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.

Is there a connection between fallen fanjos and hopeless husbands???

So sorry to hear of all of the H troubles you ladies are so brave dealing with all of this with that aswell it is very humbling to read.

Nanny a 16 year wait is absolutely awful I am so glad that you have a diagnosis and hope that you get the treatment that you need soon.

Roseanna how are you? I have been thinking about you.

Post I saw the consultant yesterday for a 2 week check up and now understand why I have had trouble sitting. The perineal repair was more significant that I realised but is improving every day.

I feel quite guilty reading all of your posts and ongoing troubles with fallen fanjo's when I feel like a new woman. All bladder troubles have gone and the horrible general discomfort has gone too not to mention the disrupted sleep and waking up with backache every day.
I cant thank you all enough for the support and encouragement and hope that you will all feel 10 years younger soon too.
It's crazy to think that I put this off for so long when the actual experience has been so positive and not the horror that I thought it would be.

Surewoman I meant to say that I was very impressed with the tampon comments such a satisfying achievement for you.

Hello ladies, especially to the newbies. Wasn't it lovely to hear from Nannasylv? I've been very busy with RL, but do feel terrible that I didn't wish you well, Roseanna - I hope you are recovering well.
Daisy(cal) I hope the BM issue is all sorted now, it's truly miserable.
Coco - could it be a bubble of air you feel escaping? I know I get this.
Bladder - it's great to hear you're doing so well and I want to thank you. I had a lightbulb moment reading your post about the backache.... I've been having terrible problems with sleeping (and being able to get out of bed in the morning!) and also find that at the end of the day my legs feel like they're walking through porridge and don't belong to me. I assumed that it was because I have a bit of a dodgy back anyway and might also be due to the first op (I came round nearly crying in pain from my back) but now it all makes sense....
Post - try adjusting your seat if you can so you are not so upright - it helped me!
Sure - I couldn't use tampons for years because they were so uncomfortable and so I just stopped. Not that I need them now, but another connection made! Very much so far so good for you, take care of yourself.
So... Life has been quite stressful recently, with DD2 starting secondary and Ex playing power games over the hols. I'm also very nervous about the next op and sick of thinking about it, and all of my symptoms. Someone here (sorry can't remember who) mentioned 'skin tags' as part of their problems - they're not actually skin tags, they're where the tissue has sagged so that it gathers into bumps. I call mine the sea urchin but I don't know how it is because I can't bring myself to look anymore..... Suffice to say I'm feeling rather low at the moment - I can't believe how tired I get and feel very old. (Not ready to be written off just yet - at least until I know how this op will affect me.)
I've been mulling over what Sure said about straying husbands and fallen fanjos... A thought comes to mind that links the two but it's not the sort of language I normally use and would shock you all! It's a real shame though that the men we gave so much of our lives and love to couldn't support us when we needed them. (In the case of us separated or divorced ladies of course!)
Sorry for the essay, I feel better now I've got that all off my chest!

Fen for you xxxx Please don't ever apologise for ranting on here - it's also what it is for! (and you have a lot of friends on here - we have all become quite close on this thread having discussed so many personal issues)Are you back at work yet? It's always a shock to the system even when you are feeling well rested, but with new secondary schools, rubbish from ex (had that too, so stayed here hiding over the summer!!! Lol!) and above all still not happy with your bits down below, it's no wonder you are feeling miz. Don't forget that you are also having hormonal ups and downs after the hysterectomy which won't be helping. Big hugs your way xxxx

Roseanna - how are you?? So sorry I didn't wish you luck, but was thinking of you. Hope all went ok and you aren't too sore xxx

I was checking in to see if Roseanna had posted, hope that you are okay x

First period post repair has arrived, dear goodness please tell me that awful cramps and incredibly heavy is normal for this? Totally not normal for me feel sick.

Bladder, my period post op was very unusually crampy and felt pukey. Set off my IBS (again!!!!) and I had to pop a few buscopan, which helped with the period cramps too. I'm also hoping that it will go back to normal again. I'm wondering whether the stress of everything made it worse - I can't think what else it would be?

Fen, so sorry that you are having ex problems on top of everything else. You have my sympathy & empathy. Mine is a constant pain. I regularly post in other areas about what an arse he is! Hope things pick up for you soon.

Bladder, my first period post op was horrendous too. I felt very crampy, nauseous and headachey. Not sure why that should be after the surgery but seems quite common from what I've read.

I hope everyone's getting on well whether post op, pre op or just going through the getting diagnosed process x

Thanks post and misty
It sounds like it is to be expected I really don't want to start vomiting whilst still full of stitches. Have had coffee and paracetamol so fingers crossed.

