tell me about prolapses

[SparklyUnicorn]

I think I have one.  I have an appointment on Tuesday.  It's highly unpleasant, but nothing I read on-line made it sound too scary.  Oddly, the feeling I have...it's like I knew what was going on.  It's a very very weird feeling.

 

Being a woman sucks @$$.

 

.......

 

Adding an update here.  I updated in another thread, but that might just get buried quickly.  I don't have a prolapse.  I likely have a cyst or diverticulum on my urethra.  I have to go have that scoped to see what is up.  Doc gave me antibiotics.  Not even sure yet when I'm having that done because they are supposed to call with an appointment time.

 

So my parts are not falling out. 

 

Edited May 24, 2016 by SparklyUnicorn

[prairiewindmomma]

There are degrees of prolapse.  Some are correctable through OT, others through surgery.  Pessaries and other things may help as well. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

OMG..I just looked up pessaries.  That doesn't sound like fun.

 

 

[Butter]

It's not life threatening.  It's also not comfortable.  Mine got steadily worse even basically on bedrest.  By the time I had my hysterectomy, my uterus was constantly partway out.  Fun times.

[SparklyUnicorn]

It's not life threatening.  It's also not comfortable.  Mine got steadily worse even basically on bedrest.  By the time I had my hysterectomy, my uterus was constantly partway out.  Fun times.

 

Well looking back at various minor symptoms I have had (that were kinda vague) I think this may have been a problem for awhile, but now it's gotten bad enough to REALLY notice.  It's really driving me nuts at the moment. 

 

Seriously though, why is this a freaking thing?!

[Penguin]

I have a minor one, and it hasn't changed in about 12 years. It is just a bit annoying. So maybe not all of them are so bad.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I have a minor one, and it hasn't changed in about 12 years. It is just a bit annoying. So maybe not all of them are so bad.

 

This is insanely annoying at the moment. I feel like I have to pee constantly. 

 

TMI I'm sure.  LOL

 

Oh and coughing is scary.

[DesertBlossom]

So... this thread made me do some googling that I've been afraid to do. I think this problem of mine started after my last baby was born... at least I'm not sure it was happening when I was pregnant. Regardless, it's been relatively recently. But I'm pretty sure I have a rectal prolapse. It doesn't hurt or bother me except that I can feel a bulge in the wrong spot when I've got a BM coming down the pipeline. 

 

I don't know how problematic it is or if I should see a doctor about it. I guess I would be worried it could get worse and really cause problems if I have another baby... that might be reason enough to be done.  :huh:

 

I can't believe I just put this on the internet. 

[Penguin]

This is insanely annoying at the moment. I feel like I have to pee constantly.

 

TMI I'm sure. LOL

 

Oh and coughing is scary.

Oh, well...sorry :(

[SparklyUnicorn]

So... this thread made me do some googling that I've been afraid to do. I think this problem of mine started after my last baby was born... at least I'm not sure it was happening when I was pregnant. Regardless, it's been relatively recently. But I'm pretty sure I have a rectal prolapse. It doesn't hurt or bother me except that I can feel a bulge in the wrong spot when I've got a BM coming down the pipeline. 

 

I don't know how problematic it is or if I should see a doctor about it. I guess I would be worried it could get worse and really cause problems if I have another baby... that might be reason enough to be done.  :huh:

 

I can't believe I just put this on the internet. 

 

From what I read if it is minor or not really bothering you, you don't have to do anything. 

 

This is currently bothering me a lot.  I don't go to doctors unless I feel pretty bad.

[zoobie]

This is insanely annoying at the moment. I feel like I have to pee constantly.

 

TMI I'm sure. LOL

 

Oh and coughing is scary.

There's an OTC product by Poise that looks similar to a tampon that might help? Tuesday? They can't fit you in earlier? I mean, dang, your uterus is hanging out! Give a girl a break!

 

:grouphug:

[DesertBlossom]

From what I read if it is minor or not really bothering you, you don't have to do anything.

 

This is currently bothering me a lot. I don't go to doctors unless I feel pretty bad.

