Jean Hanson: New beginnings

Living too long in misery
Jean Hanson’s life was miserable. She didn’t know what was going on. She was urinating very frequently, and quite often she would not make it to the bathroom because the urge came so suddenly. For years, Jean had been too embarrassed to mention her condition to her doctor. She lived in silence and tried to cope the best she could by using pads and wearing dark-colored clothes to hide any leakage. As a business executive, this became more and more difficult. “I couldn’t go to a board meeting without thinking, ‘How soon can I go to the bathroom?’” Jean recalls.

Eventually, the occasional accident became a daily event, and Jean was afraid to leave her home. The thought of wearing diapers just wasn’t an option to her. No longer able to hold her urine, she became very frightened and decided to see her doctor. Jean told her doctor that she felt like her bladder was dropping right out of her. She was diagnosed with a severely prolapsed vagina and was referred to the Urogynecology & Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery Center at Loyola University Health System. A vaginal prolapse occurs when the muscles surrounding the organ have weakened and the internal walls of the vagina begin to fall and protrude from the vaginal opening. A few years earlier, Jean’s daughter had been treated at Loyola, so Jean knew she would receive the best care possible. “They gave her life back to her, so I had great faith in the place,” says Jean. Jean thought the visit couldn’t come soon enough.

Reaching out for hope
During her first visit, the physicians at Loyola were very thorough and kind as they explained Jean’s condition. Jean was told that her prolapsed vagina had developed gradually over the years due to the weakening of her pelvic muscles, which may have been caused by the pelvic surgery she had undergone for her cancer 35 years before. Despite the disturbing news, Jean was quite relieved that her cancer wasn’t back and that she finally knew what was wrong. After discussing the different approaches with her doctor, Jean knew exactly which treatment option was best for her situation.

Her physician at Loyola told Jean that nonsurgical approaches, such as Kegel exercises and inserted diaphragm-like devices, would probably not provide enough support to correct the prolapse. Also, because it was not possible to reattach the vaginal wall without the prolapse reoccurring, Jean elected to go with a sling procedure, a process that helps correct urinary incontinence by supporting the bladder. During this procedure, a sling, formed with the patient’s own tissue or synthetic material, is used to lift up and support the urethra like a hammock to prevent urine leakage.

Discovering a new life
“I couldn’t get over the change!” Jean recalls. Just being able to hold her urine for the first time in months was a new experience for her. What really struck Jean about the whole experience was the staff’s high level of professionalism. She felt as if she was the only person being treated at the Center — not like a number. “[The doctor] was dealing with me directly like I was her only patient — like we were personal friends.”

The nurses told her that if anything ever came up, she would be able to call them and schedule an appointment immediately at the Center. That was a real confidence-builder for Jean, but her condition improved so much that Jean never found a reason to call them back.

Where once she was ashamed, her experience has given her the courage to talk to others about her condition and encourage them to get help sooner. In fact, she found out that one of her friends was experiencing a similar problem and suggested that she contact the Urogynecology Center at Loyola. “She was glad for the information…I used to have trouble speaking about it because I didn’t know what was going on. It’s no problem now.”