Cindy's story
Be Able to Enjoy Life Again
Cindy had a birth experience that left her body damaged and for twenty-five years, she suffered silently and privately with devastating bladder, bowel and sexual dysfunction.
Everyone makes choices daily. For years Cindy, 55, had to make choices, too. But they weren’t simple, and many women will relate: Instead of choosing a great trail to hike, she had to choose a simple path with a restroom close by. Instead of enjoying a dinner with a date or friends, she had to choose a situation where she could discreetly slip away and remove supplies from her purse to help her use the facilities.
Cindy, a doula and a certified diabetes care and education specialist, is highly educated and had done an incredible amount of research about options for her body. She had eight different consults in four different states; she belongs to five different Facebook support groups and she studied urogynecology journals.
“I knew what I wanted and I knew what I didn’t want. All of the consultations were telling me what I didn’t want,” she said.
After searching near and far, Cindy, a Daytona Beach resident, found Dr. Davila and the Women’s Pelvic Floor Rehabilitation Program at Holy Cross. “He was so amazing,” she recalled. “As he spoke, he checked one box after the next.”
“I was terrified of surgery. I tried canceling my surgery three times, but this man knew he had the skills to give me my life back. That confidence gave me confidence in him and in the program.”
On June 10, 2021, Cindy had surgery. “The minute I woke up, I felt lighter. I knew everything was back to where it was supposed to be.”
An athletic person who loves fitness, walking, biking on the beach and Zumba, now Cindy doesn’t need to forgo drinking water on a long walk for fear of leaking. The daily struggles in the bathroom and constant feeling of heaviness in the pelvis during any activity have ceased. She can enjoy intimacy with wholeness again.
“I suffered for 25 years. Twenty-five years that I can’t get back. But I can move forward. I am a fierce advocate for women and I hope my story helps others find the hope and care they need.”
“My only regret is not doing this sooner. I wish I could have more of my life back, but all I can do is move forward and enjoy my newfound freedom to the fullest.”