Questions

If this has been covered already somewhere else, please drop links on here for me to read. I just started your site today and it's pretty overwhelming...not just all the posts to read, but the news I got today at the doctor.

A little info on me. I am almost 43 years old. Each year on my birthday, I have my annual exam. At my last exam, I discussed with my doctor about discomforts I am having. My vagina feels different. There was a lot of pressure in that area and to me it felt like there was a "tumor" there. Not really, but the pressure was really great at the time. She told me that my abdominals were starting to sag (I am assuming prolapse, but she never used that word) It wasn't anything that concerned her at the time, but she did suggest that in the future, we may have to deal with options to fix my intestines...back then it was only my intestines.

Fast forward to today, 9 months later. I went back to her today because intercourse has been painful lately. I told her it felt like I was being impaled (sorry, if TMI) She did an exam, and I have "fallen" more, this time she said that it was my uterus that was being "impaled" and she would like me to go to another doctor for a second opinion. She did mention that I might need a hysterectomy, but they would leave my ovaries. The second opinion is next Monday at 10am. I have lost about 30 pounds since last summer, and she said that, along with other factors in my gyno history probably have accelerated this (fat cells are no longer helping add support to my intestinal/uterine areas)

I am very unsure about losing my uterus. If it and my intestines are sagging or prolapsing, what kind of questions should I be asking the new doctor? If my uterus is removed, what is to keep other body parts from sagging into the area that would be void of my uterus?

This is all so sudden and very confusing as to what I should do and ask next. Can you offer me any advice? I realize I will get answers from both sides of the coin, and I would like that. Especially what to expect after the hysterectomy if i do end up needing one. I would really like to avoid this unless it is medically necessary.

Hi christian

Your doc sounds very understanding and cautious, which is definitely in your favor Here is a link to the Prolapse section of our Resources Directory: https://www.hystersisters.com/vb2/lin...=browse&cid=27

Keep us posted on the outcome of your 2nd opinion. Get smart about your symptoms and your options, and make the best choice for YOU. I am sending huge cyberhugs

Twysmilng, thank you so much for your post and the link. I will keep everyone posted on what the second opinion says. At the moment, I just don't know what questions I need to ask. Doctors are so rushed anymore and don't spend adequate time with their patients. I have bought me a spiral notebook to start putting my thoughts and questions in. God willing, I will feel some peace about this one way or another.

My situation is a bit different then yours but what I can relate to is feeling overwhelmed by all this.

Big hugs to ya. Hang in there and it good you are researching.

I am glad to hear you are going for a second opinion.

As for what questions to ask....get a little book, calender or something you can keep in your purse and start writing them down. You will be amazed how many questions pop into your head over the next couple of weeks.

When you go to the doctor bring the questions but also write down some info they throw your way.....you will get a lot of information in the next appts and writing it down helps keep it a bit organized for you to read later. You may also want to jot a summary of what the doc said at each appt.

One of the best things I have done so far. Keep looking around the sight there is SOOOO much good infor here and easier to read and understand as things move along.

Keep us posted!

My husband said he would go with me if I needed him to. Should I take him with me? My appointment is Monday and I would have to find someone quickly to watch the kids. (They are still out of school on Monday)

I definately think taking your husband with you is a good idea for (1) it is good to have a second pair of ears (so to speak) to hear things you might miss during the conversation with the doctor and (2) he might think to ask something you might not thought to ask. I took my husband for the appt to get the test results and he thought of things to ask that I didn't about. Hope this helps you some.

Hi again, christian

Take your hubby along if you can. Also, make a list of your questions and write down the answers while you are there.

Good luck

Just wanted to update. My 2nd opinion was today.

I have a rectocele. He said that I definitely have that. I also have the starting of uterine prolapse, but he called it a stage 1 and wasn't really worried about it yet. He just said my cervix is descended into my vagina slightly, and when I have painful intercourse, DH is hitting my cervix, not my uterus. He said that my uterus is kind of folded back toward my bowel, which is causing pain, too (from the rectocele) (I can't remember the term he used. I wish I had written it down.) He told me that my vaginal opening was really big...I told him DS was 9# and had a big head, and he said that would do it.

The news is, the rectocele is a day surgery. The recovery is short (he says I might miss 2-5 days of work), and it recovers like an epistiotomy. There would be no sex for 6 weeks until the vagina heals. He said the uterine prolapse wasn't anything to be concerned about yet, but if I didn't want any more periods, it would be a one day/night stay in the hospital to remove the uterus and they could repair the rectocele at the same time, but I could miss anywhere from 2-6 weeks of work depending on the recovery time. He said for me to talk it over with DH and get back to him what I would like to do.

So that is where I stand. I am looking over my insurance stuff and my employee handbook to see what I have as far as sick leave. I think I should at least get the rectocele repaired, but I still don't know about the hysterectomy. It's not medically necessary, just a convenience. I forgot to ask about the pessary....is it necessary to call him back and ask?

Hi (((christian1993))) I'm glad you are taking time to do your homework.

I have to say - and this is just my opinion, of course - that having a hysterectomy for a stage 1 uterine prolapse is waaaaaaay jumping the gun. There are other things you can try to either avoid or delay having to remove your uterus, and imho they would be better alternatives because they're less risky in terms of your overall long-term health.

I had a stage 4 prolapse plus a cystocele and a rectocele before I knew I was prolapsing. I was 45 and had been perimenopausal for a few years. I had also had two large vaginal deliveries - my first was 9 lbs 2 oz - plus I'd done a lot of heavy lifting when I was younger. In addition, I had a lifelong history of constipation which contributed greatly to the problem, though I never put any of these things together until it was too late to do anything but remove my uterus.

Do you know if you are perimenopausal yet? The reason I ask is that typically, prolapse begins or worsens when the hormone changes cause the pelvic ligaments to loosen. Getting on some type of estrogen replacement early, combined with doing regular Kegels faithfully, can forestall or even reverse a very early prolapse such as yours. I wish I had known that, and known I was in that situation, when I was in my earlier 40s because perhaps I would not have had so many serious health problems since then if I had.

Keep in mind that, if you decide to remove your uterus, even if you keep your ovaries there is a very real possibility that they may stop working and you may instantly go into menopause. If the prospect of that happening is scarier than the prospect of living as you are a while longer, then I would not have a hysterectomy, because if you did and it happened, you'd be forever second-guessing yourself.

Also, imho your doctor is a little naive about the recovery from a rectocele repair. The rectocele repair caused probably 90% of the discomfort I had from the hysterectomy. I sat on a donut pillow for more than six weeks. I was not working at the time so I don't know how much work I would have missed, but depending on the job and the setting I would guess it would have been more than two to five days.

There are doctors who specialize in pelvic floor reconstruction... since your prolapse is very very early, have you considered seeking one out to see if you could have a surgery to lift your uterus back to its proper position? (BTW, I believe the word you were searching for is retroverted? Mine was too.)

Whatever you do, take your time and consider all the risks very carefully. Once the uterus is removed, you cannot put it back. If your ovaries fail, there are HRT options, but there is no guarantee you will ever feel like yourself again on hormone replacement. It's a poor substitute for properly working ovaries under the best circumstances.

I hope this helps. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

s,
-Linda