I am a 48 year old man who became ill with the flu in the December of 2012, at this point in my life I had been suffering from extreme stress. This unfortunately set off chronic fatigue and my recovery from this is still ongoing.
In the Spring of 2015, I dropped my motorbike over and in lifting it up on my own wrenched my lower stomach / pelvic area, within 2 weeks of this my Dad passed away and not long after this I started with what I was told was prostatitis.
The GP gave me 6 months worth of antibiotics and sent me to see a specialist. After a scan the Specialist advised me that there was nothing that could be done; basically courses of antibiotics, being referred to a pain clinic and that eventually it would burn itself out that could take up to 10 years and an option of prostrate massage was also offered with a certain percentage of men who are worse after !
My life over that past few years has been terribly hard physically and mentally. I am a builder and therefore my job is very physical. I have had to manage earning a living, chronic pelvic pain and chronic fatigue - which has meant coming in from work, having a hot bath to relieve the pain and having complete rest until the next morning. My wife would undertake all household chores / dinner so I could go to bed and rest.
As you can understand this had been extremely difficult for me mentally and physically and also had a massive impact on the family. I am a very driven person and had been in training for triathlons prior to being ill, so becoming bedridden whilst not at work was truly awful. I genuinely thought my life would stay like this forever.
By chance my wife found Gerrard after being recommended by a local physio specialising in ladies pelvic problems whom she rang for advice.
At my first appointment with Gerard in Birmingham he advised me that although I probably started off with prostatitis that I was now suffering from chronic pelvic pain and that he could definitely help me.
With his pelvic health physio but all external, breathing exercises and reverse kegels and he was able to see these muscles with his abdominal ultrasound.I noticed an improvement within 4 / 6 weeks. I have stuck religiously to the exercises he has given me and started to exercise and not go to bed after work on his recommendation to get well.
I have also seen a psychologist recommended by Gerrard which has helped my mental state of dealing with my conditions.
Although not fully recovered I am substantially better. 4 months down the line I now exercise 5 times a week and have completed my first Sprint Triathlon which I could not have ever foreseen and I have been discharged from treatment by Gerard. SD ( Male pelvic pain patient )