visit to uro gyn

Submitted by Michelle68 on May 27, 2006 - 5:00am
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Hi all
Just yesterday I had my first visit with the urogyn since my cystocele diagnosis with my GP. I have seen this particular urogyn years before for an unrelated problem (or possibly related) and didn't much like his bedside manner. His bedside manner yesterday was much improved but this is essentially what he told me. Bear in mind he is the appararent guru when it comes to urogynaecology.

- Let's try a pessary (we did and I've got to report I don't feel at all uncomfortable, in fact I don't notice it at all)
- Surgery is inevitable. Even if you don't choose it now you'll be back to see me in 2 years asking for surgery. There's really no other option aside from learning to live with it.
- No amount of physiotherapy or other type of exercise is going to make any difference to prolapse because we're dealing with a tear and not a muscle weakness.

I also brought up my inability to empty my bladder properly (a condition I've suffered with since childhood - and something I've seen him about previously) and mentioned that I'm having to use catheters to do this and asked him if the prolapse could have exacerbated the problems. He told me "no". The two problems are not related. He is stumped as to why I am unable to empty my bladder unaided. It could be two reasons. Either an obstruction (unlikely since I've never had surgery) or a neurological disorder meaning the spinal nerves are sending the wrong message to my brain. I've had all kinds of physiotherapy and bladder retraining to attempt to fix this problem over the years and none have made a scrap of difference.

Anyway I've chosen to stick with the pessary for now and avoid the surgery. I have an appointment with him in a month to check on how the pessary is going. I'll report back then.

Cheers
Michelle

allysp

May 27, 2006 - 3:06pm

Sorry to hear of your situation. I know it is hard living with a prolaspe. Can you get a second opinion with another doctor? Maybe you can ask around and see if anyone could recommend a good uro gyn. I am thinking myself of getting another opinion but maybe with a female doctor ( perhaps one who has had children and would be more understanding ) I find myself checking my prolaspe every day to see if it might have gotten better on its own, but it's still the same. I also look at some of the women I know who have had a hysterectomy and it seems as though they feel worse now then they did with the prolaspe. The ones that got the bladder suspention are having to go back and have surgery again to repair it. Sometimes I wonder if they are into it for the money. Just like when I was pregnant with my last baby( shes 5 months old now) they wanted me to have a c section because I had had one before 15 years ago, even though the last 3 children were born natural after the c section. They didn't want to listen to me that I had 3 vaginal births after c section and that I didn't think I was in any danger of having another natural birth. I went on to have a vaginal birth. Just goes to show you that we pretty much know our own bodies. Just don't let anyone talk you in to something that you don't feel good about. If you don't feel right with it, then I would get a second opinion. I hope things get better for you before the next visit. Good luck to ya!!

Ally

Michelle68

May 28, 2006 - 5:48am

Thanks for your comments. I two have had two children, both delivered vaginally. I'm assuming it is this that has caused the prolapse. I think some doctors are in it for the money. In Australia we are fortunate enough to (at least for now) have an excellent free health service and I am able to see this gyn free of charge all paid for by the government health system. Still doesn't make his comments any easier to hear. I told him I wasn't interested in surgery unless there was absolutely no other option. If I had the money and could afford to I would see a female gyn but they're expensive. I agree with you about going with someone who understands how females feel and not someone who just sees science and that's it.
I understand it when you say you check occasionally to see if it's gone away and then get upset when it's still there. I do the same thing. Funny thing that.
Well take care
Cheers
Michelle

MeMyselfAndI

May 28, 2006 - 6:27am

I check to see if it has 'gone away' every now and then. But it is always the same - Bar on bad days when i have no ned to check...

Not all women Gynaes are nice though - I saw one who just looked at me like I am a cow being trundled through. Then I saw a male one - and he was looooovely... I got my mother to go see him too - Otherwise after my own Dr fiasco my mother would have never ever gone at all! (My own Dr rammeda far too big pessary ring into me and at first I only had uterine prolase - now I suddenly have all 3 (cys rec ueterine) which seems weird - I blame her as My partner was with me that day and he says he is also traumatised by the obvious agony I was in - I have had 3 kids and that was a breeze in comparason.

I also stumbled on this site cos I was adamant I did not want any surgery. I wanted a better way than to mess with my insides.

