Posted , 9 users are following.
Hi I've been told my GP that I have a grade 1 or 2 prolapse and I'm going to ask to see a urogynaecologist. I had a hysterectomy in 2005 - no one mentioned anything about a prolapse in the future to me at that time I remember asking what about the cavity left and being told nothing would happen to it! Anyway water under the bridge now I guess I'm 57 and my main symptoms are a heavy bulgy feeling inside. I don't have bladder/bowel problems that I've read others have (yet) but I have had a uti over the weekend and am on trimethoprim. Since this uti the bulge/discomfort feels worse. I'm going back to the GP later today.
I feel devastated to have this condition (and it's fairly mild at the moment!!) I've had a lot to cope with recently. I had a hip replacement in 2015 and I found my mother dead on Easter Monday this year. Can anyone give me any practical tips on how to manage this thing? I do my pelvic floor exercises religiously. Any words of encouragement will help. It's been a bad day so far. Sorry to moan.
cathrine
2 likes, 29 replies
Taff1234 Wardrobe_mistre
Posted
i know what you are going through as have the same problem myself and it’s hard knowing what to do for the best just to be comfortable.
i havntt been told what grade my prolapses are and am waiting for an appointment at the hospital to have a pessary fitted.
rodeojo Wardrobe_mistre
Posted
I had a mild prolapse and have used a ring pessary for over 5 years successfully then suddenly this year it wouldn't hold so now I am looking to have an operation for the prolapse and am trying to find out all the info I can.
phyl_40063 Wardrobe_mistre
Posted
Hi Cathrine ,
So sorry to hear you now have a prolapse.
I think as soon as we ladies go through the change it weakens our ligaments and eventually can lead to prolapse of the pelvic floor.
I have had a hysterectomy and anterior repair early 2013, and had the front repair redone along with a posterior repair early 2016.
First time I gave up work as I knew I couldn't return to lifting heavy trays loaded with dishes and not allowed to use a trolley. I had to hand my notice in as soon as i realised that my pelvic floor was rapidly colapsing but waited 9 months all in for surgery, they fitted me with a pessary ring which was trial and error but eventually just kept falling out. They told me after surgery that they did not realize how bad the prolapse was.
So took 8 months out and felt by then I had healed well and ready to return to work.
My next job was checkout operator and coped well until they put me on my feet needless to say everything colapsed. I only got three months on the sick and was back on my feet for half my shift straight away and unfortunately they had me om my feet for whole shift fairly quick.
My recovery had went well up to that point then it really slowed up and felt like it was 1 step forward 2 steps back.
It is so painful when interior walks of pelvic floor are collapsing, but if you can get the right pessary fitted it can make a difference. I'm sure some of the ladies on the forum have experience with different pessaries.
Please try and minimize any damage to your pelvic floor and avoid any heavy lifting or being on your feet for too long and if you can't avoid lifting use the pelvic floor exercises to pull up your pelvic floor and hold it up while lifting.
Hope you get help soon, take care,
Phyl x
Rosabee Wardrobe_mistre
Posted
Hi Cathrine
I sympathise. I had a hysterectomy 2 and a half years ago and within a year had front and back wall prolapses, stage 3. I coped by avoiding lifting, running, anything which caused the symptoms to worsen. Gentle pilates exercises, especially the cat and bridge and anything which helped the prolapse back in place gave temporary relief. i saw a physio who advised what to avoid. keep your weight down. Michelle Kenway's book and DVDs on You tube very helpful. I tried pessaries they didn't work. In the end i opted for more surgery and took early retirement (I'm 56) but i now know there's a 50% chance my prolapse will recur (no one told me this after my hysterectomy) so my long term solution is to learn acceptance that I have to adapt my lifestyle and try and keep a positive mental attitude, keep busy with things I can enjoy and distract me from living with what is a chronic condition. it's really hard and you will have ups and downs. Be kind to yourself and let those who love you look after you. Rest when you need to. Wishing you strength.