Hi all, thanks for all your kind wishes x
Things didn't go as well as hoped I'm afraid, so instead of day surgery I was in for 4.nights. I had total urinary retention and needed catheterization for the first day, but more importantly from the second I opened my eyes after surgery I knew something was very wrong as I was in agony. I got strong painkillers but still in tears anytime I moved my legs. I was sent for contrast ct scans, blood tests, iv antibiotics etc, but still not fixed. Doc thinks I have an irritated nerve. Got home last night with morphine tablets, but collapsed within an hour of getting home. Feel very slightly better every day, but don't know how much longer I can last. Doc says options are to try to manage the pain as best be can or take it out, so trying the first option at the moment. Doc has been absolutely brilliant I have to say, even coming in on Saturday on his day off to check on me, so thinking I am very lucky that at least they're taking this seriously and I do believe they're doing all they can. Just can't believe the pain I'm in :(

Oh no Roseanna, how awful. I don't know what to say, other than that I hope things start improving fast. I'm glad they are doing all they can for you anyway.

Oh Roseanna - for you. I don't know what to suggest to help, only that it must be a pinched nerve or something similar. Jackie62 might be of some help as she had a lot of problems and then had her tape taken out. Maybe swop symptoms with her??? Do you know which make of tvt-o you have in you? I had urine retention too for about 3 days but then it all got going again, too much so for 24 hours and then settled down. Now it's all fine.
xxxx Thinking of you and hope you are feeling a little better.x

Bladder - post op period was hell, next not so bad and now (just finished 3rd) back to normal, with no flooding xx

Roseanna, I hope by this time you're tucked up in the land of nod. All I can say is, don't put up with pain. Keep calling the doctor out to get some help with it. Fingers crossed it will settle soon. Big hugs to you.

Roseanna, please insist that the tape is taken out ASAP. I had avery similar story to tell. There is no point in struggling on hoping for the best. The symptoms will only get worse with the same outcome in the end. I really feel for you as I know exactly what you are going through. The TVT removal. Operation is a big op to recover from but if you have it removed quickly it will be easier to remove as the tissues will not have grown over it, and it will not have the chance to move and cut you internally. The other problem is of an inflammatory reaction, again the earlier it is taken out the better. The symptoms are a mixture of mechanical damage, nerve damage ( the surgeons don't know exactly where it is inside your body. The tape was on a nerve in my left groin and sending pain down my left leg) and inflammatory response.
My surgeon was Natalia Price at the JR hospital inOxford. She removes tvt tape laparoscopically and I think she does an amazing job as it is supposed to be a permanent implant. Please ring her. If you have to come to Oxford, let me know and I will come and see you. You will probably be in for about 3 days and will need TLC afterwards for a few weeks. It seems a bit daunting,but is worth it, I promise!
Good luck, xxx

Roseanna so sorry to hear that things did not go well that sounds so painful for you
Hope that it get alot better soon or that you get the help that you need. xx

(( )) Roseanna. Sounds so grim. I hope you might be in a bit less pain this morning and they get you sorted really soon.

I had 6 week check with consultant following rectocele / enterocele repair. He was pleased with how everything had healed. The strange ridges I can feel along the scar line are not the stitches, which have now disolved, but just tissue ridges from where they were & will apparently flatten out.

We talked about exercise & lifting etc & he said I should never forget that I was mended & not good as new. He advised no heavy lifting ever again if at all possible. I'm a huge Pilates fan & he said that I must make sure I do the exercises properly. He said that physios have started to notice that alot of women do pilates incorrectly & instead of pulling in their pelvic floor / core muscles & breathing, they actually bear down & hold their breath. The latter being very bad for over straining the pelvic floor. Fortunately, my teacher is a physio, so I'll get her to double check that I'm doing my exercises properly. Thought that was interesting though.

Hello ladies, I have stumbled across this thread and am posting because I have been crying my eyes out today.

My story is that 8 months ago I had my DD: failed ventouse followed by forceps. I had an episiotomy and still ended up with a 3rd degree tear. However, I thought I had healed well - apart from things being noticeably ... errr .... looser while having sex ... and thought no more about it. Anyway, have been doing my pelvic floor exercises all this time.

A few weeks ago I suspected I was beginning to leak urine, when exercising. Now I feel like I have a heavy sensation in my vagina when walking around. I can kind of liken it to walking around after incorrectly inserting a tampon (i.e. not pushing it up high enough). I now fear I am suffering some sort of prolapse and I've been reading the treatments and feel so bleak about it all.

I have made an appointment with my doctor for Thursday morning to discuss it further. Just can't stop crying.

