Just been diagnosed :(

Thanks matron are you a nurse? I've been having a try at the excersises but no idea if I'm doing it correctly, awaiting my physio referral. From what I can feel I have no elasticity whatsoever and my bladder is visible when I sit on the toilet, I I can push my finger right back from the back wall into my rectum. It's awful- I'm 29 this weekend and feel so horrid, I can't put up with this for a whole year. Don't a long day in ward today and I feel like my insides are falling out the pressure is so intense x

Hi jobobo, thanks for you reply. As I've just said to another member I can't go to the toilet, I used to go every morning after my coffee, It just won't come! I don't know what to do, I don't want to end up in A&E as I work there and can't imagine anything more embarrassing than my work friends knowing my gyne problems! Doctor tomorrow I think for some help x

Hi Melissa. Try using a squatty stool to put you legs into squatting position, (the natural way!) It's working for me and I'm waiting for prolapse surgery. It's was recommended on this forum and Matron endorsed it. Good luck. X   

Hey I've tried this, I used my sons step to elevate my feet still no luck. I'm getting quite desperate as I know the pain will come...only other thing I can try is to squat on the toilet!??? X

Just a thought melissa but have you tried (while using the step) folding the toilet paper into a pad and pushing it against your perineum? Sorry, I know this is all a bit personal but it's why we are all here! Relax & wait, don't strain as you could make the prolapse worse. Hope it helps. X

Hi again. Well if you CAN squat on the loo good luck! I can't bend my body like that these days! lol  You could use suppositories or, I tried a haemarroids suppository and left it in as long as poss. Overnight once if I remember right. It worked for me and lessens the soreness and possible bleeding. Maybe try that and the stool! Best wishes, Poll. X

Hi thank you for your reply! I'm going to do the physio, I don't know how bad the prolapsed are but if I set on the toilet I can see my bladder bulging down. My biggest issue is that I can't poo! Day 7 and nothing- I've taken lactose for 3 days and still no movement, I've got horrific wind. I'm going to take 2 senna tonight. I've tried to push the back wall of my vagina and I can feel all the stool matter bulging into my fingers I just can't push it out. And rectaly I can feel anything. I think it may be stuck...I'm done having children so I'm going to push for the anterior and prosterior repair, I don't even dare have sex right now- I don't want my partner seeing/ feeling it- it dosnt even feel like a vagina what does yours feel like? Lol xx

Hi Melissa - sorry to hear that you are struggling at the moment! Stool can get trapped in the rectocele. Have you ever tried glycerin suppositories? They keep be tricky to keep in, but are really cheap from the pharmacy and supermarket so you can keeping popping a new one back in. It's actually the blunt end (rather than the torpedo end) that get's inserted first as it helps you keep it in a bit longer. If you wet the end of it as well it makes it slippy enough to put in easily.  It might help remove the stool you can feel that's got a bit stuck in the rectocele bulge. Sometimes when you bear down you are more pushing the stool more sideways (if that make's sense). 

I can understand feeling scared to have sex because of these problems and I'm sorry to hear that you you are worried about how your partner would react as well. Of course relationships are all different, but I hope that if you were able to talk to him about it, he would reassure you that for him, like my partner, it isn't an issue, apart from seeing you suffer. My vagina has a visible bulge from the rectocele and also my pelvis feels really heavy and congested most of the time, so penetration is pretty much a no go at the moment. However, my partner is paraplegic so we already are a bit more "resourceful" in being intimate together(!). What we already had learnt is that there are different ways to still have an active and loving sex life, but it you need to be in a place where you can focus on what you are experiencing now together, rather than comparing it to how it was before. x

I've used suppositories before (but didn't know the blunt end went up first) I have some but think will be out of date. I've put a whole finger in and can't find any hard stool??.... I can feel soft stool but it's like I can't push it out? Either way I'll go to doc tomorrow and get some help, I'd like them to do a rectal exsam if there going to give me a suppository sp I know where to put it, but I'm on my period x

Also have just read that you are an A&E nurse, so you'll know all about blunt ended suppositories! I had to leave my nursing career because of this misery, but hoping that after my surgery and recovery, I'll be able to return. 

The suppository might help with soft stool as well. I have IBS as well and haven't had a BM below a 5 for years and years, before I used irrigation (I can't go at all now by myself as my sigmoid colon has collapsed down into my rectum) I used suppositories. 

I wouldn't worry about being on your period for the exam. If you do have a gynae examination it's more what they are feeling rather than visualing like they would for a smear or anything.

I'm a health care assistant- I work all over the hospital so have a wide range of knowledge but I work mainly in A&E and plan to spend the rest of my career then and train for my nursing x

Then I very much hope you get on the proper treatment pathway as soon as possible so you can get onto your A&E career going - those shifts definitely need a happy pelvic floor xxx

Oh gosh you have it so much worse than I do. When I saw the gp I asked her if stools could get stuck and she said no ( I'd already researched it as I knew it was a rectocele) but it CAN get stuck! I'm terrified I'll end up with a blockage x

I've had these problems for ten years now, so they have got progressively worse to where I'm in a bit of a sorry state now! Hopefully you might get some relief from the suppositories or by seeing the GP tomorrow. You sound like you are being very vigilant so it's unlikely you will develop a blockage without noticing any other symptoms. Even with my rectum completely occluded, I haven't had a blockage, there are ways, sometimes 1L enema and contorted positions later, to empty your bowels. 

