Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc part 5

[Piplysmelie]

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
Thread 3
Thread 5

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.

Thanks Monica, am still a bit bewildered by all the different surgeries - had a rectocele repair 8.5 weeks ago, not sure if I need a repeat and poss cystocele repair plus now looking like tvt as well, so head spinning with it all, but good to hear the tvt is effective.

Re the colpermin, its really just concentrated peppermint oil in capsule format and works by soothing the bowel spasms you get with ibs, so I find is very settling when my stomach feels upset and crampy.

Fen - glad you've got your date in - not long now :)

Hope everyone else is doing well too xx

Hi, hoping some of you knowledgeable ladies are around, I am worried I may have a urethral prolapse (urethrecele?), I don't know whether I need to get this checked asap or if it will wait. Suddenly my urethra is differently located, much more visible. I went to GP yesterday, he said everything was ok but today it seems more visible. However yesterday he diagnosed inflamed urethra and confirmed urine infection by dipstick, could it be this instead?

If I could have some advice, its SAt night (typical!) and so my docs is closed til MOnday.

TIA

Hi Blue, not sure its something anyone will be able to 'diagnose' over the internet tbh, but do you have antibiotics for the infection? Maybe its worth seeing what it looks like once any infection and inflammation/ swelling has died down?

Hi, yes I have antibiotics. It just looks like its in a totally different place. Yesterday it was swollen but in a different location IYSWIM! I can wait, I just wasn't sure if it mattered if I did wait. TBH, I have felt like it has been wrong since I had my son, but not wrong enough to be concerned. Now I'm wishing I had been more concerned.

Thank you for answering.

Evening all, just popped by to check on Schrodinger, I've been out all day but thinking about you, glad you got uour ABs in the end and hope you are improving.

I'm on a phone, so not going to make a long post but would say regarding IBS, my mum has it and she swears by somrthing called food combining, which means you don't eat protein st the same as carbs but have them at different times of the day.

Blue it might be a prolapse but I guess uou need to wait for the infection to clear to really know. Also, many people live with mild prolapses for years without it actually causing any problems, I did until mine hot suddenly a lot worse this year. Another visit to the GP would be a good idea if you're worried.

WhoKnows Hey, yeah I'm okayish thanks :), feel really sick though. ABs should be kicking in soon.

For IBS I seriously swear by Buscopan.

Hi all and welcome to the new girls! I've been away for a bit so am now catching up with all the new posts, so sorry if I'm not answering everything!

Fen - I was absolutely a nervous wreck before this op as I knew exactly what I was letting myself in for and had been really depressed after the first one due to bad treatment from the consultant etc. Plus my Dad had just died prior to the second op and all in all I lost a stone in weight and looked a complete mess. Even the lovely consultant suggested I postpone it until I felt more on top of things, but I said I just had to get it done asap and I would feel better. He warned all the nursing staff that I was very anxious about it all and gave me lots of care and attention. It was a much more positive experience than the first op and I came round in tears of relief grinning from ear to ear. However, I am still having the odd sleepless night waking in terror reliving the first op, so am wondering if I need to see a shrink!!! Lol. I can totally understand how you are feeling - I can't think of anything to help ease your fears other than a glass of wine, but October is a long way off and you will need AA before then if you go down that route!!!! XXXXX Big hugs

Roseanna - any questions re the tvt then ask. I am very happy I had it done as I have NO leaking at all now. A very funny thing happened whilst I was away - took my Mum to a circus in France and the clown was walking about looking for people to go into the ring for one of the acts. He kept walking past me and I muttered to my mother about not making eye contact etc. etc. But, he wouldn't go away and stood in front of me blowing his whistle until I was under the spot light so I had to follow him into the ring. Well, there was I in a bloody circus ring having to do star jumps with a French clown while my 80 year old mother was crying with laughter knowing the surgery I have just had and that star jumps were part of the urodynamic test etc. etc. and a recipe for disaster. But..... all held well, no leaking in front of the entire tent and I survived to tell the tale so TVT has been well and truly tested to the limits and all is good!!! Lol .

