Bladder repair?

Thanks Donna for the complete reply. More food for thought in this situation. I also am wondering how bad your symptoms were pre-op? Was there a lot of leakage? Was it all the time or just with coughing/sneezing? thanks so much.

dyanne

You know...I don't know exactly what caused what symptom to be truthful. I had a huge uterus and apparently everything under the sun was prolapsed in my body. I knew I had a cystocele...have had ever since the birth of my daughter 17 years ago...but never really caused me much trouble except for stress incontinence. For close to a year I have had horrible back pain, heavy pressure in my abdomen, and pain in my hips and legs...increased just before my periods. I had bowel changes, which I went to a Gastroenterologist for and colonoscopy turned out fine. Of course, in hindsight....it all makes sense. The happy part is...all of these things have now gone bye bye.
I know that's not much help......

Did you have...or suspect you have an enterocele?

Hey Dyanne....
I have had mild stress incontinence with sneezing/ coughing/ laughing for quite some time...never severe enough to wear a pad and to be honest, I learned I needed to keep my bladder empty when possible. However, when I was going through the D&C, the ultrasounds, etc for the abnormal bleeding issue, the incontinence got worse. I chalked it up to major stress....Lord knows I had plenty at that time. It became severe enough that if I waited to empty my bladder.....I would literally wet my pants. Wow....I can't believe I admitted that. yep...it's true. I live about 15 minutes past the closest convenience store I pass on the way home. I clearly remember a time I stopped for gas. As I got out of my warm car into the cold, the urge hit me that I needed to pee. I pumped my gas and thought that I would just wait til I got home (after all, I JUST got the urge). By the time I drove the 15 minutes home and got into my house, it was too late. Okay...yep that was embarrassing to tell. LOL
I was so glad I got to the bottom of things.... had I not gone to the urologist, I probably would still have back pain, bowel problems, hip/leg pain....etc etc etc.
Hope this information helps you to make a good decision for yourself. Unless your health is at risk, there's no reason to be hasty!
I will be praying for you!!

Donna,
I had never even heard of of an enterocele until you just mentioned it here. Is that detectable with regular gyn exams and transvaginal ultrasounds? I also had a D & C about 3 years ago and the doctor didn't mention anything. I have complained about these symptoms forever it seems.

I had my last pregnancy (twins) 17 years ago and have had some stress incontinence ever since. It just hasn't been as bad as you describe. I do have the exact same symptoms you had however, with the back pain, the pressure, some bowel changes, hip and leg pain and weakness. The doctor believes all of this is caused by the fibroids - they are in bad spots and very large. One is pressing against my spine.

So, it's hard to say if I have the entecystole thing you mentioned. I sure hope I don't have this surgery and then find out some of this is caused by something else. I will ask about that possiblity at pre op appt. I would have hoped that if something like that were going on - it would have been mentioned to me by now as a possiblity. She seems certain this surgery is going to make the difference and I sure hope and pray it does. I haven't had the "peeing my pants" thing but I sure have gotten out of my car at a gas station and had the whooosh of blood going all over. I've had to stage some very hasty retreats. Thanks for sharing your story - it is so helpful to hear it!

I had the test before my hysterectomy and it wasn't bad at all. I ended up needing the bladder repair which I just had during my hysterectomy. I was all about the one stop shop!

Donna,

You're quickly becoming my favorite "hystersister" because of your honesty and willingness to give specific details. It is precisely this information that you can't get anywhere else. I mentioned before that as far as I know - my good girlfriends( my age or thereabouts) don't have any of these problems. Now, granted they could and they just choose not to talk it about over cocktails. You know " I'll have an appletini and did I tell you about my pooping problem?" So, we all walk around thinking we are sooooo abnormal and mutated or something. I walked around forever thinking everybody had to use two overnight pads, sleep on two towels and wipe up the floor everytime they had a period. My doctor had to tell me that wasn't normal.

