rectocele, cystocele, and hysterectomy

My dr. is a urogynegologist - I like him a lot and he seems very honest and does not want to take out any organs that he doesn't need to. So, the big debate about the uterus is still unresolved. He will wait until he sees how low it is while he repairs the very low bladder and rectum, and then decide. He is doing it all vaginally as well. But he said I will have a large episiotomy-type repair and therefore the need for warm baths with alternating ice packs. I am looking to buy a donut pillow now. Any suggestions from those of you who've been through this already? Happy July 4th! Nechama

lorilan
Yes, BM's are painful but not as bad now. I take a stool softner and drink metamucil daily. It does feel like childbirth all over again but has gotten better. Lately I've been feeling really tired and my legs ache. I'll do really well which causes me to do more than I should and then the next day I feel like you know what. ARe you having any of these symtoms?

botinkler
yes i still get really tired. usually i take an afternoon nap around 3 or 4. but yesterday with the family festivities i missed it and was just exhausted when i got home last night. it really did me in.
i too am still taking the stool softner along with metamucil. i was just curious if this bearing down is normal right now with everything being tight down there. also my bladder seems more like letting loose sometimes. the first couple of weeks i was fine using the bathroom normal. and now 3 times since friday i have pee'd in my pants. before the surgery it was just a little leakage now actually letting loose before i can even make it to the bathroom. going to ask the doc about that also? what about you?

Botinkler,

I also am going through the same as you did, with rectocele, cystocele, uterine prolapse and I also have endometriosis, and a cyst. So I have decided to have a hystorectmy that is getting scheduled as we speak. I can't wait to feel better with no more back pain and no more painful cycles and no more bladder problems and no more bowl problems. I am 39 soon to be 40 and have had my tubes tied for 15 years. So I had no intention on having more babies. I also have some cancer in my family. My doctor had given me a choice of taking meds that would put me into menopause to help with the endo but there is nothing sayine it would work and it would do nothing for my rectum or bladder or cyst. My other choice was the hystorectmy. So because they had to do surgery to fix the prolaspes I decided to have the hystorectmy. I surely don't want to go through a second surgery if I don't need to. Anyway I'm glad your doing well Botinkler.

Ladyfair

ladyfair

i can sympathize with you. i have been there done that. i was on hormones for 5 years to try and control my endo and cyst with no resolution. my final option was a hysterctomy 3 years ago. the removed all with the exception of my right ovary and tube due to no damage done. and now i am 3 wks post op from my last surgery for rectocele, cystocele, ap repair and removal of right ovary. now thrown into surgical menopause. the symptoms have been mild but my dr informed me last week that i cannot take hrt due to the endo. so i am waiting to see how bad the symptoms get before resorting to the herbal medications.
best of luck to you through your surgery.

Sometimes I feel like I'm taking one step forward and two steps back. Yesterday I had a haircut and needed to take a nap but then met with friends and stayed out till 11. Today felt great and then went to the gym with my husband and walked the treadmill real slow - now I feel like crap (excuse the expression). I'm getting frustrated and have cabin fever. Tomorrow I have a workshop at school - hope I feel like going.

I have not had any problem with wet pants. I've sneezed, coughed, etc. and everything was AOK. I hope your doctor will have some info for why you wet your pants.

Good luck,
Botinkler

lorilan,
You said you cant take hrt cuz of the endo so that must mean that you still have endo in your ab even after you have had everything removed? Seems your doctor would have tried to remove the endo.

hum
ladyfair

my dr removed as much as he possible could. but there were a few little spots here and there that he could not get to. and also when we talked at my last drs appt he informed me that estrogen (wether it is in your body via ovaries producing it or you are taking it via hormones) will cause endo to grow and that the endo "feeds" off of estrogen. that i found very interesting cause i did not know.

im glad that he removed the remaining ovary due to all the pain i was in. (he said that the endo had covered the ovary and was inside of it too); but if i knew now what i new then i would not have had removed and lived with the pain. so now i have to look forward to menopause at such an early age (35).

so far it has not been bad. just a few warm flashes and insomnia and even those have not been too terrible bad. no mood swings or anything else. but i did read somewhere if you still had a bit of endo in you, it could take 3-6 mnths for it to diminish and full blow menopause to set it.

are you having problems with endo?

Hey ladies,
I am finding this thread abit late, but what the heck, mind if I join your mini support group? I had a tvh with anterior and posterior repair 6/29. I am doing great except the catheter. I can't empty all the way out and have had to have it put back in 3 times. Its in now and I have been doing something they call bladder retraining. They will try tomorrow to take it out again. Think good thoughts, I am ready.

I too had uterine prolapse, I could feel my cervix every time I wiped. My bladder had started to fall abit too but I had been told that almost 2 years ago, just never had enough discomfort or symptoms to warrant having surgery. When my uterus went, I didn't have an option anymore. I am 46, mother to 5, youngest is 12. I started running last year and have absolutely hated this inactivity due to waiting for surgery and now during recovery. But I am trying to be good.

I didn't have the sub pubic tube....I wish. I have had to have a fole put in, leg bag kind.

Wish you all well in your continued recoveries and wish those who still await surgery, painless and uneventful surgeries.

Tracy

HI lorilan

I am so sorry that the doctor was not able to remove all the endo I did want to mention that before you try any herbal remedies to help ease your menopause symptoms, please do some research over in the No hormone desert oasis forum. Some types of herbal products do contain phytoestrogens and I have read that soy and some types of black cohosh can be just as bad on endo women as estrogen can.

I also wanted to mention that many women use natural progesterone with estrogen to help couonteract the negative effects that estrogen has on endo. Estrogen stimulates and feeds endo and progesterone inhibits the growth of endo. I also had my surgery for endo and my doctor had me wait 3 months before starting estrogen. Once I did start using estrogen, I also have been using progesterone with it.

We have some wonderful articles in resources that may be helpful. Hormone resources...click here and also Hormone Jungle Articles...click here

Best Wishes