Vaginal Prolapse

[livingwith]

Hi,
I hope someone could give me some answers. I have stage 3 rectocele, enterocele, and cystocele repair that needs to be done and I was told I will need reconstrution of the vagina. I must admit I am scared to have it done. I was told the pain is really bad and trouble going to the bathroom.
Alot of the people I have heard had the mesh and complained of sticky pieces sticking them. I know I very uncomfortable now but they say it is only a 50% chance of it working. And not sure which kind of d...Read the full article

[dgmntn]

Dear Livingwith,

I had surgery on 7 July 08 for rectocel repair (w/mesh), a sling for my bladder, and my vagina apex was suspended with a sacrospinous ligament fixation procedure. I can honestly say that having a 8lb 3oz baby was worse. The pain hasn't been bad at all, just keep ice packs on your "parts down below" when you have the surgery. The worst part has been having to be careful NOT to pick up anything that weighs more than 10lbs and not being tempted to do housework. You may bleed slightly for two or three weeks, which was bothersome since I haven't had to wear a pad since my hysterectomy in 2002. It's too soon for me to know if there will be issues with the mesh and I haven't done the "deed" with my significant other yet, so I can't shed any light on that part of it. I've been cleared for intercourse, but we are waiting for the six weeks mark before we try. I'm not sure what level of a rectocel that I had, but I do know it was in the early stages, so maybe that made a difference in the amount of pain. I had three doctors that performed the surgery. One was a urologist (did the sling), one was a urologist/gynocologist and the third was a gynocologist (my regular gynocologist). So I guess I covered the entire spectrum of surgeons. I would definitely do it again and I hope you the best if you decide to go ahead with the procedures.

[toots]

Thank you for getting back to me. How did you manage to get those many doctors to do the surgery? Most doctors don't want any help. I am glad to hear your doing well. Hope to hear back from you.

[dgmntn]

Hi Toots,

I'm a very physical person so I noticed that something was wrong about four years ago because it would feel like my lower pelvic area was "falling" when I would run plus the leakage and the issues with attempting to have a BM were very annoying. I decided that I wasn't going to be an old lady one day having to wear a diaper because I had no control over my bladder or bowel movements. My regular gyn retired about four years ago, so I couldn't go to him for advice. I searched the web and found a urogynecologist in Atlanta about two years ago and he validated that I had a problem that needed correction, but my health insurance would only pay 75% of his fees, so I decided to look around for a doctor that my insurance would cover better. Over the course of two years I visited five more doctors (male and female), each giving me various answers and recommendations and telling me that its normal to have issues at my age and that many women who are in their thirties would be happy to be me. Plus, I got tired of hearing about doing Keegels. I have been doing Keegels for the past 25 years and apparently Keegels aren't enough sometimes. Well, I wasn't going to take no for an answer because I knew I had a problem that was affecting my life and well being. Thankfully my regular gyn came out of retirement about three months ago and to my relief he understood what I was going through. He arranged for me to visit with a urologist, who is a kind man, plus his associate who specializes in uro/gyn surgical procedures. So the three of them did the surgery and so far everything is GREAT! I would do it again with no second thoughts. I've learned from all of this that we must find a doctor that we can talk with candidly and the doctor answer us candidly, plus have the experience needed to do the surgery or have the good sense to refer us to someone that can do the procedure properly. Wednesday will be my sixth week mark and I can honestly say LIFE IS GOOD. The pain wasn't any worse than recovering from child birth. You may have flare ups occassionally that feels like something is sticking you in the genital area, but I believe it was related to the stitches because its gone now. The discharge isn't too much fun, but goes away about the fifth week. I was really worried about the first time that my significant other and I would become intimate. I was scared to death, but I should not have been. You just have to be careful and easy. I hope you the best of luck with your procedure if you decide to have it. Go with your gut feeling and be sure you trust the doctor that does it. :-) Keep us posted.

