Don't return to work too soon.

I was told no running on treadmill but could use the incline and walk as seemingly hill walking good for pelvic floor according to physiotherapist specialised in pelvic floor! x

Yes definately NO running at all. Running on treadmill is still pounding away, not much different to footpaths. My Specialist (male) said that actually woman from around 50 onwards shouldn't be running at all even if not got prolapses yet as it jolts all the joints etc. 

I think that's spot on, I had started going to gym around late 40's early 50's and around same time took a high impact job, had switched to part-time work and was doing more gardening, all around same time as starting menopause. 

                          I had good muscles as I was always a swimmer and hill walker but had very mild prolapse after last child in early 40's but it pulled back up.

        So think it's was more a combination of weakening ligaments due to change, abdominal crunches at the gym, heavy weight bearing on my feet for long shifts and heavy gardening. 

                      Unfortunately never pre warned or told about having to always be careful of all of these things after last child (they could have said 'now you have a weak pelvic floor their is always the potential for it to come down again so avoid heavy impact gardening, lifting, take care at gym, wasn't told anything except good luck in your return to work! 

            Only now looking back am I aware that everything I had started to do I should never have done, things I never had much time for with growing family that as each child up and left home I had more time for me and was looking to stay fit keeping weight down and have healthy heart.

                  Stupid me my Gran lived to 107, right into her 80's she was fit a spitely. She was short and stout but agile enough was never aware of her dieting or going to gym, hill walking or even swimming. Her gardening and cooking seem to keep her fit enough and in latter years seem to sit about a lot. 

      Often think we take the health and fitness to far, what got her in the end was a fall and broken hip.

              x

Oh wow. What a cool story, except the hip bit!! During my Orthopaedic Nursing years I saw so many oldies go on a slippery slope of no return after breaking hip!! So sad. You would have read me say here that 50% of woman who have given birth vaginally will have some level of prolapse and half of that lot will have given birth to a baby over 9lb. Evolution is giving us bigger and bigger babies. So much for the saying "childbirth is the most natural thing for a woman to do"! Prolapses are only just beginning to be talked about a lot more in recent years. Before that you would feel like you must be the only one with "that problem"! 

My Gran had 5 children and as far as I know no prolapses! 

       I had a rip and cut to perineum during first birth but being very young it healed well and no problem. Thinking back they did a great job of sewing me up, I went on to gave another five we'll spread out, all vaginal births between 6 and half and 8 and a half pounds in weight so pretty average  all without problems and always hit my weight and figure back very quickly without much effort. Had heavy periods from mid thirties to mid fourties, but first signs of prolapsing walks were not till after last birth at 43 and it pulled up by 6 months post-natal and didn't realise the significance to my long term health.

               Thank goodness I wasn't born in Tudor times the outcomes and aftermath of child birth was so much worse.  x

Your Grans generation didn't tend to talk about woman's issues like prolapses so we don't know if they just suffered in silence. 

She was far too active right into her 80's and 90's to have had a prolapse.

x

Oh but remembering there are loads of levels of prolapses. Nobody would have picked that I had anterior & posterior prolapses. Mine were enough to warrant surgery. I would never let them get so bad that my life was limited enough for people to notice!! 

I've had 2 anterior repairs now and just 9 wks out on hyster and second repair.

I'm so fearful to even pick up a kettle and even drive.

Any advice Robyn on how to try and put all this fear of prolapse behind me.

As yuou may ok read I'm very careful what I do,no lifting,no high impact exercise just swimming. I'm not overweight just 8 half stone and not working noiw as my retail job would oif been too much standing for me to be at ease.

Even after surgery we live in fear I'm sure.

Second urogynacologist is a professor and an expert.just pray my body doesn't let me down.

Still have an odd feeling in bag and some small stitches coming out.xx

Bag meant vag.😂😂😂

I knew nothing about prolapse in comparison to what I know now.

                     When my prolapse was starting to be a problem I still wasn't sure what was going on and even after seeing consultant I had no idea how bad not until a few months on when it was so bad I could barely walk around for more that half an hour and pessary ring just kept falling down.

            My surgeon that first time round said they didn't realise just how bad it was (despite physio chasing them up to try hurry things along) they just say to go to A&E if need be but at what point do you assess yourself as emergency?

             So prolapse was pretty bad; sometimes I think they try to judge how bad it is according to pain levels based on how many and how strong a painkiller you take which if you don't do painkillers then they assume it can't be that bad!

                  My advise to myself had I been better informed would have been to skip work as many times as I needed to get the right size of pessary as quickly as possiable and while getting physio make sure on list for surgery as soon as possiable. Change jobs immediately (although I think damage had been done instantaneously), I did however stop going to gym and cycling straight away. I was under 10 stone and very fit but amazing how quickly within 2 months I went up to nearly 11stone and so unfit and breathless.

                Phyl x

Oh yes. Sad aye. I guess I didn't know what the bulge I could see just inside vag was either despite being an RGON. I happened to ask while having a smear. Not sure why all it wasn't bought to my attention during all previous smears. But again I have big issues with them only examining these when lying flat. It should be compulsory to also assess the prolapses while standing. My Urogynae never did. I feel for those who's lives were so drastically limited by these. I don't think there's much we can do to strengthen down there. I'm not a big believer of big benefits of pelvic floor excercises. That's all to do with muscles. It's the facia skin layer that is so weak & thin that's allowing slips. Nobody seems to mention much here anymore of the benefits of those hormone creams being inserted up there. I hated the discharge from those. Tried the hormone tablet that's inserted by plastic applicator. Still got some discharge next day from that. I know I should have hardened up & continued. The tablets cost a few hundred too as not funded here in NZ. The cream is funded. 

I think you just have to take on board that this is now life limiting & continue being as protective as possible with activity & lifting. Sometimes I think some will slip again no matter what. Can just try & believe that yours won't. The Urogynae's need to get someone to do a post-op advice sheet that's auto given to all ladies after repairs. Trouble being this site isn't usually found till damage has been done. You are still such early days. Can't judge any level of success till 3mth stage, then I believe it's a whole year till you know what the true outcome has been.  Meantime you really have to just be super careful. 

Try not to see it as living in fear but more about how much control and choice you have now with the info you have gained. Feel empowered by the good decisions you are going to make on behalf of your pelvic playground ..hehe.   Peta

Phyl ...I like that "my advice to myself"

You spoke about what you should have done pre surgery. I would like to know what changes are you going to make now you are more in touch and have a second chance (so to speak) 

Peta

It seems to me peta that we are usually controlled by our situation; second time around I went straight to GP and she immediately referred me back to consultant at that time was seen and had surgery within 13 weeks so very fast ( very grateful that time as it was posterior and anterior and it's one think having incontinance  issues with bladder and quite another when posterior incontinance starts). 

                    As soon as surgery done I was so very careful this time as I was better informed by this forum and on returning to work (had to as soon as sick pay finished as hubby not well and had little income and dependent teen) made sure work aware of low- impact needs. Found out about estriol topical cream this time (wish I knew about it before first repair), 

               But honestly think that it is so important to get it right after first repair as that has best chance of being successful, each time it goes down it is weaker.

           Just think prevention is far better than cure, as repair not really a cure.

Phyl x

    

       

Yeah Phyl I agree with what you have said.       Peta