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.

Fen - does the pulling and aching relate in any way to BM's??? I still find that I get that sort of feeling if my BM's are a bit hard (so then go back on the lactulose for a few days). Don't forget that you have two layers of stitches, the ones you can feel and another layer underneath that take longer to dissolve. When I got a stitch snipped it gave instant relief (but unfortunately only for a few days, because then the rest of the 'underneath' layer started to poke through ... OW!). Hope you feel more comfortable soon xxxx

Thanks Bladder. Chocolate sounds lovely but I'm trying to avoid it. I've put on a few pounds since my op and I need to lose them for my holiday in December. I've just had a couple of satsumas and am tring to convince myself that they are better than chocolate ·

Fen, I found my stitches hurt more just before they came out and there was a little bit of bleeding when they did come away. I hope you get your troublesome one sorted tomorrow.

I get pulling and twinging if I move a bit awkwardly, eg getting out of bed, and definitely aching and dragging if I'm on my feet for too long. Plus odd random twinges some of which are some way from the wound, eg lower abdomen. No sign of any stitches coming away here yet.

Thank you all for the thoughts - not associated with bm's or moving around sadly - there all the time and more like period pain (but have had hysterectomy). Will report back tomorrow. Off to bed with a codeine and movicol to counteract some of its effects!

Hi ladies, I'm 10 weeks post-op for TVH & anterior and posterior repair. My recovery has been reasonably uneventful and steady. I'm not back at work for another 2 weeks (my consultant didn't tell me to take 12 weeks off until I had my 6 week check-up, so I was surprised and relieved by that as I was still really tired). Anyway, I was wondering if anyone had experience of their stitches not dissolving? I mentioned at my 6 week check-up that they were really itching and the Dr said they wouldn't be there much longer. Anyway, 4 weeks later they are not itching but are still there! It's like 2 rows of barbed wire. Any ideas how I can get them to dissolve? I've tried loads of water-based lubrication to no avail. (It was a guess, but not a very good one it seems)

hope all you ladies are feeling well this morning sorry for my rant the other day and thankyou for your kind words been crying and depressed since saturday thinking why me but now i am just thinking of the postives now i can poo everyday i dont wet myself all day long i havent had horrendous periods for 2 months thanks to the coil just spotting i am just thinking of the self catheterising and water infections as little set backs that will get better with time
off to see the urogynae nurses this afternoon and hopefully the consultant to see what the say and doctors tomorrow cause note has run out for work
cant believe its been nearly 8 weeks
and yesterday my children and husband brought me a little dog to keep me company and to take walks and he is gorgeous

Thanks for all the replies. You are all stars Feeling good this morning. I have not been able to sleepin the day at all and very little sleep at night . Thi has only been since the op, is this common ? I think if we sleep we heal.I have loved reading all the comments, dont feel so alone with this. WQorried about the 10 to 12 weeks off work I really do have togo back after 7 weeks but can work at home 2 days a week untill the end December. I have to drive for 3,5 hours a day to get to work and back so am a bit worried there. Sorry, dont mean to be negative about my recovery but I would be devistated if I did something to ruin this op. When has everyone else gone back to work? I hope you are all feeling well today

Fen hope the snip gives you some relief
GuyFawkes - I'm only 6 weeks post op and no sign of stitches coming away yet, so I am starting to wonder the same thing.
Nana - sounds as though you have really turned a corner, lovely having a dog for company.
Slinky - going back at 7 weeks with that much driving does sound a little ambitious if I'm honest. Although it depends what sort of work you do and whether there is any scope for extra breaks etc. Might it be possible to work entirely at home for a week or two and then go back one day a week extra at a time or something? I'm planning to go back at 7 weeks but I only work 3 mornings and it's only 20mins drive away plus my employer is very relaxed and I know will be OK to let me go off again if it proves too much. I don't think you would ruin your surgery (unless your work is strenuous) but you may well end up completely exhausted/in a lot of discomfort and then you have a long drive home. Obviously I don't know what your employer is like, but if you're not fit for work you're not fit, I'm sure the doctor would be happy to sign you off for longer. I know it's not easy though, my DH would find it a nightmare if he had to have more than a few days off sick. As for the sleeping, it seems to vary from person to person, I know some on here have needed a lot of extra sleep, I. have not and have stuck to my usual patterns. I have been in bed alot more than usual, but either reading, Mning on my phone or watching telly, I only snoozed in the day time for the first couple of days. There have been quite a few nights when I have not slept well, partly because my legs have been achey, I suspect this is down to lack of exercise, but also because I seem to wake up every time I need to turn over, I suppose because of taking more care not to pull my stitches.