I am sorry yours is bothering you. This should not be a thing. Ever. Blech.

 

I am just finding the name for this thing I've been feeling. From my quick google search this seems to often be a result of old age or childbirth, right? Would another pregnancy and delivery make it worse? I have been on the fence about another baby. I am getting old as it is. But this might be a deal breaker if it could make it worse.

Edited May 20, 2016 by DesertBlossom

[ktgrok]

So... this thread made me do some googling that I've been afraid to do. I think this problem of mine started after my last baby was born... at least I'm not sure it was happening when I was pregnant. Regardless, it's been relatively recently. But I'm pretty sure I have a rectal prolapse. It doesn't hurt or bother me except that I can feel a bulge in the wrong spot when I've got a BM coming down the pipeline. 

 

I don't know how problematic it is or if I should see a doctor about it. I guess I would be worried it could get worse and really cause problems if I have another baby... that might be reason enough to be done.  :huh:

 

I can't believe I just put this on the internet. 

 

Sounds like you have a rectocele. I have one too. From my understanding, unless it is a real problem you just live with it. To be WAY too TMI, if I am at all constipated I have to insert a finger into my vagina to splint the muscles. Fun stuff. 

[Laura Corin]

OMG..I just looked up pessaries.  That doesn't sound like fun.

 

Pessaries can be a really good solution. No big deal: cheap, easy, non-surgical, effective.

[GailV]

One of Katy Bowman's favorite things to discuss is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.  Here's a starter article:  https://nutritiousmovement.com/4-fast-fixes-for-pelvic-floor-disorder/  Lots more where that came from.

 

(Someone always stops by these types of threads and mentions Katy Bowman, have you noticed?)

[SparklyUnicorn]

Pessaries can be a really good solution. No big deal: cheap, easy, non-surgical, effective.

 

Yeah, but the part of having to insert it myself...I don't think I could manage that.

 

Although I did read that I could keep going to the doctor to have them do it.  That would get expensive.

 

Maybe DH can do it.  :lol: :lol:

[SparklyUnicorn]

One of Katy Bowman's favorite things to discuss is Pelvic Floor Dysfunction.  Here's a starter article:  https://nutritiousmovement.com/4-fast-fixes-for-pelvic-floor-disorder/  Lots more where that came from.

 

(Someone always stops by these types of threads and mentions Katy Bowman, have you noticed?)

 

Yeah I've got some wackiness with my pelvis anyway.  I went to PT years ago for it.

 

I never wear heals though.  So I can't blame it on that.

[Laura Corin]

Yeah, but the part of having to insert it myself...I don't think I could manage that.

 

Although I did read that I could keep going to the doctor to have them do it.  That would get expensive.

 

Maybe DH can do it.  :lol: :lol:

 

Can you do tampons?  The cube type is flexible: you put on lots of gel and then squash it.  If it doesn't fly across the room, it should go in okay.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I am sorry yours is bothering you. This should not be a thing. Ever. Blech.

 

I am just finding the name for this thing I've been feeling. From my quick google search this seems to often be a result of old age or childbirth, right? Would another pregnancy and delivery make it worse? I have been on the fence about another baby. I am getting old as it is. But this might be a deal breaker if it could make it worse.

 

Yeah childbirth for sure.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Can you do tampons?  The cube type is flexible: you put on lots of gel and then squash it.  If it doesn't fly across the room, it should go in okay.

 

I don't use them nope.  Can't stand them at all.

 

But are you saying it's about as easy as that?  I could probably manage that.

 

Although since I can't stand tampons because no matter what I do I feel them, I wonder if something like that wouldn't drive me crazy.

 

Sorry all for the TMI.  I have no other women in my life to ask!  Although I told my dad and he said my mother had that and did have surgery (that didn't last unfortunately). 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Ok seriously, what jerk keeps one starring my posts. 

 

Get a life.

 

 

[Laura Corin]

I don't use them nope.  Can't stand them at all.

 

But are you saying it's about as easy as that?  I could probably manage that.

