Pt 7 (Feb13) Any old prolapse! Uterus/womb prolapse, rectocele, cystocele, enterocele, urethrocele, incontinence, pelvic floor, anterior and posterior repair, TVT etc

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

This is thread 7 (again - see below) 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.

With apologies for confusion in thread numbers - the previous thread was called part 7 but it was actually the 6th thread.

Here are the previous threads:

Thread 1
Thread 2
Thread 3
Thread 4
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.

Hi sorry to change the subject but I am off to centre parcs tomorrow and I am in a lot of pain, I don't know what to do. I thought I had thrush but it feels like its really stinging and feels much worse than when I have had thrush previously. I am sitting here with an ice pack as it is so sore. I took canesten oral last night so that might not have worked yet? Any advice would be welcome.

Tinx I am so sorry to read your post and so angry at how long that has taken for you to get help with this.
I also hope that you keep posting and will be thinking of you. If there is anything that any of us can do please ask x

MrsClairet it could well be thrush, I have been quite stingy since the second procedure and am now on 3 months low dose fluconazole. Thrush which seems to be more prevalent in a few of us post surgery. Might be worth a trip to a Dr. Have a great holiday.

Thanks bladderama, I went to the walk in centre and I have got a urine infection but I think I might have thrush too. Hopefully once the antibiotics kick in I will feel a lot better and be able to enjoy the holiday!

HOW LONG OFF WORK??? for repairs of 2nd degree rectocele and prolapsed cervix following sub-total hysterectomy last November. Anyone none know how long I might be off work. Have a desk job most of the time but have to oversee bars at work too which would involve long periods of standing and carting about heavy till drawers full of money. Jobs are getting slashed all over the place where I work so worried about being off so long but just want all my problems 'down under' fixed too. Tried to be a bit of a hero after last op and suspect I did far too much too soon - maybe that's what has buggered it all up now?!

Hope you feel better soon mrsc - enjoy the holiday!

Noordinary girl - 8-12 weeks is the recommended time. With heavy lifting its likely to be towards the end of that time I'm afraid. I went back to a desk job after 8 weeks last year, took things very easy, but still ended up with a repeat op this year so don't beat yourself up about anything you did or didn't do as it can clearly have a number of different factors which make it not work. Just take the time you need to give it the best chance you can.

MrsC - if you are any where near perimenopause, I discovered that swollen, sore and wet = atrophic vaginitis (or just low in oestrogen, for that area) and I have had vagifem since, which has warded off most of the nasty soreness (could not sit down again, worse than op) I thought it meant more like dried up and shrivelled

Ladies can any of you offer me some advice? I am 6 months post second lot of repair/rebuild surgery and am really struggling to get my stamina back . Life is quite hectic and I am on the go 15 hours a day but have no energy and just have not been able to exercise properly so feeling utterly blah, unfit and exhausted.
I have normal BMI and eat a healthy balanced diet but am still running on empty every day. What can I do to pick myself up from this?

Hi - I am 6 months post surgery and just about getting a bit of enthusiasm going for a little more than every day stuff. I have also been dumped into perimenopause, since being banned from the pill, which has not helped one bit, along with DS1 trying to fail his degree.

I think that if you are doing a 15 hour day in a hectic life you are doing pretty well and bound to be tired! I would concentrate on making sure I was getting a good night's sleep every day, then join something like a yoga class where I could focus on what my body is doing, and shut out the rest of it. Then, once you have gathered yourself together, move onto something more energetic. You could probably do the same thing with swimming if you prefer. The thing is to make yourself an oasis of calm once a week, then build from there, rather than trying to push yourself into doing something too frantic.

I do seem to have managed to get somewhere near where I was, fitnesswise, before my op, but it does not seem to make me happy, like it did. :(

been to see gyne re recurrent rectocele. Repeated surgery doesn't always have good long term results! What should I do?

Hi bladder I'm coming up 5 months and can relate exactly to how you're feeling. It's really frustrating as I definitely feel that I still need a rest most days but am never allowed that privelage, my OH has long passed the supportive stage and so I'm running around after 2 young children and him all day long, this is despite the fact he knows I still need painkillers most days and am having ongoing weekly physio to deal with my pain. Anyway I digress (this wasn't meant to be a moan about my OH!). I think Dahlia's advice sounds pretty good, especially doing yoga; a bit of me time to recharge the batteries.

Herepuss - only you can decide (along with the advice of a good urogynaecologist) whether a further surgery is right for you, but some things to consider are (a) will anything be done differently this time to maximize the chances of success (b) are there any additional risks with this new surgery (c) does the surgeon feel that there is any likelihood of additional pain or complications second time around (d) do you feel that the symptoms are bad enough that you want to go ahead?

I'm currently 4 weeks post op from a repeat rectocele repair following a failed op last year. It seems to be working so far, but it's early days. Recovery has really surprised me this time - much, much more pain than last time with additional complications in the first 48hrs, but I felt that I simply couldn't go on the way I was, so don't regret the decision - so far at least!

thanks roseanna1 I still have over 4 weeks to think about it until next appointment. Walking around I m fine, but sitting in chair, standing for a while quickly results in sore lower back and heavy uncomfortable and more increasingly painful feeling inside. Also don't get lot of warning sometimes when bowels need to be emptied. I just don't fancy putting up with this long term when have been told I will need op at some point. Hope you feel better soon

Thanks :)

If you have any questions just ask away x

Just popping by to say hello to everyone, I haven't been around for a couple of weeks. Also wanted to bump it back into threads I'm on.

