Liz
Liz began to have issues with urinary frequency and incontinence in her mid-forties. She was diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse and tried to have a vaginal pessary fitted. Two pessary fittings were unsuccessful, so she is currently considering alternatives.
Liz is married with an adult daughter. She is retired but used to own and operate a B&B in Scotland. Her ethnicity is White-Scottish.
Conditions: urinary frequency, urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse
More about me...
Liz always sensed that she needed the toilet "quite a lot" but became concerned when this recently got worse. Liz had an appointment with a surgery nurse and had an internal examination. The nurse told Liz that she didn't have a prolapse and prescribed oestrogen pessaries for vaginal dryness. As her symptoms continued to worsen, Liz had trouble booking an appointment with her GP. Liz "just let it go" until she began having accidents.
At another appointment, a different provider told Liz that an examination wasn't needed, as it was apparent she had a prolapse. The doctor was "quite positive" when explaining pessaries, which Liz had previously never heard of. Liz thought it was odd that she had a prolapse based on her weight and only having one baby, but the doctor did not explain why it happened.
Liz later had a ring pessary inserted at her local surgery by a nurse practitioner. The nurse showed Liz several sizes of pessaries and answered questions. Liz thought she was "excellent". Unfortunately, the pessary fell out within a day. Liz had a second pessary inserted, which also fell out within a day. She felt "conscious" of the pessaries inside her but didn't find them painful.
Since the unsuccessful pessary insertions, Liz has been focusing on pelvic floor exercises. She is also waiting on an appointment, but the wait will be over six months. Lately, Liz feels that she needs more support, so she plans to "chivvy them along" by booking an e-consult. She hopes that there will be a device that can lift her bladder and keep her from peeing so often in the future.
Her prolapse causes daily discomfort that feels like "something's inflating" and rubbing against her incontinence pads. She is no longer sexually active but has not found that this negatively affected her relationship with her "really understanding" husband. Liz's urinary incontinence makes it challenging to drive and go out. She has found it "demeaning" to be refused entry to toilets during lockdown. She now keeps a basin in her car for emergencies. Liz worked an active job and felt physically fit when she was younger, but now feels that she "hit these blocks" as she aged. On some days, Liz feels "really depressed" about her prolapse. She also has fibromyalgia and joint problems and is a carer for two people. For stress relief, Liz sews and goes for walks.
Liz has sought information about prolapse and urinary incontinence online, as well as through a webinar hosted by a consultant at her local hospital. At the webinar, Liz learned that she hadn't received the standard referral to physiotherapy. She plans to ask a Pilates instructor friend for help rather than staying on the waiting list. Liz also tried the NHS app, which she prefers instead of paid subscription-based apps.
Liz hopes that healthcare services will prioritise educating women and providing regular examinations in the future. She believes that "prevention is better than a cure" and that examinations should be routine, like breast cancer screenings. Liz hopes that individual healthcare professionals will be thorough about the range of options available to women and set their expectations appropriately. Liz recommends others not "wait till you're desperate" and find ways to ensure you socialise and enjoy life. Liz would like to see more support groups and educational materials to help women cope and access care.
Liz struggles with navigating her own health limits from prolapse and fibromyalgia with being a carer for two relatives.
Liz struggles with navigating her own health limits from prolapse and fibromyalgia with being a carer for two relatives.
Some days I’m really depressed about it, you know it does limit, although I’ve got physical disabilities I’m also sandwiched, I’m a carer for two people. Then my daughter is disabled, and fortunately she’s just about a ten-minute walk from me, but she needs a lot of attention and that impacts. I take her out and that impacts on that. My mother lives in another city, she’s 89, so I don’t go and see her as much, by the time I get to where I’m going you know I just, I’m there, in that door and [laughs], so it does impact and it does impact on my social, well not that there has been much in the last couple of years anyway, but what little there is it does impact, you know and wanting to go be you know, I have to think about the distance and, between toilet stops and everything like that.
Liz finds vaginal closure surgery to be off-putting and has unanswered questions as to what type of pessary would suit her needs.
Liz finds vaginal closure surgery to be off-putting and has unanswered questions as to what type of pessary would suit her needs.
You know in that, he said no, we can stitch up your vagina, and I went well, “No.” Not, it’s kind of, it’s taking away your womanhood isn’t it? It’s just, no. And I think it would just cope, but if they get some of these gadgets that, and I wouldn’t want one that had to come out every night and do that, that’s too much, just something to stop me peeing and, and make sure. I’ve always got in the back of my mind that when, when they, your bladder is hanging down can you damage it? You know when you’re wiping yourself can you, nobody, nothing has said can it, can you damage it, because obviously it’s tissue, it’s an organ, and it, this, so I wonder. Because I did, went, I have photographed myself on [laughs]. And I thought I’ve got to see what this thing looks like, so there’s, there’s that wondering can, can you damage yourself? So I would like, some sort of gadget that would, or something that would work.