I am going to ask about the bladder repair in the preop appt. I don't think from what is discussed on this board that I have the same need - I think if I need anything it would be minor in comparison. I hope the surgery will take care of the bloating,pain and pressure. I certainly need to get rid of the pregnancy belly - get back to the treadmill and long walks in the park I enjoy so much. thanks for all your support!

	Quote:
Originally Posted by charmane I've read about women having bladder repair along with their hysterectomies. I have had the Stress incontinence since my deliveries the last being 17 years ago. I sought help from urologist but they wanted me to go for some horrible test they came up with where you had to pee lying down on a table and be catherized and then try to pee - anyway the description of the test put me off and I just didn't do it. Is this something the gyn can do? I am having LAVH and I wouldn't mind some one-stop shopping. Can you bring this up at Preop visit? Thanks for input. dyanne

I had the "Urodynamics" test. Just prepared me for what all I will have to endure.....when having LAVH,BSO and cystocele repair on 3/22. I dreaded it...and it was pretty humiliating and degrading and embarrassing and the tech was male! It was not painful, or too uncomfortable-it was simply embarrassing. I had to pee standing up...with a male tech sitting on the floor attempting to have me pee while coughing.....with a paper sheet around me. Men have out-patient vasectomies while wearing their shirt and tie....wish the methods were more patient friendly...the technology is advanced.
Now to get past "self-cathing".....

	Quote:
Originally Posted by mmv22249 I had the "Urodynamics" test. Just prepared me for what all I will have to endure.....when having LAVH,BSO and cystocele repair on 3/22. I dreaded it...and it was pretty humiliating and degrading and embarrassing and the tech was male! It was not painful, or too uncomfortable-it was simply embarrassing. I had to pee standing up...with a male tech sitting on the floor attempting to have me pee while coughing.....with a paper sheet around me. Men have out-patient vasectomies while wearing their shirt and tie....wish the methods were more patient friendly...the technology is advanced. Now to get past "self-cathing".....

Oh, you just needs lots of hugs for that. Good to know it's not painful - but having to go through embarrassing is awful too. You would think they'd have a female tech for the ladies - I have a hard time peeing if there's somebody in the next stall for crying out loud!

I was most embarrassed when I had to have a hysterescopy. I just went to a radiology facility and I was splayed all out there and this guy comes in - I think he was the doctor but he didn't dress or act like it - he does not even introduce himself. He just tells me I'm causing trouble because they can't get what they want and he shoves a catheter up very roughly. When I made a face and yelled ouch he told me that all the ladies tell him that this is the most fun they have had in ages because they are getting attention "down there". It was an awful procedure, very painful and embarrasssing and no drugs were administered for it. There were probably 3 or 4 techs in the room and they all just talked to each other and acted like I was a big pain for interupting their conversation.

I complained about this guy to my doctor - and all she said was "really?" and she looked very uncomfortable even discussing it with me. Granted, it was not her facility but I would think she would do something about the treatment and the inappropriate comments. Maybe she did, and she just didn't want to talk about it with me. All that professional courtesy. That's why I hate being sick - you really are at the mercy of the places you go to - here's hoping everyone gets to a good and professionally run facility!

Hi Dyanne,
Thanks for saying that. I am so pleased that I have helped someone...even just a little bit. I came on this site in the beginning to try and find anyone that had gone through even a part of what I was going to go through. The only way I know how to "pay it forward" is to try and do the same for others......and the only way I know to do that is to be brutally honest....even if it embarrasses me in the process. LOL
I hope your surgery gets rid of all your problems too! It did for me...I feel so blessed.
Let us know what the doc says at your preop. When is that scheduled for?

I had the test you are speaking of, a cystoscope (sp?) and I have to say it is nowhere near as bad as it sounds. They numb you up first, so you do not feel it going in (just think you could be a guy that could be a long way lol). It was over within a minute or two. Just think of it as getting a pelvic exam, you are in sturrips. Good Luck, I am having the bladder tack while my GYN is in there, he is doing everything so that hopefully he will not have to go back in.

Good Luck and God Bless