Things That Have Helped Me On My Journey To Accepting My Prolapse.

So, before I start, I wanted to say that it has taken me years to accept my prolapse and I am still every day in the process of doing so. There are days where my prolapse and symptoms are worse and days where I am in a lot of pain, these days are the most challenging when it comes to accepting my prolapse and my body. But it’s okay to be frustrated and angry sometimes. I know a lot of women feel like by having prolapse their bodies have failed them. Accepting and loving your body definitely doesn’t happen overnight and is a constant journey and there probably will be hurdles along the way. Take your time and don't rush yourself, time is only on your side !! The annoying truth is women with prolapse do not receive much or any emotional support by health practitioners and so they have to turn to their own means and ways of getting through their journey with prolapse.

When I was initially diagnosed, I was in a turmoil of hating my body and my self-esteem was really low. Nobody seemed to understand what I was going through and although my friends tried to make me feel better it just seemed like they didn’t relate or understanding what I was feeling. I remember when I initially diagnosed a friend of mine said to me “don’t you think that this is a sign from the universe that you weren’t meant to have children.” The answer was and still is no I definitely DO NOT THINK it is a sign. Over time I have learnt that I CAN STILL HAVE children with my prolapse, it is not life-threatening and I can still do the majority of things I love in life. Yet, at that stage of my life, I didn’t know these things and so it was a lot harder to accept my prolapse as I wasn’t as educated or informed as I am today.

I know women who are reading this blog may be at different stages of their journey and I am definitely still on the journey to self-acceptance and self-love. I am not writing this blog to preach to you how you should accept your prolapse or give you simple steps to take to achieve this, I wish it was as simple as that. Rather, I am hoping that sharing with you the little things that have helped me comprehend and accept my prolapse even just in the slightest, in the hope that it can help you do the same. I understand it is much easier said than done (or written) and these suggestions I write below took me years to achieve and to release. So, here are the things that have really helped me to accept my prolapse so far:

Releasing that having prolapse is more common than I thought I used to just wish I was ‘normal’ and that my body would just function normally. But I ask you now to question what is normal? With about 50% of women having some degree of prolapse it is hard to really say that you aren’t normal. There are thousands and even millions of women out there who are going through what you are going through. Each of our paths, experiences and stories are unique yet we all understand the impact of having prolapse both physically and mentally. So, don’t ever feel at any part of your journey that you are alone! There are many women out there willing to support you and assist you throughout your journey. Few women actually realise how common prolapse is, probably because it is not something publicly talked about and there is a lack of awareness on the condition. Releasing that prolapse is more common than I previously thought made me feel less isolated and alone in my journey. For me, as someone who has prolapse before having kids and the cause of my prolapse is still unknown, it was hard to comprehend the diagnosis especially when doctors kept repeating to me that this is a condition only older women get. When I initially went to the doctors, they were very perplexed as to why I have prolapse as I haven’t had children (one of the predominant causes of prolapse). I felt very alone and isolated, however, over the years I have met several women who like me have prolapse before pregnancy. Talking to these women has enabled me to feel less alone and am reassured by the fact that I am not the only woman out there with prolapse pre-pregnancy and there are other women and even young girls like me. I am not saying that prolapse being quite common makes your experience any less unique, what I am saying is there is strength in numbers and you don’t have to go through things alone.

Support Groups for Prolapse So when I first came across Facebook groups for women with prolapse, I was astounded by the number of members on the prolapse support groups. The first one I joined had over 15k members with hundreds of posts a day. Joining a prolapse support group really helped me to realise that there are thousands of women in my position, additionally, the groups helped me put my prolapse in perspective. Prolapse Facebook groups are an amazing support network for women going through prolapse, filled with information, advice and non-judgmental women. I have experienced that sometimes medical professionals can lack empathy and understanding of what you are going through, whereas the Facebook groups for women with prolapse offered me a safe space to discuss my emotions and what I was going through with women who could relate to my situation. For me just typing out my story and sharing it with other women was very therapeutic and helped me work through emotions that I had chosen to suppress. Additionally, I have come across so many resources and informative pages from these support groups that other women had suggested to me.

