Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc part 7

[gottagetthroughthis]

This is thread 7 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
Thread 6

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.

Had an appointment with the doctor this afternoon. She didn't want to have a look! Basically what she has said is to go next week for H.Pylori breath test then go back to see her and if I decide I want to speak to someone about getting a rectocele repair she will refer me. She mentioned the names of two consultants so I came home and googled them as you do:) Neither is a Urogynae though. One is colorectal and the other one works in urology. I do know that our local womens hospital has a urogynae department so can I and should I ask her to refer me there instead?Am thinking it was a fairly successful appointment in that she had no problem offering to refer me but she didn't look to see what is going on and I came home with lactulose and senna neither of which look very appealing:) One of my big problems is constipation that I can't seem to get under control no matter what I do:( Chemist gave me some glycerin supp when I asked there.Any tips or advice on trying to 'go' a big more regularly?

Hi, I'm new to this website. I am hoping to find some answers about my A&P repair.
I am now 4 weeks post op and just finished my first period since the op, which was very painful :-(
I have started to bleed again but am not sure if this is because of my period or anything to do with the op! I am quite smelly down there, even though i am showering daily. Is this normal as don't want to keep seeing my doctor unnecessarily, as i have already seen her twice , once for an infection and then cause the antibiotics gave me thrush!!

Is this normal, could my period be starting again even though id finished or should i be worried??
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Deb - I'd go to the Dr again, it does sound like an infection, unfortunately some people do get more than one. It could also just be your stitches coming away I suppose, but best to get it checked, the smell does tend to make you think infection.

Charley - can't believe the GP didn't examine you! Hard to know whether you need urogynae or colorectal or whatever if she didn't look. Perhaps you could ask at your surgery (or look on their website) and find out if any of the Drs specialise in Women's Health and phone and ask the receptionist if you could be seen by that one instead? A bit awkward though. I don't have any suggestions for the constipation I'm afraid, it is not a problem I've had.

Dear Charlie - I will share my constipation tips with you! I get it a lot :(

I take Fibogel twice daily to make sure that I am getting regular fibre and to help keep things soft I have a glass of water around for sipping on (or bottle) in addition to regular buckets of weak tea.

For breakfast, I have porridge (cholesterol lowering, one hopes) with 8 prunes (they provide the 'oommph'), orange juice and fibogel, sometimes a banana and a cup of tea. I try and have some salad and fruit with my lunch and evening meal is usually of the meat/fish and three veg variety (or something veggie with pulses), with the second fibogel.

I have just 'discovered' that progesterone bungs me up. I never had any problems before I was pregnant but when I was, it was always a fight to keep going, especially after you add in the iron pills. This is because it slows down the smooth muscles of the intestines and things just take longer to go through and then dry out. I used to have a bad couple of days before a period on the combined pill but had to change to progestogen only, which I have realised is NOT for me (the above breakfast was devised to counteract this and was not good enough, but I have stuck to it post-op). Codeine also slows things down, so I need something extra when taking this. I have been taking dulcoease in the middle of the day when this is bad. People on here swear by movicol, but I could not get any before my op. Occasional coffee also stimulates the smooth muscles, but that can mean urge (urine) incontinence for me.

So, I would advise taking something gentle regularly to keep things going, lots of fluids, lots of fruit/veg, a good breakfast that works for you - this helps keep you regular, then go to the loo at the same time (after breakfast) and use the suppositories if you have to, to try and 'train' your bowels into working when you want them to

(I seem to have lost the 'urge' due to constipation, and will be looking up 'bowel training' on the internet later!)

Deb I would go to the doc and get checked out anyway, just to be on the safe side.
Who knows I thought it really weird that she didn't want to examine me, wore my best undies and everything:) She is a really good doc usually so am thinking I will go with what she says for now and when I go back to see her in Feb if I'm still not happy there is another doc at the surgery I know is good with womens problems so will make an appointment to see her.

