Mrs JG

Thank you fr your kind words of supportt. I was able to get a splst appointment  on May 9, he is a little bit out of the way,but with good reviews. Will get back on this forum soon after. I believe one has to shop around for medical splsts as one does for other things. The cheapest is not always the best one gets what one pays for.He is a bit more pricey,my insurance will cover most but he will only charge the extra if it is necessary and a major job that i feel it will not be.I am hopeful.

I'm so glad you have an appointment with a specialist!   I hope they can give you the help you need.  Whether they recommend more conservative therapy (pessary, pelvic floor physio) or surgery, it is really good to be in the hands of someone who specializes in prolapses.

I have to agree with you. I need to get SPECIALISTS opinion and may be 2 opinions before deciding what is best for me. So I am hoping to get some positive in put by discussing my concerns further with the appropriate people.Thanks for your support.

The reason considering surgery is to nip things before age,degeneration, and gravity  gets the better of me!!. My sister had a similar problem and ended up getting a complete hysterectomy at age 84.. This will be a minor job through the vagina. However the gyno will decide after a detailed examination he said and an ultra sound to check the lower region properly.I have never had children, but 2 miscarriages and a D & C procedure. Thanks for sharing your thoughts will keep you posted after the gyno's appointment.I miss my exercise classes and Tai Chi and am just busting to getting back to an active life.

Morning Yajip - I quite understand, and I think your post is testatment that as women/patients we need to be listened to! Good luck and do let us know how you get on, all these journeys are insightful and inspirational and this is a great support network. Good kuck S

Not long to go Monday 9 May at 12 noon I have my appointment. I have been offered an appointment with another splst as well. But wll go with the one on 9 May first and see if my concerns are are properly discussed, clarified and addressed.Thank you for your suppot.

I am so glad you consider  age should not be a barrier. I wish more people will think like that.Inspite of many health issues I just keep going and have a wonderful doctor who practises alternative therapies like acupuncture and other things and has given me back my life since 1994 when I was obese, jaundiced, BP sky high and lots of other things going wrong. I intend to make the best of my life.Thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Yajip

I don't know whether you are in the UK or not cerys but all doctors practice in the best interest of their patients and sign the Hippocratic Oath. If a patient has a heart condition for instance a cardiologist will inform another consultant in this case probably a Urogynaecologist that the patient is fit for surgery. More anaesthetics and surgery enable patients with medical problems have the surgery if it's necessary and in the NHS the wishes of any patient is paramount in the decision making. However no surgeon would put a patient at risk but as I said anaesthetics and modern medicine is overcoming issues that 10 years ago we didn't think possible.

Even if a the surgery isn't worth the risk, I think seeing a specialist is still important because:

1) They can best figure out how serious it is

2) They can offer conservative treatment (pessary, pelvic floor physio) that isn't available from a GP

For all surgery there is a risk/benefit issue.  The heart doctor can probably best asses the risk, but the patient and the urogyn can evaluate the benefit.  You need to know both of those things to see if the benefit is greater than the risk.

We don't live in a perfect world. Physicians are human. Surgeons do put people at risk. Sometimes it a reasonable risk. Sometimes it's not. Never hear of surgeons drunk in the OR? Or ones so harried or insensitive they operate on the wrong body part? Or ones in it for the money or prestige of having performed X number of the latest-greatest procedures? I have. Perhaps all you know is the lucky experience of always having been treated by the best and for all the right reasons with all the right results. It isn't the case for everyone. At the end of the day, patients live with the consequences. Ask anyone with failed back surgery or excruciating pain from transvaginal mesh if they were told of the potential risks with as much sincerity and vigor as the promised rewards. I live with fecal incontinence from a horror injection of Botox. The colorectal surgeon doesn't have to live with it, I do. And he can go on promoting the procedure bc I'm "in the minority". I'm sure he will tell the next person how he's never seen a patient suffer irreparable harm, that's its in the fine print as a precaution only. And he will do it with all sincerity simply because I have been forgotten. I know he was sincerely trying to help as much as I was sincerely trying to recover from an injury. The results don't paint a pretty picture though, so I wish I had been less naive, that another patient stepped up to tell their story. I'd certainly feel like I gave more informed consent had I heard and understood all sides. The OP is free to pursue whatever course of action she wants. I never said otherwise. And I never said we lived in surgical dark ages. We don't. But just because something can be done doesn't mean it should be done. And certainly individual genetics, responses to medication, recovery times, etc play a huge role. The OP said a GP suggested waiting six months and it seems like that's interpreted as not wanting her to have a full life?!? Why? given all the patient's body has been thru it seems reasonable to approach a MILD situation with conservative measures. But what do I know. I guess this is only about hearing what someone wants to hear and maybe not about reasonable realistic appraisal. Of course she should pursue a urogyno consult if her symptoms require it and if it takes six months to get a consult there's no reason not to get the ball rolling now. On the other hand... But it seems that's not okay to say here.  

I've been nursing for over 44 years working in the NHS and never heard of a drunk surgeon. In fact I have only ever seen caring dedicated professionals working hard to ensure patients receive the best possible care.

You are most certai8nly entitled to what you think. So U are etitled to be ine minority I find myself in such situations  & finally it is your gut feeling that helps in the deciision and most often it is OK I would carefully  weigh up what the gyno has to say and even seek a further clarfication if needs be as I still have the option to the one I cancelled, who by the way got back to me yesterday offering an earlier consultation. I told the receptionist I had recd an earlier appt from another gyno. but would keep him in mind, if I need a further opinion.I have the opiniion/ encouragement of my alternate therapy Doctor who has been my guru andlookedafter  me since 1994 when I was at death;s door. His practice is outside of the box of conventional medicine, been to europe and USA and Canada toacquire his knowledge & further skills after qualifying as a GP here in Aus.   medicare system  rebates  some of his remedies but because  his remedies  do not have codes for classifyng what he does, Medicare does not pay for those tems. However.One saves a lot in the longterm because treatmets are not prolonged  and one is very happywith results. My Cardio signed me off for varicose surgery(deferred for the time being). His words to me  were ÿou are a pretty fit woman. I wanted to tell him why but he moved on.> The conventional doctors and splsts sometimes do not want to acknowledge his expertise,it is a snob attitude.But it is there. Because he gets results where they dont, he uses conventional treatment if absolutely necessary or does not have the equipment in his surgery.. However another woman Dr who gave me a referral to the gyno I am seeing on 9/5 says the gyno will guide you but you must discuss with him all your concerns.Which I want to do face to face. He actually condescended to ring me at 8 pm after I quered the receptionist about his higher fees comparatively.He rang me to explain he has  some skills others do not have, Because I was bold enougjh to ask him what is so special about you!? He replied perhaps I can query him on my concerns if I have a consultation & that I had nothing to loose.  .I said to him nothing ventured nothing gained,expectme to challenge you on that, I have a small problem comparatively and I would expect the best results from yoy,!!! anyway if the worst comes to the worst I would have the consultation covered by my insurance and then decide!He was not in the least upset or knocked off his pedestal at my response. So will wait and see how it goes His reviews are good and they reckon he is fantastic. I will decide for myself. I may not think so I must decide on that..I have a lot of plans for the rest of my life.My husband and I are in retirement and I intend to be fit regardless of age. Yajip