Becoming my own health advocate Having prolapse has enabled me to become my own health advocate which has allowed me to feel a greater sense of control over my prolapse. A lot of my appointments regarding my prolapse was when I was in Denmark, away from my support network which consequently forced me to take ownership of my condition, to ask doctors questions and if I was unclear about something ask them to explain it again. Appointments can be emotional and stressful so don’t feel embarrassed to jot down some questions so that you don’t forget them at the end of the appointment. It is also important to know you are entitled to get a second opinion. If you are unhappy or don’t feel confident about the diagnosis or treatment that the doctor has suggested then don’t feel afraid to get second (third or even fourth) opinion. Additionally, it is important to have a good connection and relationship with your physiotherapist and if you feel that this is not the case don’t feel pressured to continue treatment with that physiotherapist. It is important you feel comfortable and if you don’t think that person enables you to do then find someone else who does. Doing my own research on prolapse such as the treatment options, surgery success, my anatomy and what causes prolapse has enabled me to become more knowledgeable of my prolapse and it no longer feels like this weird disgusting lump to me. Now, being my own health advocate I feel more empowered and confident of my body than ever and have become my own health advocate, informed and knowledgeable of my condition.

Breaking the stigma and discussing my conditi There is a lot of stigma surrounding discussing women’s bodies especially their genitalia and if you have read my blogs before, you will know that I initially didn’t go to the doctor as I was too embarrassed. But one reason I have learnt to accept my prolapse is TO NOT be embarrassed of it. To say I am embarrassed of my prolapse would be to say that I am embarrassed of a part of me. I don’t feel embarrassed anymore discussing my prolapse with my friends, my partner and doctors. Talking about my prolapse with my family and my partner has helped me realise that it shouldn’t be something that we are embarrassed and disgusted to talk about. It has helped me break the stigma I felt when discussing my genitalia. I know that this can be hard and I am not saying that this evening at dinner you try and whip out a conversation about your genitals. What I am trying to say is its okay to talk about your prolapse, it’s okay to say the word vagina. For me, another thing that helps me accept my prolapse is sharing my ongoing journey with prolapse. Talking about my prolapse has allowed me to process my feelings and take in everything I am going through. Just writing it on paper can help you recognise your feelings and work through them, I am not saying go start a blog (ha) I am just saying writing down at that moment what you are feeling can help you process your emotions instead of bottling them up. Talking about your prolapse with others can enable your close network to support you and to try and understand what you are going through.

There are many treatment options and the research is ongoing So when I was initially diagnosed, I thought that surgery was the only option available to me and that my options were very limited. The first medical professional I saw seemed to suggest that my options were to leave it or have surgery. Oh, how wrong I was. Here are just some treatment options available to you: 1. Pessaries (There are so many shapes and sizes out there available to you) 2. Physiotherapy (including Pelvic Floor Exercises) 3. Clothing for women with prolapse 4. Lifestyle changes – modifying exercise you do, doing things to prevent constipation 5. Surgery I have discovered so many weird and wonderful products that help prevent my prolapse from getting worse! Treatment is definitely not limited to surgery. Additionally, treatment solutions are being constantly researched. I recently read a study, “Pelvic Organ Prolapse Treatment Hurdle Overcome” which was published 5 November, 2020. Technology is ever-growing and we have no idea what could be discovered and developed 5 years from now! https://hudson.org.au/latest-news/pelvic-organ-prolapse-treatment-hurdle-overcome/?fbclid=IwAR1e6MFbtOuewSqfCgDUWzoR-BNyCz2IiY794rO9vi8VbehhlsgONsumiqw

So, there are some of the little things that have helped me on my journey to accepting my prolapse. For those of you brave women reading this blog I want you to know that I and many other women are here to support you. We are with you to the end! Please comment below what has helped you so far in your journey to accepting your prolapse as I would love to hear your opinions and advice.