A Pelvic Floor Dialogue: Illness, Metaphor and Healing

Pelvic floor disorder is viewed as a predominantly female disorder, affecting roughly 25% of women in the age group 30–70 worldwide. It is estimated that by 2030 more than one fifth of women will present with prolapse after the age of 50. Eleven percent of these patients will require surgery, with a 30–50% failure rate. The demand for treatment for pelvic floor disorders is predicted to increase by at least 45% over the next 30 years.

Despite these alarming statistics, pelvic floor disorder is veiled in secrecy, embedded in shame, and largely unaddressed. The secrecy and silence fuel ignorance around the prevalence, causes, symptoms and available interventions, which impact directly on women’s health seeking behaviour.

This book tells one woman’s story of pelvic floor disorder over a seven year period. This is not every woman’s experience − very few are as severe or chronic − but it does serve to break the silence and shine a light on the lone journey taken by millions of women who suffer from this condition worldwide.

The book is divided into two parts. Part I explores the bio-psychosocial and spiritual aspects of this illness. Part II provides would-be patients with essential information on pelvic floor disorder, including the pre and post-operative concerns facing women undergoing surgery.

This book is an invaluable tool in the hands of multi-disciplinary professionals and students in the field of women’s health, providing them with a deeply personal and descriptively rich narrative of what it means to walk this lone path.

It is a must-read for all women over 50, as well as their partners, families and close friends.