Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc part 4

[Ben10NeverAgain]

This is thread 3 of a long-running series of posts from ladies suffering from pelvic prolapses to support each other through the process of diagnosis, repair and recovery.

Here are the previous threads:
Thread 1
Thread 2

Info from BBC Health

What is a pelvic prolapse?

As the muscles, ligaments and supporting tissues in the pelvis become weaker, they are less able to hold in the organs of the pelvis such as the womb (uterus) or bladder.

Gravity pulls these organs down and, in the more severe cases, may appear through the entrance to the vagina.

A variety of problems can occur, depending on where the weakness lies and which organs are able to descend, but in every case there is some degree of prolapse of the vaginal wall, which begins to invert (rather like a sock turning inside out).
Prolapse of the womb or uterus is the most common prolapse, affecting as many as one in eight older women to some degree
Prolapse of the bladder, known as a cystocele, is less common.
Prolapse of the urethra (the tube that carries urine out of the bladder) is known as a urethrocele.
Prolapse of the intestines is quite rare, and known as an enterocele or rectocele.

Symptoms

Symptoms depend on which tissues descend, and how severe the prolapse is.

They may include:
A sense of heaviness or pressure in the pelvis.
The appearance of a bulge of tissue in the genital area, which can be quite alarming, and is often red and sore.
Urinary problems, such as having to urinate more frequently, feeling the need urgently, being incontinent (losing control of the bladder) or, conversely, being unable to pass urine when you need to.
Pain in the pelvis or lower back.
Sexual problems, including pain and decreased libido.
Constipation.
Vaginal discharge or bleeding.

Treatment and recovery

Once a prolapse has developed, surgery to fix the affected organs is usually the only way to cure it effectively.

However, another option is to use a device known as a vaginal ring pessary. This is rather like a contraceptive diaphragm or cervical cap. It's made of silicone or latex, and placed in the vagina to push back the prolapsed organs and hold them in place. Many women happily manage their prolapse this way.

Jeez shattered, that sucks. I was thinking over-worked, over-stretched NHS, but if your care is being paid for, then that is very disappointing.

I was thinking I was fortunate to have private cover through work for my op - but now I'm wondering. At my pre-op assessment the nurse was saying we'll give you as much pain meds as you want and no one wants you to be in any discomfort - but maybe thats just sales pitch!

I really hope you feel better soon - big hug.

Shattered.....Am sending you a big hug and lots of get well soon wishes. Really hope you get to pee on your own soon! Keep us posted on your recovery, I am not far behind you! This time tomorrow hopefully it will be all done for me and I will be on the road of recovery with you :-) xx

So sorry to see you're having problems Shattered. Ideally they should let your bladder rest a bit before you try again. I ended up finally with a tap on the end after having it back in for 24hrs! DO get the BM issue sorted out even if it's a bit undignified - I had a nightmare after I got home which is tmi even for here!
Sure - how are you?
I've been trying to get hold of the nurse at the hosp and have written a letter to the head of the team (but don't know whether to send it)!

Hi all - had swob and am on ab's. Went home today as need to take control of my teenagers again. They were soooo pleased to see me and can't do enough for me, very sweet - they missed me!!! (? or chief cook and laundry washer??? Lol!)

Shattered - try not to panic with the wee scenario. Are you drinking enough water? More fluids sorted me out well and got my bladder functioning again, but it did take 5 litres of water followed by a super speedy iv drip during the night to kick start things. Now, no problem, although a little slower, but I put that down to swelling (and maybe the tvt). Have you been out of bed yet? Perhaps a little walk about would help too, catheter in tow! Sending you lots of love xxxx (senakot and lactulose got me going plus a suppository!)

