Pelvic prolapse

[Redneckyard]

Hi I'm 44, I've had 3 children. I don't really know how to cope with this, my bladder and bowels have prolapsed, I have constant painful heavy feeling very low down in my stomach, the bulge is impossible to not think about as I cannot get away from it at all. I work too jobs and I spent almost all my time fighting back tears. My doctor has only just put me on a waiting list for the pelvic floor clinic and says that the waiting list is very long dew to the current situation 😔. I feel like I'm loosing my mind is there anything I can do for myself, I've tried doing pelvic floor exercises but it only seems to push out my prolapse more. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[Alisandra]

Your GP or a nurse at your surgery should have the skill to fit you with a ring pessary. This will help make the prolapse more comfortable and manageable. If they can't help, look at Stress no More's website and there are some pessaries on there than that can be used for self management.

[SonsyLass in reply to Alisandra]

So sorry to hear you are having such a bad time. I know exactly how you feel. I have Grade 4 complete procidentia. You sound as if you have around Grade 3, and at that stage pelvic floor exercises will not help.You will have to go back to your doctor, stress how much this is impacting on your daily life, and your mental health. You have a family and worklife to deal with, you need something done.

Only some doctors are trained to fit ring pessaries, ask (demand) to see one. I had three different rings fitted, all of which came out in 1-2 days, but the doctor said that's what they would have done first at the hospital.

She then referred me urgently to the gynacology dept. and I got an appointment 3months later...that's what they called urgent!

That appointment was on the day in March 2020 when we went into lockdown, it was the last day outpatient clinic could be open, and all appointments were cancelled until further notice. I had a dreadful experience with a young, rude, abrupt male doctor( which I won't go into,) and was roughly and painfully fitted with what turned out to be an unsuitable pessary which came out after 2days. Outpatients and the doctors surgery were all closed due to covid, but I was so fed up with my situation I didn't go back. I suffered it for another six months, until one day I sat down awkwardly and caused bleeding. I got an urgent appt. with GP and she phoned Gyn dept. at hospital and I was seen following day by lovely young doctor, but over the next few weeks I was fitted with six different pessaries which didn't work. So I was finally referred to consultant surgeon Urogynacologist, awaiting hysterectomy and repair op.

It's taken me a year and a half at least to get to this point, there's at least a year waiting list for surgery.

The surgeon himself has fitted a Gellhorn, which has worked, and I've finally got my life back...well, I can sit down, walk normally etc. again.

Sorry for the long ramble, but the thing is, it's a long haul and you have to keep nagging or you'll get nowhere.

[Redneckyard in reply to SonsyLass]

Omg thank you so much for your reply, I needed to know that there was light at the end of the tunnel, even if that tunnel is long. I'm very lucky and have already gotten an appointment for the clinic, my doctor had put me down as an emergency which I wasn't aware.

[Redneckyard in reply to Alisandra]

Thank you I will take a look.

[SonsyLass]

Sorry Redneckyard, just replied in the wrong place I think. (Read my reply above this )

[Keys2theworld]

That's really interesting. I feel my ring pessary isn't working as even after going for a wee my bladder doesn't seem to empty fully. If I cough 2 minutes later then I wet myself. Time to see my GP !

[Ukulelelady1]

If you feel like the exercises for prolapse are making it worse, you might not be doing them correctly. The exercises make everything pull upwards. Some people get it wrong and end up ‘bearing down’ instead, which will make the situation worse. You can actually check you are doing them correctly by inserting a clean finger inside your vagina when you do the squeeze, you should be able to feel it tighten round your finger. If you still can’t get to grips with it (pardon the pun), maybe you can see a physio that specialises in prolapse and they will help you. There’s a few people on YouTube that can help with these exercises too (obviously, look for qualified professionals). Also, I don’t know whether you realise, but it can take up to three months to see any results from doing pelvic floor exercises, and also once you start, you need to maintain them and do them every day, because if you don’t, the muscles just go back to how they were.

[EndoJaz]

I have a bladder prolapse and can’t really have a pessary due to hysterectomy and endometriosis surgeries. I have been told at my pelvic floor physio that my muscles are too tight so am not to do the standard pelvic floor squeezes. I have various other exercises to do instead. It’s not nice and I think eventually surgery will be required which scares me 😟 hope u get seen soon x