April will be the 6th anniversary of my journey to raise awareness of pelvic organ prolapse with the release of my book, Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic. Until I was diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse, I was perfectly satisfied with the world I lived in, the typical work/play dynamic that the bulk of society conforms to. I was truly clueless what the years to come would bring. Like most women experiencing pelvic organ prolapse, my backdrop was “discovery upon diagnosis”.
Read morePOP SURGERY; DO WE EVER GET PAST THE FEAR OF MESH SURGERY FAILURE?
You have overcome the shock of being diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse. You’ve moved past the frustration of exploring multiple non-surgical treatments in your quest to resolve frustrating, uncomfortable POP symptoms such as vaginal tissue bulge, incontinence, pressure, and pain. You’ve made the choice to move forward with POP mesh surgery after navigating several non-surgical treatment options. Surgery went well. You are now over a year past the surgical heal curve. You feel good, have an active lifestyle, but just can’t quite shake the fear of POP returning. You swear from time to time you feel vaginal pressure, or some type of pelvic pain, or your constipation seems to be a bit more frequent than acceptable, and your mind immediately navigates to “what if my POP is back?
Read morePOST SURGICAL MAINTENANCE: IS YOUR PESSARY YOUR NEW BEST FRIEND
You are three months post surgery and have for the most part returned to your normal routine. The fear you experienced heading into your procedure is a distant memory. Your post-surgical consults indicate everything has healed up well and you can move forward with your life. And then something occurs during your daily ritual that raises your anxiety about whether or not you are as healed up as you think you are. You pick up heavy box. You move furniture. A grandchild you haven’t seen in a year runs to greet you and you swoop her up. You feel that all too familiar pressure, discomfort, pain. And you panic. Have you done something to wreck your POP repair? I’m guessing nearly every woman who’s had POP surgery knows what I’m talking about...
Read morePOP TREATMENT 2015: EVERY CHOICE MATTERS
Every year dawns with new hope, a clean slate, renewed energy. We make resolutions, set goals, aspire to be healthier. Our positive mindset often loses steam however, and we slowly slip back into comfortable old habits whether they are healthy for us or not. When it comes to POP navigation, the same holds true.
We plot a course from diagnosis through treatment in a state of shock and frustration; discovery upon diagnosis, anger that we are experiencing POP, and disillusionment that there is no easy fix. Once we get past the preliminary emotions, we become determined to find resolution, trusting there must be a treatment that will work for our particular needs. We explore multiple paths, hoping for the best treatment choice, but often struggle with the decision to move forward with surgery because there is so much controversy regarding the best surgical choice.
Read moreI'M GUILTY TOO
I admit it. I talk the talk but as hard as I try, I don’t always walk the walk. As a women’s pelvic floor health advocate, I do my best to “do all of the right stuff” when it comes to my pelvic floor health. I pay attention to my posture, exercise five times a week, watch for POP warning flags, contract my pelvic floor when appropriate, and eat healthy most of the time. But I’d be lying if I said I always do all the right stuff. I’m only human…..
Read moreWHAT'S THE BEST TREATMENT CHOICE?
The POP dynamic is a complex one. Realistically if surgery for pelvic organ prolapse was easy, everyone would do it. But it’s not easy. And it’s not logical for everyone to jump to surgery at the first opportunity. Show me a woman who is not sure about moving forward with POP surgery and I’ll show you a woman who should spend more time experimenting with non-surgical treatment options.
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