Who knows. Thanks for the reply. I am the manager which is why I feel I need to get back.My CEO is ok.I told him Iwould be doing 2 days at home. Work is desk job and meetings. I have no young children,amazed how some of these lovely ladies manage.
I am stupid but did not know there were layers of stitches .
My tummy is the worst for soreness is there a reason......... hubby things where b and b are sewn back up ?
Where do you all get your knowledge this is the only place on the intrenet I couldfind any info

A lot of my knowledge has come from this thread to be honest, or from links others have provided (I've been posting here for about 6 months now). My hospital did give me a fairly thorough set of instructions too. Oh and a friend had the TVt op last year, I picked her brains a bit too.

As for work, yes, harder to be off if you are the manager, I feel guilty enough even with my very part time hours and relaxed boss. My DCs are 6 and 8, so they are fairly independent round the house, it is all the ferrying them to school and after school activities that has been a nightmare for me, luckily friends and relatives have been very helpful in that respect, but I feel guilty about that too.

Not sure about the tummy pain, but almost certainly it is likely to be a result of everything being pulled around and then healing up.

Well that was an experience! ?Does that hurt?? Well does nearly kicking you in the face and bellowing ?YEEEESSSS? (neither deliberately) answer your question? The nurse wouldn?t cut the perineal stitch as there is a peanut-sized collection of stitching underneath it (her words) which she doesn?t want to jeopardise - fair enough and I suppose I?ll have to put up with it. However she did find a large nylon stitch which was also very tight (embedded) so she did cut that ? that was the area that hurt when she pressed it although strangely not where the usual pain is. My tummy is also tender and like an idiot I forgot to ask why (I was a bit distracted). Rather than going back on 19th Nov, I?m now to stay off until the end of the month and need a phased return. I also have the HRT gel to use which I really didn?t want but apparently need (so now I feel old as well as lazy for being off work) . I felt very shaky and faint on the way home so I?m having a coffee and am then going to have a sleep. Oh and I have thrush too?.

oh fengirl ,poor you. Rest and get better

who knows, ty was worrying about tummy pains/ pulling

Just did a short trip to waitrose and completly knackered !! This really is a big op. I wish there had been more advice and explanation before I had the op. Just to be prepared.

Fen - for you! Please look after yourself, there is only one of you and you must not try and rush the healing process. It will happen of its own accord. Why don't you ring the surgery tomorrow and mention the tummy pain just in case there is a rogue stitche in there too?? God, I remember that feeling... Oww!!! Don't let the HRT gel upset you - I am contemplating that too and I still have my uterus but am conscious of all the other side affects of age ie night sweats, hot flushes, very bad mood for 2/3 out of 4 weeks!!! etc. etc. I still have regular periods, but things are definitely happening on that front. Don't get miserable and think of the benefits of all these ops - no more periods, no more BM problems, no more bladder issues, etc. and even though you still have thrush I am sure that is related to that massive blast of ab's you had to go through post op. Keep positive, and healing vibes and hugs your way xxx

Guyfawkes - if you have any barbed wire questions, feel free to ask me!!! My original consultant for the first op (rectocele and enterocele) used polypropelene thread which does not dissolve, for sutures. From what I have gathered, he was saving money and using up old stock. Well, end result was that I had to have them surgically removed 4 months after the original op as I couldn't even sit down in the car due to the stabbing pain it put me through. I even 'had the ends snipped' before I found out what he had actually used! Needless to say, I didn't go back to him after the removal and got everything else fixed through another consultantl. If they do use that suture thread, it is unlikely to dissolve for about 12 months (if that!!!) i.e not ever from what I gathered! (lots of people looked at my notes in hospital that time as they had never heard of that thread being used for vaginal repairs). I would perhaps try and find out exactly which suture material you have in you and that will dictate when you can expect the stitches to dissolve. Don't forget you have two layers - the upper layer should have rapid dissolving sutures and the underlying layer have a stronger, more resistant thread, the ends of which can poke through your vaginal canal, if they aren't dissolving.
If the sutures are still very much in tact, you will be able to feel them with your finger as two lines of sharp rigid spikes.
Hope this helps xxxx

Thanks Sure - two lines of sharp rigid spikes is a good description! I saw some stitches come out weeks 4-5 but thought that these might be deeper ones poking thro'. I've spoken to my consultant and have an appt for Friday when he says he'll take them out if necessary. Can't say I'm looking forward to that! Maybe he'll just shorten them if they are the deeper layer so they can dissolve in their own time.

