How Many Years Can you Live with this?

my tail bone pain went away almost as soon as I started with the posture. it was amazing. Do you stand and sit in the posture as much as you can? I just found out about my rectocele and cystocele but I am pretty sure (now that I know what it is) that I have been living with it for about 4 years.
I am sure you know that there is more you could do with your diet- there has been a recent thread about that - all kinds of good diet info came up.
I know the dr. offers a fix - but I am pretty sure it is just a quick fix-

that is the question, isn't it?
well, this is the way I see things. I can either take the symptoms I have and work (and hope) to alleviate them, knowing that my body is intact and the possibility within reach, than allow a surgeon to cut into my vaginal wall and rearrange my anatomy thereby creating a situation where anything might happen.
one of the possible effects of surgery is pain, and right now I have none. scar tissue forms and that can cause painful sex, right now that's not a problem. another possible effect is further prolapse, but once that happens after surgical intervention, the optimal configuration of organs and tissue is no longer available to help stabilization of prolapse take place.

I am sure there are some women who've had the surgery and have no ill effects. however, if you read the statistics, the odds are not in your favor. It seems that rectoceles are the most stubborn of the prolapses, but even with all of its trouble I still think its a safer bet to learn to manage rectocele than to opt for surgical repair.

Hi Havasu06,

Seriously, I do hope to live a long time with it, and I assure you, you may also come to that decision. A warm water enema is good when needed, basically, it opens the door so the rest of the stool can come on down, so a one time enema is going to help one time. Diet is the key. We all think we are eating well, but most of us don't have a clue as to what is really in our food, (so become a label reader). Every cell in our body is a living cell that needs living nutrients for it to perform optimally. One green apple a day is not enough. We need fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, fresh whole grains and raw nuts daily to feed the cells nutrition and phytonutrients. All of this should be organic, because chemical laden food has had the nutrients as well as the bugs destroyed (if a bug won't eat it, why should I?). If our bodies are given the tools it needs to perform, it will take care of itself. But, if we continue to feed it processed foods, synthesized vitamins, and other foods that have wonderful tastes but no food value, then it can do nothing but deteriorate. What kind of probiotic are you taking and does it have chemicals in it? If it is a probiotic with chemicals, it won't help that much and just sort of defeats the purpose.

You can learn to live with this if you are following Christine's advice (absolutely cutting edge!) really paying attention to your diet, and feeding your body positive thoughts. There is most defintely a mind/body connection, so feed it good thoughts. Surgery is not an option for me and I hope you read the many posts other ladies have written on that score. Scar tissue is certainly not fun to live with and I don't want any in my pelvic area. I have plenty elsewhere to deal with which can be excruciating at times.

I hope this helps. Come back here often and let us lift your spirits. These ladies on the forum are all very special who so willingly send forth love and encouragement to anyone who needs it.

Blessings,
Grandma Joy

I have had problems (Not that I knew what a prolapse was back then) since my first Birth by Forceps - over 18yrs ago (He will be 19 this nov)

I think that personally I will want to live with this forever - As so far what I have read of the alternatives sounds too icky and stuff to even consider...

I think if you can get yourself back to a place where you are content (Ie maybe you will have some bad days - like I do when i lift stupid massively heavy things) but mostly reasonable or good days - then you are the winner.

After the Op to 'fix' it - then you are so restricted in what you can lift and do I would not wanna be tied to that in case I 'broke myself' again lol

But - It is all up to you and how you feel...

Some times the solutions we are given are not the solutions we actualy think we are given... The Dr's idea of fix is not alwayslong term. They get paid for fixing - so the more times they do it the more they get paid and they are indoctrinated into the medical.

I would look for any alternative before I hand myself over to the knifeman (lollllllll)
Sue

hello there havasu06:

all that was said in previous comments? i can only second (and third, and fourth...) personally, i plan to live with this for the rest of my life. case closed. surgery just isn't an option for me as with all the reading and research into it i've done, that "fix" that the surgeon does is risky at best. most frequently leading to other problems that, as was said, made that"fix" even more difficult as the structural integrity of my pelvis has already been compromised.

i, too, deal with a rectocele. i've only been disgnosed since late november, but i am really quite certain i was just asymptomatic before then (which, ahem, leads me to wonder why any gyn doesn't check a woman for any prolapse once they've had a vaginal birth! seems to get interventions going that early might really compromise their bottom line, is all i can think -- but i digress) i started the thread on constipation in the food forum just about three weeks ago when i was so constipated i was nearly impacted. i had to manually remove the shit (sorry to be so graphic, but that's what it was, and it was as terrible as you might imagine.) that whole weekend i cried, no able to leave the house, feeling awful. i, too, thought my diet was really quite good. however, after speaking with christine, e-mailing grandma joy and getting the input of these incredible women on the site, drastic changes were made and very very VERY quickly, drastic changes happened with my bowels that literally shifted EVERYTHING for me. it has been amazing. i might also add that i had to "splint" most regularly before i made those changes, and it occurs to me now that i have not had to do that once since.

