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!!

Always read the small print before you sign! I think these days they are less cavalier about taking anything out or overdoing things (doctors and dentists) and try as much as possible to get away with the least radical treatment. But I guess they don't always know what they will find until they have a look. Cant believe you are right about not needing them to be particularly friendly just efficient, you just want a good job done. I did wonder about my surgeon.... how does he look at his own wife and is she found wanting perhaps?! Everglades have had a bit of cranberry but not too much as you advised, also watered it down a bit and it seems to have calmed down for a bit. Most people are well aware of my feeble bladder at work so it helps in a way, at least we can laugh about it.Everyone has been really kind and helpful. Footle really wishing you luck with your appointment. And hope all goes well on Tuesday at Eastbourne cantbelieve. Everglades your knowledge of bladders has been invaluable to me!

My consent form says "posterior vaginal wall repair" under the "name of proposed procedure or course of treatment" bit (they give you a copy to take home, or they should do!) and then the "intended benefits" bit says "surgical treatment of rectocele". Then the "serious or frequently occurring risks" bit says "infection, bleeding, visceral damage, reoccurence, DVT". It's the official bit; to stop us plebby patient types trying to sue! It is a bit scarey, because everyone gets some bleeding but you would hope that your viscerals remain largely undamaged! Just make sure you can read the writing (unlikely) and ask them to explain anything you don't get. And make sure its got your name on the top!! A theatre sister I work with had a bladder op at Eastbourne CB, she didn't have a bad word to say about the whole experience (and she's a self confessed glass-half-empty most of the time!) Footle Good Luck for tomorrow! Actually that should probably say "hope it went well" now!

That's so helpful ToTheStars. I do feel the consultant rushes a bit and refers you to his website. I wonder how the old dears in Eastbourne who don't have internet get on with that.
Good to hear about your colleague's experience
How is everyone today? I'm off for a long walk while I can. Countdown to this time two weeks and starting to feel 'the last time I'll do etc etc' and that feels sad

The last time... but only for a little while. Hopefully during your initial recovery it'll be slamming down with rain, so you won't feel like you're missing out! I'm 2 weeks post op now from posterior repair and feel tip top really. Just upping my walk-time a bit slowly- can do half an hour now before I get a kind of heavy ache. By the end of October I hope to be up to a good couple of hours; got a week in North Cornwall, and Port Isaac to Port Quinn on the cliff-path beckons...I think you just have to think "right, in a couple of weeks I'll be able to do THIS" instead of "Cripes, two weeks ago I could do THIS, and now I can't!" Get some nice things arranged, so you have good times to look forward to. Hope you have a lovely walk in the Sussex countryside, what a day for it.
Hope you're okay this morning Clopper, and your appointment was a success Footle!

Had my pro-op today. He explained the surgery again-this time it sounded even worse.I signed the consent which includes risk of death plus dozens of other lesser nasties.But while I was waiting a young woman was arranging to come in for a hysterectomy and I felt so sad for her that my problems seemed to diminish.
I told him I wanted a spinal block and he said I could choose my own music for the op theatre -but not classical cos it 'slowed him down'
On the whole as good as can be expected. But I felt strangely concerned when I realised he had a personalised number plate. Quite irrational
Footle-what a saga it's been for you. I see you've been on this thread from the start.Do hope that you eventually get sorted-noone should have to put up with pain during sex. Can't imagine this being expected of men!
ToTheStars
Thanks for your wise words. They mean a lot

Ha ha! What about the William Tell Overture!! Honestly what are they like. And personalised number-plates... all got 'em. One of our ear, nose and throat surgeons is "ALL WAX", a genito-urinary one has his initials then H2O, and one of the orthopaedic trauma lot has "PS RTA" (road traffic accident). Without sounding rude I can think of alot more apt ones involving different consonants :)

Can't help feeling when I see those sort of number plates that some people just have too much money!:)
Wasn't too sure exactly what diathermy was, Footle, so found this link
www.encyclopedia.com/topic/diathermy.aspx
and the important word in there is 'painless' ! But can understand your caution. Did you ask about your frequency as well or has that settled down?
Hope you find some solution. Take care.

