Sorry - self diagnosis question

Submitted by reka108 on February 16, 2007 - 6:40am
Body: 

Dear Ladies,

I am sorry for asking a question - and such a horrible one at that - again. I would ideally ask it from my OB-GYN but I only managed to get an appointment for the 5th of March.

I have found Christine's article on self-diagnosis, I did it for myself and FREAKED OUT. My question is this: how high is you bladder supposed to be and how high is your cervix supposed to be? Or put it bluntly: what could a hard bulge/heap approximately 2-2.5 inches from the entrance on the front wall of the vagina be? It has a kind of crater on it (cervix?) but is completely immobile, at least does not go up at all(bladder?). I am asking because if it is the bladder than it is good news, if it is the cervix then it is bad news (basically because it is kind of bound by scar tissue). But if it is the bladder up there, then what is the awful lot of skin at the vaginal entrance???

I am actually feeling quite ashamed for asking this, if you think it is inappropriate then please just disregard it - but I can't sleep because of this and I can't ask anyone else at the moment.

I was told that I have rectocele and cystocele, grading was different for the two doctors who saw me and one said 'your cervix is also a bit low - or wait, no, it's OK'.

Thank you very much and sorry if it is inappropriate...
Reka

howdidthishappen

February 16, 2007 - 7:22am

hello there, reka:

this doesn't sound remotely inappropriate. please, do not worry about that at all.

obviously, i'm not a doctor and no one is here to diagnose anything so i certainly can't tell you anything all that specific. my only thought with how you described it is isn't that like a the cervix? i mean, there is an opening to the cervix which i guess could be considered like a crater -- i can stick a finger up my vagina and definitely feel the opening of the cervix into my uterus. for me, i know that's perfectly normal -- it's always been like that. maybe that's just me? don't know.

i'm wondering, though, why you would be so freaked out to be feeling your cervix -- if, in fact, that's what it is. (and whatever it, in fact, IS, DO NOT FREAK OUT! REALLY! IT WILL BE OKAY!)

hugs to you.

xxsusan

reka108

February 16, 2007 - 7:45am

Thanks Susan,

It is that I never examined myself before. I am sure now that it is the cervix. I just kind of imagined it being higher up. During pregnancy I had a trush infection and I had to put a vaginal tablet in and I certainly don't remember feeling it. But then maybe I could not go in that easily... Now when I put in the oestrogen tablets they go easily above the cervix.

I also imagined it being on the top of the vagina and not on the front wall. Now, is it prolapsed? It is not very high up but it is definitely not mobile. But I cannot imagine ever using a tampon again: it looks like it would go above the cervix which kind of defeats the purpose, I suppose.

Well, somehow the whole vagina is shorter than I imagined. I definitely have a lot to learn about my body.

Many thanks again for your kind words,
Reka xxx

bigmomma

February 16, 2007 - 7:50am

Hey,

I just wanted to let you know that I was able to feel my cervix quite easily a few months ago, and now, (I am about 7 1/2 months pregnant) can't find it at all. I do expect it to make a comeback postpartum, though. What you are describing sounds like it is your cervix to me. I also have a pretty hefty rectocele and what I suspect is the cystocele as well. I really don't know what is going on down there anymore! I hope I can get some kind of real diagnosis after the baby is born. DON'T PANIC...You just had a baby, am I correct? I know it takes time for everything to readjust, more time than most of us would like!

Hugs,
Bigmomma

alemama

February 16, 2007 - 8:13am

You may be ovulating Reka- when you ovulate the hole in the middle of the cervix is open and the cervix comes down lower. Sometimes my cervix is so high and at an angle that I have trouble reaching it and other times it is sosososo low I just find it right away. SO give it a week and check again. your bladder is right above your pubic bone on the anterior vaginal wall- which is a different location length among women.
Please know this is the place to ask questions like this... Isn't it an amazing thing to feel your own cervix- when you get past the freek out and it becomes a normal thing to feel you will be mildly surprised at the changes you will notice. B

MeMyselfAndI

February 16, 2007 - 10:55am

Ok - you put one or two fingers in and you feel a kinda sausage centrally - that is the cervix etc - The actual entrance to the womb is only about 4 inches long. Theis space not being a real space just a 'potential' space - ie - when something enters it is a space - when not entered - the sides close together.

It you cannot feel right around your 'sausage' then it is not the cervix you are feeling - If you can only go around half way like it is behind a wall to the front - that would be a cystocele (bladder prolapse) if the lump is behind the wall to the rear (harder to feel) this would be a rectocele - Bowel prolapse

When you were pregnant and used the tablet vaginally the baby would have lifted things up - as the baby is too large after a while for it to be low etc

My Gynae says 99% of women after a 'normal' birth would have a small degree of prolapse at the mildest. Personally I feel this is only true as none of the women know what we know after the fact - In fact - The luckiest woman on the planet is Christines daughter - Who is in the know :)

I would not worry - Things are rarely as bad as they sem at the time

Sue

reka108

February 16, 2007 - 11:49am

Well Sue, I got a bit confused again. Although I am now sure that is the cervix, it does not hang from the top but comes out from the front wall with quite some space (maybe half an inch - I can't reach higher) actually above it. I really thought it was at the top...

