10 days post op (posterior repair of rectocele)

Hi welsh Girl 

Have you still had bulging this time around? Sorry u had too go through it again let’s hope last time xx

I’ve looked on Real Self and all the even 1 day post op pics look better than the way I look at Day 15. The 6 week pics look brand new. The opening is basically like it’s supposed to be before you have children. Looking at myself after this operation makes me feel horrible. I can’t see the bulge but everything is just pushing into the opening and the opening goes all the way up to just under the urethral opening. This can’t be normal. 

How did you know it had failed? I wonder if mine has at Week 2

What is Real Self?

Hi there 

I’m sirry too hear of your concerns,  following this site there are several of us in the same boat 

I do worry that your basing your recovery on real self this is a page where surgeons display their best pictures too attract more clients

This really isn’t going too help your anxiety 😪 xx

Yes. I noticed that they weren’t showing the inside as much on the after photos.  The skin was  conveniently hiding their vaginas. 

It’s a website that shows before and after photos of different medical/cosmetic procedures. 

Hi thank god i dont have that pain really just very bizarre sensations as i learn to breathe out instead of push when on the loo. Cannot relax until passed it each day will happily take softeners the rest of my life!

My 'golf ball' sensation is in my vag, feels as if will drop out, but ive read enough on here to hope thats just normal post op swelling. So take bruffen for that. I'm day 11 or 12 now and only walking round the garden clutching myself coz of the vaginal 'falling out' sensation.

Can anyone else reassure us that this is all normal?! 😅😅

Please let me know what your doctor says if you’ve consulted them. My doc is one of those super positive nothing can go wrong overly confident doctors. I don’t feel like I’ve gotten correct discharge instructions. I was told to go about my business as soon as I felt able but just not to lift over 10lbs or bend  excessively (don’t do laundry or wash dishes.) I called on Day 8 and asked if I could take a walk with my daughter and they said it was fine. I’ve been going everywhere and feeling no pain at Day 15. I had the minimally invasive rectocele repair and a mid urethral bladder sling. I am disgusted when I compare my post op pics to any other woman. 

Like a twit i didnt ring today as inthought it woukd get better. Wrong choice i then sneezed and now cant even get up off the settee, the pain in my bottom is excrutiating,  it actually now feels alot like when i broke my coxic bone (not sure if spelt that right) and similar to sciatica.  I am ringing tomorrow but it will be the ward and not the consultant.  He is on monday.  His instructions to me were do not lift anything, even a kettle, and do not walk a dog.  Rest as much as possible and if you feel fine it is ok to walk.  He actually did say i would be in pain as my bowel prolapse was larger than he thought, was in surgery for 2 and half hours.  I darent even look as id probably cry even more.  I am doing my exercises using the squeeze app and actually found that it helps. Im hoping pain subsides tonight.  My laxatives are not working but i believe this is due to me not drinking enough water.  I am now in bed trying to get comfy and i cant whichever way i lie the pain is bad.  

Hi there.  Ive been to the docs and he says it is all healing well inside my Vag.  However when he pressed around my bowel and buttocks.  I nearly shot through the roof, pain bad, so as he cant see inside he has given me antibiotics just in case.  Also told me to take the morphine four times a day if pain does become unbearable, but reassured me this is a painful operation, can take up to three weeks for the pain to go.  So im relieved and will see what consultant says on Monday.  

I'm so sorry to hear this... i feel worried too but am following on here ....its good to hear the suggestions here and my sense is that its very early days for you and me both, and may be better not to look for months! I imagine when the swelling goes down things will feel easier for both of us. I have lifted a one - two litre jug several times and terrified I've caused damage but i am doing the least I can i think at 13 days post op.....take care...

