Dear All,
I have a few things I want to put out there quickly this morning...some I have been requested to discuss others I felt I should discuss, so here goes:
Water I cannot stress enough how important it is to get 2litres of water a day. And more importantly bottled or filtered tap water are the best, especially if you live in an area where the water is full of chemicals (say London for example - thats where I am). I filter most of my water and have a small amount of bottled water. When searching for a bottled water the pH is a good way of deciding whether that water will suit you. A pH of 7 or higher is better than say a 5 or 6.
Contraception When I stopped using condoms because they were aggravating my urethra and bladder I had a copper coil fitted, this did not suit me one bit, it was in for 6months and I was having terrible abdominal pain and monthly vaginal thrush, I was told I had PID without any proper tests, given a ton of antibiotics but later my gynaecologist told me I didn't have PID and found everything to be fine on the internal scan. However I felt that the problems hadn't been there until my coil was fitted, so I asked to have it removed - the nasty thing had been corroding inside me and the gynae was shocked at how corroded it looked. After that I started using the pill Yasmin, however this did not suit me either, I was losing weight unable to put any on, I was miserable, I felt weak, disinterested in life etc etc etc. Some people say that hormonal contraception promotes yeast problems, regardless of whether this is true I had never really wanted to go on the pill I always felt wary of messing about with hormones, I started taking it as a last resort. After 2 months I was feeling dreadful and my bladder was playing up badly just before my period so I decided to come off it. I later found out that that particular pill was also a diuretic - no good if you have a bladder problem.
I have not attempted to use any other pills (before major problems I tried Marvellon but it made me blow up like a balloon and I was nauseous most of the time), nor have I found a brand of condom which suits me, for a little while latex free trojan were ok as long as I used plenty of coconut oil as a lubricant but I started reacting to them as well. I am now using the withdrawal method and starting to research the rhythm method. Many reading this will think it is madness which is exactly what I would have thought before this experience. But I am trying the best I can to manage on what I've got, its been 2 months and so far all is well. I really have tried so many things and for a time my boyfriend said he wouldn't mind not having sex at all because of all the pain from the condoms and my reaction to the pill etc but I love him and I want that important part of our relationship to be possible. I know the risks and I know that if I did get pregnant then I wouldn't want to have an abortion even though at this stage in my life it wouldn't be ideal to become a mum. However much research shows that the withdrawal method if performed correctly is only 2% less effective than condoms. This is a risk I am willing to take.
And finally...
I am going to see a female physio, they are usually for people who have just had babies or have incontinence (I've had neither), but I have worked out recently since I've been feeling better that when my pelvic floor muscles are too tight then my bladder starts to hurt, often after strenuous exercise or during a stressful situation. Actively relaxing the muscles helps but I am hoping that the physio will be able to get to the bottom of the situation and perhaps give me exercises/treatment which will reverse this issue/help ease it off. I am really excited about this because I think it could make a world of a difference.
I have alot more to say and will probably make a post soon about the story behind my bladder problems so a better perspective on where I have come from and where I'm at now, how I got there etc can be achieved.
I'm trying to sort out how to make it so that people can email me also, as I think that might be good for a bit of two way communication. I had a lovely comment on my last post from someone (I think in America) who I'd love to personally email a reply to, so I'm gonna look into that and see if theres a tool.
love
little_ducks x
