Cystocele and Rectocele

Submitted by lumashi13 on April 7, 2014 - 9:48am
Body: 

Nov 2013 I started having trouble with bowel movements. MY GP had me take senna at night and linzess in the morning along with enemas to get things moving. Well needless to say I ended up with what I thought was rectal prolapse and was sent to a colorectal guy. I was told by a colorectal surgeon that I had a small rectocele and he thought it was strange since I've never had children. Did not think I had a prolapse since I'm young but went ahead and did a colonoscopy. Colonoscopy was fine. However still have problems with bowel and even passing gas! I went to my obgyn for my yearly and commented to her about that and how my bowels are almost impossible to move. She checked and said, yes you have a mild one and also a mild cystocele. My question is, how do you "splint" to have a BM? I fear that my constant straining is causing both to get worse everyday. I also am only able to have a BM in the morning. Sometimes it just comes out, others I have to strain to get it out and feel like there is still more in there. I have tried using my finger in my vagina but honestly it grosses me out. Harder stools are better than soft. I am sooo scared! I eat healthy am on a high fiber diet exercise everyday. Any ideas would be appreciated. I also have hemmies and what I think is a fissure which I have an appointment next week to see the colorectal guy to check. I have tried stool softners, miralax. I am only 40!! Please help!!

Forum:

Surviving60

April 7, 2014 - 10:13am

Hi lumashi and welcome. Try not to panic; easier said than done, I know. But what you have is extremely common, and it affects most women eventually. Nothing “strange” about a 40-year old woman with no kids having prolapse. You will find that this is an area where doctors are not a huge help.

I too have both ‘celes. It’s the most common form of prolapse, and these bulges help keep the uterus/cervix in a supported position, so it isn’t the worst thing to deal with. You are correct in thinking that constant straining is about the worst thing you can do. Splinting with one or two fingers in the vagina to push back the bulge, can help when you need it. I would try other dietary measures. I’m not big on the whole high fibre/extra water vicious cycle of bulking up the stool…..plenty of fruits and veggies and a normal amount of organic whole grains should do it. There are lots of suggestions on these pages about avoiding constipation. Exercise, magnesium citrate, probiotics, and the right foods for you, meaning, whatever keeps things moving without causing gas.

A feeling of incomplete emptying is very common. When this happens to me, I just go about my day, and assume (correctly) that it will all come out eventually. This is frequently inconvenient. If I have to do anything even remotely like straining, I will assume the Whole Woman position of lifting up and forward just off the toilet seat, keeping lumbar curvature in place. Thus I can give a gentle push without really straining.

I would advise starting to take a look at the content of this site. We manage our prolapse naturally by returning to correct posture, with a relaxed lower belly that gives the organs a place to roost so they aren’t squishing down into the vagina. Go to Resources above, and then to Videos, and watch the first video on the page. It’s called “Whole Woman Approach” and it’s only 20 minutes long. The first half discusses the forms of prolapse and why surgeries are dangerous. The second half gets into the nitty gritty of Christine’s extensive postural work and solutions for stabilizing prolapse. Lots to chew on! - Surviving

lumashi13

April 9, 2014 - 10:05am

Thank you for the quick reply. I eat mainly fruits and veggies and little chicken, hardly any red meat. I even bought a squatty potty, but don't really think it helps. I do cardio for 30 minutes every night and do yoga poses to help with digestion/elimination. I would like to order the videos but I know I really need a real life person to help with the postures. I can't seem to grasp it off videos. I have tried one finger in vagina, but don't really feel a bulge in the back, just the bladder buldge. I'm thinking maybe I need to have a defacogram done to see if there are other issues. Have a very blessed day!!

Surviving60

April 10, 2014 - 6:04am

The elements of natural posture are described in quite specific terms; the hard part is learning to do it without thinking (this eventually happens, but for me it took over a year to really "retrain" my body). If you want personal help, there is a network of practitioners around the globe, with more to be added this summer when the current class graduates. Check out the Practitioners tab above, and/or consider a personal consult with Christine. All the cardio and yoga that you are doing now, could potentially worsen prolapse if not done in posture with attention to protecting and enhancing lower lumbar curvature. That is what this work is all about. - Surviving

Aging gracefully

September 20, 2014 - 3:34pm

What????

Spam??

lanny

September 20, 2014 - 5:02pm

Thanks for the heads up aging.