Forgot 'exercise' too!

Mermaid the advice that I was given by the consultant to look after the repairs was to maintain a healthy body weight, do PFE's and to not lift anything too heavy. When you do need to lift things to lift them correctly. He said that it really was about correct behaviours and that he finds that women who have had repairs are a lot more careful and tend to look after them naturally.

Deb it does sound like you need a trip to the GP, such a worrying time for you.

Celegirl glad that you are recovering well and healing wishes to both you and yellow

Charley I am really surprised that your GP didn't examine you and I have no clue what an H.Pylori breath test is or what it looks for?

I am loving all the ideas about gentle things to keep amused during recovery. I was hopeless and unable to concentrate on anything useful.

I have booked surgery for a week on Monday and am feeling slightly apprehensive. I will be so glad when this journey is over because I am starting to feel like my body is not my own, has any-one else felt like this?

Welcome to all new ladies. Well ... after whinging all year I finally went skiing last week and it was fantastic. In fact all cystocele I symptoms disappeared with the adrenaline and rectocele repair felt good. When I took my first lift up and stood on the mountain I thought of you all and wished I could send some of the overwhelming joy I felt. Sounds OTT but it has been such a miserable year and to feel well and have hope that I can return to all the things I love was quite emotional.

Had a feel this morning for the first time in a while and the back wall repaired in March is nice and smooth and firm. All the ridging has gone - so for those of you still recovering it does take time - the last time I felt it was all ridgey in there. Cystocele still spongy and strangely my uterus which I thought had decended seems to be higher.

Feel really strong emotionally and physically for the cystocele repair on Monday. Although in for + or - hysterectomy I feel they'll probably leave it as it feels higher. Relieved I'm to be first in and feel I'm finally on the home run. When I think of this time last year I was absolutely on my knees mentally and physically. I'm hoping it will be easier to recover from a cystocele repair than the rectocele. Or, maybe it'll be easier because I'm in a much stronger frame of mind.

Yellowhorse - a very good friend had a cystocele repair and hysterectomy last March and rectocele repair the year before. She has horses and I normally ride with her but I have felt unable to all year. She says her repairs feel good and she is back to all normal activity. She carries saddles etc but is more careful with bales of hay etc. She was in my party last week and both of us were on top of the world. There's a lot of conflicting advice as to what you and can't do follow repair. I had two consultants tell me I could never ride or ski again and then a third said I could. He was the one who eventually did the operation and I do trust his opinion - it's not just that he said what I wanted to hear!!!!

Wouldrather, so pleased for you.

thanks for the tips Dahlia:) I struggle to eat lately, good for the weight loss but not for the constipation though I have a feeling the constipation is partly to blame in the not eating. I am a terrible patient, I have a medication phobia, a fear of hospitals, germs,anesthetics oh and of being sick lol. Even the fibrogel and lactulose is giving me the wobbles. I was surprised she didn't examine me too but she does know how desperately I avoid doctors so I wouldn't have been there unless I was desperate:) Desperate I am too, I will gladly face my fears in an attempt to fix my bits.
Wouldrather, sounds like you had a great time, really happy for you:)
Bladderama H.pylori is a bug type thing in your stomach. Hospital my bloods were sent to don't do the blood version anymore so have to go back to breathe into a tube. Total waste of time and cant really see how it relates to my dodgy bits but I will go breathe into the tube!
Can anyone give me an idea of time scale from going to see the consulatant to getting an op? Had heard 18 weeks floating about but in reality does it take much longer?