Guyfawkes - good luck for Friday. I felt bed that I didn't answer you, but knew that Sure is the 'barbed wire guru' and wanted to leave it to her.
Sure - you're right, I need to be patient but just over two weeks ago I was feeling nearly ready to go back to work and cried today when discussing it with the nurse... The pain is really getting to me, codeine doesn't seem to touch the sides of it and I could really kick myself for not asking but I was so shaken up and trying not to bawl at the time... I think I will make an appt with the gp and see if they're prepared to commit themselves to anything, and leave a message for the nurse asking about the pain too. Hopefully tomorrow will be a bit better!

Wow - this is my reading matter sorted for the next few months. (I have a lovely cervical prolapse dating back to DS's frightful birth 10.5 years ago...)

Fen - xxx

Guyfawkes to you too! When I had my stitches surgically removed it was under general anaesthetic as a day case; they had to dig them out and I then had to be re-stitched. The new lot of stitches came out by about 10 days but I was sore for about 3 weeks (made the mistake of going back to work after 4 days as I had had so long off the first time). The rectocele came back a month after that (actually think it was because it hadn't been properly fixed the first time and not due to the stitches being removed as that was 4 months post op). Hopefully you will only need some ends snipping and that will be that! xxx

Vernon - you will need more than a few months to follow this thread!!! Lol! (it goes back 4 years!!! Has to be the longest running in MN history, surely?) x By the way, welcome, and sorry to hear about your prolapse - there is a lot of support, laughs and commiserations too should you need it on here! x

Blimey Sure! Did they look first then say you'd have to come back for the general, or did they do it there & then? I got the impression he thought a few snips would sort it out. Better make sure my DH drives me there in case. Even a few snips would be hard to achieve as I don't recall ever being so snug down there. Not sure whether :) or :( is appropriate there! Assuming my surgeon used the correct dissolving stitches and not the polypropylene (good grief - aren't they supposed to be highly paid experts?) I'm wondering a certain amount of dryness is to blame for them not dissolving. Before my op I asked my GP for oestrogen cream for dryness but she refused as I was still having periods. (I wasn't ovulating tho' and was having hot flushes etc so I didn't really agree with her reasoning). I've been using Sylk for the last couple of weeks in the hope of dissolving the stitches. I was also wondering if oestrogen cream (or HRT for that matter) might help prevent a recurrence of the prolapse. From what I've read the jury seems to be out on that one. It seems odd to me that the connection between oestrogen levels and prolapses isn't more closely made as there appears to be a group of women (like me) who suddenly suffer prolapses around the menopause, decades after having their children. I realise many others occur much more closely linked to childbirth. But there does seem to be these two distinct groups - damage from childbirth being immediately apparent and damage only becoming apparent once oestrogen levels fall. As you can tell, I've been off work for 10 weeks and have had too much time to ponder this :)

Fen - thanks for your good wishes - and back to you, you seem to be having an awful time - hang on in there - you will get better.

On a lighter note - who writes those leaflets that say you can have sex after 6 weeks? Seriously? Has anyone actually managed that?

Haha, you read my mind GuyFawkes - I'm 6 weeks post op tomorrow. I'll let you know in 24 hours

Haha Whoknows! Even without my spiky stitches there was no chance at 6 weeks. More like 16 weeks I think!

Phew, glad it's not just me :)

Guyfawkes - stay away from your h or he'll end up with a lacerated penis if your stitches are anything like mine were! !!!

Just to put your mind at rest, I had the op 3rd Nov last year, had a stitch snipped in Jan, was then booked for an exploration under general two weeks later which the consultant cancelled once I was all stockinged up and ready to go. He then tried to discharge me a month later, saying all was well, (still with my barbed wire fence ) By this time I felt he was just bluffing to bide time and something wasn't quite right so I went through another consultant who had a look and suggested that I ought to have the stitches surgically removed under general and booked me in for the following week (end of Feb by now). The relief was immediate after that, although I then had another cut and more stitches, but nothing like my 'fence'!!!! (They said they managed to remove several (7) but weren't sure if they managed to get them all). End result was that the rectocele hadn't been fixed properly by my original consultant so I had to have everything fixed again (minus the enterocele) at the end of June this year ..... But now!!!! All fixed and I am a (((0))) club member now, it's official!!! xxx

Whoknows - hope all goes well tonight !!!!

Guyfawkes and Whoknows - whoever said you could have sex after 6 weeks is having a laugh! There is no way I would have been ready then, most of my stitches were still in place and I still had a lot of pain. I waited until nearly 12 weeks post op and it was worth the wait . I had an anterior repair, posterior repair and TVT.

Leonie - do you have a rectal prolapse then? and do you have that alongside a cystocele and rectocele?