I'll sort it, I've had bowel trouble all my life which has contributed to this. I've never been 'this' kind of consipated before, I just need it out. I have a great diet so that's not a factor. Will update you tomorrow if I can get in- hoping the will see me as a urgent as I don't want to wait till after the weekend x

It might be good to see whether you are actually constipated, or maybe it's a bit of both - constipation and the possible pressure from the cystocele and rectocele. x

Well magic happened last night lol passed a hard big ball then been follow by the rest, been up few time in the night. I'm so relived! So I'm going to take regular lactose before bed and see if it keeps me moving. And will ring doc today for a appointment next week for a urogyne referral, no reason why they can't set the ball rolling x

Really pleased you have had a result Melissa!  I am sure you are all ready doing this but take plenty of water on board too.

Regarding the squatty potty, you can use a toddler step but you may need to get another one so that your knees and feet are spread wide (delightful conversations on here). There is also a breathing technique that has you belly breathing - in through your nose and then blowing out with your mouth, a little bit like when in labour.  My friend who is a midwife says it is hypnopooing , but it works for me, ensuring I don't strain.

I have found crushed roasted flaxseeds sprinkled on everything (start with small amounts and increase gradually) really help me.  There seems to different approaches to fibre, prior to my op I was taking between 25-35 grams of fibre, but now I am down to 20-25 (rda 25) and managing well.

Will go get myself some flaxseeds too then. I find it discouraging that you've all been suffering with this for quite a while! I dread to think how long the waiting list is! X

Waiting lists seem variable in the uk depending on your area.  I am also in healthcare and the main reason I have put up with it was concerns about the op failing (ended up having two within a month so waiting didn't work out for me  lol).

My symptoms started after the birth of my first child (19yrs this year!) but I decided to do something now because my role is busy but less physical and my symptoms had cranked up ith perimenopause.

fingers crossed for a short list!

Absolutely! Can only hope! I work on gyne ward quite often and I see most the prostirior repairs are elderly women, and they seem to recover well so I'm optimistic. Do you think they will fix both in one surgery or will I have to do it twice? X

i think that it being for older women is a popular conception, from a 12 week placement I certainly had that opinion too. 

I am am sure they will aim to do both, I ended up having a lap to remove adhesions and then a rectocele and enterocele repair.

How long do you have to take off work? I'm bank staff so I don't get paid for sick pay. But I might be able to take it as holiday..I have a 17 month old and a 3 year old so think I'll try opt to stay in a extra few days to recoup, will be hard to rest with these two monkeys!

My plan is to take 8 weeks off, I am then starting a new role so will be doing 2-3 weeks of training etc. Due to change of roles I am also not getting paid for some of this period, not great but just tough!

If you can I would consider waiting till your youngest is older before having the repair, at 17mths I am guessing you still pick him up to put in car seats, prams etc and this will not fall into the nothing heavier than a kettle of water.

I don't mean to say this to upset you but heavy lifting can cause repairs to fail. But having said that, it is just my opinion, you are 15 years younger than me (guessing from your username) and maybe that is significant.

Do you have family/friend support for afterwards? I was in hospital for a week but understand that this is not typical. When I came out I was effectively restricted to upstairs (no downstairs toilet) and really washed out. 

Sorry all all this sounds very negative and hopefully other will have more positive opinions. But I would say given your family and occupation recovery could be suboptimal. 

Sure Matron will come along with some good information but I would say from what I have read 6 weeks off work is for very light - desk jobs not someone using bed slides and hoists etc.

sorry this sounds so negative but it really is a major op with from what I have read a high level of failure - 30%. I would like to think if I follow the rules, no excessive straining, heavy repeated weights and maintains a healthy weight that I won't have too through it again.

Yeah I could be difficult with my little one, but by the time I'm referred etc it could be 6+ months till I have it done. And with my job it could be difficult... urggh I'm going to be stuck with it for a while

I havnt had sec since Christmas and don't want to while I'm like this! My partner will be fine with it but I'm not lol

Isn't there some kind of peasant to hold everything up? X

Maybe a pessary! I don't know if you can have piv with this though.  We found other things to do that scratched the sex itch but would like to think when all this settles down that this something we can return to!

I had forgot about the waiting list thing in uk so yes it could be better timing wise.

Will you need to do an access course if you planning to do further training? Wondering if you could combine your recovery with studying (hard  but not so physical).

I have to say I wouldn't have the repair done if I was still working on a ward, but I am older than you so this was a factor for me.

Dont give up the joy of having a regular poo is a joy 😆

I'm not sure- health cares in A&E do a lot of extra training for bloods and cannula, ecg's etc so may be able to do a acess course and do my nursing on placement in the department. HCA's are practically nurses there but don't do medication. As I'm not permenant there I would have to pay for university where as it would be free if I'm employed by A&E. I could always work in clinics while I recover, not a fan of them but would keep money coming in, only problem with a ward is wouldn't be safe if there's a cardiac arrest if I'm unable to do chest compressions. The crash team are very fast but have to think of worse case sinario...

Well I'm 29 today and taking my birthday money shopping to lift my spirits, I've lost 11lbs and my jeans are all a bit loose, time for some retail therapy 😀

Happy birthday 🎂🍾 and congratulations on the weightloss.  Being a healthy weight will take loads of pressure off your prolapse!

enjoy your shopping, I miss uk shops so much and online is not the same...

It sounds as thought you have some good solutions for your recovery period to be a success, I read somewhere on here that really takes 6mths to recover fully! I am glad you dint take what I said the wrong way, I felt I was being so negative (but truthful) and harsh.  

so frustrating about the costing of nurse training, it just really turn off so many people now that there is no bursary and then the double whammy of uni fees on top.  Really is no wonder there is a shortage of British trained nurses.

Hey I've been back to gp and got my referral for 3rd of may so got the ball rolling xx

That's fab news Melissa, hopefully you will have plan of action very soon!