 

Although since I can't stand tampons because no matter what I do I feel them, I wonder if something like that wouldn't drive me crazy.

 

Sorry all for the TMI.  I have no other women in my life to ask!  Although I told my dad and he said my mother had that and did have surgery (that didn't last unfortunately). 

 

Pretty much as easy as a big tampon.  It's smoother than a tampon and putting a lot of gel on is not a problem (gel on a tampon can get in the way of absorption).  If you've given birth vaginally, I can't see it being a problem.

[GailV]

Yeah I've got some wackiness with my pelvis anyway.  I went to PT years ago for it.

 

I never wear heals though.  So I can't blame it on that.

 

When Katy Bowman says "no heels" she means even 1/4 inch heels.  No positive heel AT ALL, including the kind you get in typical walking shoes.  It's harder to avoid than you'd think.

[ktgrok]

In interesting news (ok, maybe not really interesting) my rectocele is not from childbirth, but from constipation. Gave birth to a 10 lb baby with a 15 inch head with no major damage. Some constipation from pain meds after dental work and rectocele. Stupid. 

[SparklyUnicorn]

When Katy Bowman says "no heels" she means even 1/4 inch heels.  No positive heel AT ALL, including the kind you get in typical walking shoes.  It's harder to avoid than you'd think.

 

I wear very flat shoes.  No heel at all.

[Guest]

So, the pessarie would be a daily thing? Forever? Eff that. I'd get that sucker sewed where it belongs and move on with life.

[MercyA]

Ok seriously, what jerk keeps one starring my posts. 

 

Get a life.

 

I five-starred it. So there, whoever you are! (It could have also been someone with clumsy fingers on a tablet.)

 

No words of wisdom, just deepest sympathy. So sorry you are feeling yucky, Sparkly.  :grouphug:

[Mom-ninja.]

Well looking back at various minor symptoms I have had (that were kinda vague) I think this may have been a problem for awhile, but now it's gotten bad enough to REALLY notice.  It's really driving me nuts at the moment. 

 

Seriously though, why is this a freaking thing?!

 

Why? Childbirth. When babies leave their comfy but temporary abode they trash the place. 

 

 

 you put on lots of gel and then squash it.  If it doesn't fly across the room, it should go in okay.

:smilielol5:  :smilielol5:

[StephanieZ]

So, the pessarie would be a daily thing? Forever? Eff that. I'd get that sucker sewed where it belongs and move on with life.

 

Yup, exactly.

 

My mom had this sort of problem (from childbirth) and by her 50s she was having endless UTIs, some incontinence, and lots of discomfort. She tried the pessaries. (She was unmarried, FWIW.) I would not consider a pessary as anything other than a short term solution, personally. 

 

Here's why:

 

1) I'm married and sexually active. I don't want a thing stuffed up there to take out, wash, etc. Nope. My monthly visitor is quite enough entertainment in that regard, and the one good thing about menopause will be not having to deal with that mess anymore, lol. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer all my girl parts and related "down there parts" to be right where they belong, TYVM. That there's some of the funnest parts, and I'd like it all to be in perfect working order, lol.

 

2) Many/most women eventually live long enough to be old and frail, and I figure we should be as prepared as possible to make that stage of life as comfortable and easy as possible. I want a simpler life when I am an old lady, and having a pessary sure doesn't sound simple to me. Are you gonna' be able to manage dealing with that thing when you are frail? What about when you have dementia? Ugh, no, no, just no. I care-taked for my mom for her last years, and there was a year or so where she needed "personal care". No matter how much hired help or aides you have or where your loved one lives, if you are close to them and with them a lot, there will be times when it is YOU wiping their butt or showering them or whatever . . . I can't even fathom having had to deal with a pessary. Nope, no, shoot me now. People with dementia can get upset when you brush their teeth or ask them to change clothes. They might resist showering or changing out of poopy clothes. You really want to have to deal with a pessary with all that? My mom care-took for HER mom for over a decade. And, even though Grandma lived in a nursing home, she came to Mom's house for holidays and Sundays . . . and Mom did her bathroom-ing then as well as regularly at the nursing home if Grandma needed help and an aide wasn't handy. I just can't imagine having to have someone else help with a pessary, too, if at all avoidable. 