Tinx - if you're still around, so sorry to read your latest post, I wish you all the best as you go into the next stages of your treatment and thank you for thinking of others and warning us to watch our symptoms.

Bladder - sorry you are so low on energy, I haven't got any real suggestions except maybe have a look at your carb intake - I find my energy levels are a lot more stable if I can avoid simple carbs (esp. bread) during the day. So, porridge or oat cereal for breakfast, low carb (salad/protein/fruit) lunch, moderate amounts of carbs with evening meal. Also, cut back on caffeine if you haven't already.

I'm now on my 3rd lot of (progressively stronger) antibiotics to try and get rid of a urine infection which doesn't seem to be going anywhere. My gp said yesterday if this lot of antibiotics doesn't work I will have to go back to the gynacologist. Has anyone else had experience of this post op? I feel really sore in a way I don't usually get with urine infections, I asked a nurse about it and she said if it's low down in your urethra it can make you feel like that. It feels swollen and hurts when I walk!

Hi there all long suffering and strong ladies. my first post but I've been following for a while. I'm 37 with a 3 year old and one year old baby. I'm two weeks post op for anterior and posterior and perineum repair to fix the rectocele and cystocele. It's been so helpful to read about the same issues I am having. Mainly, I am worried that I still have the lower back (perhaps sacrum joint??) and tail bone pain which I hoped would majically disappear with the surgery. Does anyone else have this pain? Good news is that I can poo and wee normally (though not totally comfortable). I do have thrush on the outside and it stings something terrible when I wee, and also at night it is super itchy and sore. Gyn has given me the thrush anti fungal cream but it has been a week and only a marginal improvement. Does anyone have any tips?
A big thanks to all those who have shared their stories.

Roseanna - soz haven't been in touch, but been back to work and visiting relative in hospital so been very busy. Busy week has made me more convinced op is best option - rectocele interfering more and more with everyday life! Sometimes tho it still crosses my mind that I should just put up with it cos im not ill as such, just very uncomfortable and sore especially when sitting or standing still.

Roseanna - soz haven't been in touch, but been back to work and visiting relative in hospital so been very busy. Busy week has made me more convinced op is best option - rectocele interfering more and more with everyday life! Sometimes tho it still crosses my mind that I should just put up with it cos im not ill as such, just very uncomfortable and sore especially when sitting or standing still. Hope you still making good recovery

Haven't been on here for an age and still have a lot of catching up to do.
Hope everyone is doing o.k.

After being told there was nothing wrong with me by the uro-gynea woman I went to see I went back to my GP, a different one I might add and told her everything. She sent me off to a colorectal blokey who poked and prodded me, announced I had a rectocele and packed me off to the healthy bowel clinic but with an appointment for a proctogram which was delightful!! Anyways went to bowel clinic last week and was told I have a moderate rectocele, a horizontal rectum and an intussusception?. Upshot is clinic can't do anything to improve things so going to speak to consultant and see what they want to do. In the meantime I have yet another delightful bulge that I am pretty sure is my bladder and my cervix now seems lower down and wonky? Having big problems with eating and pain which clinic woman says isn't to do with my insides, managed to drop another couple of stone, thankfully I had it to lose but am getting to the point where I can't really lose much more without looking like an extra from walking dead:) Also seem to have developed a 'baggy' feeling down there... defective bits added to nightmare neighbours, bratty teenagers,5 kids and having to rebuild my relationship when OH decided he was buggering off has left me a bit down and sent my anxiety through the roof:( So that's where I am at. Another clinic appointment in September and a Gynea one the week after so who knows what they will decide next.

Mrs C - can you follow some of the advice on the cystitis threads? I have had ongoing problems since my op and I think it is withdrawal from being taken off the pill - I have had infections and my first experience of cystitis - I need more oestrogen!

Anna - no experience of the tail pain - physio my help, but 2 weeks is early days yet. I found 6 weeks a bit turning point.

Charley - I am impressed with your weight loss! Is it possible to get away from your troubles for a gentle exercise class/gym/swim once a week? It would be good for all your bits (and for yourself). Hope the next appointments bring something positive.

Hope everyone else is getting along fine, with the warm summer.

I am happy with my repair, although it has not solved my poo problems. Not sure whether it is worth going back to the doctor for that or not. Meanwhile, I have been off kiwis for a week (forgot to buy some!) and struggling to get back to where I was. Prunes just aren't the same - I have become dependent on kiwis!

Hi all..... I have just started a new job yesterday, so have been busy sorting out the house, the husband and the two teenage sons.
Hope everybody is on the mend?
It's been twelve weeks yesterday since my surgery for a rectocele repair, seeing my consultant this Thursday. Thought it had gone well until last week where I felt something drop! Asked my DH to check, he says it seems ok but I feel something or everything is falling out. Not sure if my poo problem is solved either, as always feel I have not totally emptied. 50th birthday two weeks tomorrow, I so want everything back to normal.
CharleyMo... Tell me your secret of weight loss, well done to you by the way.
Hugs to all xx