Removal of pessaries

Hi Eleanor

sorry to hear that you are having a hard time with your pessary. I have found that just using the oestrogen cream for four days for a PAP smear gave them enough development of the cells that they wanted. I would think that using oestrogen cream for a week or two before having the pessary removed will make the process more comfortable for you and less scary. Yes, it is a compromise, I know, but that is what I would do. It is not all the time.

If you can't get WW posture and you would like to persevere with it, I suggest a consultation in person with a Whole Woman practitioner who will help you to make a plan so that you are improving all the factors that will help to keep your bladder in a more comfortable position. I would suggest giving it twelve months before you give up on the posture.

Louise

Eleanor, I started this posture work at 60 and so can you. Three years later I cannot imagine my life any other way and don't even want to think about it! This is not just a prolapse issue, your spine and hips NEED this, and each passing day is a lost opportunity to start restoring lower lumbar curvature because it doesn't happen overnight. Your post and others make me think that anything beats a pessary. It sounds awful what you are going through.

What kinds of problems are you having with understanding the posture? Study Christine's works. Ask us questions. Work hard! None of us "got" this right away. Consult a practitioner, as Louise has suggested. Don't just give up! - Surviving

I feel for you because I went through something similar but without the pain with the insertion as the gyno was very good at removing and replacing it; however, after about 2 years, the huge ring pessary no longer "worked" and my cele (don't know if it was bladder or uterus) would hang out even with the pessary. I did heavy lifting, not realizing that the bulge would descend even further and one day there was blood in my panties. It seems that the pessary, which would stay in 3 months at at time before cleaning by the gyno, did extensive damage inside. I was given Premarin but it gave me hot flashes, which I never had during menopause so I immediately quit using it. I am 10 years older than you are.

Since that episode, over a half year ago, I chose not to have a pessary and just a week ago, after being given a suggestion on this site, I ordered a Fembrace and two V2 support garments which really help to keep the bulge in (although not all the way in). With the support I can now walk in comfort, relax my "belly" and not worry that the thing will drop right out! Even though I thought I was doing everything in WW posture, I finally realized I was tightening my bottom to keep the bulge from further descent. Like you, I could not walk 5 minutes.

I also saw a WW practitioner last week who informed me that I was not doing some exercises properly. Because there is not enough info on the DVD I assumed that the WW kegels and some other exercise were also done by creating a vacuum so maybe I actually did myself additional harm.

Don't assume that by doing the WW posture you will feel results right away, as you and I seem to have more pronounced prolapse than others that are at a stage 1. As Surviving 60 has stated many times, it is a life time work for us but with long term benefits in other areas of our health.

If you are not familiar with Fembrace or V2 supporters, google for info and pictures. Until about 2 weeks ago these were new to me. I hope you find some relief as I did. Should you decide to get either, or both as I did, do not get discouraged at first try because the straps have to be adjustedso it might take a few tries. I also ordered the V2 in 2 different sizes, wearing the smaller in the morning and the medium in the afternoon. ALL THE BEST!!

For your sake, do not give up, Eleanor, although I can understand that you feel that way now. I was terrified at first. In case you don't know, for a fee, you can contact Christine by phone. Maybe you could buy a phone card with a reasonable price to call the U.S. That is what I did about a half year ago and from her I got a lot of info that made me feel more confident; however, at that time I did not have the DVDs. Maybe you could ask her the parts you do not understand in the DVDs since you have them. OR, if you cannot phone, just keep asking questions on this site as the ladies are very kind and sooner or later you will get your questions answered.

For the standing and walking posture, as I understand it, stand tall and straight with your shoulders back but not forced too much nor stiff like a soldier. Make sure you neck is straight and pulled back (but not too much) and tuck the chin in a bit, which will pull your chest further up. In other words, stand like a queen! If your posture is poor, it will take a bit of getting used to so maybe just do it for an hour at a time. I had a sore neck at first. The key is to feel relaxed and not stiff. It becomes easier with practice...I think about it all the time now. You can get info on proper bending if you do not understand it.

The part I had trouble with is relaxing the belly and the muscles that keep the organs from falling out. Apparently, they will not fall completely out but I kept contracting that area out of fear and pressure from the organs hanging out. By relaxing the belly in the proper posture we make more room for the organs to go forward rather than down. Unfortunately it takes much time and effort on our part. As long as I don't get worse, I will be happy as I know there is no cure. My friend is about to have her 9th or so surgery...she las lost count!

Many of us were taught to suck the abdomen in and tuck the behind under, which I guess straightened the lumbar curve. We were really harming ourselves by doing that.

Type the word posture in the bar on the left of this page and you should get some more info that might help you. For your sake, do not give up and if you can, try a V2 supporter...it took a while for me to find a place to buy them but I finally found that a Health and Safety place sold them. I typed the following to find one: V2 supporter Canada
Perhaps you could do the same by placing your country name.