Thanks Ruth i agree it is early days im trying not to lift anything as well.  Did a massive two sneezes though and felt everything move down there.  Glad im at the consultants monday.  Going to ask him to check everything

Hi Ruth. I had a posterior colporraphcollporraphy (vaginal rectocele repair) 20 weeks ago today and my advice is don't look and try to stay calm. It WILL improve. I have been exactly where you are now, obsessing about bowel movements every day and worrying about what/what not to do, and holding onto 'my bits' because of the pressure feelings. Everything was uncomfortable although not particularly painful but felt 'odd', and especially going to the loo!(I could go into details about my post op/recovery experience if you really want a mega long post!😊 but my mood swung from feeling positive and 'fixed' to panic and anxiety. It seems that most of us do the same. I have had a slow but constant improvement with all the discomfort slowly fading and it's only in the last few weeks I am feeling more 'normal'. Give it time. I'm hoping it will improve a little more bit more....but if this is it now then I am content as Its such an improvment on my pre op condition. As nurses we tell our patients tat it takes around 6 month's for the surgery to heal and then we forget that when it comes to ourselves . I wish my consultant had told me to just shut up and give it time! Hang in there - and be careful with the analgesia. Most can be very constipating.

Hi. I’m just over 5 weeks after anterior and posterior repair and TVH. Not so much pain as discomfort. Swelling, heaviness and more recently a pulling pinching feeling when I sit. I think it’s the stitches at the bottom of the posterior repair tightening up. Tummy filling with gas every evening. It’s reassuring to hear from someone some weeks ahead. At which stage did these sort of feeling ease for you. 

Oh yes I'm a nurse so very eager for all the details - private msg if you want. I'm only on ibobrufen - will never take codiene ever again now. Exactly 2 weeks today. Still lying flat or sitting round with legs elevated. Only walking to mailbox and back. Had more energy the first week! Obbsessed every day until I have that BM then can relax. Still on softeners as well as prunes etc etc - generally have pretty good diet. But my main thought is that after reading that it will be 6 months rather than 6 weeks on here is - the cure is worse than the cause! Before this I lived on laxatives and now it seems I'll still have to - as well as never lift again etc!

I'm due to go to Bali for a week in mid June - and hope I can still do that - i will not lift my suitcase obviously - will ask for help. It is the weird and unusual sensations i don't like - i feel a bit like some sort of 'shelf' has fallen down the back wall and can feel things negotiating their way past it on the way down behind it - at least nothing feels that it can get caught in the 'S-bend' of the rectocele pouch any more so that's good.

I have a bit of pink or browny blood most days too still....I'm happy being lazy and not doing anything physical but I do worry about it - I can't avoid some bending or twisting - just by getting dressed or sneezing or turning around! I do lift the kettle carefully, and have some gentle bending (slowly cleaned shower). Not started Kegels yet due to nervousness - and feel as if have sideways tampon wedged just inside opening - so any reassurrance you can give me is great - I love details - many thanks!! R

Hi Ange. I only had a rectocele repair although it was a large one but my surgery was probably not quite as extensive as yours. I felt well after and no real pain, just that horrible swollen & heavy vag feeling and the constant feeling that I needed to poo. That was just the swelling. It gradually improved but it did take weeks. About 4-6wks I would feel fine, go for a walk and then the heavy feeling came back so I would sit down asap with feet up if poss. At 8wks I cancelled my return to work because I realised that I could not do a whole shift on my feet. I went back at 12wks because things had imoroved a lot in those extra 4wks, but I still sat whenever I could. I worried a lot about overdoing it at first. I think the constant 'full rectum' feeling gradually lessened but finally went about wk14ish but I still get a bit uncomfortable sometimes when building up to the daily BM. I dont use any softners but I do eat a high fibre diet (always have done) and drink gallons, and I make sure I go daily but I would use them if I was getting congested. I am still anxious to avoid constipation at all costs. At 20 weeks I am not 100% but as a realist I didn't really expect to be as good as new, but how I look, feel and function is so much better than pre op. Sit it out. It all improves as you go along. X

So good to hear this....I am pleased I don't have the full rectum feeling at all, just the "losing my soaked tampon right now" feeling....very bulgy. Still lying down most of the day, even more than the first week actually. I guess the inflammatory process is well in place now....work for me at 6 weeks, so 4 from now. I'm over-doing the softeners but hard to get it just right. So pleased to have this forum! R