Potential pelvic organ prolapse?

[Poorlysister]

So I am finally going to bite the bullet and go to the doctors about this but I have to wait until 7am to submit the econsult form.

I wanted to post here in the meantime to actually “say this out loud” to make it more real, rather than keep ignoring it. I was also hoping that someone might know what it is I have.

Following the birth of Dd1 I ended up with excruciating piles and was referred to a specialist. She stuck something in my bum to have a look and it was the worst pain I have ever experienced but after that the piles subsided and the pain eased. At the time she said she wouldn’t recommend surgery at this point until I was finished having children, but noticed a partial collapse of the rectal wall.

I went on to have DD2, no further issues with the piles but after a year of breastfeeding my periods came back and I found I couldn’t wear tampons any longer, they were too uncomfortable I’d have to remove it after a few seconds. I thought it was just my body adjusting.

We’re now a further year on and I still can’t wear them, too uncomfortable and if I put one in I have to angle it forward as it feels like something is in the way to go straight up.

I also feel like I don’t go for a poo enough, I will go once every few days and very rarely feel like I’ve got everything out. My poos can also be quite flat in shape and sometimes there is some mucus. Today I’ve gone as far as sticking my finger into my bum and I can feel a huge lump/bulge. It’s not around the entrance or anything so I don’t think it’s piles. I’ve googled every type of prolapse I can come find and nothing really matches what I’m experiencing.

Has anyone experienced anything similar and can put my mind at rest until I see a doctor?

It does sound like a prolapse.
I had the unholy trio after my last child was born... uterine, bladder (cystocele) and bowel (rectocele). I eventually had a hysterectomy at 36, which solved the uterus problem, but still have a cystocele and rectocele. It sounds a bit like me... I now have to use suppositories to poo as nothing happens otherwise, but tbh I have just learned to manage it and other than the incovenience it doesn't affect me too much.
But defo worth going back to the docs!

@StillMedusa thank you for responding. I’ve previously researched the bowel and uterine prolapses but it didn’t quite sound like what I had.

I’ve just researched the bladder one and it does sound a bit more like what I have but then I don’t actually have any issues with bladder control.

Did you have to have the hysterectomy because of the prolapse? Is there nothing they can do to fix your other two prolapses?

Please look up the Wholewoman website by Christine Kent. The video is annoyingly expensive and full of woo but the exercises work.

Oddly my bladder is fine continence wise! I do wee a lot ..but always have done. I can bounce on a trampoline and have never wet myself or experienced any incontinence. But it's sagged a bit and yes presses on my bowel.

I had finished having children and had a horrible dragging sensation so for me the hysterectomy seemed a reasonable idea.... never regretted it! But there are options for prolapsed bladders, so please do go and push for referrals. I was very miserable for the first year or so after my DS2 was born but it did improve!

Definitely do the E consult and get the ball rolling, depending on your GP I wouldn't get your hopes up though. I haven't had children but I had a mild prolapse and the Gp was so vague and her attitude was just accept it, it happens and thats it. To be fair she did listen me and they are hard to diagnose, mine was also mild I think.

I had the same feeling with BM, never feeling I had completely gone. Dragging and heaviness worse at certain times of the month in my vagina.

I went on HRT which helped and started pelvic floor exercises.

I came off HRT due to thickened womb lining and touch wood my symptoms have stayed improved.

When I first had it and was googling and panicking I came across a lot of info saying hysterectomy can make things worse as remove the uterus and it can cause other organs to have less support. But obviously each case is different and you are definitely taking a step in the right direction.

My GP diagnosed a cycstocele and rectocele which she felt was severe and told me I shouldn't have to live with it at my age (45).

Uro-gynae (male) told me everything looked normal and told me to manage it with pelvic floor exercises and an electric Stimulator.

I am doing neither as neither thing will fix the prolapses. And I'm fed up. And I'm upset because sex feels absolutely awful.

BUT I don't want surgery either so I'm between a miserable place and and unhappy place!

You are much younger OP. Ive had the rectocele for years since I gave birth but didn't know what it was and assumed it was part of having given birth. Assumed everyone needed to push their poo out by pushing on their vagina. Apparently not!

There are load of options for you. I'd ask for a referral to a uro-gynae.

I finally plucked up the courage and did the econsult form this morning. Have a docs appointment on Friday so we will see what they say.

To be honest, I am not expecting them to do much but I want it diagnosed properly rather than a self diagnosis. A friend of a friend recently passed from bowel cancer and it’s just not worth taking the risk.

In the meantime I’ve been reading some of the articles on the Christine Kent website, thank you so much for the recommendation there, and looking at non-surgical options to help with the recovery.

How did you get on @Poorlysister ?

@Tryanotheruser I went to the docs who referred me to gynaecology at the hospital. After a long wait and a few rearranged appointments I was actually seen recently. I’ve got grade 3 prolapse on the bowel, grade 2 on my bladder and grade 1 on my uterus!

They told me I was too young to be having surgery for all of this so I have to try and fix it without that. They’ve referred me for physio and told me constipation is a huge contributor to the bowel prolapse. Told me I have to take stool softeners daily and drink at least 2 litres of water spread out throughout the day. They really did empathise the constipation was a cause rather than a consequence.

Thank you for your update. That is really interesting. You sound very positive about it all. Are you finding any improvement yet or is it too early to tell?

I had a look at the Christine Kent website too but I didn't find anything specific (and her book is 20 years old and over £50 on amazon 🤯) Did you find anything useful?

I very much hope that you are able to see a good improvement. Surgery seems like a terrible option with the problems women have had with the mesh. I think it's been improved but I remember women being on the news a few years ago, highlighting the number who were left in considerable pain with the mesh, and doctors being unwilling or unable to remove them.