New here.....

Submitted by sydmommy on September 11, 2016 - 1:52am
Body: 

Hello wonderful ladies. After reading/browsing this site for a week, I've worked up the courage to post :). Three -four weeks ago, while at work, whenever I bent over, I would feel a pressure/popping on my cervix. But that's the only time I felt anything. But I became more and more concerned, thinking I might have a tumor on my cervix. Well, over a week ago, I went to the bathroom, and while wiping felt a bulge. Using the camera on my phone, I was able to see the horror leaving my body. Stayed up all night on the internet, diagnosed myself with a cystocele. I went to the ob two days later only for that to be confirmed, along with the news that I also have a prolapsed uterus. The ob said eventually I would have to have a hysterectomy, and explained the surgery to me. She also recommended a pelvic floor specialist to teach me kegels. I spent the next few days in a stupor, deciding my life as I know it is over. I'm 47 and recently divorced. I've been feeling betrayed by my body, blah blah blah. I've seen many women echoing my same sentiments. Glad to know I am not alone! Well, anyways, after reading countless posts after finding this site, I am feeling a glimmer of hope for myself. But I do have several questions: First off, I just ordered Christine's book this evening, and the dvd as well. In the meantime, here are my questions: 1.) I suffer from overactive bladder, I have for the last 25 years. After reading Christine's comments on the kegels, I am on the fence. I was told the kegels may help with my OAB, so I am wondering if I should just keep my appt with the therapist so that it might help with the one problem? Or will it for sure further do damage to my two prolapses? I am debating if I should just cancel the appt altogether .... 2). I am a cashier and am on my feet all day long. I am fine for the first 3 hours of standing, but after the fourth hour, I have been getting shooting pains down my cervix and also my ureter (clitoris) area. Does 8 hrs of standing make my prolapses much worse, and what can I do for this horrible (and very new) pain? The "stuck tampon" feel, the awful pressure, it's so new, and along with my emotional downfall, is weighing on my mental and emotional well being. Will learning the new posture take these shooting pains away? 3). Since getting this new diagnosis, my frequency seems much worse. Is the cystocele changing the shape of my bladder, this making it more prone to constant bathroom usage? Sorry, this is so long, and I have many more questions, but I'll stop at these. I am looking forward to receiving my book and dvd and hoping for a miracle!! :)

Forum:

Surviving60

September 11, 2016 - 4:24am

Hi sydmommy and welcome to Whole Woman. It is so shocking to me, how casually doctors are still continuing to steer prolapsed women towards hysterectomy......an operation which often causes other organs to prolapse, not to mention a host of other possible side effects. It is our hope that women will do as you have - educate themselves to the point where they will run from this unfortunate advice, and find the truth about prolapse.

If you get down on your hands and knees, and let the organs fall forward into the lower belly, and breathe by expanding your belly (not your chest) on the in-breath, you can get a feel for the dynamics of prolapse management. Your goal will be to maintain these dynamics when you are upright. As Christine says.....we are really like four-legged animals from the hips down. WW posture is not contrived, but rather, it is a return to the natural spinal shape we had as children, before we learned to suck in our gut and flatten our spine. Take a look at how young children carry themselves - belly forward, lovely lower lumbar curvature. It is beautiful and though it can take awhile to regain this habit, it will make you feel totally different.

I would ditch the kegels. I did them religiously for decades, because that was the conventional wisdom of my generation (I'm 66). If they worked, my goodness, I think we'd all know that by now! The bladder issues I think will start to sort themselves out when you get into better posture and toileting positions. You might also want to look to your diet for possible irritants; do you drink a lot of coffee? The cleaner and more unprocessed you can eat, especially getting the sugar out, the better.

Have some patience and faith in your body. A long day of standing is not the worst thing, once you get into posture, because gravity and proper breathing really do help with this. How prolapsed is your uterus? Can you reach it with your finger? You have a 'cele for sure, but if your uterus isn't that low, your doc may be using this to steer you towards eventual surgery. Women doctors anxious to see you sacrifice your uterus, really disturb me. But the less said about her, the better.....at least you have found your way here. You will be fine. I hope you can start to feel that right away, and lose your fear. This work is life-changing! - Surviving

sydmommy

September 11, 2016 - 10:42pm

Thank you Surviving60. She did tell me that she doesn't recommend surgery just yet, but that I will eventually need it. She says that the surgery is only good for about 10 years, and then after that I would have to have surgery again! But my goodness, if they take my uterus the first time, what is left to do for a second surgery? Just patchwork?? I did initially resign myself to that fact that I would just have to come to grips with it and face surgery at some point. But when I started looking into hysterectomies, and how unsuccessful they are, and then finding this site, I am resolved NOT to have one and to keep my uterus!
Thank you for your replies to my questions. I think I am going to cancel my appt this Wed for the pelvic therapist, and instead wait for my materials and dvd. I have suffered from OAB for over 25 years, I didn't drink coffee for many years, but still suffered from it. I do drink a cup a day now, but I am going to try and switch to decaf and see if that makes a difference as well.
I can't feel the uterus with my finger, maybe I didn't reach in far enough? She had me "bear down" like I had to use the bathroom, and said it comes down halfway when I push. I'm sure something was happening in regards to my cervix/uterus as I felt it move every time I bend down to grab something. Hoping, no praying, that WW will be life changing for me and that things will be looking up for me soon. Thank you for your response, and for your encouragement!!

Surviving60

September 12, 2016 - 5:31am

The potential problems with hysterectomy are well documented in Christine's work; and there is also an interview with the founder of HERS in the Resources section of the site. Among other things, the loss of the "hub of the wheel" can cause the other organs to prolapse further into the empty space. And the vaginal "vault" that is left behind after hyst can start to collapse and literally turn inside out. This is quite serious so most hyst procedures include tethering the vault to the spine in hopes of avoiding this.

The organs are constantly on the move, and certainly will move if you bear down. If you normally cannot even feel your cervix, well, I don't think most of us would consider that a prolapse. I see nothing in what you have written to make me think you will ever need surgery; furthermore, surgery will destroy the natural dynamics of pelvic organ support and there is no coming back from that. And the "success" rate for repeat procedures is even more dismal. - Surviving

Aging gracefully

September 12, 2016 - 6:20am

My goodness, it makes me cringe when I hear once again that a doctor wants a woman to bear down. I actually found my cervix sticking out of me before I found Christine's work, and this doctor wants to do surgery on you when You can't even find your cervix. I find that disgraceful.
Sorry for the rant. I just wanted to say that if this work can help someone like me with a profound uterine prolapse, it can help anyone else even better with lesser prolapses. Once you have started into this work, those dragging feelings will diminish quite a bit, and you will start to notice a much better feeling replacing it. It just takes the time necessary and dedication.
Best wishes.

sydmommy

September 13, 2016 - 11:31am

Thanks again, ladies. I, too, as I think about it, am disturbed that the "only" treatment for my problem, according the OB, is to have a hysterectomy. She said I would need the sacrolopopexy, I think it was called. Said my vagina would be tethered to the left or right side, that sex is usually painful because of that aspect. I have to decided to cancel my appt with the therapist to learn to do the proper "kegels", and am anxiously waiting for my order to arrive so I can get started! Thanks again for the support!!