On another note, make sure you don't have a cystocele at all because if you do this must be fixed at the same time as the tvt insertion (according to my consultant) or the tape won't work so well and you can get urge incontinence. xxx

Footle, my doc did blood tests and they came back fine but the consultant wasn't able to access them so had them done again last week and I'm guessing these were to rule out things like Chron's etc.....Hoping something will show up on the colonoscopy or endoscopy or scan of back passage...?? It's pretty severe, you're right! Think it may be a catch 22 tho.....as in I'm stressed about going out/eating out in case of having an accident and therefore get diarrhoea and thus making an accident more likely! I'm just confused that my doc said I had reduced control in my anal sphincter muscle and the consultant said I didin't! Just feel if I had control of my bowels again, like I once did I wouldn't be worrying where the nearest toilet was and would feel safe in the knowledge I'd be able to hold on until I get to one. It's grim I can't leave the house without my emergency bag of spare clothes, wipes etc for just-in-case - I'd love to just have a little handbag, esp now my daughter obv doesn't need all the baby paraphernalia carrying around...

Roseanna1 - Can I get Colpermin over the counter?

Monica, you can buy colpermin over the counter.

Buscopan is an anti-spasmodic and makes a huge difference to the crippling cramps. You can buy this over the counter too. I think it probably helps your guts slow down as well, because it stops the crazy spasms.

I take BIO-KULT probiotics as it has 14 strains of beneficial bacteria. You can get it online. You have to stick with it though, as it can take a while to repopulate your gut bacteria.

Have you thought about learning any relaxation techniques. I have some breathing exercises I can do and that helps me too.

I think with IBS, there are lots of small changes you can make to help. It won't always work, but it can really help with symptom control.

I'm fairly confident about what I can eat, so when I eat out I stick to the foods I'm ok with & if I go to a friends house, then I'll always say I can't eat wheat. If anything else comes up I'm not good with, then I'll just leave it.

My GP suggested I try an exclusion\elimination diet. If you are veggie, you could try two days on rice and pears - they are both very unlikely to be triggers. I'm no expert though, so it may be worth getting proper advice, rather than my anecdotal suggestions!

Hi All. I'm new to all this having found this thread through a google search and I'm so glad that I did. I am 39 years old and 12 days post op after having a tvt, anterior and posterior repair. I had read up a bit prior to the op but it's really hard to find any good info other than the surgical aspects of what would happen. Anyway, I went in for tvt, anterior repair (cystocele) and perineal repair due to laxity. My surgeon advised the day after the op that I had to have more work done at the rear than he anticipated as he found a bulge. I'm assuming it was a rectocele but all he said was he had to cut the rear wall and pull it together and I should notice a big difference so not sure what he did.

From what I've read I feel quite lucky as I've not had any problems emptying my bladder after my catheter was removed the morning after surgery. My bm's have been not too bad, no doubt helped along by the lactulose and senokot I've been taking since the day after the op. This has made a huge difference after the constipation I have suffered with over the last couple of years. Painwise I think I'm doing okay. I haven't taken any painkillers for the last few days and am managing fine. I've had a look and I have to say it all looks very neat. No bulges like before and only one bit of stitch that I can see poking out. Fingers crossed this will all be worth it in the end.

I do have a couple of questions I'd like to ask the people who are further on than me and I'd be happy to answer any questions from anyone waiting to have or thinking about having the surgery.

Firstly, how do you know if you have an infection? I have a yellowy discharge as well as light bleeding which looks kind of like pus. I feel okay (or certainly not any worse) and there's no smell that I've noticed.

Secondly, all I seem to be able to find on the net relating to tvt is horror stories. Maybe that's because people with successful procedures aren't rushing to tell everyone online. So far I'm okay. I can't feel anything and don't appear to have any external scars that I was expecting. This made me wonder if the tvt had been done but I haven't had any stress incontinence at all and my discharge papers say it was done. Anyway, has anyone had this done and had a good experience?

Lastly (I promise), how long should I wait before sex? The hope of a better sex life is one of the reasons I wanted the op but I'm a bit nervous about trying. My surgeon said to wait six weeks but from what I've read I'm wondering if that's long enough.

Sorry for this huge post but I'm the anxious type and have a lot of questions and no one to ask.

