So frustrated!!! Still don't have a diagnosis

I got my DVD in the mail, I will be watching that today!

The only osteopaths I have found in this area, also practice at the clinic... not sure how alternative their approach will actually be.

I'm not too post-pardom anymore, my youngest turned 2 last October. My prolapses have gotten worse than what they were after I had her, when I had first asked my GYN about it.

Apparently this is a vicious cycle for me.. I am one week away from my period and the pressure is unbearable, standing is difficult. Which means it is getting worse as the months go by and for sure is prolapse related. This is about the time I was at my worst last month and the GI treated me with anti-inflammatories... obviously not an effective treatment when your organs are falling down. So I feel decent about 2.24 weeks every month.

I think the only thing holding my uterus up is my bladder blocking the exit. I have uterine prolapse, cystocele, rectocele and of course a urethracele (or whatever you call that. Of course my GYN never graded them, so I don't know how prolapsed they are aside from my cystocele resting on the vaginal opening and that my rectocele is "slight". And back pain, OMG!

Do I have a chance to live normal again? Maybe I better go read through testimonials... right now I'm really having a hard time coping.

Hi mommy 6,
All I can tell you is that I did have all the same feelings that you are having now, except my uterus was also profoundly prolapsed with my cervix actually sticking out.
I did this work, I mean I did everything that was suggested: the posture work, the dvds, jiggling and firebreathing several times a day, whole woman walking, hovering leaning off the toilet, changing dietary habits. I did it for months and months, even though my uterus frustratingly wouldn't budge, but then it did start to move and I did start to feel the relief everyone was talking about.
The point really is to put yourself 100% into this work and be patient for the results to happen, because if you do this you will feel the same results that we have.

I read your other posts, safelyheld, and from my experience with constipation, I haven't had the symptoms you describe. I did have years of gas and bloating along with my constipation, but again not as you describe it. I couldn't have many BMs. It would take days between BMs for me, usually 2 to 3 days, sometimes 4. It was a misery for sure, but I really couldn't say what's going on with you.
My constipation, gas, and bloating have been resolved through dietary changes and whole woman work. Sorry, I can't be more helpful.

Hi all, I realize that osteo's in the USA are different than Canada. Here (providing you find a good one), promote the WW posture. My thoughts about finding one wasn't to say don't do Christine's work. Gosh, by no means would in mean that and I hope it wasn't taken that way :( all I was suggesting was an Osteo can help with the aches and pains that may come with the body and organs becoming re-aligned the way they should be. I'm so sorry if there was any misunderstanding.

Understood, newmamaj, but I wanted to make the point that unless someone has medical issues that are beyond the scope of this forum, we don't need doctors to help us do the WW work. Most doctors don't even understand this work. Even the best of them cannot improve upon what Christine has already described. - Surviving

I feel the pressure to go when I don't have to go. It's like the sensation of there being something there with the urge to push. However, I learned the hard way that pushing is a bad deal. My GI is done with my, I got my last test results from an anorectal manometry and it showed only "slight weakness of rectal tone" and she cancelled my next appt and now I am on my own. This weakness happened AFTER the original complaint, I remember the day... I was straining to pass the "constipation" they diagnosed me with originally and I went numb, I knew that was a bad deal and when I told GI, she said we could fix it. I'm not completely numb anymore, but I have a loss of sensation and ability to empty.

So... with all the WW practices in my pocket. I still have the problem I caused myself from straining. I can't empty my rectum, I push a little and its like its dead in there. Even diarrhea is difficult to evacuate. I also have a hard time feeling it... I regret the straining, it just exacerbated my discomfort and made things even more difficult. Now instead of JUST the pressure and sensation, I have functional troubles too and don't have any idea what I am supposed to do. I feel one day this is going to lead to fecal incontinence and I'm only 36. My GI was so comforting saying we will figure this out, there are solutions, we will fix it and then after a 2 minute phone call, she slammed the door in my face leaving me with no solution of how to poop (even passing gas is a chore) on top of the fact that they never found what caused the pressure and irritation in the first place. I just hope there isn't something actually going on in my pelvic area that they didn't look into that DOES need attention.

I also am having a real hard time with the WW posture, I can't seem to stop contracting everything and relax. I try to carry my 2 year old up to bed with WW in mind, but its not working. I think am entirely too tense because of all my discomfort and have been clenching my gut a lot since all this started. I think my pelvic floor gets exhausted later in the day making me feel more miserable, I feel best when I spend the day on the couch, but that's not living.

