THANK YOU for posting this. I too have had a minor prolapse diagnosed … and also have lichens sclerosis. Both diagnoses have kept me awake at night feeling very alone and broken. I actually shed a tear reading this because I didn’t know anyone else like me might be in a similar situation, and didn’t realise how much it’s been weighing me down. Thank you again x
You are very brave for being so open. This is so taboo it’s ridiculous. It hurts women to create shame and silence where there should be nothing but information, support and understanding. I have lots to add but experiences are unique and don’t want to freak anyone out. My Mirena coil caused a lot of pain that vanished once it was removed. Wishing you health and relief from pain, I think you are wonderful for speaking about this. x
Thank you for writing this. It is beyond ridiculous what you have gone through trying to get basic health care for your vagina and I imagine your experience is not at all atypical. My vagina has developed a bend that wasn’t there originally and never before occurred to me that I can and should mention this to someone. Thanks for that.
This is great, I’m so pleased you have written this. I’m a copywriter for a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist and she’s one of my favourite clients to write for because it’s so f-ing interesting and important. The pelvic floor (especially in female’s/people born with vaginas) is amazing and does so many incredible things... and I only know this because I research this fairly regularly for work, not because I am the owner of a vagina myself. Genuinely these fairly dry blogs I write for her have been radical for me and transformed my relationship to my body. There are so many complex layers of how we are taught to relate to our body’s as women, and one of the most devastating elements is that often we only find out about specifics of the female anatomy when it converges with pain, problems, and dysfunction. Which naturally complicates our relationship to our bodies even more. I really enjoyed and respected this piece, and I really hope you (and everyone this affects) has the best possible experience with their health professionals and doctors with all of this x
Excellent excellent excellent. I had a rash on my labia for 18th months that my GP repeatedly told me was thrush or an STD, despite me insisting it wasn't. I finally went to a private gynae - it was ulcerated pre-cancer and I had to have one of my labia removed. I was 41.
Thank you for writing this. It's a fucking scandal, all of it. There's so much bad advice on pelvic floor health, especially for immediately post-partum women. The idea that you 'just' need to do some squeezing exercises while pregnant and then afterwards for a bit is such an oversimplification. I am a health journalist and thought I was pretty clued up about this stuff, and I still got a shock at how poor care can be in this area, even if you know what to ask for. (In case it's helpful for anyone else reading, a former BBC journalist called Helen Ledwick has just published a book on this - called Why Mums Don't Jump. And has a podcast of the same name, which I found very helpful when I was post-partum and wondering if I was doomed forever. There is also an online physio course called EveryWoman which I took and found helpful for dealing with mild symptoms of prolapse and mal-co-ordination of the pelvic floor).
Thank you so much for your vulnerability in this post, women’s health management is such a rage inducing area and you’re right; the only way to fight it is for the very victims of it to speak up but that in itself feels completely unfair. I had a traumatic birth experience, following a difficult pregnancy nearly 7 years ago and my faith in medical professionals has unfortunately been impacted since, I’m now trying to navigate (a suspected by me) diagnosis for endometriosis but the energy required to keep pushing is immense and we are women, when do we have time for this extra effort?! Much love x
THANK YOU for posting this. I too have had a minor prolapse diagnosed … and also have lichens sclerosis. Both diagnoses have kept me awake at night feeling very alone and broken. I actually shed a tear reading this because I didn’t know anyone else like me might be in a similar situation, and didn’t realise how much it’s been weighing me down. Thank you again x
Thank you so much for writing about this. Too many women just feel like they’re somehow defective and no one else is facing these issues.
You are very brave for being so open. This is so taboo it’s ridiculous. It hurts women to create shame and silence where there should be nothing but information, support and understanding. I have lots to add but experiences are unique and don’t want to freak anyone out. My Mirena coil caused a lot of pain that vanished once it was removed. Wishing you health and relief from pain, I think you are wonderful for speaking about this. x
Thank you for writing this. It is beyond ridiculous what you have gone through trying to get basic health care for your vagina and I imagine your experience is not at all atypical. My vagina has developed a bend that wasn’t there originally and never before occurred to me that I can and should mention this to someone. Thanks for that.
Sharing with ALL the ladies, mums and non-mum’s alike. Thank you for this. x
This 100% needed to be written about (have just seen your Instagram post about the posting anxiety!). Let’s talk about it 👏🏻.
Brava Katherine
My friend Luce Brett wrote this book - https://www.amazon.co.uk/PMSL-Literally-Pissed-Laughing-Survived/dp/1472977483 - strong rec for anyone dealing with similar issues :)
Fantastic x
This is great, I’m so pleased you have written this. I’m a copywriter for a Pelvic Floor Physiotherapist and she’s one of my favourite clients to write for because it’s so f-ing interesting and important. The pelvic floor (especially in female’s/people born with vaginas) is amazing and does so many incredible things... and I only know this because I research this fairly regularly for work, not because I am the owner of a vagina myself. Genuinely these fairly dry blogs I write for her have been radical for me and transformed my relationship to my body. There are so many complex layers of how we are taught to relate to our body’s as women, and one of the most devastating elements is that often we only find out about specifics of the female anatomy when it converges with pain, problems, and dysfunction. Which naturally complicates our relationship to our bodies even more. I really enjoyed and respected this piece, and I really hope you (and everyone this affects) has the best possible experience with their health professionals and doctors with all of this x
Excellent excellent excellent. I had a rash on my labia for 18th months that my GP repeatedly told me was thrush or an STD, despite me insisting it wasn't. I finally went to a private gynae - it was ulcerated pre-cancer and I had to have one of my labia removed. I was 41.
Thank you for writing this. It's a fucking scandal, all of it. There's so much bad advice on pelvic floor health, especially for immediately post-partum women. The idea that you 'just' need to do some squeezing exercises while pregnant and then afterwards for a bit is such an oversimplification. I am a health journalist and thought I was pretty clued up about this stuff, and I still got a shock at how poor care can be in this area, even if you know what to ask for. (In case it's helpful for anyone else reading, a former BBC journalist called Helen Ledwick has just published a book on this - called Why Mums Don't Jump. And has a podcast of the same name, which I found very helpful when I was post-partum and wondering if I was doomed forever. There is also an online physio course called EveryWoman which I took and found helpful for dealing with mild symptoms of prolapse and mal-co-ordination of the pelvic floor).
Thank you so much for your vulnerability in this post, women’s health management is such a rage inducing area and you’re right; the only way to fight it is for the very victims of it to speak up but that in itself feels completely unfair. I had a traumatic birth experience, following a difficult pregnancy nearly 7 years ago and my faith in medical professionals has unfortunately been impacted since, I’m now trying to navigate (a suspected by me) diagnosis for endometriosis but the energy required to keep pushing is immense and we are women, when do we have time for this extra effort?! Much love x