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Need Rectocele repair and SCARED!

Posted , 12 users are following.

suzy6304
suzy6304

Hi Ladies

I am new to this site but am finding it very helpful.  I know this is a UK site and I am from the US so proceedures may be different but the feelings and recovery are the same everywhere it seems.

I am seeing my doctor on May 3, 2015 to discuss my test results and options.  He did call me personally after my defecogram test to let me know that I do have a rectocele and need repair.  I will find out at my appointment if I need any bladder work done also.

I am very afraid of this surgery.  Not just because of the pain and recovery afterward but in 2009  I have a urethral sling proceedure done with complications.  Walked into the hospital the day of surgery expecting to only stay overnight and ended up leaving a week later using a walker.  The doctor I am seeing now is not the same doc I had previously but still scared.

Just looking for support I guess.  I have a lot of autoimmune issues so I know the recovery will take a while.  I watched the youtube videos of the proceedure and that probably wasn't a good idea because now I am really afraid.

You site is wonderful for the honest answeres and information I have read.

 

1 like, 25 replies

25 Replies

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  • lynn53651
    lynn53651 suzy6304

    Posted

    Hello Suzyand many more of you ladies out there. I have had a prolapse bladder for or ten years now. It is a stage 3 which means it sometimes comes a little out of my private part. I don't have any pain and it is more the hanging out that has been very hard to deal with. What I want to say is so many of these operations may or may not have been necessary. Why wouldn't you see a phyical therapist first to show you how to do pelvic floor exercise to help with the prolapse. Also, there are support garments to wear such as the one I have just created that will be online very shortly. I feel good when I wear mine and it does keep my prolapse from falling out and I can live with my stage 3 prolapse without having to worry about surgery. How many of you are in pain, but more in distress from the feeling of the prolapse falling down into your opening and feeling uncomfortable? Those are the ladies that should seriously read the pros and cons of having the operation. If you are not in pain and can urinate etc, then why would you put yourself through surgery when there are other options.

                                                           Lynn 

    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 lynn53651

      Posted

      Hi Lynn

      My problem isn't as much the bladder as the rectocel.  I do have some pain but more discomfort and I guess quality of life issues.  The continuous feeling like you have to have a bowel movement and then you actually don't.  Never feeling empty and always having to splint.  I'm just caught between the issues and the worrying.

  • barb89646
    barb89646 suzy6304

    Posted

    Suzy, your fear is normal!  This a very serious op you are talking about and if you have faith and trust in your doc, you are halfway there.  The rest is up to you to help control through breathing, meditation or whatever works...

    i am three weeks post op, a little different from yours but I am just now starting to feel more myself.  The first two weeks after are really difficult and quite painful but if you know that going in, you can better prepare yourself.  AND, if you have good help for when you go home, it will speed the process because seriously, I couldn't do much for the first couple of weeks.  My husband has been a dream and without him it would have been way worse so make sure you've got someone to help.  Now I must be extremely careful not to lift or bend anything, at any time for any reason because I will not risk having to do this again.  Also be sure to use stool softeners starting right after the surgery.  I found that to be one of the most difficult times in terms of pain.  I was prescribed Dulcolax, one small tablet that created 24 hours of horrible pain. Mir finally did the job but the lead up was awful.  Suffice it to say that I am grateful it is done and I am on my way to healing.  I wish you all the best success!

    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 barb89646

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply Barb.  My daughter will be there to help me.  I'm going to have it done but I just wish it was over. lol 
    • barb89646
      barb89646 suzy6304

      Posted

      Totally get that!  I'm glad you will have help, it's just so important to treat yourself well.  I'm here should you want a private chat online or otherwise, just let me know.  I wish I had someone to talk to prior to the ops ( I actually had two ops within 10 hours of each other but it's not common so don't think about that possibility)!  
    • gail68093
      gail68093 suzy6304

      Posted

      Id say barbs description is the most in tune with my experience.  Horrible excruciating pain after the hospital meds wear off and im day 12 after surgery and still having alot of pain with bms.  I was doing miralax day 2 all day and that caused the runs which were very painful, need to keep area dry. Dr told me to start eating things to bulk up, bananas help alot. Now im having difficulty going, just little bits at a time all day long.  One thing I would highly recommend is getting a cream called Calmoseptine, pharmacys have this but difficult to find.  Its like diaper rash cream but even more drying to heal the outside area after bms. ask your pharmacist and they can order it ahead.  start using on day 1. I fought taking the pain meds and was only doing motrin but now i take the heavy duty, have to try to stay in front of the pain. Imsorry to scare you with the pain but I wish my dr had told me, he said its mild. MIld my ass.  You will note anyone in the uk who has this done stays in hospital for 3 days. that is how it should be here in the states.  You need those 3 days on heavy meds to begin to feel better when you get home.  The US needs to address this.  This is major surgery.
    • lynn53651
      lynn53651 gail68093

