8 months since rectocele repair and still suffering

Wow Trizwizz, your story is much like mine, I've had 2 surgeries, 1st was rectocele & after few weeks just knew things were not right, gynaecologist couldn't understand as he said repair was good, so sent me to colorectal surgeon who found intersussuption & entrocele, apparently was there prior to first surgery!?! hence 2nd surgery, I'm now 14 months post op & still suffering, just had 2nd proctogram ' waiting for results, although PF Physio had already said small rectocele but that wouldn't cause my pelvic pain. Have just seen a letter from Physio to surgeon saying looks like prudedal nerve compromise, have googled it & am shocked that I haven't been informed, a bit worried as I had the mesh attached to my tailbone & apparently this can cause nerve damage. Like you I just want my life back.

On that note JoJo, Not sure how to advise you but as Trizwiz says try not to worry & rest & pace yourself with daily living, which I know is hard. Wait & see what your consultant says, some ladies can take up to a year to repair fully.x

Thanks Lynne,

?The consultant said if it was an intusseption then no matter how many repairs he did vaginally it would do no good! So I shall wait and see. I can't say that I have pain exactly but just this low ache - particularly if I have been standing for long.

?The physio said to keep splinting/supporting the perineum at bm. I said that I didn't feel it was a long term solution to which she replied "you've had one repair, another one Is more likely to fail so that may be the only option" As I said I don't like her.......................

If my consultant appt doesn't come through soon I shall try to see my GP to see if he can hurry things up a bit. I'd just like to know the answers  - even if it's not what I want to hear!

The physio doesn't have to live with it though, does she?

Splinting seems to be my only option, though just after surgery, I actually seemed normal for the first time in years.

Do you have pain after bm or doesn't it  make any difference.

I started this journey, hopeful that some of the pain and awfulness of a prolapse would go, but am judt as bad, worse painwise in a lot of ways.

The burning and feeling of swelling if I stand long is awful, I can't imagine having it forever, if they can't help you at your next apptmnt, where do you go from there? Doesn't bear thinking about does it?

No she doesn't. I said to her - I'm 53 I could live another 40+ years. This is really the only long term solution?

I don't think that's acceptable but she is the physio not the consultant.

?Yes just after surgery all was well. Week 3 I thought oh dear but was comforted that it was swelling/healing etc. Week 5 I thought - definately not good but was reassured that it was just healing. Post op at week 9 I let myself be told all was good. Indeed the repair I think is good. Back to the GP who examined me and said - oh dear - and re-referred.

?I am never, nor ever have been constipated and I remain careful with my diet. I don't have pain with bm - difficult if I don't splint. But the feeling of incomplete evacuation is still there. Over the last two or three months the ache on standing is worse. Worse than pre-op when it was more direct to the bulge of the prolapse - this is a more "all over" abdominal ache but low down in the pelvis. Certainly lifting anything is difficult which is hard as I'v e always been physically very strong. Physio's bright idea was to carry less equipment around - yep that'll work!

?I don't knwo where I'll go next if there is no conclusive something from the next appointment. I tell myself  - it's not life threatening, it's not dreadfull, it's not totally incapacitating, it'll be ok just get on with it. But the reality is it isn't ok and it is becoming increasingly difficult to get on with it.

?Not helped that for some reason and totally out of the blue with no warning signs immediately post op I was plunged into full menopause - the works. From nothing to full blown - which hasn't helped. No reason why. I did ask the consultant at post op if he'd taken out both ovaries by mistake - he didn't find that amusing - but it feels like it!

😢 is there any way you can see a different therapist?

I don't know. I think there may be two pelvic physios at my local hospital. I have another appt at the beginning of January. So I will see then. I think she will probably sign me off then as really what more can she do?

Hoping a consultant appt wil come through before then. The consultant I was seeing is retiring at the end of this month and his new consultant - the one who did my op is taking over his list. I did consider going privately but they don't work privately and I didn't want to start allover again. But I may consider it soon.

I went privately, but there again I pay a fortune to bupa, my gp didn't even examine me, just reffered me on what I said, consultant seemed a bit blaze, quick exam, and agreed to remove ovarian cyst hilst I was under- ended up having ovary plus tubes removed as well.

It all seemed such a simple op, I wasn't told much and suppose I should have asked more.

I won't have it done again, like you I think the repair is strong, but the dreaded bulge is back, albeit lower down.

The bleeding was quite bad before op, that has settled down. If the pain would go, I think I could cope, but sitting down for long is bad.

I've gone through menopause, and have oestrogen gel to put on upper arms, not sure if that's part of the problem.

Would you have a repeat repair?

My GP did examine me and siad th erectocele was significant - greater than 4cm plus a small cystocele. The consultant also examined me and said the rectocele was not that great and there was no cystocele. She had a good look during the op and there was no cystocele - but I do have stress incontinence hence the referral to pelvic physio.

?The GP did re-examine me and said the bulge was lower down - I agreed. The consultant and physio said the new bulge was higher! Can't really understand thatas to me it is lower and bm is just splinting the perineum whereas before I had to spling much higher up to havea successful bm. If it's higher now I don't have the manual dexterity to splint that high!!!!!!

?The consultant then felt that it might be more of a bowel issue  - an intussception rather than a failure of the vaginal wall. So that's  why he sent me off for the proctogram.

?Would I have a repeat - I don't know. I would like some answers first. I had a busy day yesterday and still hurt and I'm on my feet all day today delivering training so by tonight i will not be able to stand upright. So something is still not right. If I get the answers I can follow through on my options. At the moment I get sick pay at work which financially make sthings easier so if i am going to have more surgery it's best to do it while I'm working there!

All a bit of a nightmare isn't it.

My new bulge is lower down, but it seems to be where the repair was, although the original bulge was higher up, almost like everything has dropped down. The rectocele itself is smaller then it was, and is easier go deal with.

My gp was worse than useless, I told her what Inthought it was and more or less did a self referral, she didn't even have time to examine me, unless " I waited an hour, and she would see me again after morning surgery "

This, when I was sitting in her surgery, she said I had had my ten minutes, and she was running late!

I just feel now that any further surgery would not be a success, and to be honest, can't face any more at the moment.

I hope you have more luck than me.

I shall see. I have managed to get an appointment with my GP fo rthe 30th November so if I haven't heard from the hospital re. an appt by then I shall ask him to chase it up - though realistically he will ask me to ring the consultant's secretary - so I could do it myself anyway. if it comes throught then I can cancel the GP appt but I thought I'd take it just in case.