Hello again, its been quite a long time since I posted, September time I think, I got a bit overwhelmed by thinking about it all the time, so sorry for not keeping up with it all. However I have spent the last few days reading this whole thread and its been very helpful. I saw the Dr in August, got referred, finally saw consultant at end of October, who was quite thorough but very quick and I couldn't keep up with what she was saying, I got the impression she wanted me in and out as soon as possible, I was so glad I had taken notes in with me about my symptoms and how things had progressed and a list of questions to ask, otherwise I wouldn't have probably said or remembered anything. Just before she tried to usher me out the door I asked about pessarys, she was like, do you want one now? But if I hadn't mentioned it, it wasn't going to be suggested. So back on the table, pessary inserted and I left feeling rushed and a bit confused with a urodynamics followup appt to come and a scan, but not really knowing why. She said I needed an anterior and posterior repair, but my uterus wasn't prolapsed, which was what the Dr had diagnosed, at least that's something. The pessary rubbed for a while, but instantly stopped the horrible dragging feeling, and has enabled me to carry on, somewhat normally again.
Anyway fast forward had the urodynamics test which less than pleasant but outcome was positive, and got some tablets for the urge incontinence. The consultant asked me if I wanted tho go on the list for surgery (this was mid Nov), I thought I was already on it, anyway I said yes, so they finally called to fix a date for surgery a couple of days ago and I'm going in Feb 19th.
Anyway, so checking in and saying hello.

Thanks for all your advice. The blood has now turned brown but I am quite sore and it stings when going to the toilet. Something that I thought I had gotten through in week two! I thought I had turned a corner but obviously not, so I aim to see my gp on Monday, just to check all is ok. To be honest I haven't really been able to rest like they tell you to as my partner also had an operation to have both jaws broken and realigned. This meant I then became nurse and put my recovery on hold. I just hope I haven't hindered this!!

It has been good to know others are out there who have had the same or similar procedure who know what we're going through and can understand my concerns. For this I thank you all. Xx

Wouldrather , glad you had a good holiday and got some skiing in. I cancelled our ski trip as I didn't know what was happening with everything and hadn't seen the consultant by the time the money was due, I was lucky, my friends found others to take our places and I got my deposit back too. Am pleased I made the decision not to go, as it would have been financially crippling to go and have been saving so I can afford to have up to 8 weeks off work, I only hope I feel well enough to go back by then. Am self employed and sitting down, reduced hours or a staged return is not an option...
Bladder, glad your getting there, you were having terrible troubles last time I posted.
I am madly trying to get everything in place so I am mentally and physically prepared for the op. Next on the list is shopping for essentials, I have picked up from this thread :-) oh and giving up smoking, might give that a try this weekend..... Don't need a cough for the op.

hi everyone. I wasn't happy with the doctor a few weeks ago so I want to see the nurse practitioner who used to be a midwife. she said she couldn't find a prolapse but when I bear down the vaginal wall curls over and that is what I can see and fell. and that's all she said! she said she was going to ring the gyne department and see what they say. so now I'm in a major panic wondering what is wrong with me. I've just turned 30 and I feel desperately depressed. is this something I would need a operation for?I feel like nothing is being explained to me.

Thx again everyone.
Charliemo,I was Nhs,and it was less than 4 weeks from seeing the consultant to my actual op. I was rather fortunate my local Nhs has a good arrangement with a private hospital,and I was operated on there. I usually choose private,but this was a pre existing condition,so my healthcare provider would not cover me. I do think I was it severe,as had left it until I had little choice but to seek help,my own fault and being a tough horse woman,wasn't going to let it interfere with my life till I had hardly any option! I also saw the consultant within 4weeks for the initial consultation.
Would rather,good to hear people can get back to nomad levels of activity. I am hoping I can. Having seen some of the problems some poor ladies on here have experienced, I just feel very blessed that,touch wood,I m feeling well enough to be bored! Snow cleared enough this afternoon to allow me to go for a walk!

