OK, 3FC family. I'll be talking about options with DH tonight, but while thoughts are going through my head, I thought I would talk to you all about it here. You all can understand how getting laid up when you are actively working on losing weight and gaining fitness can be a big deal. Not sure my husband and definitely not my MIL could understand that as well as you all could.
OK, so this is the deal. I have had problems with urinary stress incontinence for years. It wasn't much of an issue except when I sneezed or vomited before I started exercising. It wasn't even an issue with early exercise, but it's becoming more and more of a problem as my fitness builds.
Basically, every time I bounce with my legs even slightly apart, I leak. That's walking downhill, any running, any jumping in step or Zumba and it can even happen when spinning when we get up off the seat. I wear a heavy pad and even with modifying exercises, I might leak enough to soak the pad.
I've done kegels for months and months and nothing has improved. So, today I saw a urologist and she said that I need to have a sling put in to hold up the bladder. This will work completely for about 80% of people who have the surgery. The remaining 19% percent might still have leakage occasionally, but not to the same level and maybe 1% will see no change, if that.
So, I definitely want to get it done as I'm going crazy with worrying about it and it's becoming limiting as my fitness increases. HOWEVER... the procedure itself seems like not much of a big deal, but for one month I won't be allowed to lift more than 10 pounds and no vigorous exercising. I can take walks and putz around, but no 'real' exercise while I give my body time to heal around the bladder/pelvic floor muscles.
Now.... this where I feel torn. I want to get this fixed as I really want to move beyond worrying about it and I want to start running or jumping or doing whatever I want, but... to give up a month - is tough.
I am 9 pounds from goal (though I'm not going to necessarily stop at 9 pounds, just I'll be satisfied at that weight and won't kill myself to go below it). And, we are going on vacation Mid-July through mid-August - a European, beach vacation. I want to look and feel great when we are there.
So, giving up a month BEFORE our trip would mean I wouldn't be as fit or as toned looking for vacation. Waiting until after vacation means 6 more months of this problem. I've already dealt with the problem for years, but it's only become an issue with fitness in about the last 6 months.
I don't foresee leaking problems on vacation as we will be in old cities with kids and a senior citizen, so no sprinting down hills at fast speeds to make me leak.
I am so torn... Being laid up for a month when it's spring and summer? Seems like bad timing... not sure what I was thinking when I decided to make the appointment NOW, but it just fell in line with my pap smear and mommogram and seemed a logical time to ask about it.
What would you all do? Any thoughts?