Rectocele & Repairs continued....

[CAZ1958]

Rectocele & Repairs...continuation

Hiya Ladies...
Don't know if this will work, above is the Subject Title
Don't want to lose my friends.
Will come back with a link if poss !!!
Fingers crossed
ZZZ

happy2beme Thanks for your response. I feel so let down, and although I'm grateful for his referral, I just want it identified, and dealt with. I wish I could afford private, but I can't, and I have lost faith in the NHS, but there is no alternative. I'm in so much pain, across both buttocks, lower back, and into both thighs, and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps I'll feel better after a bit of sleep (it was an early start this morning).

I keep saying that I can feel another, narrow, channel, running alongside my normal bowel, along which some really compacted matter is arriving into my rectum, but the entrance to this is above the rectocele, so I can understand him saying it's a Colorectal problem. However, when I had the endoscope, a year ago, they only did the camera part, they wouldn't put the dye in (as I am allergic to some blue dyes, and they said their dye had blue in it). Each one just says it can't be a fistula, or it isn't their field, and I go back to square one! If they'd used the dye/gas last year, surely they would have found this narrow channel? Ignorance is not bliss! If I was officially educated, in this field, would they listen? I got asked again today about being constipated, because of the small hard stuff from the narrow channel, but if I make my bowel any looser, I'll need to camp in the loo constantly! How can they not believe what I am telling them, without looking using the dye/gas? I feel so beaten!

I don't know. I've explained that several things have happened to me, which are known to make it more likely, but they just keep saying it can't be.

I had the ablation the same time I had the TVT so I can't really say, one thing I wasn't told was that it only last about 4 years!

Ended up in a&e today. I have had bad pains for a few days and felt awful this morning. Came home and found I had soiled myself without knowing and then passed a clot from my front passsage. Panicked and phoned my mum .

Nice Dr at a&e sent me up to gynae who had a look but said there wasn't much they could do except try to rush a referral through. Dr says the waiting list is terrible.

Also said it didn't look too bad!! My uterus has dropped but she thought my bowel had moved up (?) not down.

Feel much better now the clot is out but no explanation about where it came from.

I'm scared I go to the hospital and they say there's nothing to be done because it's not bad enough .

I can't understand where "there's nothing to be done because it's not bad enough" comes from cocolepew, is it some kind of stock answer, on this subject? I hope you get a fast reaction to your problem. Good luck!

Thanks Footle, I'll have a look

Nanasylv - so sorry to hear about your problems. Have they mentioned enterocele?

Mine was so big apparently that the consultant said he could put his fist through it. My symptoms were absolutely unable to poo however many laxatives I took, manual evacuation (splinting did nothing to help as the rectocele was small) and in the end even that did no good, so I pretty much stopped eating for a couple of days and only drank liquid to see if this would help.

After about 8 days, the BM (which took 30 mins to get out) was the size of a babies head and with it came half my rectum. Managed to push the rectum back up afterwards, so that bit ok, but the rest of me seemed impacted between the vagina and rectum and everything else was hanging a lot lower than before. As it turns out, all my small intestine had fallen down the fist-sized hole (known as the pouch of douglas, who he is haven't a clue . The consultant called it a very large enterocele and said my cervix (also large ??!) kept getting in the way - no idea what that's supposed to mean . Also said that this was not common unless you have had a hysterectomy, which I haven't, but, I do apparently have a retroverted uterus which makes prolapse more likely so they say.

My consultant does a lot of vaginal repairs for NHS and privately and is pretty clued up, other than missing me off the list for a pre-op consultancy to explain the ins and outs of the op in November . He said he could see straight away what it was and I hadn't needed a defegram (poo test?). He would like me to have a urodynamics test though before touching the cystocele.

No idea if this helps and probably a lot of TMI, sorry.
xxx

IfOnly - well done you for getting it in motion, so to speak x

Visited the nurse today... Explained my symptoms and her response was 'it's sounds very likely that you've suffered a prolapse'. Although I kinda already knew that it actually felt good talking about it to someone... She told me I needed to see the doc ASAP as it sounds quite severe (she didn't examine me as I was very emotional and nervous and said the doc wid examine me Tuesday so she didn't want to put me thru it twice needlessly... She was a lovely lady and very understanding... When I went in I cudnt actually spk!! I just sat with my head in my hands an cried!! So we played guess the symptoms for a while... But I was soon givin her all the gory details!! Lol.

She seemed to think my constipation was the rote of the problem... I've suffered with it long before I had my kids and beyond... It's never really
Bothered me much to be honest just kinda for used to it... To think that it's what causing all my problems now make me pretty angry at myself... Why I why didnt I address it earlier?!?? I'd have Gladly suffered with prunes if I knew this was the alternative!!! Oh isn't hindsight a wonderful thing!!!!

