Coromind - Issue 34 - October25 - Coromandel's Collaborative Magazine - Flipbook - Page 23
How Women Are Rede昀椀ning Life with Pelvic Organ Prolapse
You might tell a friend over a cup of co昀昀ee that you’ve
got a sore back. But, “Guess what happened, my bladder/
uterus/rectum slipped …”? Or, “I can’t lift my child
because … I’ve got an issue down below …”?
Not likely!
Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) a昀昀ects approximately
50% of women and 30% of female athletes, some of
whom haven’t even given birth. Maybe your mother,
sister, wife, partner, daughter. It a昀昀ects our family, work
and social life, it restricts our sporting activities. POP is
common, yet most of us get caught by surprise when it
happens because we have never heard of it before. Due
to its location in the body, an intimate area, it is a subject
not often talked about.
I love the outdoors. I’m a keen tramper. I enjoy SUPing
and kiteboarding. I feel 昀椀t and active. And yet my pelvis
went POP. Why me? That was the question I asked myself
when, in July 2019, my uterus unexpectedly slipped
lower than it should be.
So what actually is a pelvic organ prolapse?
As explained by Michelle Kenway (Pelvic Floor
Physiotherapist), “A prolapse is another word for a
hernia. Hernias occur in di昀昀erent parts of the body when
our elastic tissues overstretch (just like overstretching a
piece of elastic which no longer recoils back into position
having been stretched).” In a pelvic organ prolapse, the
bladder, uterus or rectum move out of their usual position
and drop down into the vagina.
Why me? Turns out having given birth, age, genetics
and simply being a woman was enough to have made
me a POP candidate. I was told active life would ‘never
be the same again’. It was all about management. Pelvic
昀氀oor exercises. No heavy lifting. Not overdoing things.
Welcome to a life with POP!
I felt lost, alone, disappointed in my body for letting me
down, desperate for answers. It wasn’t a good place to be
in and one where I de昀椀nitely didn’t want to stay!
So, my POP experience started me on a new journey.
I had so many questions. If POP was such a common
condition, why was it not talked about? Why was there
such a stigma associated with pelvic organ prolapse?
Think of a man with a hernia – they drop their pants to
show you the scar whether you want to see it or not!
I started talking about POP. I told my female friends and
found out that two of them had had a prolapse as well. I
thought if POP a昀昀ects so many of us, there must be lots
of other active women out there in the same situation.
Surfers, trampers, cyclists, joggers, yogis … How did
they deal with the restrictions that POP had on their
daily lives and their sporting activities? The physical, but
especially the mental impacts?!
To 昀椀nd answers to my questions, I started the ‘POP
goes my pelvis’ project (https://adventuremagazine.
co.nz/pop-goes-my-pelvis/). The aim was to create a
resource where women could share their experiences,
昀椀nd support, encouragement and reassurance that they
weren’t alone with this.
Trying to get information about the project out there
was a reality check – it showed some of the reasons
why POP was not talked about. Of 30 New Zealand
newspaper editors I contacted, only one replied. She
commented that most editors were male and that POP
‘was not exactly a sexy topic!’ So we’ve got a vicious circle:
lack of public information, little con昀椀dence to talk about
it, and thus a continuing silence.
A year of collecting stories from active women around
New Zealand who have experienced a prolapse,
and gaining feedback from a range of pelvic health
physiotherapists, resulted in the Active and POP website.
Women in their 30s to 70s share their experiences and
o昀昀er advice on something they thought would never
happen to them.
Together, we talk about POP to raise awareness and
remove the stigma. We provide links to helpful resources.
Most importantly, we want women to know that they are
not alone and that they can live an active life again!
If you have experienced a prolapse and would like
to share your story to support other women (totally
anonymously!), feel free to contact us via the website.
For information, stories, articles and advice please see
the Active and POP website:
www.activeandpop.org.nz
Words by
Anja Morris
Coromind.nz
Coromind | 22
