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Original poster

Prolapse support

40 replies

Hoopsadazy · 13/07/2011 21:06

Yes, I know the irony of needing support, but in this instance I was thinking more emotional.

Have seen a lot of posts on here thru the search facility but selflishly want one for me.

Am now in a position with insides all collapsing to a grade 2 and now it's a 'put up with it' or operation choice.

When I had an initial appt and an operation was mentioned the consultant seemed to suggest putting it off for as long as possible due to recovery time and chance of success/side effects.

Now I have to decide whether to live with it for now or make an appt to discuss reality of op.

Would love to hear thoughts and experiences on it from anyone who is, or has been in the same situation.

Have one DC and not planning another now this has happened.

OP posts:
MegGriffin · 13/07/2011 21:40

Hello Hoops. I had a bladder prolapse repaired in May which was a huge success. I am 41 and knew I could not put up with it for another 40 plus years. I am more or less back to normal and so glad to have lost the bulge and having to wee every half hour or so day and night.

PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 21:49

I've had grade 3 for nearly 10 years (since I was 26). I'm not having a repair for various boring logistical reasons.

The prolapse is managed well with 2 ring pessarys and I see my gynae every 6 months.

PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 21:50

Oh and I have had two further children since having it. Both were elective sections btw.

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 13/07/2011 21:52

bloody hell, how have you managed 10 years Pip? How is it? Do you feel it has an impact on your daily life? Do you spend time still concerned/worried about it half the day or does that fade?

Meg - How long did you have it before op? What was recovery time after?

OP posts:
Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 13/07/2011 21:55

Pip - I am too scared to consider another with the way things are. Doesn't help that am the wrong side of 35 and so is DH and we don't have a second room to put another one in. This was the final straw of one too many things to get over to have another. Am convinced will be happy about it, but need a bit of time to get over that this has kinda taken decision out of my hands.

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 21:59

Erm. It is managed very successfully like I said with two ring pessaries. Mine is a uterine prolapse, not bladder. When not managed my cervix protrudes.

No-one would know (everyone does though Wink). It only gets troublesome if I have been on my feet all day. I am the youngest patient they had ever treated at the large women's hospital where I go.

The only time I struggled emotionally recently was when I started uni. I look younger than my age and dress fairly young but the prolapse started getting to me. As in I was imagining all these teens with lovely non broken fannies Wink

I got over myself quite quickly.

PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 22:02

The two extra kids were no problem either. I kept the pessaries in throughout the pregnancies. The dr took them out for delivery and put some clean ones in straight after. All to avoid contamination.

Further kids are really no issue IME.

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 13/07/2011 22:05

Pip - I know how you feel a little. A few friends and I all had a child at the same time and now they all have recently had a second and I get cross with why it had to be me and not them. Then I see women with 4 kids and get grumpy watching them running after them without their legs crossed.

Get sad that can't pick up DS much at the moment to have a cuddle as he is getitng heavy.

It's crap and I think that if it was a common men's problem someone would've found a good bloody solution to it by now.

Would you consider the op Pip?

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 22:11

I was booked in for last Monday actually but cancelled it. 'They' would prefer me to have a hysterectomy as the prolapse is quite severe for the hammock type method, so I might just wait and have that when I'm a lot older.

The professionals are adamant that it's a 12 week recovery time. Who, with 3 kids, a job, and full time studies can spare 12 weeks. Not me. Not even two really.

PippiLongBottom · 13/07/2011 22:12

Do you not have a pessary in situ? If not, why not? Is it a uterine prolapse? I'm afraid I'm not knowledgeable about bladder ones.

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 14/07/2011 07:11

It is all three :( don't have pessary - hadn't heard of them. So far I only got physio, but she's discharged me now as nothing more can be done.

I am with you on the 12 weeks! Bloody hell.

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 07:21

I'm sure something can be done, that is outrageous! Physio did nothing for me either, too far gone. Ok well yours sounds worse than mine, given that it is all three. BUT there are loads of different pessarys available that could help. You need to research them. I did and discovered I could use simultaneously and I advised the hospital of this and I was the first patient they tried it on.
Where do you live? Can you self refer to hospitals? Research the prolapse repair specialists at your hospital. It is called urogynaecology, the specialism.

