I'm a kind of 'half full' woman rather than 'half empty' and I have a positive attitude towards life. I have suffered with IBS for 20 years and two years ago I was diagnosed as having anal mucosal lining prolapse (a form of rectal prolapse) - that one was a tough one to smile though - the thought of my rectum descending out of my anus was both terrifying and shocking.

I Struggle To Pass Bowel Movements

I did not want to have surgery so for the past two years I have embarked on pelvic floor exercises and a biofeedback device to help locate and effectively strengthen my muscles. My anal sphincter muscle is strong (that's the bit that keeps the poo in) but I have trouble passing a motion and need to be careful not to strain and this is not helped by my weakened pelvic floor possibly following a hysterectomy.

Tackling IBS and a Prolapse

Most of the time I feel as though I need to go to the toilet, it feels like an uncomfortable bulge, but I have learned to live with it. I have found that using a Femmeze does help me to pass a motion (I call it my poo-stick), it is better than gloving up and manually adjusting the prolapse. I do not want to endure further surgery and do my best to tackle this with diet - lots of flax seeds, exercise and healthy living. I have found that as I have understood more about my IBS, my prolapse and pelvic floor seem better, I feel stronger mentally for tackling this too! However there is nothing worse than having a IBS flare up and the prolapse as well.

Finding Relief

I have found that using the Kegel8 Ultra on the prolapse programme helps me to strengthen my pelvic floor muscles, I use it in the morning (vaginally) and this seems to stimulate a natural bowel movement - which is a real plus for me. I hope this helps other sufferers and lets them know that surgery is not always the only option, and I know for some it is not an option, but strengthening my body and learning to handle my conditions has really helped me to understand more about my body and get on with life.

Written by Sarah Jayne, 46