Well roll on Tuesday I say... I just hope I can keep my current frame of mind going until then...

Oh My God...the awful things we have all gone/are going through is almost unbelievable when seen in print.

Nannasyl it sounds like you may be having a proctogram. Close your eyes if you would rather not know:
Basically you drink a jug of White stuff ( barium) and go and have a coffee for an hour...then you re-attend and get into a hospital gown. The nurse puts two very large tubes worth of White stuff up your bottom end until you are full from top to bottom. It's just embarrassing, not painful. Then you sit on a toilet, he cranks you up on a sort of crane until your bottom is level with the x ray plates. Then he asks you to push the barium out as if you were doing a poo and this is televised. X rays are taken at regular intervals and you end up with a motion picture which in my case, and possibly yours, showed a large rectocele or meander in the lower bowel. You can see visually exactly why you have such a problem getting a poo out. He then asks you to push harder and sees how much you can remove without intervention. it is very embarassing, the most embarrassing procedure of all, however it gives you a visual explanation of what you already know.
You then get dressed, have a good cry and a cup of tea and go home.
On returning home you then have to get the remainder of the barium out. I would recommend pooing into a plastic bag as any barium that goes into the toilet bowl stays there. Also it's really important to splint and try and get it out quick before it sets. It becomes all gritty which doesn't help matters at all. I flushed twelve times to try and remove it, i then had to get a stick and try to swirl it about followed by the plunger. In the end I had to get the rubber gloves on and scoop it out. My 17 year old daughter was wondering what on earth was going on!!
If it is a rectocele then it can be successfully darned with many stitches
(please don't let them use mesh). I have had it done and although you poo like a toblerone to begin with it does restore to the normal shape within a couple of weeks! It is amazing to just be able to poo, however I still have bits of me that come out and need to be reminded where they belong, so I still need to be near a sink to have a lovely wash afterwards. It is much better.

following what I said yesterday, this is one of those procedures where you have to leave embarrassment at the door. The nurse promised me he wouldn't ever recognise me again, and two weeks later when I saw him in a different clinic ...he honestly didn't!! So, it's just a process for them and thank God someone wants to do it. We need to show them a lot of love!

I'm thinking it might show up the fistula as well? Presumably the poo would go down both channels? Heres hoping all questions will be answered!
Xx

Coco hope you are feeling better after your horrible experience today..lots of love and a big hug xxx

surewoman, thanks for this, and no, they haven't mentioned an enterocele YET, but the year is young!, and it's only been 16 years since this first started! I'm sure they think they have all the time in the world, after all, it's not them living with it!
jackie62, embarrassment went out the window long ago. When he asked if he could examine me today, I actually said "I would run down the High St, naked, if it would get it sorted, carry on! I keep saying I think it could be a fistula (because it's too narrow for my finger, and I have had things happen which could have caused it) but still the same "it couldn't possible be" reply (perhaps I'm designed differently from all those who have had them, and I thought I was just a normal woman - silly me!
Oh how I envy you all, who have achieved, at least, diagnosis, never mind actual repair!
Thanks for listening, replying, and posting success stories, I sometimes don't believe it's possible, unless I log in here!
Keep smiling folks! lol

If0nly, I did eat the prunes, porridge, grapes, seeds, wholemeal, nuts, etc. and look where I am, so don't beat yourself up over it. I had problems right from childhood, and then had 2 kids, and renovated 3 houses (single Mom at that point), as well as the usual shopping etc. Just unlucky in the below-stairs muscle department perhaps?
Good luck!

Hi All

I cant believe that I have found such a supportive group. I had an op on the 12th Dec (just over 4 wks ago) and have been searching on line for the past few weeks for people with similar issues.
I am actually dreading replies to this question as I think I may hear lots of horror stories but ..................I would like to know if anyone has had a
TVM (transvaginal mesh ) repair ?
I went ahead with this on the advice of two consultants one of which I asked outright what op she would have if she was me.
Initially I was referred to Gynaecology by my GP for a cystocele 18 months ago but following a resp infection last winter I had problems with my BM.
My consultant then referred me to another consultant whose speciality was mesh repair and once in theatre he discovered I had multiple problems due to the fact that I had a hysterectomy 12 years ago (cystocele, enterocele, small rectocele & vault descent )all of which were corrected using mesh.
When I came to following my surgery the pain in my butocks was horrendous and I was told it was muscular due to the position my legs had been in for the surgery and it was 8hrs later after complaining of pain to several nurses that a nurse discovered that I had sutures where the tape had been brought out at the back (the other end of the tapes were brought out in my groin).
Initially I was delighted that my bladder & bowels were working and the pain was under control and I was feeling quite good until the past few days when I have had immense pressure in the perineum area & jagging in my vagina. I called the ward I had been in for advice this evening but was told that there was no need to worry the pressure would be due to things healing and the jagging would be my stitches ( I read that these stiches dissolve after 2-3 weeks) but if I still have concerns tomorrow I could call the emergency gynaecology ward and be seen.
I am concerned as the dragging feeling at the back is the same as I had before my op but also that I read that one of the risks of this surgery is mesh erosion in the vagina and that it is infact the mesh I am feeling.
I am now lying in bed worrying that the repair has failed :-( and would be grateful for any advise that anyone can offer thank you xx