I hope your pessary helps you :) Mums has helped her greatly :)
Sue

louiseds

May 28, 2006 - 8:15am

Dear Michelle

I got the story about needing "surgery for prolapse within 12 months or leave it longer and need much more risky serious surgery later on, with a lower rate of recovery. It is only going to get worse if you don't have surgery". Well, it is now nine months down the track. I didn't have the surgery. My prolapse is not worse, rather the opposite, thanks to Christine's Wholewoman posture. I no longer have the fear that I will need any surgery at all.

On the subject of the bladder that won't empty, my daughter was daytime incontinent, both bowel and bladder, until about age 6. After the usual round of doctors it occurred to me that she had no sensation of wanting to use either her bladder or bowel, nor could she tell me while she was sitting on the toilet whether she had just done a wee or a poo. Six weeks of chiropractic treatment weekly had her 80% continent, and monthly visits for a couple of years sorted it out completely. Even the chiropractor was amazed. I know it is not the same thing with you, but lack of sensation may play a part. She was also subsequently diagnosed with ADHD, and I have since found out that incontinence is very common with ADHD people.
Another thing which may be worth following up is that my friend's daughter was ill-thrifty as a baby and would never have much food at a time as a toddler, to the point of her growth being stunted, as she seemed to be starving. All sorts of causes were ruled out until one doctor did a particular scan of her stomach and found that she had a thick membrane covering 3/4 of the wall of her stomach, so she only had a tiny amount of stomach available for food. A reasonably major operation to remove the membrane was done, and she has never looked back. Is it possible that there is something inside your bladder, giving you the feeling of a full bladder, and/or preventing all the urine from getting out? Your doctor says it is not likely to be a blockage as you have never had surgery. Who says all blockages are caused by surgery? The membrane in Rebecca's stomach certainly wasn't.

In WA we have a network of Continience Advisory Services attached to public hospitals. You may have a similar network in your State. You can shop around between Services too, and ask some general questions that may lead to you being given some hints about who the really capable and open-minded doctors are. If you don't have these Services, there is an Australian National Continence Foundation with a Continence Hotline, phone 1800 33 00 66. You may be able to find some new leads to follow from there.

Best wishes on your journey Michelle.

Louise

ps There is a lot to be said for living with prolapse, if you do it well.

Michelle68

May 29, 2006 - 5:24am

Thanks for all your insights. I have had my bladder checked out pretty thoroughly but that was quite a few years ago. I underwent urodynamics testing which is hideous but all they seemed to come up with is that I have an overactive bladder. When I fed all this information and the diary I filled out over a week to the urogyn the other day he was astounded that I had simply been diagnosed with overactive bladder. Since I was having treatment for it from another doctor he seemed hesitant to do anything about it but believes my symptoms are not common at all and don't fit in with the regular symptoms that are usually associated with overactive bladder. I've suffered with it all my life. I have a great amount of sensation so that's not the problem and I can fit a huge amount of food in my stomach. I fill it all the time! He seems to think there's some kind of dysfunction in the messages the nerves in the spinal column which send messages to your brain to empty your bladder aren't working properly. I don't know how they check that and fix it though.
Thanks for your advice on the services. I will look into them. I appreciate you taking the time to help me out. I'm glad your little girl was able to get help and I haven't yet tried chiropractic but I think I'll give it a go.
Michelle

MeMyselfAndI

May 29, 2006 - 8:30am

I have multiple sclerosis and this causes me problems with bladder emptying. (My mother also has MS and she has the opposite problem to me - She has to pee every 5mins and has overactive bladder)

My bladder seems to be mad - One day I hafta pee every 5 mins
Then the next It feels like a pulsing feeling - the only way I can describe it is like a ring of heat rising from toes to head - then it goes away

On normal days i cannot pee unless i either breathe out and concentrate on relaxing the sphincter muscle to pee (this only works on the out breath - and only works till the breath is gone then I hafta start again) In the beginning it only worked if i hurt myself (like pinching myself made concentration on that and bladder would then listen)

There are alot of problems that can make the bladder not listen - due to nerves etc.

OK I rant - I just meant to say a bit and ask if you had any other problems that could say it's MS (And No MS is not the end of the world - Many people think it is but alot of people live with it - It's a pain in the a$$ but you can live happily with MS as you can with prolapse - I have both as does my mother - And we are both still living happy productive lives) :):)

Sue