prolapse surgery and pessaries

Thanks Nelliemoser Seen nurse today and come home with lots of dressings for tummy button got to go back mon,she asked doc to look at rash thinks its an allergy so just given antihistamines.If tum button no better mon prob have to take antibiotics wish they had given me some cos think it would prob cure itchy rash as well.
But what do us patients know
Looking forward to yet another itchy, twingy, tum popping night ( could be worse) Best Wishes to all xxxxx

nikrap I have not had this problem but it sounds horrible. no wonder you are feeling rough!

My sympathies to all of you with this.

Thanks Hilda

Feeling bit better pain wise today and not taken any meds apart from laxido for bowels as Ive strained to much and made my tum button stitches bleed! got pay visit to GP tomorrow to have them checked also had rash all around bust and midriff which almost looks like a burn and beginning to itch now. Every day seems to bring another blip.Will prob says its an allergy to what Idont know.But hey I havent felt sick today so thats a plus Best wishes to all xxx

nikrap, moan away, sounds as if you are coping with a lot. It does help a bit if you can have a good rant.....and we are all up for listening to it, as we fully understand how horrid all this 'down below' stuff is. As my old Midwife used to say....'if ever there was evidence that god was a man...its in how he arranged women's bits and what they have to go through'. I still feel this is an area of health that needs a lot more research and development doing on....we all tend to put up with it in silence because that what our Mothers and Grandmothers were expected to do.

Hello all had an awful night alot of pain again in my bottom area aproblem thats been with me since very first op 3yearsago.Surgeon wanting me to come off norotriptyline but guess what had to go back on it again trouble is takes around 4-6 weeks before pain stops again.Why dont they leave us alone with meds that help us.Ithink surgeon thinks this op should have stoped this bottom pain but doesnt look as if it has,they all seem to be trying to fix different areas inside me but are failing to solve the pain and lump that I feel , so im rather down today tum still seems to be pulling and feeling nauseus whenever I move .Not even got dressed which Isnt like me maybe need to take more pain killers but then Im really sick again just a vicious circle,Sorry for the self pitying moan . love and best wishes and hope everyone else is ok xxxx

Thanks Hilda and Nanabelle, and yes got alot of support from mentioned website, still not sure my prob has been fixed perhaps to early to say ,darent even look down below.Just resting up alot with tum having twinges and some pain feels as if its in back passage.Oh for a normal life whatever that is ,see what another day brings. love to all xxx

And yes, I remember the hospital being pretty useless with helpful post op information. Doctors/surgeons the worst - oh, only 6 weeks and back to normal. Well, no, not for a lot of people - it can take up to 12 weeks for a full recovery.
That's why I found the hysterectomy-association forum a lifesaver. So much support there, from people who have gone through similar things.
All the best to you.

So glad to hear you are back home now nikrap. One day at a time now and lets hope for some better tv programmes to keep you amused! Do you do knitting) or crochet/needlework? Maybe a good time to start a new project. Mind you, I am sure you will be feeling tired for a good time ahead. Any operation takes it out of you so do allow yourself time for the anaesthetic to disappear from your body. That horrid bloating and shoulder pain is all from the gas they pump into you for laparoscopy.

I remember coming home with lactulose. Brilliant stuff and I even bought another bottle from Boots - easily available. I have always tended towards constipation anyway (possibly due to rectocele)
Don't forget to search on the forums of www.hysterectomy-association.org.uk and I'm sure you will find some folk who have been or are going through same as you.
and maybe a glass of ?

nikrap, I send my best to you, you sound a real trooper, fingers and everything else crossed for your recovery.

Thanks Nanabelle and Rubysong

At home now after long journey yest, feeling not to bad a bit rough around the edges.Was faced with a bit of dilema upon arrival has surgeon asked if he couldnt do it laporoscopic because he didnt know how much previous scar tissue he would find would it be ok to procede vaginally.I wasnt prepared for this and felt the only answer at that moment was to say I would leave it up to him (Surely should have been asked this previous to half an hour before op)But anyway he managed to do it Laporoscopic although complex and took 3hrs. Tum like a huge football with four points of entry been very sickly but that has improved today after lots of meds in hospital and injections only come home with lactolose and told to use whatever I normaly use at home so only had 1 paracetamol and 1 ibruprofen in case its meds that make me sick but I think ibruprofen is supposed to help with swelling not sure.Think they ought to give more info especially as Ive had to keep paying for these op meds obviously extra. Sorry for the ramble taking it one day at a time Still worrying about this mesh inside me, love to all xxxx

