New thread for those having/had posterior or anterior repairs, TVT, rectocele and all the other down below stitchups

[MissingMySleep]

Hello ladies, I hope you find this, I don't want to lose my pre-op and post-op buddies!!

Jewel hope you feel better soon, sorry you're having a rough day.
Footle Ive found the most expensive 'brand name' pads are the worst at irritating me. The 'cheapie' ones seem to have a far higher cotton content without that awful plasticy mesh stuff on top. Ugh.

Jewel first thing, BIG HUGS for you. Hang in there. I know the pain you speak of during period and ovulation. I have it too. My lower abdomin aches and feels like it is falling out. I find my bowels hurt especially in the lower right side. Having a BM feels painful at times. The pain lasts 2 days around both ovulation and period. Regarding cough meds. If you buy the cough remedy that has both DM and expectorant then you will help your body get rid of it. The DM suppresses the cough and the (gueffisen)(sp?)which is the expectorant will help losen up the mucous in your lungs and it will be easier to cough up. You will not have as much coughing, but when you do, you will find it easier to get it out. The less mucous, the less coughing fits you have. My husband doesn't like to take anything for a cold either, but his coughing is so bad that I just want to scream at him and I finally convinced him to take this kind of meds and it really helps.
Flowers you are doing so well under the circumstances of your personal life. You're an inspiration. Keep in mind when recovering that everyone heals at a different rate. Like a woman giving birth, we are all different. Unfortunately, drs give timelines on recoveries and that is just a guide so not to hurt yourself etc. In reality, healing goes on long past any timeline. I know the disappointment and fristration I have felt and I am only 2 weeks post op, but I made a promise to myself to stop my own discouragement, oterwise I will be constantly disappointed. you are so positive it amazes me, but stay that way!!
Footle pads are nasty! I have been pad dependant for 2 years now and had several rashes, either heat rash or diaper rash so to speak. I do not use Always as the rubber like lingin is awful. I use Kotex, don't know if you have them there. They are the same kind of material as a disposable diaper. I find they worked the best for me. I got prescription ointment from the dr a couple of years back, that I use when the rash acts up though as it starts to bleed and the skin peels away.
Well good lluck with everything ladies. I am relaxing most of the day and tehn going to the dr. I have many questions for him and may come back with a wealth of information. talk to you all later.
D

Hello all,I have been following all your progress and it seems a bumpy road that's for sure!
I went to the uro-gyne dept in kings college hospital last week and was seen by a nice junior doc then,when I requested it,after uro-dynamics was seen by Linda Cardozo(this is who I had been refered to)
It was a horrible day because while in waiting room we found out my fil has a brain tumour.I really couldn't concentrate very well but ms Cardozo very bluntly told me that not only do I need a posterior and anterior repair,but also a vaginal hysterectomy which I was not prepared for.I asked why and she said I would be back needing one in 5-10 years and would cause the other repairs to possibly fail too.I'm 38 and have 4 kids so don't want any more.
I should have asked if she expects my abdominal adhesions found when doing last c-section to cause any problems but I wasn't thinking straight and she didn't give me chance.
Told nice gp and she's going to see if all is explained in letter when it arrives .
They said it'll be less than 3 months till op ,just hope that fil's treatment doesn't co-inside or to be fair to dh I may have to wait.
Did any of you have a hysterectomy at the same time as the other repairs?
Mine are quite bad I suppose( apart from uterus prolapse which is only mild) but I know I can't be the only one in this state!
Are any of you on vagifem btw,for that paper thin skin/sitting on broken glass feeling?It's local oestrogen and it really helps me.
take care all of you.

Welcome 14k to this board :)
So sorry to hear about your FIL, no wonder you couldn't concentrate very well at your consultation.
I didn't have a hysto with my repairs, although I did agree beforehand that if surgeon thought it needed doing while he was 'in there' that it could be done.
Hopefully you'll get some more info when your GP gets the letter.
You are quite right that this whole thing is a bumpy road, but hopefully we will all have great results in the end.
In the mean time take care and will be looking out for your progress x

Welcome *14K8 terrible news about yoru FIL. Keep us posted about what's happening with you.