Skini - best of luck for tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you x Are you private of NHS? (I had the best NHS experience ever on the gynae ward, the nurses were so helpful, lovely, chatty, amusing, etc. etc. - so very sad the ward has now been closed down

Roseanna - how is the bleeding? Is it a rogue period or something more sinister? x

Pip/wouldrather/Gail etc happy healing vibes to all of you x

Fen - I would go down the NHS route again, but exaggerate how much this is psychologically effecting you - they are then duty bound to help as a depressed single mum is more expensive in the long term!!! xx It's not so bad having to have it all done again, only the waiting, but afterwards you really feel that you can start living again xxxx

Thank you Sure. I am private at a lovely local hospital. I have been there before for an ankle operation and was very well cared for but that was a day case so we shall see. It has a very good reputation though so will keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks sure. Presume you had all those fluids whilst catheter still in? Have had no advice yet on how to tackle the problem (they just put catheter back in) but hoping to see consultant to discuss. When catheter was out there was no way I could drink more fluid due to incredible discomfort resulting from a full bladder with no way of emptying! Good luck for tomorrow skinikki I am sure your private experience will be a good one:-)

Shattered- yes, had all those fluids with catheter in and i've just remembered that they sent two men to walk about with me, with catheter still in, saying it would help my bladder start working again. Must have done the trick as the next night I was up every half hour to pee - had the nurses done a replay cctv footage on fast forward it would have looked hysterical!!! Lol xxx

All the best for tomorrow Skinikki.

Sure - I have written to the head of the team telling the truth about my situation - both dd's have health issues, I've put selling the house on hold (supposed to be my fresh start) and that I took a long time to be ready to try and meet someone after my marriage breakup and then the prolapses happened.... I've said I feel back at the beginning and am very unhappy about the probable length of wait, and that this was the one thing they said they would do, with me having no control over what was ultimately done and that I had put my trust in them to do what was right for me. (And breathe....!) (Nevermind I've already done physio and have been paying someone to do the heavy stuff at home - to give her an indication of how hard I've tried.) I've asked to meet her to at least talk about it. I'm so unhappy about this I will take it to PALS if I have to.... I feel totally weighed down by it at the moment.
I hope you feel much better soon and if you don't, you must make someone listen to you (stern look!)

skinikki - hope all goes well for you tomorrow.

Sure - hoping this is it for you - ab's do their trick, healing goes well and finally that's it - back to feeling 'normal'.

Shattered - sorry to hear of your problems. Amazing how when we're well we don't give a thought to going to the loo but it is so distressing when things go wrong in that area. You could ask them about an enema and at what stage they would do this. I was discharged from hospital without 'going' and had a stressy time but used glycerine suppositories, vaseline and had been given milk of magnesia at the hospital. Good luck xxx

Fen/sure/Gailjen - it is unbelievable that so many of us are only having one bit done when other bits need repairing at the same time. It's something I'm going to mention to my consultant when I eventually get referred back to him. You'd think they'd be a study on it.

Fen - an enormous hug to you. Good for you to take action and write. They have to respond to a letter. I hope this is soon and they sort this out soon.

Thank you for all your support and I have been listening to our advice. The bleeding has thankfully subsided and I have become convinced it was a period. It's a good job I had this week booked as holiday as don't want to have any more sick leave from work.

Skinikki - good luck for tomorrow. The actual op and initial recovery was much better than I had thought. And, thanks for asking about the skiing. Sounds a fickle thing to some people but I have a dryslope near me so ski all year and as mentioned before it forms a large part of my social life - much more than skiing as a holiday. I went there for lunch today and there was an 80 year old who learned when she was 50, zooming down the slope. She is my role model!

Hi all

Shattered hope you are feeling better.

Fen well done on writing the letter make sure you post it though!

Would glad the bleeding has finally subsided.

Sure hope the AB's get working soon.

For those of you only having one bit fixed, I asked my consultant as I was going into surgery to do both anterior and posterior repair when I was only done for posterior repair and he did it! Might be worth just asking your consultant to do both.

Skini good luck for tomorrow

Waves to all.

Also anyone got any idea what the burning sensation is I mentioned earlier? 5 weeks in and I am still full of stitches but when I am up and about I get a burning sensation inside .

Pip

Hi all. Im sure nobody remembers but I was on the last thread before I got my diagnois of adenomyosis.

