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Failed repair 4 months post op - help!

Posted , 9 users are following.

ellie10895
ellie10895

hello - everyone here was so helpful during my recovery and I though I was finally on track and back to normality...

I am nearly 4 months post anterior and posterior repair and in the past month since resuming normal activity such as carrying my toddler I have started to get prolapse symptoms such as difficulty emptying, the "feeling" of a prolapse and now I'm pretty sure there is a large ish bulge from my bladder hanging down.

I have a physio appt next week so will ask her to have a check, and then see my consultant I guess?

just wondered if anybody else has had a repair fail so soon and does this mean there is no hope for me? I'm only early 30's so if it has dropped its only going to get worse... Help! Am I stuck like this for life? I had a pessary before which helped bladder symptoms but gave the most awful discharge there's no way I could have that for life.

thank you

0 likes, 16 replies

16 Replies

  • barbara_92
    barbara_92 ellie10895

    Posted

    I feel sorry for you at such a young age. I had success with a ring pessary for over three years, learned how to put it in and take it out. My only real issue was when I had a period I hated wearing pads. I was too uncomfortable without the pessary even just for a couple of days so couldn't wear tampons.

    I opted for surgery but at the moment so regret having it done.

    I have become so tender, with redness, burning and ulcers since the operation I feel worse off.

    • ellie10895
      ellie10895 barbara_92

      Posted

      Hi Barbara, thanks for your message. I'm sorry you are regretting it right now, but once you finally heal it will be so worth it. It's a really long recovery much longer than the standard 6 weeks they give you, I think a lot of people can regret it while they are struggling with recovery.
    • barbara_92
      barbara_92 ellie10895

      Posted

      I would have thought though that nearly 15 weeks down the line I would be feeling some benefit from the surgery
    • tilley49386
      tilley49386 barbara_92

      Posted

      Hi Barbara, couldn't help notice your comments in this post , are you still suffering? Hope it will all heal real soon and that you learn to not regret having it done. Feeling a bit like you at moment as aching  and throbbing with high temp - think just an infection and early days yet 4 weeks today but despite all that I think back on my poor quality of life and the pain and discomfort and it was affecting my self esteem and marriage and realise that at moment still don't regret it. Keep smiling
    • Unicorn53
      Unicorn53 barbara_92

      Posted

      You are not alone barbara, didn't even get a follow up appointment until 19 weeks post op and that was only because I kept nagging for one,was told everything was ok when actually it wasn't.Took me a long tme to heal and to feel better.Still struggle now with sex,as rectocele repairs are notorious for sewing up our ladies parts too tight sad Am now almosr 20 months post op and have a cystocele which I am putting off having repaired for as long as I possibly can x
  • phyl_40063
    phyl_40063 ellie10895

    Posted

    My heart goes out to you, it is do difficult to know and judge if we are overdoing things or not. I had a hysterectomy and front repair 3 years ago and my repair failed too, I initially did not go back to work until about 8/9 months post op, but I had always been very active and fit so had been swimming, cycling and lots of walking. But felt my repair only started to fail after I went back to work, mainly due to weight bearing issues and being on my feet for long periods of time.

    Usually after pelvic repairs you always have to still watch what your doing and avoid anything which your body tells you is too much. It can't be easy with a toddler. I had my 2nd repair done 2 weeks ago front and back this time, and my husband agreed to have our grandson overnight at the weekend. He can cope with almost everything on his own except washing and changing night- time nappies, which I had to deal with I did not try to lift him but when he went to sit on my knee (I was on the floor kneeling) , I put my hand under his arms to stop him and he relaxed himself to sit resulting in me bearing his weight, the pain was unbearable, couldn't believe this happened as I've been so careful the rest of the time as I don't want to have to have this done a 3rd time. So I can't imagine hie you are managing to cope at all.I hope that you have lots of support at home! I heard that the pessaries can cause ulceration if used for too long, so opted not to use them this time while waiting for op! If you can still get help and support please continue for a while before doing any more lifting. Don't know how soon they can rerepair, look after yourself, phyl xx

    • ellie10895
      ellie10895 phyl_40063

      Posted

      Thanks Phyllis for your kind message, sorry you haven't had much luck either. Did they say why they though yours failed so soon?

      I really hope you haven't done anything wrong looking after your grandson.

      Ive had loads of help at home and been so careful but once I've gone back to work I've slipped back into normal with commuting and then carrying my daughter and the laundry round the house.

      I think if it needs repairing again I would have to wait until my children are older and less demanding. I'm not even sure they would repair if it failed so soon? They suggested I might have a connective tissue problem with seems even more likely if it has failed...

      its nice just to speak with people who understand.

       

    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063 ellie10895

      Posted

      Hi ellie,

      Ward doctor said that I probably have week ligaments, had a very mild prolapse after last 2 kids, but didn't cause any real problems, however everything colapsed when I started going through the change: I think the hormone change weakens ligaments. Will start my 5 min walks tomorrow, and do a little more around the house but nothing heavy. How long have you been back at work, maybe you could have fond with longer off or going back just a few hours at a time and building your hours up?