Well ladies, I am no tthe wealth of information that I hoped to be. My husband took the afternoon off work to drive me 45 mins. to this appt. as we don't live in the city. When we get there we wait 15 mins. and then are told that the dr is at the hospital and having to do an emergency in the OR and would not be returning back to the clinic. What a bummer I was hoping to find out about this discharge I am having which is getting worse BTW and is starting to smell off. I was told to take an oral dose of yeast meds and then if it is not gone by Monday then it must be another type of infection and he will swab me then. I have been fitted in for Monday as he needs to see me right away. I didn't want to be fitted in as I will end up waiting for over an hour and then he might not have time to answer my questions. So my husband and i went shopping and tehn had a dinner date and now I am so worn out. Must relax now and get some sleep. Talok to you all in the morning.

Thank you for the replys,
Linda Cardozo isn't the kindest or most approachable doctor I've ever met but it's her surgical expertise I'm interested in!
Can't believe I've already recieved another appointment at king's for an ultrasound(i think) on wednesday,that's quick!
Just hope it doesn't co-inside with fil results appointment or will prob have to cancel.
Will look back in thread to see how others got on with what I've come to call"a job lot op"!I'll have to have a think and see if there is anything else they can do while they are in there!
You are all doing such a good job supporting each other,good for you:)
L4K

Footle My doctor is also the surgeon. He has surgery days Thursdays and Fridays, that is why he books his post op appointments on Thursdays and Fridays 2 weeks later. This why he was called back to hospital for an emergency and ended up in the OR. I guess the good thing is he is there if you need him and if I was in the position that the person needing him was in, I would certainly appreciate it. I was just disappointed is all. His regular clinic days are Mon, Tues, Wed. and those appointments are often quite booked up, so to get fitted in is just going to make it a very long day for me. My husband wanted to be there with me to hear how things are and ask some questions, but he might not be able to take Monday off. I still don't know if I am supposed to drive or not. I think I am perfectly fine to drive there on my own. I don't really want to have a friend take me there, I just feel so uncomfortable with that for some reason. I know they won't be coming into see the dr with me, but it just bothers me that I need a babysitter I guess? I will elt you nwo how things go on Monday after appointment.

14K Can I ask you how old you FIL is? How did he find out he had a brain tumour? Must be so scary for everyone right now. I hope you can manage all the stress right now, your life must be a bit frantic. Please take care of yourself and keep in touch with us, talk to us about anything you need to, it really helps me out and I know I appreciate all the ladies here.

Have good weekends everyone.

Happy Sunday Ladies,
I have been following your ups and downs the past few days whilst feeling sorry for myself, it helps a lot and I feel we know each other so well now, isnt it good we can learn from, share and support each other.
Any men that get to read this are the ones that are already good OH's, and clearly are caring enough to want to learn more about what ''their'' partner has been/is going through. Am I right in saying this is far worse than normal childbirth and a C-Section. I remember I had a terrible chest infection following my c-section and could hardly cough but this is far worse. Those of you with colds it must be unbearable with the coughing. The damage/pain I get if I dont get time to prepare for a sneeze just awful.
Those of you that have had/are on antibiotics what sort of symptoms did you experience and what stage were you put on them? I am day 17 and the pain - razor blade, is worse now more than ever along with the swelling inside. xx

Blue, I was put on antibiotics right after surgery and then for a week after. Having a TVT puts you at such high risk for infection, so that is the reason they do that. I Think I may have developed an infection now though and will find out tomorrow at the drs. As far as apin goes, at this point, I am feeling pretty good. I am just over two weeks post op and everyday I have less pain, can move better and seem to need pain relief even less. I am quite pleased how things are coming along really, I do get frustrated that I still can't lift things and do the things I used to, but I want this to heal properly, so I deal with it. I think you should ses a dr for a swab and find out about infection or like Footle says, see if you can get in to see the surgeon. Good luck with everything and try taking pain relief on a regular basis for a couple of days and see if that helps. Also take an anti-inflamatory, like ibruprofen to help with swelling. Take it easy and try to keep your spirits up. I like to watch comedies when I feel down, it can help.
Good luck.