[toots]

HI THERE,

THANKS SO MUCH FOR GETTING BACK TO ME. I WAS WONDERING WHAT STAGE WERE YOU AT WHEN THEY DID THE SURGERY? I AM STAGE 3 AND I ALSO HAVE CHECKED ABOUT ATLANTA AND I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM. I LIVE IN FLORIDA AND IT IS OUT OF NETWORK. WHERE DO YOU LIVE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR 6 WEEKS? DID YOU HAVE TO LAY IN BED ALOT OR WERE YOU ABLE TO SIT UP SOME TOO? I HAVE SO MUCH I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN EMAIL ME? IF SO IT IS [Moderator Note: Personal Information Removed]. AT LEAST I CAN ASK MORE QUESTIONS. I SURE DO APPRECIATE ANY HELP THIS IS SO SCARY TRYING TO FIND THE RIGHT DOCTOR. I HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU.

THANKS AGAIN. TOOTS

[toots]

HI THERE,

I SEE ON THIS SITE WON'T THEY WON'T LET ME LEAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS SO I WILL ASK A FEW MORE QUESTIONS. DID THEY PACK YOU AFTER THE SURGERY AND FOR HOW LONG? WAS THAT VERY PAINFUL. DID YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH SPASMS OF THE BLADDER AFTER THE SURGERY? AND HOW HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH GOING TO THE BATHROOM BLADDER WISE AND BM WISE? HOW LONG WERE YOU IN THE HOSPITAL? I KNOW THIS IS ALOT OF QUESTIONS BUT IT'S GOOD TO KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. DO YOU HAVE ADVICE THAT WOULD HELP ME AT HOME OF WHAT NOT TO DO OR WHAT TO DO? DID THE DOCTORS SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SIT BATHS AFTER SURGERY THAT WOULD HELP WITH THE STITCHES?

THANKS AGAIN TOOTS

[dgmntn]

I woke up in the recovery room and felt pressure and pain in my groin area, but the nurse soon gave me pain meds by injection. My vagina was packed with something, gauze I guess, that was left in place until the next morning. I didn't feel it until the nurse pulled it out which felt like removing a tampon, but lasted longer. (Take a feminine pad with you to the hospital for going home because you are going to bleed and it will last for several days) I stayed one night in the hospital and had a morphine drip, so I could manage my pain as I needed to, which to my pleasant surprise wasn't that bad. I had a foley catheter until the next morning. Trying to urinate was a bit slow and weird the first couple of days. It was hard to get the stream flowing and to keep it going, but after a couple of days, it improved. You may notice the frequency of needing to urinate has increased, but my doctor says that it is normal and will subside in about 3 months. I also had to take stool softners for a couple of weeks, which made the first BMs really easy. BMs are much easier now that the rectocele is gone. I was instructed to take showers and I did for three or four days, but I'm a soaking kind of person so I reverted to sit baths but not because of the stitches. I used ice packs on the stitches (in the vaginal area) which worked wonders for the prickly, stickly kind of pain that they cause. The small incisions (about 1/4" long) on the cheeks of my booty were a bit bothersome if I wanted to sit, so I either stood or laid down for three weeks. I took off work for four weeks. You are going to feel very, very, very tired until about the end of the fourth week. Don't plan on driving for at least two weeks, lifting anything heavier than 10 lbs for at least six weeks, and shopping, cleaning house, etc. for awhile. You don't want to do anything that is going to jeapordize the repairs until the mesh blends in with your tissues. I haven't had bladder spasms, however, you may have a slight sensation at your pubic bone that feels a bit strange, but not painful. You may experience insomnia and may not sleep very well at night. I don't know what causes that, but it goes away. Everything "down there" is going to feel a bit tight and you may wonder if you will ever be normal, but don't worry, the swelling goes away and things return to normal, only better and improved. By the way, has your doctor checked your bladder by draining it with a catheter, filling it up with water and then asking you to cough and bear down? I don't know what the procedure is called, but it checks your ability to hold urine. Please ask any questions that you want to. I didn't have any idea of what to expect from the surgery and was terrified of the unknown. Have you been to the Hystersisters.com website?

