my story so far

Body: 

I joined the group a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting for the Saving the Whole Woman book to arrive in the post. I have it now and will be starting to read it soon.

I am 47 years old and I noticed that the mild stress incontinence I have had since having three children was getting worse. I have also been getting severely constipated and I could feel the pressure from my bowels pressing down on my pelvic muscles and also pushing down on my vagina. I have some scar tissue around the entrance to my vagina from a tear that happened during childbirth - it was stitched up at the time but the stitches got infected and had to be taken out. This has left me with a loose flap of skin that is very sensitive and the downwards pressure from my bowels is causing it to sit lower and it rubs against my pants and is very painful when I walk.

I went to see the doctor and she did an internal exam with me lying on my back on the bed. She said that I did not have a prolapse but that she could feel my full bowels through the wall of my vagina and that shouldn't be happening - I am confused because surely that does mean some prolapse has happened? She also said my pelvic floor muscles are very weak.

She gave me laxatives for the constipation and made a referral to the physio for exercises - still waiting for an appointment. She also gave me ovestin cream to rub on the scar tissue.

I still keep on getting constipated even though I am taking the laxatives and I eat plenty of fiber and take plenty fluids. I don't know what else I can do and I really hope this book will help me.

Hi Dochas and welcome,
Laxatives can be harsh and create a vicious cycle, as well as too much fiber; if you need something while you are working on your diet, try the magnesium because you can balance the amount you take.
You might also want to try the raw local honey that Christine suggest over the estrogen cream they have you on, it is natural, healing, and doesn't have the nasty side affects.

The Saving the Whole Woman book is a great start into this work and will explain what you are going through. You may also want to look into the First Aid for Prolapse DVD as it compliments the book.
You may find that the physio will not be helpful, because they usually use kegel based exercises. Many of our ladies have come back here complaining of worsening symptoms after PT.
Just some things to think about as you proceed on your journey.

Thanks for your reply. I already take magnesium citrate every day but maybe I need to up the dose? I am worried that the PT will not be helpful. I will look into finding a source of local raw honey too. Do you think that coconut oil would be any use as I have some of that? I am going to start on the book tonight.

Hi Dochas,
The coconut oil would be fine as a lubricant, but the honey actually feeds the natural lactobacilli that live in our vaginas and has an ability of healing on its own.