As you know if you are reading this- I write a blog. Often times when I tell patients I write a blog and encourage them to FOLLOW it they look terrified and say “I don’t do blogs!”
The reason I encourage patients to follow my blog is to encourage and get them to aspire to long term compliance for the strategies to help their urinary incontinence, prolapse prevention, managing their pelvic pain or whatever their issues are. That is one of the most difficult parts of my job- to get patients to do the stuff I teach them …forever. So if they follow my blog, every time I write a new one it automatically pops into their in-box and sort of goes prod/poke/HELLO- ‘Are you doing your exercises still?, Are you still relaxing your pelvic floor, Are you still sitting the correct way to help evacuate your bowels? and so on…
But my blog fulfills many roles. When watching a lovely story on Anne Frank on the 7.30 Report tonight, there was a quote from Anne’s diary which said “Writing allows me to record everything- thoughts, ideals and fantasies.’ She mused ‘Will I ever get my writing published?’  And sadly we do know that indeed her book was published, but she never was able to gain the satisfaction of knowing that.
Anne Frank would have loved the 21st Century- because in the era of social media and the internet, anybody can write and get published – even if it is only on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog. But I always loved writing at school. I remember when I was in Grade 1, I was selected to write an essay (under pressure in a type of exam situation) and whilst I forget much about different things, I remember the disappointment of that day because I froze (writer’s block I think they call it) and my recollection is that I was crap and couldn’t do it.
But I hear you all say: ‘Sue you were only in Grade 1 you poor thing’ (my mother who never forgets anything is allowed to correct me on this and tell me exactly what grade I was in- it seems a bit young to be doing such a thing). But my enjoyment of writing continued until I got to high school and a nameless English teacher ruined it for me- with discouraging comments and appalling marks that meant I gave up on such a folly.
But now at nearly 60, with 189 blogs written and published- I too, as Anne Frank said so beautifully- find that ‘Writing allows me to record everything– thoughts, ideals and fantasies’.
But my blog is also a resource centre, like a library. If I want to point patients to a certain article I have written, or just don’t have time to cover a salient point, then I can point the blog to the patient.
My blog is a platform- an opportunity to bleat on (and on, and on about whatever takes my fancy, some could be heard to say…).
My blog is an opportunity for some public whinging-  a soapbox of sorts. No matter that not a huge number of people hear my whinges and whines, rants and tanties- I find it extremely cathartic to vent about some of my causes and get stuff off my chest.
It’s been a travelogue, a diary for my travels with Bob – mostly to Italy – and that in itself is wonderful because I forget things, even glorious things like the true colour of the Mediterranean, or the moment I first spotted Positano for the second time and felt the excitement of arriving at this gorgeous Italian town, again. And re-reading the blogs allows me to travel back and recapture that moment.
But mostly my blog allows me to spread the word about pelvic floor dysfunction, about the incredible things that can be done, with a bit of tweaking, a heap of the correct education and some laughter and some tears. So if you are suffering some of the silent conditions that are hard to chat about with the girls at morning tea, with your husband (or wife) or even unbelievably with your GP, then my blog is here to give you some knowledge; to give you the inspiration to get up some courage to seek help and head off to your nearest pelvic floor physiotherapist/physical therapist and start a new chapter in your life.

Bob at Lake Como 2011                 First sighting of Positano 2nd time around
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