Webchat with Sherrie Palm of Pelvic organ prolapse support organisation: Tuesday 23 January, 9-10pm

[RachelMumsnet]

We were asked last year on this thread whether we could look at organising a webchat with Sherrie Palm, founder of Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support Organisation (APOPS). We contacted Sherrie and she agreed to join us at 9pm UK time on Tuesday 23 January to answer your questions.

Join us between 9 and 10pm on Tuesday to put questions to Sherrie and talk to others about POP. If you're unable to join us at that time, post questions for Sherrie in advance on this thread and she'll aim to get through as many questions as possible during the hour.

Sherrie Palm is the Founder/CEO of Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support (APOPS) and author of award winning book Pelvic Organ Prolapse:The Silent Epidemic. Sherrie's journey began in December 2007, with her diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapse. Upon returning home and researching POP, she discovered how common the condition is, and that stigma continued to shroud the condition in silence. In an effort to increase awareness of pelvic organ prolapse, Sherrie wrote the first edition of Pelvic Organ Prolapse:The Silent Epidemic,which was published in in April 2009.

Association for Pelvic Organ Prolapse Support(APOPS) is a USA based nonprofit advocacy agency with global arms, founded in September 2010 to generate awareness of pelvic organ prolapse (POP), to provide support and guidance to women navigating the physical, emotional, social, sexual, fitness, and employment impact of POP, and to bridge patients, healthcare, industry, research, and academia for the betterment of POP understanding and treatment evolution.

Thank you, Sherrie. You’ve clearly done so much great work in this area.
Not a question for Sherrie, but I’m wondering how we can publicise this in the UK to encourage better awareness, care and research? Who best to contact?
I’d love to be part of a MN campaign on this.

Thanks Sherrie

Just popping this link here regarding asking MN to consider one of their formidable campaigns for MASSIVELY improved post partum care (including prolapse). All voices added will tug at MN heartstrings and I will send gin fully support such a campaign in the UK at the very least.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_campaigns/3128342-A-campaign-to-improve-postpartum-care-for-British-women

Regarding the campaign, I would like to add a personal note (which I will add on the thread). I have read many, many heartbreaking accounts of women dealing with prolapse. The degradation cannot be minimised/ignored any more. It can be devastating, affect all aspects of day to day life .Who doesn't need the toilet every day? Imagine having to insert digits into your vagina in order to have a bowel movement? Spending ages in the loo at work with foul smelling movement due to constipation. Leaking urine everywhere, not to mention some women, me including, who haven't had penetrative sex in god knows how long as there simply isn't enough room? The list goes on and on and on. And I'm sorry, but if the boot was on the other foot and mens testicles and penises were rendered out of action, they were unable to have PIV/masturbate/have a bowel movement/leaked urine then I'll warrant there wouldn't even be a need for a campaign as it would be addressed immediately. Apologies if that's out of order but it's how I feel. We need voices, then we need action.

Hear, hear, Shakey!! Strongly agree with everything you’ve said there. Thank you.

Thanks mumsnet for holding this. It's so common so devastating and so under the radar. I'd really like mumsnet to take this issue further

Thank you so much for this!

I was nervous about mentioning the vibrator method as I thought some people might find a little weird- your advice is really helpful.

Thank you so much for this and @shakey15000 well said, you are so right,

Love the feedback!! Women of the world uniting for a cause that should have been addressed decades ago. POP has been on medical record for nearly 4000 years ladies-absurd it's still stuffed in the closet.

APOPS is a global effort to raise POP awareness, we have patient/ practitioner following in 177 countries. Step one is women need to overcome embarrassment of POP symptoms and share info with their sisters, mothers, friends, and daughters. As more and more of us talk out loud about POP, the status quo will shift, just as it did for breast cancer and erectile dysfunction, 2 conditions that were stuffed in the closet and now are comfortably talked about out loud en masse.

Change is coming!!! Every Voice Matters!
Sher

Late seeing this, I was with a non sleeping child last night (the museum for my username!) but just wanted to say my thanks for the information. I am finding it quite a depressing and isolating condition to have so am very glad to hear that work being done to raise awareness.

Muse even

I've shared about my POP with friends, my mum and sister. My sister, who did 2 years of medical school, was shocked as she thought POP post partum was almost an urban legend. My friends equally opened up to me about incontinence issues and difficulty having intercourse post baby. It's sad that there's such negative stigma associated with things like this.

Thank you for coming Sher, I've just managed to catch up on this thread now

And for everyone else affected by POP.
Extra and for shakey, and her persistence in addressing the issue

@BeyondWW Thank you, much appreciated and guzzled

Just caught up with this thread. Thanks for the reply.

I kind of let the physio slip because I didn't like the machine. No chance of getting an appointment now. Any ideas what sort of machine they use, Anyone? I'm wondering if I can buy one myself to use...

Mine used the same as a kegel 8 tight and tone.