Thanks for you tougts feel so much better since passing the clot!

Maisied I had TVT done 4 years ago and it much longer to recover than I though, my dr said for the first few weeks don't lift anything heavier than a cup of tea, so take it very easy. I remember being very sore after it, but I had another op at the same time so not sure which was sorest!

I never leave anything to doubt, if you worried always phone for help, if it turns out to be nothing no harm done.

Have a good day everyone x

Hi Maisied
I also had the TVT along with rectocele/cystocele repairs and at same time merina coil,9 weeks ago. None of the repairs were done with Mesh(except) although the nurse said if things were bad when they got in this would have changed.. Please try not to dwell on this being a possibly wrong decision although we are all here to share our experiences and help in anyway we can we are not experts and the ops we had were taylored to our needs and bodies. At 4-6 weeks I sufferred the worst pain ever radiating from my insides(deep in my rectal area) through my buttocks as if somebody had been practicing kickboxing :) No sitting/stand for long periods walked around with a permanent hot water bottle attached to my bum and wedged between my thighs. Actually walked like a Gesha girls as pain so bad. I was a nightmare cryng all the time I thought my TVT was eroding into my bladder/womb and I also had this toothache like burning sensation( felt like I was being garroted by a cheese wire in my pelvic region. Attended GP 3 times with no joy he just seemed non plussed Eventually contacted consultant who said some of my symptoms were the coil but the pain in buttock and toothache like pain were all part of the healing process, the nerve endings knitting together again. He also said that the tape has to embed into the muscles/tissue and some of the discomfort will come from that and will be sore for some time to come. The consultant reassured me that I did the right thing by getting in contact with him . So I think you should phone and see if you can get an earlier apt to see him/her. If nothing else for reassurance and peace of mind.
Yes I have heard of tape errosion, I worked with someone who this happened to ,Dont kow the time frame of this happening but I think it was a good few months down the line she eventually had to go in and get some of it removed.
Sorry again for the longish post need to learn to be more concise lol xx Hope all are well today xx

Oops, should have said except TVT

I hope verything is ok with Caz, there's been no word since her Dr appointment.

Hallo, this is my first post, so apologies in advance if I am not up to speed yet with forums' practices and lingo.

I have been reading through reems of posts about the subject, pleased to have found so many other women with similar experiences to mine. I have had a rectocele prolapse as well as stress incontinence since the delivery of my 2nd 10lb baby in 2004 and have put off having any repairs done for as long as I could bear it. Now I feel that I'd like to move forward and have surgery before menopause sets in with all its problems.

I live in London and would be able to have private medical treatment. My problem is finding a good urogynaecologist as nobody I know has had to deal with similar problems. Would anyone, who has successfully been through all this, please recommend a specialist in London?

Thank you.

Hi Oldrmom
would love to recommend my surgeon but unfortunately in Scotland , but welcome I am sure some of the others will live nearer xx

cocolepew thank you for taking the time to reply especially when you are going through such a bad time at the moment yourself ( I have just read your earlier post re clot) I hope your feeling better. I have always been prone to clotting & passed really large ones after the births of each of my children & also after my hysterectomy ( I had a a haematoma too after this)I have emailed my consultants sec and am awaiting advice from him x

happy2beme from what i have read TVT & mesh seemed to be quite similiar and there have been concerns about both sorry to hear that you have had such a bad time of it but reassuring to know that you also experienced pain at this stage I wrongly assumed that as things were gradually improving day to day I was "on the mend " so started over doing things a bit then this week I started having the dragging feeling to rear & the jagging. I have asked for advice from my consultant but havent heard from him yet but I am really glad to have found this website as its great to know there are others out there who are coping with similiar issues and as usual you find that there are others much worse of than you are.x

footle thank you for the advice which I will try & follow;-)