Footle I think sometimes they do that to increase absorption rates?? May be wrong. Don't think it would hurt, although it may feel a bit odd because it generates heat... poor you though. I really hope you find a answer, and keep trying in the meantime :)

I am so glad I found this thread.
I have a large rectocele and also an entrocele, had my pre op last Monday 26th Sept but they refused to do surgery for when I was booked in 28th Sept due to me having a mild stroke on 9th Sept, (am totally ok now apart from feeling so tired) such a frigtening experience was airlifted to hospital in air ambulance!
Waiting now on the doc from the stroke team in one hospita,l giving the go ahead to the gynae team which is in another hospital, oh the joys...
Has anyone else had these 2 things done? I am so scared very tearful at the moment as the ok could come at any day and then i'm next on the list..
Any help or advice would be very much appreciated x

Hello Lolly55
Welcome to this thread. I've found it incredibly helpful and supportive.It's a place where you can ask anything or say anything. And we're all in the same boat and understand in a way others can't
My op booked for 17th Oct and I also incredibly weepy and up and down.Part of my difficulty is having almost no symptoms unlike some women on the thread and so keep asking myself why am I doing it. But of course I know it will only get worse
Everyone. My consultant explained the shower/bath confusion. He was scathing about the RCOG site and said baths were really a bacterial soup which we shouldn't sit in for at least two weeks. See his point now and feel better about showers only even if it means I shan't feel really clean
Hope everyone has a good dayx

Oh no!! Bacterial soup! Yuk. Oh well I've had a few baths...still alive but will stick to showers for a bit! My symptoms weren't horrendous, but because I'm "in the trade" I knew exactly what was wrong. And typically in the week or so pre-op everything was much better, and I thought "Why am I doing this?" then after the op the surgeon's assistant (who is also a friend of mine and as such, has probably seen more of me than any of my other chums!) said "you've had more work done down there than I think you realise". Plus I guess its better to get it done sooner rather than later! Cantbelieve, you WILL be fine.
Hi Lolly welcome! There is no such thing as Too Much Info here, you can say/ask anything, and have a whinge if you need one!

Thanks so much for warm welcome..Tried talking to hubby, family and friends they just don't understand, the thought of someone cutting and stitching my 'ladys bits' terrifies me, not had any info from the hospital as such not even a leaflet, just what they intend to perform (rectocele, enterocele) the rest of my info came from 3 days of reading over 1700 posts! Most of which I have now forgotten lol..I blame that on the stroke and my age.
One thing I am worried about is the anesthetic after having the stroke, but not been offered another alternative so guess I have to put my trust in them. I was told to expect 2 - 3 days stay think I can just about manage that, just hope the ward i'm on is a lot quieter than the stroke unit where I was, now that was a total nightmare..
1 question I do have with these procedures will I have a catheter when I (hopefully) wake up??
Thanks again take care x

welcome lolly55 I had my op last week. I think it is very likely that you will have a catheter for a day or two after your op. I had a TVT and rectocele repair. Still a bit sore and I seem to have started my period today- or at least that's what i hope it is! I still feel very tired and achy but I think I will be pleased that I had it done in the long term. I was scared like you, but the whole thing was really over in a flash. The gyne ward I was on was great- we all had catheters and shared our experiences! it was a triumph every time someone managed to get rid of their catheter! I really hope all goes well for you and you don't have to wait too long for the OK.

Nice to hear you are on the mend Clopper

Yes cantbelieve had a very short walk around the garden today (had to lie down afterwards as i was a bit light-headed!) but it was great to step outside and feel normal. still got a bit of the sharp pain on one side of my TVT but is a bit easier to walk. This time last week i was coming round after the op, the days seem to have flown by. However, am now sick of crosswords and word searches!

