Taking Back Her Life: A Pelvic Health Success Story (Patient Interview)

Taking Back Her Life: A Pelvic Health Success Story

What brought you to physical therapy?

Throughout my life, I have tried surgeries, medications, exercises, and diet changes to help control my bladder leakage. When this new approach to pelvic floor therapy was recommended by my gynecologist, I decided to try one more possibility.

What symptoms were you experiencing?

Bladder control was a problem since childhood, but after having multiple babies it became so bad it altered how I was able to live life and how I felt about myself. I could no longer do physical activities. I had always loved dancing, hiking, playing, gardening. Any movement or standing up my bladder would completely drain and I would have to change clothes.

How were your symptoms affecting your daily life?

I felt trapped and embarrassed because I had been a very outgoing person, very active with my family and in the community. I stayed close to home, quit volunteering, and couldn't run and play with my grandkids or hike with my husband. I was always peeing my pants. When I tried to stop the flow, it would not stop. Medication helped a bit and allowed me to engage my muscles slightly so I could try to have a bit more time to make it to the restroom. After a time, that dose of meds was not enough, and it got worse again.

Starting Pelvic Health Physical Therapy

Can you comment on your initial physical therapy examination?

The staff and the PT, Denise, were encouraging and kind. Denise listened to the extent of the problems I had experienced. An internal exam of the tissues and muscles was completed gently, with no pain. That exam helped determine what muscles needed to be strengthened and helped determine what my daily exercise routine would be.

What do you feel like helped the most that you learned from physical therapy?

Learning how to isolate so many different little muscles so they could individually be strengthened, and also learning how to relax them so they could move in a full range of motion.

What challenges did you have with physical therapy?

Making time in my busy schedule to get to the appointments. Once I learned the exercises, I could practice them easily during my daily life. I appreciated how, with each session, more exercises were added to the routine to increase the effectiveness.

Getting Back to Life

What major changes or improvements did you experience, and how did that affect your daily life?

Within two weeks, I had enough pelvic floor strength to give myself more time to get to the bathroom. Leakage happened less often, but I still continued to use multiple pads a day. After a month of daily exercise and practice, I felt empowered by the difference! My mind had control over my body again to tighten the muscles in the correct order and "wait" until I got to the bathroom.

Now I am able to go for longer periods of time in between potty breaks, run and jump and work and play....and laugh! I am not afraid to be caught without wearing a pad. I have cut down on the amount of laundry I do each week. I can be out in public confidently again. I get to play with my family all in!

Her Advice to Others

What advice would you give others who may be experiencing similar symptoms?

I would invite anyone with pelvic floor pain or leakage problems to give this a try! What if it could make such a big difference in your life too?

What advice would you give others about pelvic health PT in general?

It sounds daunting and invasive. But with the kind support of a knowledgeable professional therapist, it can make the experience comfortable, and you can feel secure and safe.

A Final Reflection

Is there anything else you can add based on your experience that helped you and may help others?

I'm in my 60s now. I wish I had had this in my 20s and 30s to avoid having to live so cautiously in my 40s and 50s when my bladder leakage just became worse and worse no matter what I tried. But I'm amazed at the effectiveness of these focused exercises. Even though my muscles are older, they still are active and there to learn how to make them work again.

It's been exciting to get back to some of my old activities but mostly to feel confident again. Being a woman and a mama and birthing babies has been the greatest blessing to me. But (here's the but), it does take a toll on our bodies to get these little ones here. Some pregnancies and deliveries are harder on the mother's body than others, or some deliveries are harder for the baby than others.

But in the history of the earth, so many mamas and babies couldn't survive delivery. I am so grateful for the knowledge of modern medicine to help mamas and babies live and be healthy and strong. That doesn't always happen automatically. Given some circumstances, it takes real work and effort to get your strength and health back. But you can do this! The knowledge is here to help you and support you with what your body needs.