Thank you for your lovely messages of support. I called the hospital this morning and the consultant agreed to see me straight away. He came out to the waiting room and helped me into the consultation room as I could barely walk. He was very kind to me and said he thought I'd suffered long enough and he will take the tape back out on Thursday morning and that there are other procedures he can do but wants to wait a while to let me recover from this surgery before we discuss anything else, which I agree with. I'm a bit scared of the removal, its being done as day surgery and being taken out by essentially unpicking the stitches he put in last week. He said the original procedure had been straightforward and it went in easily so is hoping that as its only been in a week it should be easier to remove than if tissue had time to work itself through the mesh. Sounds quite different from the laparoscopic approach you had Jackie? Did you have yours longer before you had it removed? Your doc sounds great but am hundreds of miles away and I just couldn't travel right now, but thank you for sharing that.
Am really anxious, but glad the pain should be better in the next 48hrs...not sure I could take much more of this even with the morphine tablets they gave me. I feel so drugged up but still in agony right now.

Sure - I had a sneaky peek at the notes when they left them in my room and it said 'Gynaecare tvt' and a couple of sets of numbers which I guess are serial numbers/ batch codes?

Blimey roseanna - you poor thing. It sounds like you are in the most terrible pain. Roll on Thursday.

Bellakins - try not to feel too down. Hopefully, you will get a referral from your GP to a consultant on Thursday.

Roseanna - I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope your consultant sorts you out with a little messing around as possible. We're all rooting for you.

Roseanna - glad you are getting it taken out again so quickly and that the consultant was sympathetic, good luck for Thursday.

Bugsy - I still do Pilates, I go to one of the Body Control instructors and she modifies all the routines to suit all the various injuries in the class. The prolapse certainly restricts how much I can do which is frustrating, I don't actually think I'm getting much benefit out of it now, not sure how it will be long term. I steer well clear of Pilates classes that are just run by the local gym instructors. The heavy lifting is the bothersome one, I have never shied away from heavy lifting before and still pick up my 6 year old DD quite often.

Bellakins - sorry to hear you are suffering, you have come to the right thread for sympathy. It does sound as though you might have a prolapse, but obviously only a Dr can tell you. Hope yours is sympathetic and will refer you straight away.

Roseanna - I am so glad that your consultannt has agreed to take it out straight away. Let's hope that it turns out to be a simple operation and a straight-forward recovery. I feel really bad that I am ok after my tvt (it was Gynecare classic tvt). At least you have Jackie to compare notes with and who really knows what you are going through (not that that is much consolation). Do they have any idea as to why these things are ok for some and a disaster for others?? I wonder what it is that makes the difference. Big hugs for you xxxx

Bellakins - try not to dwell on it until you have seen the dr. Does sound exactly like a prolapse, but in your case maybe physio would make a big difference as you gave birth only 8 months ago?? (not years ago like us miserable lot! Lol!) Here's hoping you get some answers xxx

Does anyone know which type of exercise is good for us fallen fanjo lot? It sounds like the only 'safe' one is swimming, and I really wanted to take up Zumba... ! xxx

Jackie - the above post sounds/reads all wrong - I didn't mean it wasn't much consolation talking to you, but that it was nice to have someone to compare notes with, even if it is a sorry state of affairs - hope you didn't get offended!!! xxx ps hope you are feeling better x

Post - were you ever told why you had an enterocele??? The only people I have come across who have had one had also had a hysterectomy. I still don't quite know why I got such a massive one as nobody seemed to be able to answer my questions. Do you have any pain at all now? Glad the dr is pleased with your recovery xxx

Roseanna, so glad the surgeon has taken you seriously. Better out than in, and the sooner the better. Mine was in for four months by the time it was removed. My surgeon recognised that it had to come out about two months in but I had known something was wrong from the moment I woke up, I couldn't wee for four days and was sent home with self catheterisation kits. The pain three weeks in, having reduced the strong painkillers for the main operation, was unbelievable and I knew I couldn't live with it. When it cut sideways towards my bladder I thought I was going to die, and I had all sorts of nervy pains and nuero symptoms like numbness and a feeling of a vacuum in the ends of my fingers...
I have an ongoing thyroid condition and have to have regular blood tests and was in agony after one test with the nervy thing in my arm. That happened twice and we don't take Blood from that side any more.
Don't worry too much about the removal. I cant pretend it will be easy but the relief will be amazing. You will feel much better immediately, the pain will be completely different. However, don't go home that day whatever they say. You need to stay in to check that you are okay, and also to make sure you can wee okay. Make a fuss, refuse to move from the bed, stay for a couple of days and make sure you have someone who will look after you at home.
Bellakins, welcome. Good luck to both of you on Thursday! Xxx