have had surgery, but largely this is a place where we believe strongly in the teaching and research done by Christine Kent. We are very much aware of the dangers of surgery and are trying to avoid that at all cost. I am sorry to hear of your difficulties post-surgery. The posture itself, which is commonly called "Whole Woman Posture" or WWPosture, is where you want to begin. How much success you can have post-surgery will depend on many things, but it is an optimistic and hopeful start for you. I have never had surgery, but I have in a short time (3 months or so) had much improvement based on this posture. I have also chosen to limit all of my exercise right now to WW walking and to following the DVDs from this site. Search the tabs on this site and the video area and watch Christine describe that posture. This is the posture you want to carry into your walking...and into your life at all times. If I were you, I would end the PowerWalk right now and I would begin the WW walk. Your attention will be on the position of your feet facing forward, the relaxed belly, the uplifted chest and slightly tucked chin. You want to relax the belly (although it is not floppy because you have lifted up your chest) and you want your breath to come into the belly. By beginning this work, you will begin to train your pelvic organs to find their way back home ---to the front of the abdomen where they belong. This means that you are honoring your lumbar curve (not taking it away by tucking the tailbone or tightening the tummy). This would be a starting place for you, along with browsing all of the vast information on this site. You mention that you have read Christine's book but have you been following these concepts? Also, have you worked with any of her DVDs? If not, I think you might find them also helpful. I am working (slowly, little by little) with Prolapse, First Wheel, Second Wheel and as of yesterday, the newly released inspiring Third Wheel....and I feel that they all bring me into a stronger and more knowledgeable place. I cannot answer any questions regarding Tai-chi but hopefully there will be others who can. Over time, you want to learn what positions are helpful for you and what positions are hurtful. (You want to avoid such shapes as boatpose or anything obtuse, but this is also clearly explained in the book). As for the cream suggestion of your doctor, read through this forum, you can search things in the search box...but you will find that a small pea-sized amount of raw honey, has helped many women here instead of using the hormonal creams which can actually cause problems to some. I will hope that you hear back from other women who have had surgery and can maybe guide you further. I send you my very best wishes and I am happy that you found this forum!

Hi recapture - It might be helpful if you could say what procedures you have had done. It might make it easier if a teacher comes on and can try to advise you on what might and might not help. Further surgeries are only going to make things worse as you already know. However, whether you can see improvement by applying WW principles is probably only something that time and effort will tell. As Nightingale has pointed out, you say that you have studied Christine's work over the last 8 years, but you don't really say if you observe WW posture. From your comments about walking and exercise, my guess is that you do not. So if you have the book, now would be a good time to go back and reread, and really give it a try, because you have nothing to lose. Like Nightingale, I myself do nothing but WW exercise, and walking in excellent WW posture (which is also my posture every waking minute....that's how this works). Best of luck to you - Surviving

PS - if it's the 1st edition of the book that you have (orange cover) I suggest you update to the 2nd edition (blue cover).

Hi Recapture

I often think hese Gyn surgeons would be more fulfilled if they took up quilting, and would contribute more to women's health by keeping their little scissors, needles and threads out of women's bodies. No doubt he did a masterful repair on your body, but with the advance of the years, the beautiful quilt is now feeling a bit worn out.

Sadly, a woman's pelvic cavity in no way resembles a nice, two dimensional, flat quilt. It is a three dimensional inaccessible space which is very confusing, without the mile markers of different coloured pieces of fabric and a repeatable pattern, instead having thickened bands of connective tissue running from here to there at odd angles, which do make sense to the trained eye, but which go where they go for particular reasons. They are not randomly placed like branches on a tree. Changing the way they are used is inviting problems, as you have found..

Sadly, It is not likely that further surgery will be more successful, as more and more surgery leads to the structure resembling less and less its original, exquisite form.

Hopefully we will be able to help you to use what you have, more effectively for pelvic organ support, and help you to work out what other adjustments are necessary in your life and exercise to make the most of what you have now, which is more than you will have if the quilting fairies get in there again, with their snip, snip, snip, and their stitch, stitch, stitch. At least we can recover our dignity completely with another haircut a few weeks after a bad one. ;-)

I will be interested to hear what you say about the success you have had, or not, with WW posture, and the details, if you can get them, of the procedures you have had. If you know, you will be able to understand better what you are working with. This is always helpful.