Never know when someone else may google this question and be looking for answers... :)

I finally complained enough and was sent to a pelvic floor PT... turns out I have pelvic floor muscle tension that has done nothing but get worse since I started this path back in October. The PT told me all the test, unnecessary laxatives and the GI telling me to do kegals made it worse. So at this point I have quite a bit of pain still and I'm 5 weeks into treatment, when I first started she said typically she sees people for 8 weeks... I won't be that fortunate, but she has managed to stop the tension developing around my bladder. I have no doctor working with me, so no muscle relaxers or anything and am to the point of her talking about a pelvic floor pain specialist in another state, if this doesn't get better before I see my GYN in June. I am glad to have a diagnosis, but I am still losing hope since I still seem to be getting worse, even with PT. I have been doing yoga for the pelvic floor and that works until I stand up again. I wish I would have had the PT referral back in January when it just started getting bad, rather that March when it was too the point of keeping me up at night crying... but still, at least I now know what it is.

I also started seeing a chiropractor whose focus is on the nervous system... hoping aligning my whole body will help relax these muscles and keep them relaxed... but again, I'm about 5 weeks into that too and nada.

If anyone has dealt with this, feel free to chime in any tips you have to offer on relaxing these muscles or how long it took to get rid of the pain and sensation. I really don't want botox injections in my girlie parts, but at this point I'm getting desperate for comfort.

@mommy6 thanks for the update. When your PT said the tests and laxatives made it worse what did she mean by that??

I have many of the same symptoms you do with my retroverted uterus so hope to continue sharing our stories here!

In the beginning, the internal medicine doctor I had seen thought it was a GI issue and sent me to that department. So I had been treated for constipation (which I never had) and that lead to diarrhea (because I wasn't constipated and no one would listen) and straining which lead to trauma which tensed up my muscles even more than they were. Unfortunately, I have some damage to the anal area nerves and muscle from all that, so hoping it will heal. Then of course all the GI tests involve pretty intense laxative cleanses, which again put me on the pot with straining. Then the GI NP kept telling me to do kegals, and of course since my muscles were already in a non-relaxing state, they just held every kegal causing more pain.

I don't feel that this was caused because of a retroverted uterus... but adding prolapses, weak muscles, 6 child births and episiotomies it all just finally snowballed. The diagnosis was a long road, I HIGHLY recommend getting evaluated by a pelvic floor physical therapist if you have common symptoms to mine... getting to this point has been torturous and now I have a long road to recovery, even more so thanks to the injury from straining.. which also worsened my prolapses. I wish I would have known enough to ask for a PT evaluation before this pain developed.

I was wondering, did your PT do internal trigger point release therapy? I've done it three times, and it seemed to help my pf relax, because I too have been in a state of clenched pelvic floor since I first discovered my cytocele. I was told to order a therawand, which is like a do it yourself tool for at home. I haven't been back to my PT in a week because she hooked me up to biofeedback and had me to a bunch of kegels, and that day my bladder fell down again so bad, and I was so upset she didn't listen to me that kegels made it worse! It's a mess, but I'm basically going to refuse to do kegels ever again. She said she just wanted to test my strength, which was very strong, and see if I could fully relax, which was HARD to do of course. *eye roll* I will be going in one more time to have her teach me to use the wand to do my own release therapy at home, and then I'm done. I abhor all medical doctors, of any kind, because they don't listen!! I know my body very well, and I am learning to stand up for myself in that respect. I'm just SO thankful for all you ladies and the ability to hear your points of view, your journeys, what works and what doesn't, and just to not be alone in it!!! I tried last night to tell my husband how excited I was that the posture was helping. When I started to explain how it works, his eyes went straight to the tv...but he swore he was listening. Yeah, uh huh. Next time he talks to me, I'll stare out the window so he sees what it's like. Ha!! ;)

Hi,

I am new in this forum and I have finally found someone with the same problem like mine. I know that this is an old post, but I will give it a shot. I also have a retroverted uterus, but I never in my life had a problem with bowel movements until my pregnancy. During the pregnancy I started to suffer with very severe constipation. I was prescribed laxatives, but even with their help I had difficulties emptying my bowels as it seems that my uterus was resting on my rectum and completely blocking it. I was really hoping that after I give birth everything will be normal, but unfortunately that wasn't a case. Almost four years now I am still having a problem to have a bowel movement and suffer with series GI issues (severe bloating, gas, sometimes rectal bleeding). I have been to several gastroenterologists and done a colonoscopy and they said everything is normal and to just take laxatives. The thing is that I don't have a constipation (hard stools), but I just can't empty my bowels as I feel my uterus is completely lying on my rectum. So I have incomplete bowel movement which makes me go the toilet many times a day and sometimes I just sit there and nothing happens. I am sure I have a prolapse as I can feel my cervix coming out when I try to have a bowel movement. I have already bought the First Aid for Prolapse Video Course and started to practice the posture, but I can't notice any change so far. I know that it takes time. I am not sure if hopeful38 and mommy_6 (or anyone else with the same problem) are still following this post, but I would be really grateful if they can provide some feedback if and how they solved their problem. Thanks a million.