So glad the v2 and fembrace are giving you so much more confidence, Osmari!
As far as posture goes, it is: relax belly, shoulders down, not back; chest up, not out; neck up with slight tuck to chin. If I left anything out ladies, please revise! I found that when I put my shoulders down instead of back, that the posture came into place better, because I couldn't throw my chest out, only lift it up. I also found that by keeping up with the whole woman exercises and walking eventually made everything fall into place more easily. It is really worth the effort if you just keep doing it.

Thanks, AG for the note. You were the one that suggested the supports and I am so grateful to you!

Since I tend to round my shoulders, the practitioner suggested I place my shoulders back a bit further. I have to start walking more, thanks for the reminder...it was horrid before the supports.

Aging gracefully, were your organs out quite a bit too? If you mentioned it in a previous note, I do not recall. I want to know if anyone was in my condition and actually had the bulge retreat.

Thanks again for your replies which I appreciate AG!

All the best!

There are other members who have or had the cervix protruding and have worked diligently to get it to stay tucked in. Christine obviously is one of them, and she had the added challenge of dealing with a spontaneous and profound uterine prolapse triggered by bladder suspension surgery. So she is the role model here, for sure, and proof that it can be done, gradually over time and with diligent work. There are others. Fab comes to mind. Even those of us with 'celes at the opening but cervix well inside, have to work at this all the time. My bulges retreat when they are so inclined, which is sometimes, but not always. This is maintenance, folks.....not cure. - Surviving

Osmari, when I found my uterine prolapse, it was my cervix sticking out at least a good inch. I have to keep this work up; it is the only thing keeping my cervix up in there. I am not saying I don't have bad days or lazy days, because I do! I just know I need to kick it into gear and get at it again, and yup, up she goes again. I am not quite a year into this, and being a little older, almost 51, I know it will probably take longer to get my uterus even higher. But, I am up for the challenge!!

Thanks Surviving and Aging Gracefully! What great news! I hope Eleanor reads your comments too to get some encouragement. If I ever had anything to be grateful for it is having discovered this site! I have such respect and appreciation for your encouragement, suggestions and help. :)

I forgot to remind you of something that I hope you already know: We need to do diaphram breathing while in posture (or not); that is, when we inhale, the lower belly goes out and on the exhale, the belly goes in. Most of us were taught to not only pull the stomach area in while we stand etc, but to breathe with our chest moving. (As a teenager, I remember watching my father breathing as he sat on the sofa and thinking that the poor man did not know how to breathe correctly while all the time it was I who did not!!)

When you have a bad day, do your best to remember that many women have been helped so believe you will be one of them. Two days ago, I was doing much better than yesterday but today I am having a better day.

Another thing I learned on my own is that if I eat a large meal, all the weight of the food pushes everything down making the bulge descend even further, even making my ligaments (or whatever) sore. Yesterday, knowing what would happen, I decided to go out and have a large turkey dinner anyway and then paid the price. Today I will go easy on the food!! :) One more hint...when I am at home, I sometimes lie down for about 3-5minutes after eating to ease the pressure. For some reason, lying on my side is better than on the back.

You will be in my thoughts and always remember that you are not alone on this long journey; many of us are with you.

Hi Eleanor:f
Sorry for the trouble u have with pessary. I was told one would not work for me- I had a penis hanging out of me.. Resisted surgery for yrs but the hanging out got so hard to walk and stand that I gave in. It worked for 2 yrs and then the mesh failure was simply pathetic. Finally had it removed. I now use a donut pessary as a supplement to posture change. Hopefully the posture will cut in permanently before alzheimers or some other old age prblm, kicks in as the process of removing and washin and reinserting daily the donut requires some focus. I have just gotten over treatment with caneston for yeast infection and do use premarin .5 grams 1x weekly I am as comfortable now with the orifice we call vagina as I am with my mouth(almost) The pessary pops in and out so good after a yr of practise. The mammogram ppl want me to have yrly result because of estrogen therapy. ,,, I know that if I keep my bladder away from the opening,(by posture) it stays where I now need the pessary to hold it away. I cleaned the pessary last nite with a vinegar solution as Louise suggested in one of her posts-- thought because of the yeast I should really disinfect it. A yrly checkup with surgeon who removed the failed mesh resulted in him telling me it best If I can manage as I am as additional surgery would be MAJOR and so complicated by all the scar tissue. This site helps me garner up a vocabulary so I can understand prolapse, and living with it

Sammy, in case you are not aware, do not do any heavy lifting. I had a large ring pessary which did extensive damage and some bleeding (after having it for about 2 or 3 years) due to lifting a few heavy suitcases just to weigh them.

I now only do the WW approach, without pessary, and lately with the support of Fembrace or V2 supporter, which are also used for pregnancy.

hi Osmart- Thank you for the info- what did the pessary damage- and it is likely not possible to avoid always heavy lifting- ppl die from lifting things too heavy- there is a man in our local cemetery who tried to lift a horse and burst his spleen back in the day...surgeon who gave me silocone insert said he has patients 30 yrs on pessary usage... I can only imagine what damage my dentures could do if I was victim of a facial attack too....