[toots]

HI THERE,

THANKS AGAIN FOR GETTING BACK TO ME. I HAVE BEEN ON HYSTER SISTERS BEFORE AND ALOT OF WHAT I READ WAS SCARY. SO THE DOCTORS DIDN'T GO THRU THE BELLY BUTTON BUT YOUR CHEEKS? SOME DOCTORS SAY IT IS BETTER TO DO THE BELLY BUTTON AND DO IT VAGINAL ALSO. DID YOU HAVE TO SLEEP ON YOUR BACK OR WERE YOU ABLE TO SLEEP ON YOUR SIDE? DID THEY HAVE YOU SIT ON A BLOW UP CUSHION TO BE ABLE TO SIT BETTER? NOW THAT YOUR THIS FAR ALONG ARE YOU OK GETTING AROUND? WERE YOU ABLE TO GET OUT AND GO ANYWHERE YET LIKE TO THE STORES OR OUT IN THE CAR FOR A RIDE? I KNOW THIS IS ALOT OF QUESTIONS BUT I HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO ASK. WHAT STATE DO YOU LIVE IN IF IT'S THE SAME AS ME I WILL CHECK OUT YOUR DOCTORS? ONE OF MY PROBLEMS IS THAT I HAVE PROBLEMS WITH MY BACK AND THIS LYING AROUND I HAVE BEEN DOING IS MAKING IT HURT WORSE AND AFTER THE SURGERY IT WILL BE HARD ON IT. HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALL THE INFORMATION IT IS HELPING ME TO UNDERSTAND MORE.
TOOTS

[dgmntn]

I didn't lay in bed at all. I usually laid on the couch and did do some sitting, but the incisions on my butt cheeks were annoying if I tried to sit too much the first two or three weeks. I didn't use a donut cushion either. My main comfort was ice packs, lots of ice packs. I didn't drive for two weeks and I didnt' go shopping. I went to the grocery store with my boyfriend once during the second week which made me extremely tired and I didn't go back. I've had other surgeries and I don't remember them making me as tired as this one did, but then at week five, my energy came back. My doctor never mentioned going through the belly button. They did a combination through my butt cheeks and my vagina. My doctors are in Nashville. Today was the 6th week mark and I actually ran about a mile or so today and to my pleasure, no issues. I may not be able to get out of bed tomorrow, hee hee. I know hystersisters can scare the heck out of you. I was afraid that I would never be able to have sex again after reading hystersisters and that's not the case at all! You asked me what stage I was and for the life of me, I don't know. I wasn't super bad if that helps. If you go to hystersisters and look for dgmntn, I think you can send me a private message.

[toots]

DEAR DGMNTN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HELP AND I WILL GO TO HYSTER SISTERS AND LOOK YOU UP. I HOPE AND PRAY I CAN DO AS WELL AS YOU. I GO TO THE DOCTORS TODAY TO TALK TO HER AND HOPE AND PRAY SHE IS THE ONE TO DO THE SURGERY. I WISH I LIVED NEAR YOU I WOULD GO TO YOUR DOCTORS. I WISH I HAD A DOCTOR THAT KNEW IF THE ONE I AM GOING TO IS GOOD AT DOING THIS SURGERY. YOU ARE AN INSPRATION TO OTHERS THAT HAVE TO HAVE THIS DONE. WAS IT HARD TO GET UP AND DOWN AFTER THE SURGERY? SO YOUR AT 6 WEEKS AND FEELING GOOD? HOW ABOUT THE HEAVYNESS BELOW DO YOU FEEL NORMAL THERE? I KNOW THIS SOUNDS PERSONAL BUT I NEEDED TO ASK THAT. DID THE DOCTORS GIVE YOU A PERCENT OF HOW LONG THIS WOULD LAST? THEY TOLD ME A 50% CHANCE. I AM GOING TO KEEP CHECKING THIS SITE TO HEAR FROM YOU AND SEE IF I CAN GET ON THE HYSTER SISTERS TOO. KEEP IN TOUCH AND I WILL LET YOU KNOW ABOUT MY DOCTORS VISIT TODAY......TOOTS