Rectocele

Body: 

I have a rectocele, and need to have some hemorroids banded. Wondering if anyone has had this done before, and if so, how bad was it.

I had a rectocele repaired about about 5 years ago. I had it diagnosed and was told I would have to spend the rest of my life life it!! I felt like saying "how would you feel poking your fingers through your testicles so you can do a poo!!". So I did a bit of research on the internet and found a local private doctor who said he would be able to sort it out. I was in hospital for about 2 or 3 nights and have to say didn't really feel anything at all! I was a bit worried about having a poo for the first time but all was OK. Had about 6 weeks off work and everything was fine. However, just recently I have been having problems going to the toilet again (!!) and difficulty in getting a good flow going for a wee. Been to the doctors this morning and she said it felt a bit "lax" inside, asked me if I did pelvic floor exercises (do women ever do them??). She is going to make an appointment at hospital for Pelvic Floor clinic (is there such a thing?) she said there were lots of things that can be used to help. Have been looking on the internet and wondered if anyone had ever used the AthenaFem Pelvic Toner?

Hi Goldenglory

Love your visualisation, "how would you feel poking your fingers through your testicles so you can do a poo!!" LOL

The AthenaFem Pelvic Toner sounds a bit simplistic to me. Lying down for Kegels sort of defeats the purpose of them. Try "kegels Christine" in the search box.

I know there is a long post somewhere (her blog?) from Christine about doing Kegels correctly, ie standing, not too many a day, and ensuring that the right muscles are used. This is really important stuff, as you can make it worse by doing too many or the wrong way.

Kegels are important for getting those muscles working again, and some help for incontinence but seem to be of little value for reducing prolapse problems.

Posture, diet, clothing, and not straining on the toilet *ever, at all*, combined with exercises that 'keep putting everything back where it belongs' often works much better, ie a whole body approach.

Pelvic floor muscles are really designed for letting things out, ie poos, wees & babies, rather than keeping things in. They are not the right type of muscle fibre to act like a horizontal trapdoor. When you adopt a classical feminine posture (ie Wholewoman posture), rather than the modern androgenous posture (butt and belly tucked in) the pelvic floor is not horizontal, but diagonal, so there is no need for pelvic muscles of steel. They are more like a door that stabilises than a floor with a trapdoor.

Wholewoman methods incorporate lots of practices, and the Forum is chockablock full of stuff about rectocele. Many women have success with managing rectocele using a combination of these techniques, and you will also find some others by searching "rectocele" in the search box. Unfortunately rectocele is for some women very difficult to improve, but here's hoping you will find ways here of dealing with yours, as I have.

Re surgery, you may be offered more surgery by your doctor. I think I am correct in saying that the first surgery a woman has is likely to be the most successful. The more you have, the less likely it is that the problem will be resolved. There is a lot about the different types of surgery in Christine's book, Saving the Wholewoman, including details of what they do for different procedures, but also surgical risks and potential complications. Please make sure you get a copy of this book (available from Wholewomancenter shop via www.wholewoman.com). I have checked all the references for these chapters. They are all from peer-reviewed scientific journals, ie they are good info. Once you read the book you will understand a lot more about what has happened to your body, what has been done to it, and be in a good position to ask your doctor the right questions and make the right decisions for you and your body.

Hope you stick around to learn more.

Cheers

Louise