Well thats me in a foul mood now :(
Just spoke to Stroke docs secretary and he has said that I have to wait at least 3 months and I can't have surgery now till middle of December..I live in Mid Wales and the hospital is a 30 mile drive through the Cambrian mountains this just gets better and better...I understand the need to be cautious I really do, but getting yourself all hyped up and then being told no..
I'm going to start dropping hints now to my 3 boys who are all in there 30's that mum needs someone else this year to provide christmas dinner, as they won't all be coming to me thats for sure..
Take care all x

Oh, Lolly55! What a pain, you poor thing! Can you delay it til after Christmas? Actually no, you let your boys take over (or is that pushing it a bit?)

Stars, thankyou, I really don't know what to do at the minute, had the problem for 3 or more years now and been waiting 7 months for this op, so fed up with all the 'lady bits' problems I have..Oh to poo in a straight line again
The boys and their other halves and now grand kids have always come to me for Christmas dinner, along with my mum and step dad then gone off to wives and girlfriends families for tea, I am so very lucky as we all live in the same town and its the one meal of the year we can all guarantee we are together..
Also wish I had a crystal ball to check on the weather as the roads are a total nightmare if its snowy icy etc.
Hubby suggesting we have our family Christmas dinner before I go in, will have to sleep on it for a couple days and see how i feel..
Take care x

Hello all, its been a long time since I logged on, and I see this thread is alive and well, with everyone supporting each other. I just thought I would pop by to see if any of the ladies I used to converse with are still here, and to see how you all are. Also as I had a TVT and posterier repair (and lots more stitching up thrown in for free) back in March, perhaps I can answer any questions that anyone has about longer term recovery.
Off to read some of the many many pages of this thread x

Everglades and Footle, I think that you are both having some problems now - re the TVT I had in March, the stress incontinence is sorted, I can jump and dance etc, but I am getting a problem with urge incontinence, ie I suddenly need to wee and by the time I get there I have pee-d myself. I haevn't quite worked out what to do about that. Also I can't hold on for hours like I could for the first month or so after the op, which is a bummer really. Plus I find that often I have leaked a small amount without realising (oh god I am going to be one of those old ladies that smells of wee!!!) (thank goodness for tena lady) ... is this similar to what you have found since the ops?
On a plus, now I have a designer vagina, sex is much more fun, I don't pee myself having sex, and I can run jump and dance.

can I ask missing, did you have any pain after the TVT? as I had it a week ago have a sharp pain on one side when moving, it almost feels like a burning pain. It's a bit better than it was but still noticeable.

Hi MissingMySleep, long time no post :)
So sorry you are having a problem with urge incontinence. I am having a bad day today with frequency and urge and feeling very down as really thought I was getting on top of this problem with the medication.
Yes the stress incontinence is totally gone but in many ways this is worse as I have the urge to 'go' so much of the time, I can't get away from it and on occasion I also don't make it there in time.
Maybe you could try the medication, I'm on Vesicare. Not convinced it has done much for me, but does seem to for most people.
We are about to go away for a weekend to friends and then we have re booked our holiday that had to cancel due to my problems in September so am feeling stressed.
Hope we all find some solution as one of the reasons I had this op was so I wouldn't be a Smelly Old Lady :(

Good morning Has anyone had a gynae op with a spinal block? Any info appreciated please x

Hello Lolly. I plan to have my surgery on 17th with spinal block. I think the recovery will be better and although I hate the idea of a needle in my spine I also hate the idea of tubes down my throat and a machine doing my breathing.I will let you know!
Looking at the old threads no-one seems to have said much about how they felt about visitors after surgery At the moment I feel very strongly I don't want to see ANYONE and that includes DH who is a bit hurt. Would love to know how others dealt with this
Hope everyone is mending well. Nice to hear from you Missing