What I am doing that helps me with my Rectocele.

Submitted by Lady C on August 18, 2012 - 8:26pm
Body: 

I have been aware of my rectocele for about 1 1/2 years and it has gotten to be very bothersome in the last 8 months or so. I will not do the mesh surgery at this time because it has so many problems associated with it. (I am hoping they can find a better surgical fix for this in the future) I decided I had better get more in tune with what I was doing from day to day that made my symptoms better at times and really bad at others. Below is what I find helps me.
1. WATER......lots of water each day. I try to get to 64 ounces each day if possible. I drink 6 ounces a time.... one each hour of the day. I found when I was drinking 10 or 12 oz. at a time I was running to the bathroom too much and it was making my bladder so full all at once....and that did not feel great. If I miss my water....I PAY the next day!
2. I take one heaping teaspoon full of TRADER JOE's Secrets of the PSYLLIUM in 10 oz of water at about noon each day. There are lots of psyllium products out there, but I like this one because it does not have lots of other "junk" added to it. I go to the bathroom each morning with NO problem...so happy!!
3. I now do not eat breakfast.... no matter that they say you should have a good breakfast each morning......it does not work well for me. I find if I don't eat later than 6 or so in the evening, and skip breakfast (I may have a little protein shake if I do feel too hungry) I have given my insides and COLON a REST....you know, FOOD IN means POOP OUT and that can be a problem. I am not talking about starving, I am saying I have always eaten quite a bit and that just does not work well with this rectocele. The side benefit is that of the 15 pounds I seem to carry around my waist, I am slowly dropping some of it! Yeah! This can only be HELPFUL because that waist fat is heavy and they say it may not all be on the outside....but some on the inside, in the organs....and I feel that if gravity is pulling down on that it is not making me and my rectocele feel any better. That fat is going AWAY and I will report how I feel after it is gone!
4. I have cut out most all bread and pasta (I an not overly strict about his, but I almost never eat it) I also do not eat lots of meat, sugar, or cheese. (do I love all these things, yes I do....but it is NOT worth how I feel if I have a bad day the next day or so)
5. I eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit....I could live on bread, so this has been a big change for me.
6. I feel better.....not perfect, but when this was at it's worst, I felt very depressed and did not have a good feeling about the rest of my life. For me, a rectocele has caused, back pain, pressure and achy feeling at the opening to my vagina.....and with that came a loss of energy....not feeling like doing much or going out.
THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT I HAVE FOUND WHAT WORKS FOR ME TO MANAGE THIS THE BEST I CAN WITHOUT SURGERY. I now have an appointment with a very good accupuncturist who says she may also be able to make my symptoms less of a problem. I have a friend who is a chiropractor who is looking into what she calls a healing lazer to see if it can help the thin posterior wall of the vagina where the rectocele is bulging out. This lazer is used to help heal wounds etc. I don't know a thing about it, but she is going to let me know what she finds out and we may give it a try. We will see how that goes. In the meantime, I hope that what I have done can help someone else. Sincerely, Feeling Better

Forum:

MsNightingale

August 18, 2012 - 9:03pm

I love your post! Thank you for sharing all these things that are helping you! Do you also work on WW posture and walk most days? Best wishes to you.

fab

August 19, 2012 - 1:25am

Dear Lady C

It is always wonderful to hear from someone who is working at improving their life with prolapse. I can’t fault you on giving up sugar, bread and pasta. If you want to lose 15 lb from around your waist then giving up these items would seem to be a very smart move. Although I think you should be made aware some women on this forum have cautioned against dramatic weight loss because of its having given rise to prolapse.

Eating mostly fruit and vegs and a small amount of meat means you appear to be having a reasonably balanced diet.

As to the 64 ounces of water a day and a one heaped teaspoon of psyllium, I must admit why this should work to help your rectocele is a mystery to me.

If one meal a day (or is it two?) means that you then have only one bowel movement a day in contrast to say some people’s three or another person’s one every three days, then I imagine this may help, if the movement is done without straining, splinting etc.

Normally, I would look at stool softeners for someone with prolapse who needs a laxative. Psyllium husks are a bulking agent which means it goes through the intestines unabsorbed, itself absorbing water to some times its own mass (put some in a bowl and add water and see) and then continues out the same way. (This water does not come from your drinking but what is already in your GI tract.) Not particularly kind to your intestines or to your rectum if it gives rise to large (wide diameter) stools, or causes wind.

As for the water, well then it truly is a matter of water in, water out. Usually what you drink, you pee out.

You only need 100 ml (3.38 ounces) of water a day for pooh.

A daily intake of 700-800 ml (23.6 – 27 ounces) about three cups is all that is needed to match total water losses and remain in water balance.

