Swelling and Pain: 19 Weeks Post Op From Rectocele Surgery

Hi Ladies,

I'm 55 and had rectocele surgery in the U.S. on November 13 (19 weeks tomorrow). No mesh. I have no clue what grade it was, but will say it was pretty bad after living with it for 3 years. Numerous reasons why something wasn't done sooner, but the main reasons was embarrassment and no good medical care in the rural area we lived in.

The first 2 weeks after surgery wasn't near as painful as I thought it would be. I was getting around slow, but good. I was scheduled for a 2 week appt. which was a 3 hour round trip for me. At the check up. the Dr. only talked. He did offer to check me (if I wanted), but of course I didn't and he told me that sex could resume if we were careful using lots of lubricant and that I shouldn't worry about coming back at all unless there were problems..."should be about 6 weeks 'til stitches are dissolved and it heals". Are you kidding me??!!! Needless to say, I'm thankful for the internet and found this and another forum. Reading what you ladies went through at different stages helped keep my fears down and helped me to know what to expect and what was "normal". The advice you've shared from YOUR doctors have really helped along the way. We left the Dr. office, stopped to eat, then stopped by the store before going home. By the time I made it to the back of the store, I felt horrible and barely made it back to the front. Went to the bathroom and blood was trickling. Scared me and really set me back worse than what I was at right after the surgery. I've been very upset at that Dr. to say the least. They just have no clue I guess. A man...how can they? lol

At this point, I'd love to hear from some of you who are past 19 weeks. At what point in recovery are you at and is swelling still a big problem for you? When did it go away for you? Some days I feel fine, others, like I still have a rectocele. I've been so fearful of the surgery not taking. Is there a certain point you know for sure if it did? I have NOT tried sex yet. So thankful my husband is understanding, but I was not about to rip open 30+ stitches. I think what upsets me the most is that Dr. saying it was fine at 2 weeks as long as we took it easy. Now, we're not young...have been married for 20 years, so it's not like it's priority on our list of things to do...getting well is priority now. it's been rough, though I'm getting better and can be on my feet more and can get around better.

I guess I'm just looking for some hope that I will wake up one day and the swelling not be an issue. For the longest, I had a bad, burning pain in the lower left groin over where the surgery was done. I've searched and searched, but found very few posts regarding that. Has anyone else here had problems with pain like that? It's only been the last couple of weeks that it has eased up. This hard computer chair causes things to be worse if I sit in it too long. I guess that's why I haven't posted much since I really hate typing on my iphone, so hope you'll forgive me for this being so long and for so many questions (I'm sitting in this chair today). Many thanks to you who have gone through this and have been giving updated posts to your recovery. To those of you just going through this, it does get better! Hang in there and rest, rest, rest when you can. Lying on your back, especially if you're used to being active, is very difficult and discouraging. We need to heal up the best we can for the many years ahead that we have.

Hope to hear back from some of you. Thanks and praying for all a quick recovery.

*My tip:  Get a long tube sock, fill it with long grain rice (not too packed) and tie the end in a knot. It can be put in the freezer for a cold pack or in the microwave for a few seconds until warm for a moist heat. Really helps.

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