Wishing you all the best for a successful operation. I do hope things will be much better for you. Do look after yourself afterwards. No lifting for ages - try a travel kettle if you are on your own and desperate for a cuppa. I recall wearing sloggy big pants a few weeks after my op when I went for a walk as I felt they gave me a bit of support!
for you

Good luck with the op nikrap I hope you make a good recovery.

Hello everyone just popping in to see if anyone has done any posts.
Its my op day tomorrow 28th for Laparoscopic sacrolopopexy after 2 failed prolapse surgerys for cystocele rectocele and entrocele prolapses.Really worried as to the out come of this surgery has Ive had such alot of problems and Im hoping that Im going to be good after this and able to get about and be able to walk.Hi meisha hope you doing ok love and best wishes xx

Thanks Hilda for your good wishes xx

Glammanana was your surgery similar to mine Just got a letter to say that the surgeon will fix the mesh to the 5th vertebrae of my spine to hold everything up .It petrifies me if Im honest Keep thinking am I going to end up with even more problems.Do hope that Im doing the right thing,dont feel ive got a choice really,so long since I felt normal down below.

Meisha you have been quiet, still looking after yourself and not doing too much.

Best wishes to all xxx

All the best to you nikrap, I know how important it is to feel half way ok 'down below'. XX

hello all hope everyone ok how are you Meisha still taking things easy Ihope Im just waiting for the days to pass just want to be done and on the road to recovery Best Wishes to all xxx

meisha 82 I do sympathise but I cannot believe your husband can be that selfish or your mother in law! Perhaps your consultant could have a few words with him regarding your recuperation. You need to rest. You should not pick up anything heavier than a kettle for at least 6 weeks going on to 12 weeks. If you do not then you will have to have another operation to repair the damage.
Tell your husband that if you do then perhaps you will not be able to have sex properly again and perhaps that will make him a bit more understanding. I realise that this is difficult with young children as I have my 2 grandchildren age 2 and 4 who are often with me. I do not pick them up as I don't want to damage myself. You need to take care of yourself and put yourself first or you will do irreparable damage. That will not help you or your husband.
Sorry I am not angry with you just the selfish people around you.

Thank you for your advice everyone. Yes thats how I feel like a fraud because most of the time I feel I'm well and strong enough to run after the kids, housework and cooking but I'm holding back most of the time reminding myself I only have one chance to heal properly.

Hubi and grandparents have just taken the girls to the pools for a few hours and house is left looking like a bombsite I'm very tempted to tidy even just a little. Is a little ok do you think or do none at all? My hubi keeps saying to me I should help out and do the most I feel I'm able to do because my body will tell me if I'm doing too much & last Tuesday my mother in law got mad with me and told me I should be doing more. She has had lots of surgery for different things and never rests after so I guess she thinks anyone that does rest too long after surgery is just being lazy.

I only have my husband to help around the house but I hate having to keep asking him what to do. Sometimes he does it without asking but other days breakfast dishes, animals not feed and beds still arn't made in the evening unless I end up doing it (don't want to run out of clean dishes). My mother in law sometimes looks after our 4yr old at her place for a bit which I appreciate. I might just have to get used to having a very messy home for 6 weeks.

Nikrap- It seems like the gyno is doing their best to help you. do you have family support? Because I think thats important. X

glamanana thanks for info regarding mesh procedure hope you got my prv msg best wishes xxx

Sorry to have been missing for so long niknap I have pm'd you re mesh procedure and I'm sure you will be fine.
meisha take things slowly and leave the housework that doesn't need doing until a later date a bit of dust and cleaning will not affect you or your family and don't try to lift even a hoover until at least 6/8 weeks and be prepared for sudden bouts of tiredness.
I have just had more botox to the bladder my second this year but I had the dose increased so maybe I will be lucky and have maybe 12 months relief this time.