My uterus is retroflexed. I identify with all the things in this thread about bowel movements. With whole woman posture and breathing I am better and manage well most of the time. I have a hard time during and before my cycle, some months harder than others. I really don’t know what else to do but whole woman and I’m grateful for it. I wish you well.

Hi Unicorn & UnCloudyDay - re retroflexed uterus,
Louiseds,from a few years ago but still very relevant has a post on this subject:

https://www.wholewoman.com/forum/comment/38968#comment-38968

General information that I grew up with was that retroverted uteruses are "normal" for a fairly high percentage of women. I now know that to be most likely postural, compounded by lifestyle plus exercise styles...
I also have learned from my Whole Woman journey that women with rectocele like me, have a uterus that can "sit" or put pressure on the bowel, even though she isn't retroverted, my uterus can be a bit more "free - range" :)... ( perhaps due to being pulled at by a forceps delivery of my first child who was in the posterior position),
If I feel that pressure, it is a reminder to tweak my posture.

For some of us who have been living the WW way for a while, the extraordinary results we have had are at first inconceivable, some are immediate, others come in time and many are constantly improving along with the spiritual connection with our intelligent bodies and the life force we all have....

All the best,

Aussie Soul Sister

That link is very nice to read, Aussie Soul Sister. I am in perimenopause and everything Louise wrote is encouraging. What you write here is also encouraging. Thank you again!

Thank you UnCloudyDay and Aussie Soul Sister for your encouragement. I am now more than willing to continue practicing WW posture. Unfortunately, I can't find the book Saving the Whole Woman in the store. I am hoping that it comes out soon, so I can buy it. So far I have been doing just the WW posture. I also try the toileting posture, but it doesn't really help much so far. And as you describe, my symptoms also worsen some time before and during my period. And probably the most anoying thing is that often I am also unable to pass gas cause the uterus is pressing heavily on my rectum. Do you maybe have the same problem and any advice how you deal with it. I am particularly bloated in the evenings and the only way to release gas is to sit on the toilet and change positions. I am afraid that this will worsen my prolapse. So any advice is welcome. Thanks once again!

Hi Unicorn,
There is really only one way to get a stubborn uterus off the back wall of the vagina, and that is really throwing yourself into the whole woman work. And, that includes the posture work, toileting, jiggling and firebreathing, and getting your diet in a place that keeps.your bowels lighter so they are not pressing down on your pelvic organs.
Christine is currently working on updating the First Aid program to include the firebreathing, but it is also featured in the exercise bundle which has all my favorites.
Just keep working at it, I am.proof that a stubborn uterus can be re-positioned off the rectum, and smooth bowel movements are now my normal.
Best wishes!

I would follow her advice.

Yes I have very hard time passing gas at times, mostly before or during my cycle now when I’m having a harder month for symptoms. And yes it is a hard symptom to deal with. I think it can improve for sure with doing whole woman.

As far as what I do to lessen gas or help it to pass other than whole woman, here is a place I wrote for another poster on similar topic:

https://www.wholewoman.com/forum/comment/57569#comment-57569

One thing that I think will give you some relief, is simply to get down on hands and knees (or elbows and knees) and just let your organs nestle in your belly. A little massaging and/or gently swaying back and forth will help this. Now you are the four-legged animal of which we often speak! Moving the organs out of the vaginal space like this, gives you a sense of what this work is all about.....the goal is to maintain those same dynamics when we are upright, by using posture/breathing/gravity to hold the organs forward. Might help with the trapped gas, too. - Surviving

Yes hands and knees helps.

Also elbows and knees.

I like to get down on all fours or in elbows and knees and lift one leg at a time behind me, the way Christine shows to do on the first aid for prolapse workout as well as on her yoga workouts.

Also downward dog helps, as Christine shows in her work outs.

Yes, these are all the important tips and techniques we can learn from whole woman. That is why investing in Christine''s work is so very important, so you can know what to do, and with the many great descriptions and demonstrations, how to do it well!