Sherrie J. Palm - Pelvic Organ Prolapse: The Silent Epidemic

P ELVIC

O RGAN

P ROLAPSE

THE SILENT EPIDEMIC

By Sherrie J Palm

Eloquent Books
New York, New York

E-book edition 2009
Print edition 2013 Sherrie J Palm - ISBN 978-1-60693-965-9

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or by any information storage retrieval system, without the permission, in writing, from the publisher.

Strategic Book Publishing and Rights Co.

12620 FM 1960, Suite A4-507

Houston TX 77065

www.sbpra.com

ISBN 978-1-62857-920-8

Printed in the United States of America

Book Design: Linda W. Rigsbee

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

The information provided in this book is meant for informational and educational use only. It is not intended to replace guidance or care by a medical professional. If you believe you have symptoms of this or any other illness, you should consult with the appropriate health care professional for diagnosis and treatment. Neither the author nor publisher is liable for the misuse or misinterpretation of the information provided in this book.

DEDICATION

I would like to dedicate this book to those family members and close personal friends who have shown so much support from the very beginning of my new journey. There arent words to describe how much strength you gave me when I needed it most. You know who you are; each of you will always have a special place in my heart.

A special thank you to all of the women who took time out of their hectic schedules to reply to my POP survey.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

by Dr. Debra Muth, BS, MS, WHNP, ND,
Diplomat of Anti-Aging Regenerative Medicine

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express a tremendous amount of gratitude to a few individuals who gave me a remarkable amount of support and assistance in the process of putting this book together.

My best buddy and personal physician, Dr. Debra Muth, not only for the medical assistance she gave me in putting this information together, but also for the continuous personal support she has provided during the course of our friendship.

My Urogynecologist, Dr. Katherine Stevenson, who showed an amazing level of surgical skill, patience, and support during the treatment path. Dr. Stevensons nursing staff was extremely helpful as well, always taking as much time as necessary to answer all of my post-surgical questions.

My newest friend, multi-published author Billie Williams; an incredible writing mentor whose skilled guidance with both the writing and publishing pathways was thorough, consistent, enthusiastic, and priceless. (And thanks Norma for introducing us!)

Another new friend, Janet Elaine Smith, author of Best-selling Dunnottar and 18 other published books, for her expertise in editing this book.

My daughter, Nora Tadic, for her creative work on the medical illustrations.

FOREWORD

By Dr. Debra Muth, BS, MS, WHNP, ND
Diplomat of Anti-Aging Regenerative Medicine
August 2008

Sherrie Palm, with her genuine positive and infectious energy, has been a wonderful friend over the years. Sherrie is also a patient of mine. One of the most difficult office visits I experienced at my medical practice was when I diagnosed her with a cystocele and rectocele, also referred to as pelvic floor dysfunction.

Knowing of Sherries success as a researcher and integrative health advocate made it somewhat easier to deliver this unfortunately common diagnosis. It is ill fated for a proactive woman such as Sherrie to develop this type of disorder. She had been performing Kegel exercises regularly for years. She was using bioidentical hormones, following a proper diet, exercising regularly, and taking dietary supplements. How could this have happened to such an advocate of great health?

Unfortunately, she was unable to readily access an abundance of information to explain why this happened to her and what she could have done to perhaps prevent it. The most difficult issues for any patient diagnosed with a disorder are for them to understand how it happened and to figure out what can be done to effectively treat it. This knowledge helps a patient understand, cope, and manage their respective afflictions. Gathering data regarding pelvic floor dysfunction became a passion of Sherries.

In the summer of 2008 Sherrie Palm presented me with a manuscript for an enlightening book on pelvic floor prolapse. After reading Pelvic Organ Prolapse, The Silent Epidemic, I knew that this book needed to get into the hands of women everywhere. It is packed full of the information needed to understand the cause of pelvic floor dysfunction. Readers will gain a new and refreshing perspective on the treatment options and complications of this common disorder. After reading this book, you will not have to wonder any more about decisions you may need to make regarding your condition and ultimate treatments. This book will help you realize that you are not alone. It will gently remind you that the most healing solution to any medical problem is knowledge.

It has been a pleasure to provide care to this author and to be her friend. As a practitioner, it is rewarding to help heal and educate others. I am proud to do this every day, and I am happy and proud that my friend has been able to experience the same.

INTRODUCTION

KNOWLEDGE IS ALWAYS THE KEY

I have never had any interest in writing a book. Ive always been an avid reader and my quest for self-educating has always been intense; but actually putting pen to page (or in most cases these days, fingers to keyboard) was something that Id never considered. Since the early 1980s Ive gotten progressively more pro-active with medical self-educating in an attempt to maintain a healthy lifestyle. (Youve got to love us baby boomers; we wont go down without a fight!)

Since I consider myself to be relatively up-to-speed with female health issues, I was absolutely stunned to find out I had a condition that is quite common, and yet Id never heard of it. At the point of my diagnosis I had never heard of pelvic organ prolapse, Id never heard of a pessary, I had no idea what the symptoms of the condition entailed much less what my options for treatment were. Id always done the right thing when it came to routine maintenance: I had my routine pelvic exams, went in for the regular breast squeeze drill, researched the bioidentical hormone path when it came time for hormonal support during menopausal onset. To be told I had a condition that was quite common and yet knew nothing about was absolutely infuriating and frustrating to me.

Despite the fact that I had always been pro-active with my health, I wasnt able to recognize that the symptoms I started having around the time of my hysterectomy at 40 were cause for concern. Loss of PC muscle strength, inability to keep a tampon in, inability to start the urine stream, a feeling of fullness in the abdominal area, the lump in the vagina, were all symptoms that if recognized, may have led me to an earlier, less aggressive treatment.

I started asking the same question over and over to all medical providers whose paths I crossed during my course of treatment in an attempt to find out why I wasnt aware of pelvic organ prolapse (POP). I kept getting the same response to my query, How come Ive never heard of pelvic organ prolapse? The answer I heard from nearly everyone I asked was simply too basic to believe: women wont talk about this condition. In the course of finding the answers for myself, I became more and more determined that ALL women simply must know about this, not only those who are having problems and dont have a clue what is wrong, but also young women who dont even fit into the profile to be candidates for it yet. The ideal scenario would be for women to become informed about this potential condition in their 20s so they can do routine maintenance to help prevent it from happening, or if it does occur, they will at least have a clue what is going on and can get help before it progresses to a stage where they must have surgery to repair it.