Help for someone with cystocele and hysterectomy?

Hi andrea - the WW work is very important for post-hyst women because you really do need to keep the remaining organs forward. Christine does caution you to take this very slowly though, because there are so many changes that happen over time once the uterus is no longer there to provide support and integrity to the spine and pelvis. A lot will depend on whether enough length remains in the vagina to allow it to close and flatten against intraabdominal pressure. So the short answer is - it cannot hurt, it can only help, and further surgery will definitely NOT help but will only do more damage. Take it slowly and really work on relaxing the belly and breathing into the belly. If you have chronically pulled your belly in, as so many of us have, then natural breathing becomes reversed and lumbar curvature is lost. Twenty years post-hyst means you need to work slowly and gently, but with a purpose and with reasonable expectations. Even those of us with a uterus know that this is not a cure or "fix", it is all about maintenance and it's work we will do for the rest of our lives. - Surviving

Surgeon wants to try inserting a Pessary and avoid surgery, which I won't do, unless becomes life threatening. Any experience with this and feedback? I am over 15 years post hysterectomy and have a stage 4 rectocele, start of cystocele, as of 2 years ago. Perhaps it was prolapsing rior to 2 years ago and GYN missed it.

I suggest working gently with the WW posture & exercises for post hysterectomy women. 'Listening' to what your body feels helpful, don't push your body beyond your comfort limits, work slowly & carefully…
The WW approach takes time & sometimes there can be a 2 steps forwards, 1 step back sort of process. Personally I don't really think there's a better alternative to the WW work. It may be that having a consultation with a practitioner may be helpful. THere's nothing like face to face contact & observation. It may be that you're not quite doing it right? I'm not saying that is the case, just a thought it might be a possibility. Christine also offers physical &/or online courses during which you can observe & follow the posture/s.
Re pessaries. Apparently the thin ones placed vertically in the vaginal passage work best for cystocele prolapses. However there is always a danger of encouraging the vaginal passage to be poked or remain open during putting in or taking out of pessary, which may discourage the vaginal passage from moving towards or being a closed passage. The WW approach works with female anatomy to encourage the pelvic organs back into their natural position & to tone the body & align the body well, so that the whole body system is involved in pelvic organ support.
Personally - I think the WW approach is the most effective, natural, healthy & happy way to optimally avoid surgery.
Good luck & with love, wholewomanukx

wholewoman uk -- your first sentence, above, says ... "I suggest working gently with the WW posture & exercises for post hysterectomy women."

Would you please say more about that. I've been here studying, but I do not recall any exercises for post hysterectomy women.

I think I read some where on here, that the First Wheel DVD would be the best for hyster's; but I do not remember any listing of exercises (huge data base, so very easy to miss things) .... I do remember valuable comments about taking it slowly and listening to what your body says .... and that firebreathing and nauli may not be wise; nor the new kegels and nor rocking/jiggling.

I've been walking for exercise (not as long as in before-times). I just tire more easily. My hobby and love in life is dog training ... I've been very worried about doing this .... even walking and playing with my dog is scary, since dogs and beings with their own minds and can be yanky, etc.

As a (meaningful hobby), I trained my girl (my dog) since 2005 and slowly purchased or made all the things needed for agility practice at home, along with gear. So when I learned of a cystocele .... I was quite devastated.

I still tug with my dog, but now have a bungee type tug and if she pulls and jumps/bounces too strong/too much, I let go and then we can begin again. (try doing dog play in WW posture :) ) I am still working on trying to figure out how we can still compete in dog agility (my dream came true in Oct 2014 ... we now have a local trainer who became sanctioned to have agility trials (only a 60 mile round trip for me!) and I made a plan with myself to only stay local. Then I went all out at her trial in February 2015 .... volunteering and moving some heavy equipment and helping mucho in the kitchen with huge pots and pans ... mix in extreme stress during 2015, where the new neighbor was trying to steal some of our land .... and me helping move some hay bales at a dog barn hunt practice; an allergic type time period where I had a dry cough for 2.5 months (my diaphragm was so tender) and stress because my hubby suffered an in-lingual hernia and had to have his surgery cancelled due to my cough, then it was on hold for 2 months, as he got worse ... and he got sick (from me??).

Result -- 2 days before my birthday, Spring 2015, at the doctor appointment I sscheduled because something felt wrong, in came the DX of cystocele (age 67). [I'm uterus-less] And the very next day after the appointment, I needed to help my hubby and my brother-in-law, take down part of a plum tree which had grown over (and limbs) leaning on the roof of our barn. Boy, was I scared .... trying to due this task as wisely and carefully as possible, all while feeling like a looser since I was not doing what I normally did in the work end of things.

* * *

Well, this got WAY carried away from my question!! Forgive me. This is my 2nd post and first "introduction". I did post once b-4, expressing my shock as to my new life style.

Hi back in time,
I do remember your other post as well as this one, and truly do understand where you are coming from. We really don't know to what extent this work will help you, but are hopeful that it can.

Christine will be coming out with a new video soon addressing just women who have had hysterectomies, and I am sure there will be some answers and information there that you and all of us for that matter would like to know more about.

Aging Gracefully - Thank you so much for your reply! My post was quiet long -- grrh. I've tried posting a couple of other times, but did something wrong and lost those posts before hitting send each time.

I was touched with the replies I received with my first post (I was leaning towards being down ... trying to find the way when you are scared about your future can be heavy). Everyone helped me that day! And since then I have had many conversations with myself .... after all life is a mystery and there are no guarantees (even from minute to minute).

I am looking forward to Christine's next DVD with anticipation. I've been holding off purchasing, as I would like to learn from a source that tends to be more on topic for me. But, I am learning a tremendous amount by settling at home here in the WW forums and WW web page!

I don't know what a I did right for a 2-week or so period (last month), but I could not find my cyctocele friend ... she seemed to have moved out. Thou, I was pretty positive she was not gone for good. She's back now ... but maybe positioned a little bit better.

Back in time, last April, the wisdom from the Dr. at my DX appt, when I asked her how I could keep it from getting worse was: .. she flipped through my chart and commented that I had a hysterectomy ..... and she then said "don't strain", as she handed me a flyer for a Pelvic Wellness business (which my health insurance will not cover), and she got up and left. And when I looked at the flyer, I knew it would do me no good. Since that meeting, I've been making good headway here.

Cold doctors.... Most never learned that good bedside manner, have they? Maybe, brushing us off is really them not knowing the answers themselves and being too uncomfortable to admit it.

I had such an experience when I was going through a hard time with perimenopause. No help from them at all, even with all the tests and prodding. I ended up finding this site as well as doing my own research. The combination has brought me to a very good place at present.

Yes our dear prolapses are always on the move, so what feels great one day can change the next, so not too surprising that you are experiencing that. But, at least she is moving! I would say that is hopeful for sure for getting her to at least move in the right direction.

Please keep posting. We all want to hear of your journey, and can learn so much from you and your experiences. Best wishes.

:) !