Hello All. Just popping in quickly.
Rect Good luck tomorrow
blue I was put on anti-biotics 2 weeks, 3days post op for an infection. My symptoms were bleeding which although wasn't heavy, was not stopping, a smell and a general aching around my pubic bone area. Hope you are ok and go to the doctor to get it checked.
I'm so tired at the moment although feeling better since finishing anti-biotics. Today my abdomen,lower back and front of my thighs hurt so I guess I have over done it. I'm going to walk the children to school for the first time tomorrow (4 weeks post op tomorrow). Its a twenty minute ish walk round trip so will be fine. I am also going to drive for the first time next week as I only now feel strong enough to.
Love to you all xx

hi i didn't realise so many people were going through the same thing. I am due to have an operation later this year, i am 27 and have had 3 children and have 2 stepchildren. I have my consultation with my specialist on the 2nd of august to talk about the op etc. I have got a long intersussception (if anyone knows what that is) a 3.5 inch rectocele, my bladder has collapsed and i have a full vaginal prolapse, i have been told my options, had good and bad news, alot of ups and downs and i haven't even been back to my specialist yet. I am very scared over what i am going through and could do with some advice on how to cope, what to expect etc, thats if you all don't mind. My husband is great support, but he doesn't fully understand what i go through everyday. Could just do with talking to someone who may understand me, thanks jo.

Welcome Jo I am 45 years old, have 6 children and 1 stepson. I had all vaginal births. I am 2 and a bit weeks post op. I had a rectocele (prolapsed bowel), cystocele(prolapsed bladder) and a TVT ( a mesh sling around the urethra to prevent bladder leakage). I am doing very well now, my bowels work again for the first time in almost 7 years. So far no leakage from the bladder, but my dr told me the cystocele repair won't last, maybe 2-3 years tops. It was just too difficult to find tissue to sew it to. He ended up sewing it to the inner cervix and also told me that sex will be a little bit more painful and difficult at first because of this. Not that for any of these repairs sex is not painful because it is at first, this will just take longer. It is important that you take it real easy in the beginning nad work your way up to activity. The dr told me no lifting anythin gover 10 pounds for 6-8 weeks. Of course ther are other things too that you shouldn't do, mostly just resting and healing for 6 weeks. It takes teh stictches up to 8 weeks to dissolve, so no sex either. I was scared to death to have this surgery and in fact waited 2 years trying to decide. Then I cancelled one of the procedures, then changed my mind after finding this forum. I have no regrets having this done, it has been the best thing for me. The actual surgery took 2 hours and then I was back in my room feeling great !!! I had a spinal block with mine instead of general, so awesome. They can give you sedation if you like with it and then it goes by so quickly and you feel so calm and relaxed. I was wide awake during recovery and then back to my room. The pain relief from the spinal block lasted 20 hours, so I was up walking around that night and everything was great. The next morning they removed teh catheter, IV and the packing. When the spinal wore off I took percacet for a day, then went home 2 days after op with tramadol and diclofenic. Pain was tolerabe, I guarantee I have felt worse. Childbirth definitely worse. So that is all i can think of about my experience. A small price to pay to get fixed up after all the suffering I have done for 6-7 years.

Good luck with everything and keep posting questions for us and let us know your fears, it will help you. bye for now.

thanks Dawn and Meg, I know I pushed myself a lot at the beginning but did avoid the main no nos! I was also doing quite well with little pain relief or discharge. Even though I had the barbed wire I could cope but it has gone backwards now and from what you are saying I do feel I have an infection. Will speak to GP in morning hopefully. Good luck Dawn tomorrow - keep us posted and Meg will think of you on the school walk< I bet the kids will be chuffed things are getting back to normal.
Jobo, welcome, you have a lot to think about at the moment, it is going to be a big ordeal but planning up front will make such a difference. Dont be afraid to ask anything on here - there is such a lot of information and some lovely ladies.
I am glad you have a good husband, it will be tough on him too but it will bring you even closer in the long term I am sure. It is surprising you are not going back until August to the consultant, maybe he/she is off on holiday before..... will you have someone to help with the children?

Jo Footle is absolutely right about your condition being an emergency. I looked up intussuseption and I am wondering a few things as I don't understand why they have not treated you already for it, with either surgery or enema. What were your symtoms and did they lead you to go to the doctor? How did the dr diagnos the intussuseption? It is very rare in adult woman to have one of these as 90% of them occur in infants and more commonly boys. Was all the issues diagnosed at the same time? Do you still have symptoms of the intussuseption? Are they really waiting on it till August or did they say at the moment it has corrected itself and they are just watching it to see if it returns? You do understand what it is they say you have don't you? Aren't you worried it may end up blocking your intestine and then possibly perforating the bowel or becoming necrotic? These are life threatening. I don't think that the intussuseption is anything you have to think about fixing, it has to get fixed immediately!!!!!!!!! So please help me out in understanding why you are being put off until August. Did the dr explain to you what was happening in your intestine? How were you diagnosed? If I were you I would be frantically angry about this, that is why as I write this I am shocked and upset. If I were in your shoes, I would be seeking a second opinion immediately. As far as rectocele and other vaginal prolapses, they are not life threatening, just a royal pain in the arse. I know you were seeking some advice in how to cope and i would love to ease your mind and help in some way, but I really don't know how I would cope with a dr ignoring a life threatening condition. Help yourself and go to another dr or to an emergency department. As far as the other conditions I would certainly go in and have them fixed as soon as possible. I believe that there is more light at the end of the tunnel if you get all fixed up, quality of life will improve. You mentioned that the dr told you that the news was good and bad, would you feel comfortable sharing what that is with us? I hope my rant hasn't scared the hell out of you. Take care my dear. I feel so bad for you.