FINALLY got my letter for pre assessment tomorrow so hopefully I'll get my hysterectomy within the next 2 weeks. I've been waiting since January.

Hopefully it can still be keyhole. Since I was seen I have got so much worse, my womb is so large I look 7 months pregnant!

Hope everybody keeps well

Pip - I had burning too and I think it's part of the tissues knitting back together.

Yes, Coco, I remember you! Good luck for the surgery.

Good luck tomorrow Skinikki, am sure you'll be fine xx

Sure - good luck with those ab's and hope they kick in soon and you're not too sore meantime. I've been quite lucky, with no more bleeding at all and although I'm worried to feel the old bulge reappear I'm trying.not to overreact and will see the consultant on tues who should be able to give me more info. Been feeling pretty grim with my temp going up and down and an upset stomach meaning my butt hurts at lot lol Feel like the chest infection is gradually lifting and this is my last day of ab's so hope to feel an all round improvement soon.

Fen - good on you. Nothing like a letter to
get things done :)

Pip - I get that burning sensation when I've done too much!

Me too - it goes away if I cool my fanjo with a cold shower, blow dry then lie down!!

Fen - well done! You will get there (you and me are on a par with major life changes re house, new man, new job etc.). Unfortunately new fanjo was number one on the list and can't quite cross that off yet!!! lol! xx

skini - best of luck for tomorrow x

Coco - glad to hear that things are going ahead for you at long last xxx

Have a look at this website - select english then view - lots of info regarding the different operations
www.iuga.org/?page=patientinfo

Morning all. Day 4 for me. Thinking of you skinikki-hope all goes well. Pip - all the physio advice I have received is in the booklet by sally haslett that I mentioned in an earlier post with the ISBN number so hopefully you should be able to get a copy? Basically its back to pfe (slow and fast) as soon as catheter removed, building up to 10 sec hold for slow ones and repeating 10 times (both slow and fast). Fen-hope your letter does the trick, I really do not understand why you should have to go right back to the beginning again. Am a bit fuzzy from all the pain killers so sorry not to keep track of where everyone is but hopefully we are all on the up or taking steps to get there. Last night I complained to consultant about my lack of confidence in the nursing care I was receiving. It transpires that I have been put on a 'non surgical' ward which would explain why the nurses seem so clueless about what I have had done and what drugs I need etc. The consultant said something about a communication failure but that she had now given very clear instructions to nurse in charge. I was then seen by the senior sister from the surgical ward who was very nice and listened carefully to all my concerns. Apparently I will get another visit from the quality assurance lady today. The good news is that milpar and senokat cleared my bowel last night. They think that once bowel clear, there is better chance that bladder will start working again. I hope so as thought of having another catheter put in sends me in to a cold sweat. So, here goes...catheter just been taken out again

Shattered - any luck??? x

Two tiny wees totalling 110ml..sensation is all there, it just wont come out! They are going to scan bladder after next wee. Going to go for another little walk.

Any better??? x

Third attempt better but scan still showed 360ml and only tiny wee since then. This is so torturous!

Drink more water??? (other than that, no idea!) x Some say rocking on loo seat helps, also feet flat on floor and elbows on knees and lean far forward..!

Shattered thanks for the reminder about the book I got it off amazon.

How is it going has the weeing got any easier. Well done for speaking up hope things improve for you now.

Sure how you doing today, any better.

Shattered - it's rotten that you are having problems going for a wee (although I hope by the time you read this you are imitating a fire hydrant!) What happened to me went along a similar line to you, except that instead of just taking the catheter out the second time, I got a tap on the end of the pipe (I now can say in all honesty I know how to pee like a bloke - stand and aim - the pipe wasn't long enough for me to sit down and wee in the right direction iyswim)!!! This was to check the bladder was working as sometimes it's huge swelling around the urethra that stops you. Hopefully it will settle soon and you don't have to go home with a catheter. Very much fingers crossed for you - you must be fed up now. XXX