What are you doing wrong? Don't blame yourself for this, but trust that you will be able to do some things differently and have some, if not a lot of improvement.

Louise

Dear Recapture,
Hello!I am happy to hear that you did so well between56 and 8 years later. Your son's birth and the ensuing pop issues and surgeries probably took quite a toll. I also had a major episiotomy at my son's birth. This alone can cause many problems. Of course, what did we know. We did what we needed to do to birth those children. My son, as I hope yours is a big, strapping healthy guy. When I look at him,I know it was all worthwhile.
Glad the WW book has been helpful. I agree with previous commentators that a Whole Woman exercise program is important in managing the prolapse issues. The posture is not difficult. However, it does take focus to incorporate the posture into as many of your daily activities as possible. I mean everything--walking, sitting, driving, household chores etc. We simply don't realize how many times a day we have been bending or stretching in postures other than WW. A good thing about the DVDs is that Christine demonstrates lots of "everyday"activities in WW posture. I would first evaluate how you are doing with the postural work. Next I would work on firebreathing.I do this several times a day. The new DVD ,Yoga 3 explains this very well and would be a good exercise program alone or combined with any of the other DVDs.If you haven't been doing WW exercises, the 1st DVD has an excellent dictionary of movements. This is how I learned WW exercises. A plus is that as she explains how to do the exercise, Christine also explains why it benefits us.
You sound like a very fit woman. It makes it worse to have to deal with prolapse issues when we think we are doing good things for our bodies. Power walking and Tai Chi are good forms of exercise. However, most forms of exercise were developed from a male point of view. I found that the treadmill did not work for me when I was first diagnosed with prolapse. I do walk a lot. I practice Chi walking. However, I make sure that I am always in WW posture. The Chi walking has really benefited my knee arthritis. I also have practiced Tai Chi for about 8 years. I made sure my instructor was aware of my arthritis and my prolapse. There are many , many forms of Tai Chi. You must make sure that you are following WW principles along with the Tai Chi movements. My instructor recently started to work with a new master. My teacher's form changed as he studied. Some of the new movements would not be good for me. (eg. deep bending). I simply discussed with him that I would continue to follow the way we always did it. Whether you choose Tai Chi or Yoga remember to be mindful of the WW philosophy.
If you are still confused I would just stick to WW exercises. You can put together a very good workout from the DVDs . I combine 1st aid for prolapse, Yoga 1 and now Yoga 3. Yoga 3 has really added an abdominal piece that is new in WW work. Christine also demonstrates WW running.
Most of all I decided to work on the prolapse issues and managing them. How my body looked was not a primary issue. Though I'm happy to say that doing the exercises has helped me feel and look fit as well.
Good luck to you and let us know how things work out. As Louise says blaming yourself will not help. You are simply at a time in life when you need to make some changes. Many of us were in your position and now feel much better.
Whole Woman PA

Dear Recapture,
I realized that I had not addressed your surgeries. The pelvic organ support system is a mechanical marvel. However, many things can cause changes to the system. Over time almost all women experience some form of prolapse. Posture, diet and other lifestyle habits,in addition to gravity work against us. Surgeries add to this problem. Many women who have had surgeries similar to yours later will get additional surgeries. My very large episiotomy , no doubt,over time contributed to my problems. So I want to caution you not to undertake any exercises , even WW if it does not feel right . That said, learning WW techniques may at the very least help you feel more comfortable and might even ease some of your symptoms.
Please stay in touch. A lot of sound advice is to be found here at the forum and on the WW website.
Whole Woman PA

I checked in with my resident tai chi practitioner of thirty years DH and he agrees with WholewomanPA’s excellent advice. He does the Yang Cheng-Fu long style.

He recommends a small frame, high posture, soft, slow style. This means you keep in posture, your movements are small, slow and gently done, knees when bent do not stick out any further than in line with your toes and bends etc are done shallowly; no touching the ground stuff or stretching your legs in low squats. The whole body is relaxed. Strength is not used in your arms to push or your legs to step, lunge etc. There is no pressure on joints.

He says the general tai chi posture is very similar to the WW posture so if you are in WW posture while you are doing a gentle tai chi, you should be fine.

Having said that, Christine’s exercise DVDs are designed specifically for prolapse management so I join along with the ladies above. Check them out.

Best wishes Fab

Isn't it amazing the resources we have, just in this community?