Anyway, I think that I really may be ovulating. Everything seems to be hanging out more than before. I was actually getting sad again because after the initial improvement with the posture it is now worse than ever. That would be consistent with ovulation, wouldn't it?

I just did not expect this to happen 4 months after the birth. But the little one is taking quite long breaks between feeds at night (12 hours last night, yippee!) so I might get back my period earlier than last time.

I just try forget about the hanging bits for now and enjoy the long nights before teething starts, LOL.

Thanks again, you are such a great bunch of people!
Reka xxx

verynervous

February 16, 2007 - 12:11pm

I am due to have the surgery for rectocele, novasure endometrial ablation, burch procedure, on Thurs, I am scared to death about the the complications, with going to the restroom, and if I will have to have a transfusion.......any thoughts, I am thinking about backing out of the surgery????

granolamom

February 16, 2007 - 1:10pm

its hard to know what's what especially when you have no baseline from before childbirth and prolapse.
sounds to me like 2-2.5 inches up is pretty high for bladder, so it might be cervix, but that's no reason to panic. I don't think that's terribly low for ovulation, at least not in my experience. maybe it seems like its protruding from the front wall due to your position or the position of your uterus when youre feeling around.
I'm sure your ob will shed some light on that (hopefully), and you will start to learn the topography in time.

(((hugs)))

granolamom

February 16, 2007 - 1:15pm

Hi and welcome to the forum. unless you have other issues that make it life threatening to push off surgery (I cannot for the life of me imagine what those would be but just incase) I see no reason not to do so if you are having second thoughts. better to be sure before its too late. whether or not surgery is right for you, I can't say, but I can say that once its done there is no turning back.

most of the women here have been managing prolapse without surgery, and pretty successfully. why not hang around and learn some more about the whole woman philosophy and give it a try. then you can make a more solid decision about surgery.

oh, and by the way, I was scared of the potential complications of surgery too, which is how I came to this site. now I wouldn't even consider surgery.

louiseds

February 17, 2007 - 4:52am

Hi Reka

Don't panic my dear. You just described my vagina. I'm not at all worried about mine, as I have come to understand every inch of its surfaces over the last couple of years.

Cervixes are odd things, as are all the other bits. Pre-pregnancy, my uterus used to be tipped over backwards, so my cervix poked out of the back of my vagina, then my bladder descended gradually over 20 years or so (and four pregnancies) and I ended up with the characteristic wrinkly skin just inside the vagina (which is normal when a bladder falls). Now my vagina slopes backwards more, and sometimes has a rectocele at the back, and my uterus now sometimes decides to tip forwards so the cervix is at the top, but only about a thumb-length in. I never know where it is going to be next!! But thanks to Wholewoman I do trust it all to stay inside these days.

I have only just realised how much more mobile all my abdominal and pelvic organs are now I am 53. I can remember early adulthood having pain with sex. I think I wasn't worn in properly and things were pulling in all directions! Post birth I felt like my pelvic organs and probably intestines too were wobbling around like sloppy jelly for many months after birth. It took a while for normal abdominal muscle tone to return, and for all my organs to find a comfortable position to stay in. No doubt it takes a while for all that endopelvic fascia to shrink back to its normal position post-birth as well, after all that amazing distension of pregnancy.

Aren't bodies just amazing!

Cheers

Louise

louiseds

February 17, 2007 - 5:13am

Hi VeryNervous

If you are feeling very nervous about having your surgery on Thursday because of possible complications and using your bladder and transfusions, that is telling me that you need to take some time to think before deciding to go ahead with it.

It sounds like you feel it is inevitable that you will have the surgery, and you want to get it over and done with, but you have these nagging doubts about whether you will end up worse off afterwards.

These are valid concerns. You may well end up worse off, and you owe it to yourself to ensure that you do the best thing for your body, before somebody alters it permanently.

I think in your position, I would feel better putting the surgery off for a bit. Buy the new edition of Christine Kent's book, Saving the Wholewoman, which will give you all you need to help your body to prevent further damage, and it will probably help you to manaage your symptoms, maybe to the point where you will no longer consider surgery as desirable in any way, as many of the Members of this Forum have found. The book also has very comprehesive and well-referenced information on all the main surgeries for prolapse, along with their risks and the percentages of success / failure and potential complications over usually five years. After 5 years there is little data but many women need more surgery every few years. *You can not undo the effects of this surgery on your body*.

Just putting the surgery off for a few weeks while you read up on what the doctor proposes will give you a clearer idea of what you may end up with, and you will be able to make a more informed decision as to whether or not to proceed with the surgery.

Just don't let them hurry you into it.

Cheers

Louise