      Posted

      I totally agree with you and this is no simple procedure. Once you do it there is no looking back. Again do your research and watch the youtube videos on prolapse bladder exercise's etc. Don't just assume that surgery in every case is going to take this all away and cure it forever. This is not true in many cases. Read the statistics and educate yourself before you have this major surgery. I shutter when I think of it when I read the results.
    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 gail68093

      Posted

      Thanks for you honesty gail.  That is exactly what I am looking for.  I noticed that the US and the UK seem to look at it differently.  And sometimes when we have these types of proceedures or whatever we just need someone who has been through it to say "you can do it" "hang in there".  I've dealt with pain a lot but this seems like it's gonna be even worse.  I will be having my proceedure at the Hershey Medical Center.  Not sure if you've ever heard of that.
    • gail68093
      gail68093 suzy6304

      Posted

      suzy, dont know if you work or not but this is one thing that makes me angry, I was told I'd be fine to go back to work in a week, NOT true.  My dr said you're in great shape so should have no problem.  NOT true.  I've used all my time at work and if I had known, which I should have since I read this stuff before, I would have gotten disability.  To fully recover with little pain, you need high dose pain meds.  I have a good tolerance for pain but dont like pain meds.  I've had to take them and they are not even doing the trick.  Highly recommend getting the Calmoseptine and also be sure to have ice packs,  when you are laying down, apply that to your anal area, with towel over of course, I actually used a bag of frozen peas in a ziplock.  I would ice the area then 2 hours later lie in a tub of warm water.  The baths were fantastic, i was afraid it would hurt but it did not, it relaxes all your nerve endings. When I left hospital they gave me a toilet top to make a sitz bath, I never used it. felt great to lay in the tub, eased the pain, then pack to the couch to lay down.  Another thing, if you are having pain with your BMS something I read here has helped, to have a stool to put your feet on.  I find when I put one foot up and one foot down, the BM is easier.  I dont have a stool so I used a garbage can turned on its side. it does help.  Funny, everyone tells you to lay down and dont move but if you do this all the time you get gassy and then have pain again. and when you do start going it can be little at a time so you are constantly getting up to try.  Please feel free to write to me with any more question. if I think of anything else, I'll write back as well.  Good luck suzy
    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 gail68093

      Posted

      Gail I do work but only 3 days a week. My doc told me I would be off work for 6 weeks. I asked if we could cut that to 4 weeks because I will be without any I come. He said we would talk about it. After reading everything I think I. Gonna need the 6 weeks.
    • barb89646
      barb89646 suzy6304

      Posted

      Yes, Suzy, you need as much time as you can possibly get.  Rushing things can put you back even farther.  I think it is the very lucky and unusual patient who heals well in 4 weeks.
  • debi53024
    debi53024 suzy6304

    Posted

    Hi ladies,

    I would totally agree with Lynn.  I had a TVT repair last February which has 100% cured the incontinence but my bladder has prolapsed again and i now also have a rectocele.  My consultant says that my bladder prolapse is a grade 1/2 and my rectocele doesnt need surgery at the minute which i am totally fine with as i do not want anymore surgery.  i would not want to further complicate things by unneccesary surgery.  I do have pain but i am unsure if this is caused by the rectocele which is fairly new or stress.  I definitely would not recommend prolapse surgery to anyone even though there are people for whom it has been successful.  i have a little machine that i use to do my pelvic floors and will do my best to make sure it doesnt get any worse. 

    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 debi53024

      Posted

      Hi Debi,

      I have considered having physical therapy for my pelvic floor muscles but I think my rectocele is past that.  I'm interested in the little maching you use to help with the pelvic floor though.  Can you tell me more about that and where you got it?

    • lynn53651
      lynn53651 suzy6304

      Posted

      Never just assume it is too late for pelvic floor exercises or to use a grment support to help avoid surgery. It all depends on how motivated are to seek out an alternative that will work for you. Each person is different and each type of prolapse is different.
    • debi53024
      debi53024 suzy6304

      Posted

      Hi Suzy,

      i have a neurotrac pelvitone machine which I use every day. It cost me about £60 but is worth it.  You can get them on amazon etc. Can I ask what sling procedure you had and what your problems were?

    • suzy6304
      suzy6304 debi53024

      Posted

      I had a uterine sling.  Sling on urethra not the bladder.  The doc I'm seeing now said that it is fine and is where it should be.

      My problem was that I came out of surgery screaming in pain.  I thought they broke my leg the pain was so bad. It took a long time to get the pain tolerable and I still have problems to this day.  What my physical therapists said was they think when they put my legs in the stirrups for the proceedure they may have left it fall to the side of the table and that the doc when doing the proceedure may have nicked a nerve on my inner thigh.  I had pain on the outside and inside of my leg.  The proceedure itself was nothing compaired to my leg pain.

      So that's why I'm even more afraid to have a proceedure done in my pelvic area again.  But I can't continue like this.  This issue is much worse than the issue I had when I had the sling done.

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