Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Other Health Discussion => Topic started by: choc57 on October 25, 2018, 06:26:05 PM
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I found I had a stage 2 uterine prolapse in 2009 and also a cystocele. The latter I've only discovered this morning to my horror when I looked at my medical notes online! I must have been told by the consultant at the time but mustn't have understood what it was. I knew things hadn't felt right for sometime but didn't realise what the bulge was. Anyway at the time I was sent off to be taught pelvic floor exercises and I thought there was some improvement and so decided not to do anything but wait and see. When I had a smear last year the nurse suggested a ring pessary would be a good idea for me. I now feel things are slightly worse and I need to pee more frequently also riding my bike is uncomfortable. My mum suffered in the same way, had a hysterectomy when she was 48 and has since then had a bladder repair done and needs to be done again but she's 90 and I think resigned herself to what it is. I really don't like the idea of having surgery and wondered if there's anyone who has experienced both a uterine prolapse and cystocele and managed with a pessary.
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Thank you for replying and for your advice. I'm 61 so age isn't a problem. I suppose I don't feel it's severe enough for surgery just yet although if I could I'd like to put off surgery forever if that's possible as I'm worried about the recent bad press over the use of mesh.
If there's anyone out there who has had a repair op I'd be very grateful to hear how you've gone on.
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I had a hysterectomy and anterior repair. This obviously sorted the two problems but other things are beginning to prolapse now. I still think it's better than the ring if you are younger. My gynae recommends the ring for patients over the age of 75.
Hysterectomy can leave you more prone to vaginal vault prolapse though and does affect orgasmic pleasure.
You could always give the ring pessary a try but there may come a time when you need surgery for it and as has been said as you get older this may be more difficult. How old are you? I was 60 when I had mine done.
Taz x
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Sorry I've just seen your last post. You won't need mesh and it is being banned in the future.
The op is removal of the womb and cervix and the anterior repair is done at the same time.
I found the uterine prolapse so uncomfortable and it was lovely not to have the bulging feeling. You've done well to last nine years. Are you on HRT as this helps strengthen the pelvic floor?
Taz x
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Hi good read for you is Amy Stein Heal Pelvic Pain she has lots of good tips.you could have a read of it on Amazon I am reading now.my pelvic floor specialist recommended it.xD.D
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Thanks Taz, no not on hrt anymore. I was for one year but came off over 3 years ago. I'm not really thinking about a hysterectomy as I live alone with my cats as I'm widowed and it scares me to think there'd be no-one to look after me (or the cats) when I came home. It's only today after my discovery that I also have a cystocele that I'm now thinking the bulge when I stand up is my bladder and my uterine prolapse is not as bad as I thought. I don't know whether the nurse who suggested the pessary knew that I also have the prolapsed bladder and would a pessary hold it in place?
Thankd Droopydrawers I'll have a look at the book. Oh the joys of being a woman! x
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It should hold it all in place. I can see why you are reluctant to have a hysterectomy as the recovery is quite long. Would you consider a topical oestrogen such as Vagifem to help your vaginal tissues remain as strong as possible?
Taz x
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I don't know anything about Vagifem I'm assuming it's an oestrogen cream but yes absolutely, I'd try anything that would help x
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I suffered uterine prolapse and cystocele and rectocele when I was 23 following a stillbirth. At 32 I went ahead with the hysterectomy but refused repair. The hysterectomy seemed to help the prolapses but just recently I think my bladder has prolapsed quite bad, I've had a few infections and sex can be uncomfortable and I get confused when I need a wee, or can't empty my bladder properly plus when playing golf i get the confusion over whether I need a wee or not along with pelvic discomfort, like a bulging/dropping feeling
I'm reluctant to have surgery. I also had the pessary in my 20s but as soon as I crouched etc the thing popped out, it was more trouble than it was worth x
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Oh dear Annie I'm so sorry you've had a dreadful time. When I went for the pelvic floor exercises there was a young woman there who had recently given birth and she too had been damaged during the birth. I'm so sorry to hear of your stillbirth that must have been very hard.
From what I've read online it does seem to continue to be a problem whether you have surgery or not. You'd think surgery would provide more of a positive outcome these days.
I've got a phone appointment with my GP next week when I'll see what she suggests x
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I haven't spoken to gp about mine, I really don't want surgery. I have always been under the impression that you only get one chance at the surgery (success wise) if the surgery fails you really are back to square one, or worse
My stillbirth was awful, I had a retained placenta and they pulled so hard it broke, and I haemorrhaged and I was never the same after. They encouraged me to go for a natural birth but in hindsight I'd have been better off with a C section x
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That's dreadful Annie I'm so sorry.
I don't know anything about surgery repair for a cystocele I think I'll ask my GP for a referral back to the gynea dept where I was diagnosed 8 years ago and see what they suggest. I really don't fancy surgery but worry what will happen if I don't have it. I'm still shocked that this is what I have. I knew I had a prolapsed uterus and thought that was the bulge I could feel but now I know it's my bladder I can feel and maybe the womb prolapse isn't as bad as I thought. Sex isn't painful or even uncomfortable for me but my partner finds it difficult but he's also very understanding and doesn't want me to have surgery unless it's essential. I said earlier that my mum had had a cystocele repair but having spoken to her I think it was her vaginal walls that had collapsed and I was mistaken.