Footle Kittie is a good name. :)

Will be back later to have a proper look through messages and talk to people. Feel bad as it seems I am ignoring posters after me, I'm really not, just a bit dizzy atm. :o

Hope everyone is okay today.

Misty, can't answer all your questions, but I'm nearly 3 weeks post a posterior repair (recotcele & enterocele). I had a kind of pale pink / yellowy discharge (that did look a bit like pus) until a few days ago. However, I felt ok, had no rise in temperature and it didn't smell bad - so I kind of assumed that there was no infection. It is definitely getting less & less each day - so I'm hoping tha was the right assumption.

With regard to sex, nothing is going near my fanjo until the consultant has checked everything at 6 weeks and then I'll take his advice. There is no way I'm risking any damage to my repair - not even for sex!

Thanks Bugsy. It's so reassuring to hear of others with the same issues. I think being stuck at home unable to do anything just gives me more time to worry. I'll just assume that the discharge I have is normal unless I start to feel ill.

One of the other things that worries me is that I don't have a follow up appointment with my consultant so how do I know everything is as it should be?

Roll on 20 September when I can go back to work. Never thought I would say that!

Hi Sure, laughed so much at the starjumps comment - know exactly what you mean! Thanks for the advice re the tvt as well. I'm going to speak to the consultant to get the 'official' diagnosis and at that point I think I need a frank conversation along the lines of wanting everything done that needs doing in one go, as I can see this going on and on and on. I noticed about a week ago that my cervix seemed a bit lower, but put it down to being near my period and my general hypochondriac tendencies since I found the first prolapse :o I checked again today though and is lower again, so think I might now have a uterine prolapse as well as cystocele and the failed rectocele repair and the stress incontinence. Falling apart altogether it seems! A big issue for me is getting the diagnosis though, because although the cystocele actually is through the opening now, with my.cervix immediately behind it when I'm in a squatting position, this completely disappears when I'm lying down. Have told the doc this but he doesn't appear to want to examine me standing up, so I'm not sure he can always see what I'm talking about :( Am feeling quite a lot of low, front pain, feels like a friction burn iykwim, so really I just want it all sorted.

There...rant over :o

How was your hols?

Hi Misty - I've had the same procedures as you (cystocele, rectocele, tvt and perineum repair) and am now 8 weeks post op. I did have an infection at about 2 weeks - noticed what looked like pus and had a slight burning sensation/stinging when going to the loo so I went to the GP just to be sure. They took a swab and gave me some antibiotics which seemed to help. When the results came through I did have an infection and the GP had given me the wrong anti-b's so started another lot and since then all has been absolutely fine. My incisions from the tvt are tiny and are in my pubic hair right above the pubic bone - I only found them by pressing with my finger and where it felt like a bruise was where the tape ends came out.

With regard to sex, I don't have a partner atm so am not rushed in that department, but I am only just able to have a feel now, 8 weeks post op. Things do feel quite tight so if I was thinking about sex I would put it off a bit longer, say 10-12 weeks as it feels as if I would only rip newly formed scar tissue. If, when the time comes, it feels too tight, then the GP can prescribe some vaginal dilators (which I think Footle has used on this thread) which will gradually stretch the opening so it won't feel so sore. I was told by my consultant that it would all feel very tight but the tissue is designed to stretch and better to start off like that!
I hope I've answered some of your questions, but anything else you'd like to ask then please go ahead. xxx

Leonie - out of interest, did you ask to have the camera up your bum?? I don't think any of us had to have that just to confirm a rectocele. What were your symptoms? Sounds absolutely terrible, poor you X

Hello ladies, sorry that I have not had a chance to catch up with the thread.
Trying to keep calm and pack for tomorrow and have all sorts of thoughts going through my head.
I will see you all on the other side and report back when I can x

Bladder - will be thinking of you. Xxxx

Monica, I didn't mean to offend. Lucky you to have found a good'un!

Lots of walking today and boy do I know it! Will be asking some questions of my own nearer the my op.....

Good luck tomorrow Bladderama x

Just to butt in re sedation, bear in mind that sedation's primary function isn't to make you fall asleep or reduce pain, but to remove the memory of it. I never take sedation because I know I will feel pain at that moment in time, even if I can't recollect it later. Individual choice of course, but just something to think about x