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Yate mum Kimberly Vallis addresses the final female taboo - incontinence
Mar 25, 2016 | Bristol Post
...Kimberly said: "I suffered years of mental and physical pain one way or another, and in December I finally got my life back after surgeons removed the Tension-free Vaginal Tape (TVT) mesh which I had inserted.
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Yate mum Kimberly Vallis addresses the final female taboo - incontinence
Mar 25, 2016 | Bristol Post
A mother who battled years of domestic abuse is speaking out about one of the last female taboos – stress urinary incontinence.
After years of pain and restricted movement, Kimberly Vallis is raising money for four charities – Survive, The Miscarriage Association, Southmead's Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit and TVT Mum - through a series of 16 physical challenges which will be completed by June.
The 30-year-old mother from Yate, who found the strength to leave an abusive partner, suffered three botched surgeries at the hands of doctors who used a highly controversial method of in an attempt to improve bladder control.
Kimberly said: "I suffered years of mental and physical pain one way or another, and in December I finally got my life back after surgeons removed the Tension-free Vaginal Tape (TVT) mesh which I had inserted.
"I have now got my life back, and my husband and son have got their mum and partner back and I wanted to celebrate this and raise money and awareness with these challenges."
At 19-years-old Kimberly became involved in an abusive relationship which left her isolated and physically and mentally scarred.
After the birth of her son in 2010, she found the strength to leave her partner, but as her home situation started to improve she noticed an embarrassing problem.
"The stress urinary incontinence must have started while I was leaving my ex, but I guess I had other things on my mind," she said.
"After giving birth my midwife said I might experience a little incontinence, but this should ease if I did my pelvic floor exercises – which I did.
"It was getting to the point where my son was going to play areas and jumping around and I couldn't join in without wetting myself.
"It would happen several times a day when I sneezed and coughed, and I just felt embarrassed really.
"I was a 26-year-old women wearing Tena Lady pads, I just felt self-conscious."
Kimberly went to her GP with her concerns and was given a number of unsuccessful treatments including a probe treatment which administered electric shocks.
In January 2014, Kimberly became the youngest women in England to receive a TVT surgery – a process which included the insertion of a plastic mesh to lift her bladder and battle the incontinence.
"As soon as I woke-up I knew it hadn't worked," she said.
"I was in the most excruciating pain, I was speechless. And even though the nurses and surgeons said it would subside, it just didn't.
"From them my life was just about taking pain killers having daily injections in to my groin to manage the pain.
"I started having mobility issues, I couldn't sit down, I had to give up work and couldn't drive. I kept getting migraines which would leave me completely knocked out.
"I wasn't able to play with my son, if we took him out for the day I would quite often have to sleep in the car while my husband played with him because I was so fatigued. It was unbearable."
After two surgeries in May and June last year, Kimberly finally had the mesh removed at a private hospital.
Doctors found that the mesh was not inserted properly and that she was suffering from foreign body syndrome, whereby her body had rejected the plastic.
Kimberly said: "Since the TVT ordeal I have been in contact with other women who have undergone the surgery and so many have the same story to tell.
"In fact the procedure has been suspended in Scotland and the NHS has undertaken a working group review in England.
"I just hope no one has to go through what I did, and I think it is something we need to be much more honest and open about.
"stress urinary incontinence is very common, but women are embarrassed to talk about it because it is such a taboo, and that needs to change. People shouldn't have to live like that."
Since the TVT mesh has been removed Kimberly has been making incredible progress and undertaken several physical challenges –including rock climbing, Muay Thai kickboxing and pole dancing - as part of her fundraising.
"It just feels so wonderful to be able to do these things which a year ago would have been impossible, and that is why I wanted to do them, to push myself to start feeling active and alive again," She said.
"So far I have raised £530, and my target is £700 before June, and I will split the money equally between the four charities.
"And my little six-year-old has been my official cameraman and has been filming all the challenges. He and my hubby are both very proud."
Kimberly has already mapped out 15 of the 16 challenges, but members of the public can vote to select her final challenge.
She said: "There is trapeze, abseiling and a 'bush tucker trial' style eating contest to pick from.
"To be honest I am not looking forward to any of them – I am terrible with heights and not good at eating things I don't like. But I will do it."
For more information about Kimberly's 16 in 2016 challenges, or to pledge to the campaign, visit her JustGiving fundraising page or her Facebook group.
Stress urinary incontinence
BETWEEN three and six million people in the UK suffer from stress urinary incontinence, which occurs when the pelvic floor or urethral sphincter muscles are weakened.
The NHS says that pregnancy, giving birth, obesity, a family history of incontinence and getting older can all increase the chances of developing stress urinary incontinence.
Treatments include losing weight, reducing caffeine and alcohol intake, pelvic floor exercise and bladder training.
Anyone with concerns about incontinence is advised to make an appointment with their GP.
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