phyl_40063 Rosabee
Posted
Phyl x
rodeojo Rosabee
Posted
Doolou1966 Wardrobe_mistre
Posted
Hello ladies. I had a LAVH in January 2016 due to endometriosis. No children by choice. Developed a problem within a few weeks. It took numerous doctors and consultant appointments eventually a private appointment 10 months later to see my original surgeon and was diagnosed with small anterior prolapse and larger posterior prolapse. So in April this year had my vaginal repair done as well as some adhesions and further endometriosis removed. So 6 months and a tough recovery and doing the right thing I feel, have felt amazing for a couple of weeks, forgot I had anything done, I sat flat on the floor a few days ago, nothing different to what I do in yoga, got up and haven't felt right since. I'm devastated. Any thoughts would be appreciated
paddiwhack Doolou1966
Posted
I really hope for you that is is nothing too serious ☹️
Doolou1966 paddiwhack
Posted
Hi Paddiwhack,
thank you for caring. I can't believe it tbh. About 5 months to feel totally normal, only to feel this horrible discomfort again. It makes me wonder what the point is? I have also had problems with my coccyx as I injured it after slipping on ice, and get awful pain left side after doing pelvic floor exercises. Where do I start? Ask for mri on coccyx area? Could it be sitting on the floor putting a small table together that compressed that, and possibly my internal muscles? I could probably understand if I was doing something I shouldn't! Or do I wait months to go back to yet another gynae appointment, and try once again to get someone to believe me? Is there any point in going through it all again? Sorry to rant, but just when I thought I could be happy again, just married my wonderful partner any ideas would be appreciated.
phyl_40063 Doolou1966
Posted
Hi Doolou,
I have had two lots of repair surgery now; I think that once recovered it's all about changing your lifestyle and always being extra care full.
The thing is that if your pelvic floor fails it's because it is weak and although they have tightened the sagging up we still have a weak floor and even though we do pelvic floor exercises to tighten up the muscles our ligaments are still weak. So we have to make adjustments to our lifestyle and always be very careful.
They keep telling (that is the media) that we are living longer healthier life's but unfortunately our bodies are telling us different and we need to be extra careful.
Every now and again I do something and everything feels tight and painfully swollen and often feel 'what have I gone and done' usually just normal what I consider light housework or lighter duties at work.
Most of the time I rest and wait till it sorts itself but sometimes feel I'm so restricted as I consider myself reasonably fit and don't want to end up breathless and stuck in a chair.
But at end of day this surgery is not a permanent curesident and is dependent on protecting your pelvic floor from further damage.
I hope some day in the future they can come up with something stronger and more permanent. I suppose our pelvic flood is like the suspension system in our cars as once it goes that's it and although they attempt to repair it they can't at the moment give us a new one.
I hope that you may be just need to rest for a while and maybe things will sort themselves.
Phyl x
Doolou1966 phyl_40063
Posted
Oh thank you Phyl, I remember reading your posts on here 6 months ago. I had changed my life style to accommodate my situation. But remember the instructions saying after 12 weeks, go back to 'normal'! I sincerely hope that it isn't a recurrence, but sadly think it is. I had been doing a bit more as the months went by, but nothing crazy. Modified yoga/pilates, even a fitness class at the gym, which I modified so as not to put pressure on my floor. My job involves driving and doing house calls, about 25 a day, that's a lot of getting in and out of the car, but am careful.
Do you think there are any answers? Apart from becoming sedentary, which really isn't me? I feel once again my life as the old me is over. And am so angry, as I didn't have this problem prior to the hysterectomy. Sorry for ranting. I really appreciate your care and kind words. X
phyl_40063 Doolou1966
Posted
I know exactly how you feel, it is such a life changing condition.
I am now 57yrs old and when I think back to my mother at that age she was no where near as active but had a strong pelvic floor and able to get on with her life.