 

So, anyway, if/when I have those issues, I'll be heading right over to a surgeon's office. (My mom had her surgery just months after she retired. Thank goodness she had it done before her Alzheimer's developed.)

[JennSnow]

I had a bladder prolapse that I noticed after my second..but it could have happened when I had my first and I just never noticed it (my first was a fast and furious labor and they vacuumed him out after only a few pushes).  

If you are postpartum giving it some time will help :). They say it takes a full year for your body to recover from childbirth.  Take it easy and be careful not to lift anything too heavy.

l found these two things to be very helpful...

First is the HabIt DVD...

http://www.amazon.com/Hab-Pelvic-Floor-Tasha-Mulligan/dp/0510539610

Second is the Kegel8 machine...

http://www.kegel8.co.uk

I don't know if was one or the other or just allowing time to heal but within a year of my second son being born my prolapsed "lifted" to where it's barely noticeable anymore :).

Edited May 21, 2016 by JennSnow

[hornblower]

So, the pessarie would be a daily thing? Forever? Eff that. I'd get that sucker sewed where it belongs and move on with life.

the surgery is not without risks though. 

 

The mesh - which is increasingly popular for treatment - was reclassified by the FDA as a high risk device just this year. So many complications & it's very difficult to remove if things go wrong. If someone is a candidate for the non mesh repair, that's one thing... though obviously all surgery is risky. 

 

I think I'd want to exhaust other options first, esp exercise and non surgical interventions. 

[lauraw4321]

I agree with the concerns about pessaries in old age, but I also think that everything I've seen shows surgery to not be a panacea, and can make things worse, not better.

 

 

[Guest]

Ok seriously, what jerk keeps one starring my posts.

 

Get a life.

Star-fairied you back up! 🌟

[Guest]

the surgery is not without risks though.

 

The mesh - which is increasingly popular for treatment - was reclassified by the FDA as a high risk device just this year. So many complications & it's very difficult to remove if things go wrong. If someone is a candidate for the non mesh repair, that's one thing... though obviously all surgery is risky.

 

I think I'd want to exhaust other options first, esp exercise and non surgical interventions.

Idk. i just can't wrap my brain around re-hitching my internal organs every day, until I die. That would suck, IMO.

[hornblower]

Idk. i just can't wrap my brain around re-hitching my internal organs every day, until I die. That would suck, IMO.

 

ah, aging: pony up the hair, scoop and gather the booKs, hitch up the ladybits  LOL 

[MomatHWTK]

I had to write a very short article on this topic. It was not my favorite assignment to research, but here are the sources I used:

https://www.honorhealth.com/patients-visitors/average-pricing/medical-glossary#R

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2967328/

https://www.fascrs.org/patients/disease-condition/rectocele-expanded-information

Edited May 21, 2016 by MomatHWTK

[Laura Corin]

So, the pessarie would be a daily thing? Forever? Eff that. I'd get that sucker sewed where it belongs and move on with life.

There can be problems with surgical repairs if you are physically active. In my case it wasn't recommended.

[Susan C.]

Hey Sparkly - Make sure you pee in the cup... years ago I thought I had prolapse... it was a bladder infection, evidently those feel much different after childbirth.... GL

[Ausmumof3]

So, the pessarie would be a daily thing? Forever? Eff that. I'd get that sucker sewed where it belongs and move on with life.

The issue with this is the surgeries for it tend to fail often or only last 5-10 year or have complication. So if it's major surgery is best but if it's minor physio and management is better.

 

Sparkly if it's not major a good physio can do absolute magic so that is a first suggestion. Also make sure you are managing fibre intake really well.

[Laura Corin]

The issue with this is the surgeries for it tend to fail often or only last 5-10 year or have complication. 

