17 months PP Update

Body: 

I had planned to write an update much earlier than this. Wow, a year can fly by! I found so much hope and encouragement through this forum when I newly realized I had prolapse and wanted to add my story in the hopes of encouraging others. Here was my intro and 6 months PP thoughts: https://www.wholewoman.com/forum/node/7283

At 17 months PP, the main symptoms I experience are queefing when I do certain exercises or sometimes after sex (sounds like passing gas from the vagina... just have to laugh about it and realize things like that keep me humble ;)). I occasionally get stuck BMs but that is 100% manageable by breaking apart the stool by reaching inside my vagina and toileting in the WW posture. I modify a lot of exercises to maintain lumbar curvature and do a lot of exercises in the squat position.

My vagina doesn't look any different (the pink bulges are still just as noticeable), but I feel so hopeful and at peace about managing prolapse for life!! In my intro I described what a gynecologist told me when I visited him 6 weeks PP. I look back at that now and can't believe he said those things to me!! That appt and his grim predictions about my future was really what sent me into a tail spin of anxiety and hopelessness. I'd actually like to contact him and tell him to at least tell patients there are options other than surgery. I've talked to several friends who have varying degrees of prolapse and I'm so thankful to be able to be a voice of hope and support in their lives. A compassionate listening ear and even a little bit of knowledge about prolapse can go a long way when there is so much misinformation and lacking information about this condition!

I still haven't started my period and I've read there can be changes to prolapse when periods start. I'll update at that point.

Sending love and hope to any new moms who read this!

Thanks CJ for the great update and progress report. Keep spreading the word! There is so much despair and fear out there for doctors to prey upon, and it's especially heinous for this to be happening to so many new moms, who already have so much to deal with, and should be enjoying this precious time of life. Thanks for the post. - Surviving

Thanks for the encouragement!