Hth x

PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 07:22

*two simultaneously.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 14/07/2011 09:27

I had a radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer then suffered from a vault prolapse and still have a rectoceleHmm

With the hysterectomy they removed my cervix and my whole vagina started to callapse in with not enough to hold it up. My main symptoms at the time of the prolapse op were to do with my bowel but they were insistent the problem was the top of my vagina sagging. Post op recovery from both those ops was 12 weeks plus because both were done abdominally.

Unfortunately the prolapse op didn't solve my bowel problems at all and I have now decided just to live with it for the time being.

Main symptoms are around urgency to open my bowels, a feeling of not having emptied my bowels properly, a big bulge into my vagina and so on....I just can't bear the thought of more surgery at the moment and feel let down by the gynae who wrongly (imo) diagnosed the problem. They said after they could have done both repairs (vault and rectocele) at the same time but didn'tHmm

I guess the decision to have surgery is very personal and you have to weigh up how much it affects you with the impact of the surgery.

The other thing that puts me off is the fact that these repairs don't last forever. I am only 36 now, had to have the vault repair 3 years after my hysterectomy at 31, I hate hospitals and the thought of having to have repeat surgery periodically is just awful.

Plus I run and don't want the time out of training....

MegGriffin · 14/07/2011 13:55

Tmi alert..Hoops, I had mine for at least 3 years. Mine was grade three and actually slightly bulging out of my vagina. I used to push it back in but it came straight back out again. I hated the sensation and discomfort it gave me. I had finished my family and knew a pessary was not a cure, so not for me.

I had the op 9th May, took 6 weeks off work (pre-school so very physical) and I am still careful about lifting things for the time being.
I think it depends from person to person about their success rate but so far I am really glad I had it done.

ameliagrey · 14/07/2011 14:21

I had a mild uterine and bladder prolapse after DC2 was born and had it repaired when she was 2. That was 20 years ago now.

I had it done privately. was in hospital for 5 days. Biggest issue was being unable to pass water for a week afterwards- had a catheter.

My Dh worked from home as I had 2 DCs under 5 at home, and when he went back to work my Mum came for about 4 weeks.

I was told never to lift anything ever again over a stone, not to run and generally be pelvic aware.

ameliagrey · 14/07/2011 14:23

DoyouthinkPlus I run and don't want the time out of training....

I think you really need to take advice about running- i was told by both a physio and gynae that running puts a huge strain on the pelvic floor.

PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 16:06

Don't under estimate pessaries. They keep mine a lot higher. Although not as high as it should be.

The lifting thing is one of the reasons I can't really have the op as my job involves lifting and I still carry my DC (even the four year old Hmm) a lot.

They are a couple of my boring resons for postponing my op.

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 14/07/2011 21:06

Thanks for all your info. Think will have a look around on the internet. My closest hospital hs a good gyno and I did see him for a private appt to start with before transferring to NHS as no GP would take my concerns seriously - hence it had got so bad.

Meg - how old were you? I hadn't thought about how long the stay in hospital would be first. I guess living with it for a couple of years might be better until LO is a bit older to understand.

Does it just get progressively worse? Am scared and upset by thought that one day will wake up and part of my insides is hanging out. I get very freaked out by it all. Thankfully DH is understanding reckons he is ok with it all.

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 21:28

Mine has got progressively worse but I suppose the weight gain of two pregnancies could be to blame. I need two pessaries now whereas before one was sufficient.
My gynae team are amazing. What part of the country are you, hoops?

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 14/07/2011 22:02

south east

the consultant told me that another preg, even if section delivery would guarantee worse but daily life should be maintained with pelvic floor exercises, but so far they don't seem to be doing too much - have got a lot better control over last few months though, just worse prolapse

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 22:15

IME you won't gain ANY better with pelvic floor exercises.
Get on to the gynae unit tomorrow. Have you researched pessaries yet? I have ring pessaries and they stay in situ permanently and enable a normal every day (including sex) life.

Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 14/07/2011 22:20

am on the case with pessaries... hurriedly opens google

the pelvic floor exercises really helped gain the control, but they are not doing much at all now. seems sensible t o keep them up now that i have found them again and can run across the road without leaking. will book an appt with gyno asap

OP posts:
Original poster
Hoopsadazy · 14/07/2011 22:27

They seem very sensible - not sure why was not discussed at last appt so will definitely ask! Have you had any side effects

OP posts:
PippiLongBottom · 14/07/2011 22:38

With pessaries?

Erm.... No. Tbh.

WinkThey have tided me over for 10 years. The Dr's think I am mad (not having the op) but it works ok for me.