Jo and anyone else who read my last post or shall I say panic rant. I did some more research and found the following on a website about "rectal intussusception" which is different than an" intestinal intussusception" Apparently all of us who had a rectocele that did not protrude outside of the anus had a rectal intussusception. The following is copied form the website I found:

A prolapse occurs when an organ falls or sinks out of its normal anatomical place. The pelvic organs normally have tissue (muscle, ligaments, etc.) holding them in place. Certain factors, however, may cause those tissues to weaken, leading to prolapse of the organs. The rectum is the last out of six divisions of the large intestine; the anus is the opening from the rectum through which stool exits the body. A complete rectal prolapse occurs when the rectum protrudes through the anus. If rectal prolapse is present, but the rectum does not protrude through the anus, it is called occult rectal prolapse, or rectal intussusception. In females, a rectocele occurs when the rectum protrudes into the posterior (back) wall of the vagina.

Sorry about panicking earlier, but I had never heard of intussusception used for rectocele before. It has always been posterior repair or herniated bowel.
Well now my advice to you would be to get your life organized, start taking care of your body now to prepare for surgery and make sure you have a support in place for helping around the house etc. after your op. I was diagnosed with the same troubles yo have and like I said before, so glad I had the op. I really am the most frightened person I know when it comes to surgery and I got through it and I am older than you. You will probably heal up a lot quicker than some of us. You could suggest to your husband to read about this type of injury and the surgical procedures that are done to fix it, also about recovery times etc. My husband did and was so understanding. There that is more sound of me isn't it.

Bye for now.

Rect-thanks for the concern.Fil is a fit 68,had been having memory problems for a couple of weeks and couple of days of headache and vomiting ,then became confused.When he went to docs they sent him to hospital and he stayed to have ct and mri over next couple of days.Found out it was a brain tumour a week last thursday, then had biopsy last tues.
I hope your appointment has gone well.How are you managing all of this with 7 children/teenagers?

HI, thankyou for all your messages, its great to et others point of view on my problems. I had to go to the royal london hospital to have a series of special tests done, all rather embarrassing, one in particular showed me what happens when i go to the loo, they used a barium fluid, mixed with porridge oats that i had to be filled with then use a special toilet to be x-rayed as i went to the loo, it shows on a very soft stool i can only empty 70% of my bowel, my colon folds over itself and forms a pocket (like a sleave doubling over)which bulges into my vaginal wall as does the rectocele, which then causes a domino effect for my bladder etc.
My youngest is 20 months old,i have a 4,8,11 and 12 year old too (11 and 12) year old not mine, stepchildren.
I did have an appointment on the 19th july but the hospital had to cancel and reschedule.
I have been told that without the surgery in about 10 years i would end up having to have a bag fitted. If the ops (i say ops because i may have to have my work done separatley explain after) dont work i may have to have a hysterectomy or self catheterise for the rest of my life.
I have a blood clotting disorder, i have had so many blood tests i have lost count, the cannot find out why my blood is so thin, i wasn't allowed epidurals in labour, not that it mattered as they were all pretty quick deliveries, so this obv worries me a bit more going in for surgery. The surgeons have said that it would be a lot of work for someone with my condition.
I have been told however by my gynae and physio that i have good pelvic muscle tone,it just cant hold anything up because of my problems. So after my ops with good physio and with age on my side the worst may not happen and all could go back to as normal as possible.
Doesn't stop me being so scared though, i did break down when i got news about hysterectomy,catheter etc, as thats a lot for someone my age to deal with, i try not to get upset as it affects my family, my husband hates to see me cry as do the kids. Am holding it together though. Prob have to see my consultant alone on 2nd of august though as its summer hols and with 5 kids its hard to get babysitter,but i know he will be there when i get home.
At the moment thats all i can remember about what i have been told, i am sure there is more.
jo x

I would like to lose a little weight before ops if anyone has some good advice for this, would be great. Am not seriously overweight, just still got some baby tummy etc to lose.