The rest you absorb in solid food about 750 ml (25.3 ounces)

And the remaining 350 ml (11.8 fluid ounces ) in oxidation water.

And this is the total of your 64 ounces not eight cups of water a day at all.

All this will vary according to the individual of course but not by all that much.

But don’t take my word for it. Check out this page and draw your own conclusions.
http://www.iv-partner.com/indexb163.html?BEFDDE916A254231BF46392979BA89EA

The problem with drinking too much water is that you can deplete your supply of essential minerals and microelements especially potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and chloride.

Ms Nightingale is right; hey what about the posture and the exercises and the fire breathing and Nauli, that’s what we are about here. How are you going with them?

Cheers Fab

Surviving60

August 19, 2012 - 7:25am

Hi Lady C - I just wanted to caution you, I believe that surgery is surgery, whether they use a scalpel or a laser to cut you.... - Surviving

Lady C

August 19, 2012 - 1:46pm

Hi, I have not gotten in to the WW posture but that is on my list of things to try out. I swim for my exercise because that way gravity is not pulling down on on me as I work out. Thanks, C

Lady C

August 19, 2012 - 1:50pm

I am not talking about surgery....I am talking about a non invasive laser that my be helpful to keep the posterior wall or the vagina a little thicker. It would not be a cut into the wall, it is a laser that is used in healing. I really do not know if this is feasible or not, it was just an idea that my chiropractor brought up because she is using it on a patient of hers who just had the conventional surgery and she is using this laser to help heal the incision. I am not ,not,not going to do the mesh surgery! Thanks, C

Lady C

August 19, 2012 - 2:02pm

Hi Fab...... As to why 64 oz. of water and psyllium a day would help me......All I know is that is has saved my sanity. Before I started drinking lots of water and taking the psyllium I was in a world of hurt! (constipated, painful back, bulging rectocele that felt like a golf ball in my vagina!!) We are all different, and for me, this psyllium and water routine along with eating better and less has made all the difference. I have a formed, soft bowl movement within 15 minutes of getting up and may have two to three more during the day. I never need to strain which is a good thing. I also, at least for myself, feel that slow weight loss to get my weight down to optional is nothing but positive for this rectocele and for my general health. I am 5 ft 9 and weigh at this time about 163.....I am working, slowly to move down to 150 and am quite sure for me that not having extra fat inside and outside my gut is going to be a positive thing for me to do. I am interested in any and everything that can make this condition more comfortable and easier to live with. This forum is very important because Rectocele is not something that many people talk about or even know about. I am very glad I found it. Thanks, C

Surviving60

August 19, 2012 - 6:47pm

Lady C, here is what Christine had to say earlier this year when a member brought up laser "therapy":

"Creating scar tissue in order to barricade and "strengthen" the vaginal walls against prolapsing organs is a very old and useless concept. It hasn't worked in over 100 years and it doesn't work now - no matter what surgical tool (or operator!!) is used. Prolapse and incontinence are most reasonably addressed by returning to the true pelvic organ support system."

Here is the entire thread if you would like to read it:

http://www.wholewoman.com/forum/node/4502

The important thing is to go into these doctor appointments armed with the truth. There are a lot of euphemisms being thrown around out there. - Surviving

fab

August 19, 2012 - 7:27pm

Dear Lady C

It’s great that you like this forum. It is meant for all of us to come together and as well as swapping war stories it also provides opportunity to talk about personal actions that work in regards to helping prolapse. The forum exists however on the back of Christine’s meticulous and thoughtful research. The concepts that Christine has put together work: they are extremely valuable and exist nowhere else. To ignore these proven concepts seems to be knocking back a golden opportunity.

Consequently, with the aim of continuing Christine’s high example of integrity, any claims that are made on the forum will be challenged.

I would encourage you to think about why your system works, and to research and consider the odds of diluting vital minerals in your body with your system, and what the implications are for the long term health of your body.

I would also encourage you to read more around the site in order to get a grasp of what WW work is all about. Past experience has taught us to be skeptical of any system initially but knowledge brings understanding and a better place from which to make judgements and decisions.

Best wishes Fab

Lady C

August 20, 2012 - 12:04pm

HI Surviving 60....Thanks for the thread to the forum you mentioned above. I think I did not use the correct words.....I do think my chiropractor was talking about "light therapy" and not Lazer therapy. It is my understanding that this light therapy just helps the tissue in some way and does not cause scar tissue. I am going to look into it more but not sure I would try it. I am off to look at more of the info. on this site.....whatever works for people is of interest to me.

louiseds

August 21, 2012 - 12:57am

Sounds weird to me, but then who would ever believe that changing your posture could make prolapse symptoms disappear?

Ask if there is a laser involved. Ask for the name of the device he uses, and Google it to find out more before you let him anywhere near you with it.

I wouldn't let it anywhere near me.