now, let me also tell you, though...i can see that i haven't been as diligent with the posture in the last few days and i can feel the difference with the rectocele. where i honestly barely even noticed it when i was working with the posture much more consciously -- along with the diet -- it was really not even a blip on my radar. i see now, though, how hand in hand they really are. you need both pieces. and when you do them by really integrating them in your life and it becomes as automatic as breathing, truly, the proplapse, well, it just ain't that big of a deal.

check out the constipation thread. people suggested lots of stuff that works for them, lots of great ideas. and, again, as grandma joy has already said, one green apple a day really isn't going to do it. it requires taking a really hard and honest look at what you're eating.

good good luck to you. i think most women on this site are real testaments to living very very well with this challenge. i really do.

xxsusan

Your post really touched me as this is how I feel a lot of the time. I have only been symptomatic with my rectocele for a little under a year, but I know what you mean about your whole life been based around BMs. I really stinks! I feel that I eat well, I do use psyllium, a probiotic (not a great one, I'm sure, but I'm new to them) and eat LOTS of fresh fruit and veggies. I am trying to cut back on the meat as many of these women have suggested, but, I don't think I can cut it out altogether, and as far as organic food goes, I would LOVE to buy it, but we have a big family and one income and who can afford it!!!?? I have also been pretty bummed out lately and just wanted to offer my support. We all have our ups and downs here, and I agree that deep down I feel that surgury is not the answer. All I can say is keep trying different things diet wise along with exercise and posture. I believe there is something out there, that may be different for all of us, that will help us live with this and be content with our progress. Hang in there, you are in good company:)

Hugs,
Bigmomma

I guess we have to live with it forever as there is nothing that will return us to a pre-prolapse state--not surgery not anything.
Am I wrong?
From all that I have read this is a forever issue whether you have surgery or not. There isn't a cure for this--it is a condition.
If you or I have surgery--(I have grade 2 rect & cyst and am fairly young--42)won't we still have to be very careful of our BM's or risk another rectocele? We can never lift again right? after surgery...How would that change? Won't we still worry about the prolapse after surgery? Wonder if it will "hold"...wonder if something else will happen? Won't our innards still be a mystery to us--(I am still trying to understand everything I have read! Still a bit of a mystery to me!) even more so because someone else went in there and changed them?
My great Aunt had a "bladder tack up" around 30-35 years ago and just underwent an extreme re-surgery--her bladder was outside of her body but she is in her mid 80's...so in reality didn't she still have to live with it and then have another operation? She still had the Cystocele after the "tack up" and with age it progressed...
I guess it is a perspective issue...
Maybe I am wrong but that is how I see it now after reading about it.
Nothing will give back a pre-prolapse body so I will not choose to court the after surgery body...scar tissue, incontinence, possible fissure--bladder/rectal, immobility of the vagina, auto-immune disease from the foreign materials used in surgery-mesh's--if you get that, that is a permenant disability period--you will celebrate the days when you can take a short walk...my mom has that from another problem--not prolapse...inability to be sexually active!!!! Huge in my book since my husband is soooo cute!
I just don't see the advantages... what will actually change for the better? I read someone said "I can wear my tight jeans again"...well, doesn't tight clothing push the organs down? If you had a 20k, very painful surgery would you risk that again??!!
Seems a little silly to me that you would jump right back into the behaviors and life-styles that could bring you back to a prolapsed state?
I guess that is my perspective. What is the surgeon truly offering me? For me the possibilities are endless for a worse situation at his hands...a better situation if I am changing my life-style and living with it.
Personally too I mean did I actually expect to live without a physical difficulty my entire life? Yes I certainly did. That was for other people. Not! It was for me too. I think I am in good company though and admire all the gals here...I will live with it forever whatever I choose...

Please see Christine's post under surgery.
I was posting at the same time you were and didn't realize that you had had a hysterectomy.

Hi Tina

I think you have nailed it. You are just feeling scared, as I think I would in your situation. If you think about it you are probably grieving as well, for a body that shouldn't be giving you this much trouble.

While you are in a state of grief is not a good time to make major decisions of any sort, and the surgery decision is a bigger decision than your doctor would have you believe. I think you would have gathered that by now from the responses you have received on the Forum.

You really are between a rock and a hard place, and you need to be in a less emotional space before you can make a decision that is the best one for you. I think all you can do is acknowledge that you are upset about this, then gather all the information you can, then look at it when you can do so in a more objective way. Keep calling back for encouragement, and I am sure that eventually you will know which path you need to follow. It will probably not be a perfect path but it will be a well-planned path that you will ultimately be content with.

Hugs to you.

Louise