Hi Jo, well we have all learnt a lot with the help of Dawn, thanks to her for researching this. It is not fair that you are going through this the only thing you can do is be prepared. If things do worsen whilst you are waiting for your appointment do not be afraid to contact your consultant's secretary, or of course get in touch with your GP and they will hopefully act for you. Do you have a good GP? it is not a condition you openly want to share with anyone yet I do hope you have more family/friends around you that you can confide in other than your husband and will ultimately be able to offer help and support afterwards. Stay here and you will make some good friends, have a good laugh and cry!
Dawn how are you? how did you get on? you come across as so organised and calm - love the sound of your job must be so rewarding. Meg how was the walk to school yesterday and everyone else how are you all feeling?
I am on antibiotics now, still very swollen inside and the barbed wire was awful yesterday was dosing up on painkillers for the shooting pain in my legs - was no nice at all, but has eased today. I never used to crave chocolate but now ugghhh i go in search of it in my daughters bedrooms, - what's that saying '' a little bit of what you fancy does you good'' is it just me?

Hi everyone, I will start with responding to Jo. So when reading all that you are faced with it certainly is scary and upsetting. When I am faced with those kinds of dilemmas. I like to research and empower myself with information. I would think for you, the scary part of the surgery is the blood clotting disorder you have. I can see why they may do them seperately. The good news for you though, these types of surgeries for the average person without a clotting disorder are quite safe, in there is minimal blood loss. I would think that would help a lot in your case The other portion of this, if you don't have the op, then in 10 years you might need to be fitted with a bag. If they don't work you will need a hysterectomy. Okay, well I think that I woulld see it as no choice but to have the surgery, if you didn't want to deal with the bag. It is extrememly likely that your surgery will work, so don't even think about what might or might not happen. Why is having a hysterectomy such an awful thing for you? I mean I know so many woman who want nothing more than to have a hysterectomy. I don't understand why they told you this??? I am trying to understand what having this surgery fail and having a hysterectomy have to do with each other. Is your uterus still in ot's place, like has it started to prolapse yet? Try doing some research about this and not from froums where people are expressing their horrible experiences with these kinds of things. i found so many of those before finding this thread. Good luck!
Blue Thanks for the compliments, I am not always so calm, I was freaking out before deciding to have the surgery, but once I make a decision, I feel calmer and stick with it. Yes I am organized (OCD) Lol... I do enjoy my photography work most of the time, I get the odd client that is never pleased with anything and I usually just give them their money back and they are still not happy. Oh well. That only happens maybe once a year. How are you feeling these days after some rest? Hope your spirits are up, that is a big part of recovery. About your chocolate cravings, well I get them too and Julia Child once said, "everything in moderation, including moderation"

I went to the dr yesterday and things are looking really good. He had to check it out with a speculum. I was very concerned about that, but it wasn't too bad. Hurt a bit, he was lookign to see that the stitches were healing up and to make sure that the anterior wall was not adhereing to the posterior wall. He said that does happen sometimes. I can't remember who it was that posted the question about putting your finger in the vagina to prevent it from healing top to bottom was right. My dr has now recommended that I start stretching the vagina as it is really tight. He explained this to my husband. He said you could buy a set of stretchers that gradually increase in size to get back to normal. He also said that an alternative to this as it is cheaper is to use cucumbers. I burst into laughter as i didn't expect to hear that and he he said that he was serious, they work really well, just don't eat them afterwards. Well cucumberville, here I come!! he said that they are more soothing as they are cold and that will help with the discomfort. I have to go back to see him on July 6th adn until then he said no sex. My husband is scared tio hurt anything there, so he is going to help me with stretching exercises. My hubby put some cream on his finger and wanted to see how far the stitches go erc. he said that he can feel the stitches as far up as the cervix. I had no idea what was happening in there, wow! Anyway, the discharge is still a bit of yeast and hormonal discharge, no infection, yeah. I am allowed to drive again and increase my activity. Still no lifting and he said that tap dancing would still be too much at this point. So long of a post I know, but I just had so much news to get out there. Thanks all for everything. Happy healing and happy posting!