Use of Pessary for Pelvic Floor Issues
For the past 4 years I have used a pessary ring to control urine leakage. I wanted to share my experience with Pelvic Floor Yoga exercises offered by Yoga Vista.
Why I chose to use a Pessary Ring
When I knew I was in trouble in 2019, I felt as if the floor of my body was dropping. I really wanted a hysterectomy, but doctor said, way at 78, I was too old. He assured me that I could manage with a pessary (lots of women do, and do it with visits to doctor into advanced age). I accepted that and didn’t do anything about it (Kegels and recommended exercises are boring, and we were in the Pandemic by then and my husband was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Excuses. Only wanted to do “fun” exercises).
As time progressed, the initial pessary became ineffective and there was much more discharge so the pessary was replaced with one that would hold more securely. And of course, estrogen cream (I usually fell asleep before using it). For a year, all good, but recently the exam showed erosion. Doctor removed pessary, insisted use of estrogen cream nightly, 100 Kegels per day.
Yoga Vista Pelvic Floor Video Program
I decided to follow your pelvic floor/core yoga, to do more cat/cows with real attention to pulling the pelvic floor up and in, bridges and much more attention to muladhara chakra yoga, Aswini Mudra. This is just beginning to make me hopeful: “aha” I can stop my stream of urine quite suddenly; the discharge from vagina has diminished to nearly disappeared. I find myself tightening “down there” when I am sitting at a traffic light so it is getting really easy to get the “boring stuff” done. And I am faithful using the cream (though I am not convinced that estrogen is all that wonderful). And I was promised that if I followed doctor’s orders, the erosion would heal. Incontinence is not something I want to suffer in my old age.
How Yoga helped improve my Bladder Incontinence
I wanted to thank Sherry Zak Morris and Viki Boyko of Yoga Vista for giving me enough “targeted” yoga to address my specific body and person. It even now appears that I maybe able to ditch the pessary with Kegels and pelvic floor and core yoga!!!! Wouldn’t that be great for an old lady who really doesn’t want to see her doctor every three months for the rest of my life?
Aging Well with Yoga
As to hip replacement and foot surgery, which my sisters are facing, and wheelchair for my husband–well, I guess it could be good genes, it could be luck, or it might be yoga and the positivity of taking yoga from the mat and chair into my days.
Reply from Sherry
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. I am so glad to know that what we offer truly helps people live a better quality of life. And yes, our Yoga practice evolves with our life and we are so happy that Chair Yoga is an option that can keep us going strong!!! Your teacher from way-back is smiling right now! And so is mine.
Incontinence, Bladder Retraining and Pelvic Floor Strengthening with Sherry Zak Morris, C-IAYT
If you have experienced episodes of involuntary urination, leakage or dribbling… this information is for YOU! Learn why this happens, and most importantly, what YOU can do to improve and remedy the situation. Often called the Private Journey, Incontinence and Pelvic Floor dysfunction is something we don’t often share with others. We are here to help you! And we will be talking alot about it so that you can understand what YOU can do to improve your bladder and pelvic floor function!