charleymo5 I was fobbed off with laxatives for years, and they only make the problem worse. Please start the process of getting a repair as soon as you can, as it can take many years to get someone willing to acknowledge the problems (and they do get progressively worse, especially if you are on laxatives for a long time - it makes peristalsis reduce, so I later discovered). I was told that Glycerol suppositories are the kindest, if you have to use anything. I have a diagnosis, but still fighting for repair (I have ended up taking legal advice). In the interim, I have been given a Colpolast Peristeen kit (rectal irrigation), and I avoid any painkillers (they cause constipation), get lots of soft fibre in your diet, keep a footstool by the loo (I have one of those little folding ones), as soon as you get any urge go straight to the loo, sit with your feet up on the stool, and clench your buttocks and pelvic floor muscles, also keep leaning forward then backwards to squash and release pressure repeatedly, DON'T strain. This works for me much of the time, and the more I make sure to respond to even the slightest urge it helps. I have found that exercise, such as squatting then standing and reaching up high with my arms repeatedly, and bending to hold on to my ankles whilst wiggling my bum a bit also helps. Oh, and pro-biotic capsules, with water, just before you get into bed at night.

I hope everyone on here is progressing better towards repair than I have yet managed. Hugs to all! xx

Has anyone heard of Mr Ian Lindsay, at Oxford? Has anyone been treated by him? I've read one of his articles, and he seems more up-to-date than some I have seen.

Thanks Nannasylv I got some suppositories from the chemist so will stick to those. Back at the Gp in a couple of weeks and am going to tell her to refer me. Going to ask for the Womens Hospital. Flipping heckYelowhorse 4 weeks! Don't think mine is that bad, I mean it doesn't actually hang out but it is made alot worse I think because of a lack perineal tissue:( Bathroom trips are a nightmare! Am looking for a new job, where I am now involves alot of very heavy lifting and no sit downs during my shifts causing lots of dragginess and pain.

Re NHS waiting times, I was told 18 weeks from referral to surgery, I think I saw the GP start of May, gynae sometime in July and surgery 26th Sept. I was offered 27th Aug initially but was on holiday. The end of Sept was actually perfect for me, kids were settled back in at school and I was well on the way to being better by half term and fully fit for Christmas, I would have hated to have had it at the beginning of the summer and missed the holidays.

Nanna - no, haven't heard of Mr Lindsay.

Bladder - my post crossed with yours - yes I know exactly what you mean about my body not being my own - stress is rising as I go in at 7.15 am tomorrow. I've just packed my bag. I also planned to sort photos etc last time but didn't achieve much at all. I'd like to think I'll sort some photos out for framing this time but will not beat myself up if I don't get around to it.

Sorry Nannasylv don't really know any consultants outside my area and sorry you are still having to deal with these horrible conditions.

hh83 I've not heard of this - are you able to ring the nurse practitioner to ask for more explanation or ask what the gynae department's response was. Sorry can't be more help.

Would rather, good luck for tomorrow.

Who knows, i was also told 18 wks but from consultant appt to surgery. By the consultant, I waited 2 months from referral to consultant appt.

Nanna, not heard of him either, sorry

Nannasylv, I was thinking about you the other day! Sorry to hear you are still having problems. it sounds like you do have a plan though! Good luck.

... And wouldrather, I hope tomorrow goes well and you are then firmly in the path to recovery.

Wouldrather so pleased that you had a good holiday and good luck tomorrow, will be thinking of you x

Sorry Nanasylv I have not heard of Mr Lindsay.

Hope that you are feeling better Deb and getting some rest.

Charley referral from GP to surgery took 3 weeks using private health insurance.

Sorry hh8 I have not heard of that either and hope that you hear back soon.

Good to see you thrifty and glad that you have a date sorted for surgery and not too long to wait.

I have been cooking like a mad women filling the freezer with meals ready for next Monday. I feel better for getting organised but am not sleeping properly, any advice ladies?

Lavender Bladder - shake up a few drops of lavender oil with some water in a spray bottle and spray lightly onto your pillow, it really helps me sleep.

hh - have you had an episiotomy or tear that required stitching in childbirth? Maybe you've got folds because of that.