I often wonder if it's all this going to the gym and pushing fitness levels too far. Think as women we forget we have a womb and that childbirth often leaves us with a weak pelvic floor. My mother worked part time and although in a heavy high impact job most of the heavy lifting was done by males. You rarely see the heavy lifting being done by only males now as women push for equality.
I think the problem is that once we feel back to as near normal as we can be we forget and push the boundaries to far. So need to be aware of our own personal limitations all the time.
Take care,
Phyl x
Doolou1966 phyl_40063
Posted
I agree Phyl. Yes life for women has changed massively over the years, we want to be equal! I haven't had children, which makes me exasperated as to why I have ended up like this? I did have a private physio appointment in June, as I had no follow up appointment yet again with my consultant, just after I went back to work, because my boss wanted me to see someone about how I was, and to be honest, so did I, before I continued with normal duties, and she told me that she could tell at that time, that my skin down there was post menopausal, but I had only recently started back on the vagifem. She did inform me that my pelvic floor was in good condition, which heartened me.Also, I have only managed full penetration with my wonderful husband of 2 months, 3 times since the op, due to being too painful. You are right though I think. We feel normal, so push the boundaries, but as per the instructions......back to normal! Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your valuable knowledge x
phyl_40063 Doolou1966
Posted
Popular opinion was always to blame it on having a large family, but many much younger women have pelvic floor problems due to one bad birth.
I had five before I had a slight prolapse and was not aware of it at that time, it's only looking back that I realize now that the problem I had of tampax falling out and flooding periods was probably the internal walls starting to sag. I went on to havey 6th and last child and only then saw the sagging bulge parting the vaginally lips. That gave me a fright but it did pull back up and with physio went back to work it was five years later after going to gym regular, starting a high impact jon, and going through the change all at the same time that the internal walls began to seriously collapse.
I really had no idea or information on prolapse and didn't really understand what was happening until if was too late.
I believe that if I had been better informed about what was happening at the various stages and the about the possible worst case senario I would never have attended the gym, started gardening or changed to high impact employment.
I think we women need to be better educated on the menopause and how the lack of estrogen weakens our ligament and that we should be protecting our pelvic floor not putting it at risk through bad lifestyle choices.
I try to make sure my daughters are better informed and can choose to take care. Unfortunately my mother had passed away just before I made some of those bad choices, had she been around I know she eould have been warning me. We don't talk enough about the menopause, and I wish that women could be better informed at post-natal appointments and at GP surgeries; it's not enough to just tell us to do our pelvic floor exercises.
That's me gad mg rant,
Please take care,
Phyl x
Doolou1966 phyl_40063
Posted
I totally agree Phyl. The NHS all ways round is gravely underfunded. It makes me want to scream. Thankfully, menopause isn't life threatening, but drastically life changing. Mine started surgically so knew I was going to go into it head first, and boy did I! Thank you for sharing your story, and your experience, I'm sure it will be of great help to a lot of ladies on here.
Doolou1966 phyl_40063
Posted
phyl_40063 Doolou1966
Posted
Agree with you on that; I was pretty shocked and very emotional when I first researched prolapse and surgery.
Mh first thoughts were that it can only be downhill from then on.
Survived first surgery and didn't find this forum until after my 2nd surgery and it has helped
tremendously as a reminder to be very careful this time and has been very informative. Just wish I had found it years earlier.
X
Rosa747 phyl_40063
Posted
Phyl, I think you're so right about pushing the boundaries at the gym. I'm 35 and been a regular gym for years, even through 2 pregnancies. I really believe my rectocele may have held back until menopause if I hadn't pushed my body at the gym. Instead out of nowhere I increased my gym, felt some pulling which I didn't think too much about then did a really vigorous class and wham something just went to the point I can't even walk much anymore. Everyone is gym mad these days, I'm sure the rate will be higher for prolapse.
phyl_40063 Rosa747
Posted
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