Surviving a Flight with a Stressed-Out Bladder

/ Inspire Santé/
Surviving a Flight with a Stressed-Out Bladder

Missy Lavender, CEO of Below Your Belt, has shared with us this primer on plane travel with a stressed-out bladder.  Enjoy, and #flydry!

As a bladder health patient - part urge/part stress - I am on a constant 'bladder alert'.  Yes, I know all the "to do's" and "not to do's" and, in general, I feel like I am winning the battle of the bladder. But then there is THE PLANE RIDE......(cue Star Wars theme, "dum de Dum, dum de Dum....")! How do you handle a one, two or in my case this morning, a three hour teeny tiny cylinder in the air, plane ride?

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Why I refuse to do "everything in moderation"

/ Inspire Santé/
Why I refuse to do "everything in moderation"

Today, as I ran from my physical therapist's clinic to my yoga studio, I was reminded of something that I can't afford to moderate: my courage. At one point, as I've shared, going to my PT's clinic ("my PT") for tune-ups was a challenge.  I wanted to be "better," and I thought that meant "having no need for any medical intervention."  As I've grown these past two years, becoming an athlete, a yogi, a 40-pounds-heavier, living, breathing woman, I've changed my mind. My PT is vital to my enjoyment of life, because she allows me to continue to be courageous.  She'll be there if I fall (as she's demonstrated oh-so-many times before).

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Demystifying "supported independence" as a treatment goal

/ Inspire Santé/
Demystifying "supported independence" as a treatment goal

When I stopped seeing my PT regularly, I tried to avoid coming back in for visits.  I wanted to feel like I was actually healthy, and not relying so heavily on her help.  This sounds silly now, but at the time, I hadn’t gone more than a couple of weeks without PT for years.  But after seeing my health through this goofy construct for a few months, I began to understand that a much better goal is a state of “supported independence.”

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Persistent Pain & Holiday Survival

/ Inspire Sante/
Persistent Pain & Holiday Survival

Whether the holiday itself is a “good pain day” or a “bad pain day,” it’s a “pain day.”  (When you have persistent pain, every day is a pain day.)  There’s anxiety leading up to that day, worrying about how you’ll feel, and there’s exhaustion after the holiday itself as you recover emotionally (if not physically too).  

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My name is Erin, and I'm a yogi.

/ Inspire Santé/
My name is Erin, and I'm a yogi.

I  didn’t “recover” from pelvic pain spontaneously.  Rather, I gradually felt better, I had more “good days” than “bad days,” and I slowly reincorporated physical activity (things as simple as walking) into my life.  It took time, and it took the persistent encouragement of my physical therapist for me to take the plunge.

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Cycling for change (& not the way you think)

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Cycling for change (& not the way you think)

"When was the first day of your last menstrual period?"  Every woman who has gone to the doctor for any reason can relate to this.  Upon your first interaction with the nurse or medical assistant, you're asked a series of questions, usually while they take your blood pressure, and they ask about your LMP (last menstrual period) in a monotone way.  If you hesitate, they hand you a mini-calendar.

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