Hi meisha Yes I do know its important to increase oestrogen intake Ive been on vagifem pessaries 2x a week for awhile now as ive been going through the menopause since the age of 47 Im now 62 and still get hot flushes which are worse in the night . Ive got to increase them to 4x a week at the moment to prepare for op, Iwas only told that the mesh used was gold standard which at the moment is supposed to be the best available.Thanks for all your info do keep resting. Best wishes xxx

meisha my experience was similar but different. I was nearly 38 when DS was born. About 8 years later had vaginal prolapse and hysterectomy was advised. Gyno said I could opt for repair but he'd almost guarantee I'd have more problems. At that age I wasn't concerned about the hysterectomy, went through it and subsequently sailed through menopause. My main point however is about rest post-op.
I did exactly as I was told and rested! I recovered well and have had no problems since. A friend had the same op a few weeks later and poo-poo'd the whole idea of rest and recovery. She didn't listen to advice and 20 years later still has problems. I admit that I felt I should be up and about and that I'd gone to work with a cold or sore throat, feeling far worse. At times I felt like a fraud. Both daughters were working so I employed my student niece to change beds, hoover and deal with laundry.
Any way you can get some more help? Please don't let yourself and your family down by not taking this seriously.

Incase you are interested here is some information on different types of mesh..

Surgical mesh is a medical device that is used to provide additional support when repairing weakened or damaged tissue. The majority of surgical mesh devices currently available for use are made from man-made (synthetic) materials or animal tissue.

Surgical mesh made of synthetic materials can be found in knitted mesh or non-knitted sheet forms. The synthetic materials used can be either absorbable, non-absorbable, or a combination of absorbable and non-absorbable materials.

Animal-derived mesh are made of animal tissue, such as intestine or skin, that have been processed and disinfected to be suitable for use as an implanted device. These animal-derived mesh are absorbable. The majority of tissue used to produce these mesh implants are from a pig (porcine) or cow (bovine).

Non-absorbable mesh will remain in the body indefinitely and is considered a permanent implant. It is used to provide permanent reinforcement in strength to the urogynecologic repair. Absorbable mesh will degrade and lose strength over time. It is not intended to provide long-term reinforcement to the repair site. As the material degrades, new tissue growth is intended to provide strength to the repair.

Hilda you are right this needs to be explained to all women when they are young.

We are all told we need to do kegel exercises but not told why (do they even work?). Why arn't mothers having talks to their own daughters about all of this?

Nikrap I'm very sorry to hear what has happened. Do you have any family and friends who are supportive? I read your other posts. You may like to read my last post about estrogen strengthening the V wall naturally. You could try estrogen before and after surgery. I have read that there are different types of mesh. Have you done any research to find out which are the best ones?? xxx

I'm sorry to hear what has happened. I've done a little more research trying to get to the root of this problem. I may not be on the right track but I think it makes sense...

Has your doctor or gyno tested your estrogen levels???

I think I will go and test mine so if it is too low I will increase it by taking natural foods containing estrogen, estrogen cream or supplements (not synthetic ones) to help prevent this coming back again.

If your body is low in estrogen usually if you are breastfeeding, on certain types of medication or going through menopause the lining in all your pelvic floor area becomes weaker and can more easily become damaged. (you may already know this).

Low in estrogen = loss of collagen in pelvic floor.

Don't worry if you are low you can add to your diet or use the vaginal cream
to start strengthening again. If the prolapse is severe I would still do surgery 1st and then estrogen treatment to prevent it coming back.

Heres something interesting...birth control pills contain harmful synthetic estrogen that trick the female body into thinking it doesn't need to produce natural estrogen anymore. birth control pills = low estrogen that weakens the vagina & other lining in organs in that area. I was on birth control pills for 11 YEARS before I had kids then breastfeed for 3 years lowering my estrogen levels even more. I had no idea it was probably contributing to a future prolapse. Other medications have also proven to thin, dry & weaken the vagina wall as well as reducing our saliva in our mouths which then causes gum disease and many other health problems we wonder why we have later in our lives. (shock)

Even though I'm sure prolapse has always existed I am wondering if it is more common since the popping pills industry began. I have a friend my age who took birth control pills for years, had kids and now she also needs prolapse surgery.

Foods that contain natural estrogen -
www.wikihow.com/Increase-Estrogen