This week’s blog is from a guest writer – Anya Morris.
Anja, a fit and active woman, was devastated when she suddenly found herself with a prolapse. She soon realised there is a huge lack of awareness about prolapse, and how to access treatment. This prompted her to begin compiling a book – shared stories from active women across New Zealand, affected by prolapse. (see update end of blog)
We are helping Anja find women who have had any sort of pelvic organ prolapse, who may be willing to share their experiences. Read her story below…
POP goes my pelvis!
Active women dealing with Pelvic Organ Prolapse
You might tell a friend over a cup of coffee that you’ve got a sore back, but “Guess what happened, my bladder/uterus/rectum slipped.”? Not likely!
So I decided to talk about pelvic organ prolapse (POP). This condition is common. It affects approximately 50 percent of women and 30 percent of female athletes, some of whom haven’t even given birth. It remains under the radar, despite the impact it can have on daily life.
POP goes my pelvis! aims to raise awareness and share information – because so little info is available. These stories are from active women around New Zealand who have experienced prolapse.
I love the outdoors. I’m a keen tramper. I do stand up paddleboarding (SUP) and surfing, kiteboarding, sailing. I run bush skills courses for women. I feel fit and active. So why me? That was the question I asked myself when, in July 2019, my uterus unexpectedly slipped lower than it should be. It was a scary feeling, complete loss of control.
Visits to the GP, pelvic physiotherapist and gynecologist followed, starting me on a new journey.
Pelvic physio angels (in my case Claire Baker from Bay Physiotherapy, Tauranga) radiate empathy and support and Claire helped me regain physical stability.
But the big question I kept asking myself was “How do other active women deal with the restrictions that POP has on their sporting activities? The physical, but especially the mental impacts?” To find some answers, I decided to compile this book – shared stories from women across New Zealand affected by POP.
My aim is to give encouragement, hope and support to other women. To assure them that they are not alone; that getting an activity-related positive buzz is still possible! And when it feels like something has slipped ‘down there’, women need all the help they can get.
If you are interested in sharing your experiences, please get in touch with Anja.
anjaoutdoors@gmail.com
Update March 2022 – Anja developed a website rather than a book, giving access to more people. See https://www.activeandpop.org.nz/