Please help symptoms are getting worse

Submitted by Vbacmom2 on April 11, 2011 - 11:26pm
Body: 

I have changed my diet and am doing WW workout every morning and am drinking more water. I have been diagnosed with a mild rectocele/ cystocele.
But the weird thing is I can feel a bulge in the front of the vagina and it causes me great pain. A burning sensation along with pain around the clitoris vulva area. It hurts so much that I have to lay for a few hours in the afternoon. I am a mom of two small children (20 months and 4 months) and they require a lot of energy and patience. I don't know what I am doing wrong. I feel as though I am being punished. I try and save my crying so no one can see me. I feel so alone. I don't know how to improve my symptoms. I feel it is getting worse not better. Please help. Also, I have some sharp cramping.

bad_mirror

April 12, 2011 - 1:46am

Hey there. You sound quite distressed. Without a doubt, young children can drain your resources pretty quick. And it is easy to feel alone in situations like these. Do you have supportive people in your life? Partner, parents, friends? I'm positive these people can give you a hand if you ask. Pain, sharp cramping and burning are not generally symptoms of prolapse. Could you have anything else going on? Return of cycle? Pregnancy? Yeast? Using new soap or detergent? Are you feeling more anxious or sad than usual? What do you think you are being punished for?
Dear vbacmom2, please do not hold the crying in. Cry to us if need be. It never helps to stuff these emotions away. It's like trying to flush paper towels down the toilet -- eventually it all comes back up, and not in a good way. Who can you talk to in real life? A friend or pastor or counselor?
It may be good to see a physician to check out what you are feeling in regards to symptoms. I highly doubt you are doing anything "wrong" and you may get an answer to the "why" that will put your mind at ease.
You are a very strong woman, and you will find your way through this. You will.

Vbacmom2

April 12, 2011 - 8:12am

I went to the doctor to have a look she said that nothing has changed the rectocele and cystocele look pretty much the same. But when I stand I feel a difference. They also did culture and no infection even urine was ok. I am not quite sure if this is a symptom of prolapse or not. I do know that I have had a lot more gas lately and stomach is pretty bloated. When I have a BM I get the sensation that I have to go but then loose the feeling once I get to the toilet. Why is this?
I also have difficulty with sex. It can get pretty uncomfortable sometimes even painful. This has caused a great strain in my marriage.
I live overseas so there really isn't a lot of family or friends around and my husband and I haven't really been on the same page lately. I am not sure how to get rid of this awful sensation (burning, discomfort and bulging in front of vagina also burning sensation on anus).
Is this something that I will have to live with for the rest of my life. I love my children so much but I feel like I am neglecting them because even when I am playing with them it is always on my mind. I don't want to miss out on these precious moments with my children because I am somewhere else in my own little world.
I don't feel sexual anymore in-fact I don't even feel remotely feminine. I just want to be able to walk outside without this bulge and painful burning sensation.

hockeyMom

April 12, 2011 - 11:12am

I am not attempting to diagnose you, and my experiences come from a perimenopause not a postpartum situation, but I had very similar-sounding symptoms. When I first noticed something wrong, I had lots of swelling, pressure, burning and the tissue at the front of my vagina felt bulgy, sore and was rubbing on my underwear. My doctor told me that I had a slight cystocele, that my cervix was quite low, but that the burning, itching and swelling were most likely due to hormonal imbalance not the POP (she tested for infection but nothing). I was also having intense night sweats.

In my case, since I am 47 and perimenopause is likely the cause of my hormonal imbalances, we tried estrogen cream applied to the vaginal/vulva tissue, which made me feel better at first but then started to have too-much-estrogen effects. So I quit it and instead added soy milk and flaxseed and red clover tea to my diet and slowly the burning and swelling (and night sweats) subsided. It took several months. Once they were gone I was left with what I think is the normal bulgy-pressure feeling of my POPs which is bad enough. But the other stuff made me feel really ill, so I feel for you.

I don't know anything about the postpartum hormonal situation and whether it might be affecting things, but thought my story might give you some insight. I hope you feel better soon.

mom30

April 12, 2011 - 12:46pm

Hi. I just wanted to let you know that my kids were 16 months apart. It is exhausting taking care of small ones like that regardless of prolapse. My kids are 6 and 8 now. As far as the prolapse, try to take it easy and lay down as much as you want/can. It is very much a grieving process and trying to accept your new body takes time. Just know, that other women have been where you are, so try not to feel alone. I'm 35 now, and got my prolapse after my second baby was born when I was 28. For awhile after, your body goes through all kinds of changes from having babies. I had a bad burning pain in my pubic bone after the birth and it lasted for months after. But, it went away. It does take time for your body to heal up after the birthing.

I know sometimes there could be a small poo stuck up in the rectocele. Sometimes that can cause a weird/uncomfortable burning pain. With a clean thumb, feel the back wall of the vagina and guide any 'lumpy' pieces out. If that makes sense. Or you could try some herbal/witch hazel compresses to the whole area.

I just remember feeling the same way you do right now when my kids were so little. You are not alone, there are plenty of us that have felt/feel that awful feeling too. And, don't worry the sex will be good again too.

Diamond

April 13, 2011 - 7:29pm

Hi vbacmom2

Sorry to hear you are in such pain.. I really do think you need to have your symptoms checked out by your doctor no one should suffer this way. You may have an infection and a course of antibiotics should clear the symptoms and remove the pain. Let us know how you get on.. lol

louiseds

April 13, 2011 - 9:56pm

...and if there are no bacteria there the antibiotics won't fix anything and could precipitate candida, which I don't think she needs.

It all gets so complicated.

Vbacmom2

April 13, 2011 - 11:23pm

I just wanted to thank you all for responding so quickly to me. I found a lot of helpful suggestions and will try them out. I am still unsure of what the burning sensation is and it is hard to find a doctor here to help me. But there is a few things that I am thinking it might be. First of all my son is almost 5 months now and I am still breast feeding maybe it is hormonal.
Second I am watching my diet but i have someone that helps me with lunches for the children. I have been eating the lunches with them but maybe there is something that she is cooking with that can aggravate my condition(pro-infamatory foods/oils).
Finally, when I gave birth to my son (Vbac) I told the doctor no epideral and no episiotomy in which he complied with me. However when he messaged to help with birth he ripped the upper part of the vagina. It hurt like hell and I have a huge scar on the top of vagina. Also, clitoris and vulva were affected and had to be stitched. Did anyone have this? This is the spot along with vaginal opening that burns. I hope this makes sense to someone because I am not sure if this is normal?