 

There are particular situations where surgery is more likely to fail, so that's worth considering:

 

https://www.rcog.org.uk/globalassets/documents/patients/patient-information-leaflets/gynaecology/pi-pelvic-organ-prolapse.pdf

 

About 25–30 out of 100 women having surgery for prolapse will develop another prolapse in the future. There is a higher chance of the prolapse returning if you are overweight, constipated, have a chronic cough or undertake heavy physical activities. 

 

I was told that the vagina takes subsequent repairs less well, due to its structure - I don't know the details of that, but it's worth looking into it.  

 

I'm 53 and my mum is still pretty healthy at 91, so I'd rather not get into a cycle of increasingly complex and ineffective surgeries at this stage if I could be around for another 40 years.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Laura Corin

[Pawz4me]

My MIL had prolapse surgery several years ago.  I forget exactly, but I'd say she was somewhere between 70-75 when she had it.  She did great, recovered easily and is SO glad she did it.  Her quality of life is much better.

[ThisIsTheDay]

So this is what is comes down to.  Homeschooling is over. Our boys began shaving about the same time we needed to. Shortly after our girls started their periods, ours began to end.  And everything inside has begun a slow collapse.

 

O.M.G.

 

But seriously, I truly, truly appreciate these kinds of threads on here. It's so nice to know I'm not alone. I'm not sure what all inside me is caving in, but it began several years ago. Early on, it was more uncomfortable, like I was sitting on my cerix. My dr commented at a recent pap. For now, I can live with it, but when we have a lower health insurance deductible, it's definitely something I'd look into correcting.

[Lady Florida.]

I recently saw a urogynocolgist for other reasons but she discussed this. She said constipation is a major reason for pelvic floor prolapse. I wasn't sure why she was discussing my bathroom regularity until she told me. She even said, "I'm all about the poop!" 

 

So there's your PSA for this thread. Make sure you don't get constipated, especially if you're a woman of a certain age.

[Guest]

It is no wonder literature is full of crazy old aunts living in the attic. Can you imagine dealing with this carp 200 years ago?!?

[Serenade]

OMG..I just looked up pessaries.  That doesn't sound like fun.

 

 

You know, for the longest time I avoided pessaries.  I even self-cathed for a while because my prolapse caused me not to be able to pee at times.  I think that is what finally led me to try the pessary.  In my case, wearing the pessary at night alone corrected my pee problem.  Eventually I didn't have to use it at all, although I always carry it with me just in case.  I still have what would be considered serious prolapse problems, but since they don't cause me any real difficulties I've just let them go.  In my case I was glad I never had the recommended surgery because they were going to fix me up with that netting that was later recalled.  I do think there are better options today.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Serenade

[BlsdMama]

So, hooray, for me, I can share what I know... Which is, unfortunately, fairly extensive. 

 

You could have a uterine prolapse, but what is far more common is one of the "walls" caves in.

 

There are:

 

Rectocele (back wall) 

Cystocele ("fallen" bladder)

Enterocele (small intestine & peritoneum)

 

 

Did you have a trigger?  For some this is birth, others lifting something heavy, others --- varies.  My "episode" was the birth of number 5.  She had this AMAZINGLY huge head - and super round.  A few days after birth I felt it "give" and I honestly thought my uterus was falling out.  Total panic.  

 

It gets better, it gets worse, it fluctuates.  99% of the time mine (I have all three) don't bother me a bit.  They in no way interfere with life, though you might find it challenging to completely empty your bladder and that can make you more prone to infections.  Like kt, I've had one period of time that I did have to splint.  Quite honestly I had a total emotional meltdown.  I was pregnant with #10 and had just had my cervical surgery (cerclage) and I thought, " I CANNOT live like this."  I was a mess.   A few days later it corrected itself - my OB just said, "Let's give it few days and see if it was trauma from being stretched and we'll evaluate then."

 

For #9, I had my cervical surgery at a teaching hospital and one of the young OBs went on and on about how it's bad and needs to be corrected.  A (much) older female OB said, essentially, that they try very hard to not interfere and "fix" this unless it's important to quality of life because the repairs don't go great.  Now I've had two friends that have also had these.  One had the surgical repair and was SO thrilled.  She wished she had had it immediately.  The other chose to not have the repair and she is like me, you can tell that it's there, though you get used to it, but it in NO WAY interferes with life at all.  