I've read online that if a pessary falls out it's too small but I can't imagine what sort of device could possibly hold it in place. xx
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I had prolapse and went in for repair and ended up with hysterectomy . A few years later prolapse was much worse and I really did not want another op as very busy with work etc. A lady on here posted about an inflataball which is a small inflatable pessary . I got it from a website Stress No More . They come in various sizes and I got the biggest one first and then worked my way down - got to the smallest one which was perfect. Have been using it for 3 years now and once it's in I forget all about it.
You do have to pay for it but I replace mine twice a year and I feel its a small price to pay for the new lease of life both physical and mental. I take it out at nighttime . Inserting is just like a large tampon and then you inflate it to suit you. All my bladder issues vanished and I can go for hours now if needed. Th e nhs supplies one that they fit and stays in permanently but I was told it wasn't suitable if you are still sexually active. Suggest you get a consultation to see what might suit you. Of course we are all different but explore this route if you don't feel up to an op which may cause more issues than not. 😊
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Oh no my excitement was just dashed when I went to the website to view the pessary, it's made of latex and I am an anaphylactic sufferer of latex :-(
X
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It is slowly changing with the amount of things made from latex which is good for me x
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Wow I've not come across this before. Thank you I'll keep it mind. I've got a telephone appointment with my GP next Tuesday as there was no appointment available at all apart from with a male doctor in one months' time. It's 9 years since I was seen at the hospital so I'm hoping my GP doesn't insist on having to see me before she can refer me. I was discharged at the time but told I should come back if things got worse which is stated in the letter sent from the consultant to the GP. I think I'll scream if she needs to see me as I've been waiting for 2 weeks for the phone appointment x
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How annoying Annie that you are allergic to latex. Have a look at the website as there are lots of different pessarys. I just liked that one as it was so easy to use and inflating to fit made sense. Try and follow it up though as once you have one that works it's just such a good feeling. You really feel young again.
So sorry to hear about your stillbirth experience ,what a horrible experience.
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Thanks Winterose x
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When I spoke on the phone to my GP two weeks ago she said that she needed to see me before she could refer me back to the hospital. I've just seen her and she said that if I was referred back it would be for surgery. She thinks I am too young for a ring pessary and should consider surgery as the ring would interfere with intercourse. I decided to try a ring first and see what it would be like as she told me that they still use mesh in the ops. I then found that I've to wait until January 24th to be seen by a nurse to have a ring fitted and the ring will only hold up my uterus not my bladder but it might improve things with my bladder.
I'm now wondering if I should have gone straight for the referral although surgery scares me.
Has anyone had a pessary fitted and still had successful intercourse? Has anyone had surgery which has been successful? x
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The BIGGEST myth is your to young for a ring pessary. I know 20 year olds using them.
Just don't have mesh, tape or ribbon however they want to fluff it up.
If you have FB there are two excellent groups to join as knowledge is power.
Sling the mesh
Pessaries and pelvic organ prolapse.
Wealth of knowledge on both sites.
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My pessary wasn't fitted. It looked and felt like a dog toy lol. I just used to pop it in in the morning and take it out at night, and of course pop it back in anytime the damn thing pinged out if I exerted myself ! X
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Thanks Mary Jane I'll have a look on FB. I've been looking online at how they're fitted as my GP said it would be just inside my vagina and not leaving much space for sex but they look to be fitted much higher.
Oh gosh Annie lets hope they've improved! x
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Right I've applied to join both groups. I had no idea of their existence, thank you. It's interesting that you should know of much younger women having pessaries. My GP said I was far too young (at 61) and it was normally only over 75s who have them but said I could try one if I liked. I was surprised that a referral to the hospital was only for surgery. I'd have thought they would have dealt with pessaries too. She showed me the one I would be fitted with and it's a ring but online I've been reading about one called a Gehrung which seems to do the job of holding up both bladder and uterus whereas the ring will only hold up my uterus. Wonder if Gehrungs are not available on the NHS? x
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The inflataball stays in all day and I take it out every night. Bit like a tampon really . Rarely pops out but is easily slid back into place. I feel if I'd known about pessaries when I first had minor indications of prolapse I wouldn't have ended having a hysterectomy. Prolaps3 was fine for a while but then symptoms returned . I personally would avoid surgery until there are some better alternatives . 😀
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Forgive my ignorance
My mum had a full hysterectomy in her mid 40s including cervix.. she was put on Oestrogen patches and said she'd never felt better
However no in her 70s and in a great deal of discomfort with proplaps into vagina...
keep your cervix I think is the moral of the story
X
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Is it her vaginal walls which have prolapsed ER?
Taz x
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I couldn't keep my cervix, it was at the entrance of the vagina and got very sore . After delivering my 4th baby they had to push the cervix back up as they said it had come out ! X