      Hope things work out in long run for you , phyl

  • tilley49386
    tilley49386 ellie10895

    Posted

    Hi Ellie, I hope you haven't prolapsed so soon, That would be awful so fingers and toes etc all crossed for you. My specialist told me I must try to aviod lifting anything above 4kilo for the rest of my life. If my grandson wants me to pick him up , he suggested I just lead him to a chair and have cuddles whilst he is on my lap. Part of my job invloved lifting a heavy cylinder -45kg as in these days of equality men would often not give me a hand. Specialist advised me to tell my boss that if this small part of my job couldn't be reassisgned to someone else that I should consider moving jobs. It can as I am self employed in our own company.. I know it is not easy not to lift your kids etc but do think that you should limit that. I love gardening but have been advised to avid the heavy digging etc. On a postive note I managed to avid csystocelle surgery I only had rectocelle as I had great success with physio and kegal exercises once I knew how to do them cotrectly , make sure you go to a physio who uses electric stimulia & feedback so you can see when you move your muscles. Wasted 9 months with older style physio before I swapped . great results. I have heard you can similar results without spending thousnads on physio by using one of those kegal machines. Only read it just recently on this post, but thinking about it. All the best
  • Rousselle
    Rousselle ellie10895

    Posted

    So sorry to hear this, Ellie. So disappointing for you.

    hopefully it will be resolved SOON. R.

     

  • lesley12905
    lesley12905 ellie10895

    Posted

    Hi Ellie, I really feel for you I had an anterior repair January 2015 and woke up to be told I need a hysterectomy and anterior repair, which I had last August and have suffered lower ab and back pain since, also have only tried to have sex 3 times and very painful, I have no faith in gyno who did surgery, I went to see her 3 weeks ago and told her my bladder feels like it is going to burst all of the time she wasnt interested, she examined me internally said she is happy with everything and to keep trying to have sex and not be so anxious, I was so upset, I have seen my doctor who was more helpful, she said very narrow now and may need to stretch myself internally with aid vibrator, fun eh and is sending me for a bladder scan as could be scar tissue I told her I will never go back to see gyni again. I really hope you have better luck try and take things slow the gyni did say to me it can take 12 months to fully heal xx

     

  • jody2207
    jody2207 ellie10895

    Posted

    Hi ellie10895, I'm 4 weeks post op for a tvs and anterior and posterior repair and my posterior repair has failed. I have an appointment with my gyro on Monday but I'm totally devastated.

    My GP has said the most likely option is to have the surgery done again but that it needs at least 10months to heal enough for the surgery to be done again.

    Like you I was hopeful and dread having to have more surgery and will be looking at other options with my gyno, sadly though I feel for both of us surgery is probably still

    our best option.

    • ellie10895
      ellie10895 jody2207

      Posted

      Sorry to hear you have another surgery ahead, it's a bit depressing isn't it! X

  • ellie10895
    ellie10895

    Posted

    Sorry I never got round to updating this. I was told I have a grade 1 bladder prolapse again 4 months post op.

    11 months post op I had a GA for a bladder biopsy it turns out that the multiple catheters I had during my surgery last November have given me a chronic bladder wall infection that I've had for nearly a year and it was only when I went for a second opinion that it was discovered. My original consultant shrugged when I said I still had shooting pains up my vagina front and back so I assumed it was normal. Actually it was not she just didn't know what it was! So don't assume any extended pain is normal...

    Back to the mystery prolapse sensation which they said bladder wasn't severe enough to feel that bad, when I went under GA consultant was shocked that my uterus prolapsed right to the opening...

    Waiting for post op appt to discuss the plan but what I don't understand is can a prolapse move up and down that much? I can feel it intermittently and cervix is always very low but I can't see it right at the opening??

    Also can anyone advise on how much lower back pain can be caused by uterine prolapse. Mine has really ramped up in the past few months and is almost constant now..

    • phyl_40063
      phyl_40063 ellie10895

      Posted

      Hi ellie,

      Sorry to hear you are still having problems.

      Must have been awful having infection for so long and original consultant missing it.

      With regard to prolapse, the first time I noticed a prolapse was just after I had my last child. It was very uncomfortable and noticeable, thought I had a tumour hanging out about side of golf ball peaking out like a partial eyeball.

      Went to GP who referred my to gyno..at hospital and they referred me to physio. All moved very quickly; baby had been rushed to Yorkhill children's hospital straight after birth and I had never seen a physio that time.

      Physio was great and learned to do PF exercises properly; and good news is it did all pull back up. That was back in 2003 however did notice that when I was doing extra shifts at work everything did get uncomfortable and bladder felt irritated at end of long day on my feet and when i was ony period I was always swinging between heavy almost heamorraging flow to hardly anything.

      It didnt really bothet me for most of the time until summer of 2012 when I took a job at local garden centre clearing tables and we had no trolley and over a 4 month period prolapse when from mild to so painful that I had to give that job up. Had 1st repair and hysterectomy 2013.

      I never really had pain until I took that job clearing tables, initially felt like very sharps pains that stopped me in my tracks, and eventually terrible lower back pain. By the time I was waiting for surgery I could barely walk, was spending a lot of yimd sitting upside down to get pain relief and the pessaries they gave me kept popping out.

      Couldn't get surgery quick enough,

      You are still young so I hope that with physio you are able to strengthen up your muscles and avoid surgery at least till you get nearer menopause.

      Hope thus helps

      Take care and avoid heavy lifting when possible. If you have to lift toddler do it while sitting if you can.

      Phyl 💖x

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