 

I was really terrified with subsequent pregnancies that it would get bad - worse than it was and it never did.  I do notice hormonal fluctuations with my cycle.  It will get worse and then better again.

I hope this is comforting to you.  I have also heard that if you can stay very fit it is also better - less weight pressing.

[Serenade]

Pessaries can be a really good solution. No big deal: cheap, easy, non-surgical, effective.

 

 

This is true.  The thought of them is icky, but in real life they are not as bad as they seem.

[SparklyUnicorn]

yeah I don't think the device thing sounds appealing at all

 

daily...that sounds horrid...

 

 

Yup, exactly.

 

My mom had this sort of problem (from childbirth) and by her 50s she was having endless UTIs, some incontinence, and lots of discomfort. She tried the pessaries. (She was unmarried, FWIW.) I would not consider a pessary as anything other than a short term solution, personally. 

 

Here's why:

 

1) I'm married and sexually active. I don't want a thing stuffed up there to take out, wash, etc. Nope. My monthly visitor is quite enough entertainment in that regard, and the one good thing about menopause will be not having to deal with that mess anymore, lol. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer all my girl parts and related "down there parts" to be right where they belong, TYVM. That there's some of the funnest parts, and I'd like it all to be in perfect working order, lol.

 

2) Many/most women eventually live long enough to be old and frail, and I figure we should be as prepared as possible to make that stage of life as comfortable and easy as possible. I want a simpler life when I am an old lady, and having a pessary sure doesn't sound simple to me. Are you gonna' be able to manage dealing with that thing when you are frail? What about when you have dementia? Ugh, no, no, just no. I care-taked for my mom for her last years, and there was a year or so where she needed "personal care". No matter how much hired help or aides you have or where your loved one lives, if you are close to them and with them a lot, there will be times when it is YOU wiping their butt or showering them or whatever . . . I can't even fathom having had to deal with a pessary. Nope, no, shoot me now. People with dementia can get upset when you brush their teeth or ask them to change clothes. They might resist showering or changing out of poopy clothes. You really want to have to deal with a pessary with all that? My mom care-took for HER mom for over a decade. And, even though Grandma lived in a nursing home, she came to Mom's house for holidays and Sundays . . . and Mom did her bathroom-ing then as well as regularly at the nursing home if Grandma needed help and an aide wasn't handy. I just can't imagine having to have someone else help with a pessary, too, if at all avoidable. 

 

So, anyway, if/when I have those issues, I'll be heading right over to a surgeon's office. (My mom had her surgery just months after she retired. Thank goodness she had it done before her Alzheimer's developed.)

 

[SparklyUnicorn]

Pessaries can be a really good solution. No big deal: cheap, easy, non-surgical, effective.

 

I won't rule it out.  Since it's not too expensive I think it might be worth a try.

 

Although I'm a little concerned about using gels and stuff up there because I tend not to react well to that stuff.

 

Again..TMI..sorry whoever reads this.

[Butter]

Well looking back at various minor symptoms I have had (that were kinda vague) I think this may have been a problem for awhile, but now it's gotten bad enough to REALLY notice.  It's really driving me nuts at the moment. 

 

Seriously though, why is this a freaking thing?!

 

I had minor symptoms since my oldest was born.  Then I got severe bronchitis and coughed my uterus to the entrance of my vagina.  That was lovely.  When I had my pap a few weeks before my uterus gave up, he noted that my cervix was twisted around and pointed upward.  It was clearly on its way to completely giving up.

 

My bladder was completely out of place.  It had to be moved.  The OB/Gyn who did my surgery specializes in pelvic repairs.  She has a really amazing track record with very few people re-prolapsing.  I suspect if I had stayed with the first OB I saw (but could not get me in to surgery for an extra month later) would not have done as good a job and the likelihood of re-prolapse would've been high (she even said it would be likely).  Skill level of the surgeon makes a huge difference.  I did have a bladder sling put in, but it's not the "scary" mesh you always hear about.