Operation

Submitted by jazzwoman on December 21, 2009 - 4:31am
Body: 

I am 56 and have a prolapsed bowel which is now causing me problems and the consultant I recently saw has told me that, in his words "I am a good candidate for an operation". I can't have a ring because the prolapse is too extensive. About 18 years ago I suffered paralysis from the waist down for a few months, which doctors told me, after extensive tests, was probably MS. However, this was never conclusive, because the picture was clouded with the fact that I had a lower back problem (sciatic nerve damage), during and after having my one and only baby. The paralysis and the collapse of my back all happened at the same time and was a very bleak time for me. My concern now is that I am still left with pins and needles in my vagina and down my inside leg, apart from having constant maintenance with an osteopath. This operation really scares me because I have these other problems and I am at a loss as to what to do. I am seeing a neurologist in the new year to have a word with him, but if this surgeon cuts through damaged nerves I am concerned I may never walk again. I am going to purchase your dvd, but would really appreciate being able to discuss with someone on this forum other experiences. Thanks

Alix

December 23, 2009 - 2:05am

Hi Jazzwoman. I suspect no-one has replied to your post because we have neither the specialist knowledge nor the experience of your particular health problems to share with you. You are clearly a strong survivor who has had a really hard time in the past and scary choices to make in the present. You don't say how bad your present rectocele problems are. Unless they are unbearable, I suggest you take your decision making really slowly, gathering information from the neurologist you are going to see, (make sure to take a list of questions and really grill him/her) and anywhere else you can. You are in charge, you know your body best. You may be a good candidate for an op, but is the op a good candidate to help you? Take your time, I don't think you can have anything to lose by delay, you can still choose the op later whereas once operated on there is no going back. Very best wishes.

Christine

December 25, 2009 - 10:35pm

Hi Jazzwoman,

I must agree with Alix’s great comment, Is an operation a good candidate for you? Perhaps you are not aware of the tremendously high failure rates of “posterior repair”. So much so that today’s rectocele repairs often include mesh implants to “strengthen” the vaginal wall. Transvaginal mesh comes with a slew of possible problems, not the least of which is nerve damage to surrounding areas. One can only guess at why your surgeon would consider you a “good candidate”??

Whole Woman posture takes pressure off core structures, like the sacroiliac joints at the base of the spine. This posture also serves as the framework from which rectocele is slowly stabilized. Pulling up the bowel through yogic-based exercise hastens the process, while avoiding constipation and discontinuing all straining against toilet seats assures the condition is not exacerbated.

I hope you are able to take time with your decision while working with your body to resolve long-standing dysfunction that may be responsive to postural change.

Best of luck,

Christine

louiseds

December 27, 2009 - 9:18am

I can only reflect on Christine's and Alix's commments. I would be getting second and third opinions before committing to any surgery, as this is not a life-threatening condition. You may end up deciding to have the surgery, but make sure you really do know answers to all your questions before you consent. Then you will go into it knowing that you have decided that it is the best option for you. But see what improvement you can get from Wholewoman first.

Louise

jazzwoman

January 6, 2010 - 12:25pm

Thank you so much for your support, it is very much appreciated at this confusing time. I have just seen a neurologist who after examination has explained to me that I have Transverse Mylitis and that the pins and needles I am suffering from in my groin are in fact localised because of the traction from the prolapse and they may go once I have had the operation. I am not entirely convinced of this and am going to get second and third opinions from other gynocologists now in order to make an informed choice about whether to go for the op. I have also just purchased Christine's DVD, so I now feel as if I'm taking control of my condition and feel much calmer about it. I shall look forward to doing some exercise with the DVD as I've had to give up swimming and pilates for, what I hope, will be the time being. Thanks again for the wonderful input on this site. Jazzwoman

louiseds

January 6, 2010 - 10:55pm

Hi Jazzwoman

Hopefully Wholewoman techniques will reduce the traction of your prolapses to the point where you no longer have the pins and needles. Once your pelvic organs are no longer 'hanging from the top' but propped up on bone from the bottom there shouldn't really be any traction on the nerves. It may take a while until you have your organs 'up most of the time' to allow the nerves to recover. I would be adjusting all the factors you can (posture, clothing, exercise, environment,food) and giving it a go for at least a year, maybe two, before you decide whether or not to have the op. After all, he did say "they may go", not "they will go".

Just wondered what made you give up swimming?

Louise

jazzwoman

January 7, 2010 - 8:39am

Hi Louise
The reason I've given up swimming for the time being is because the last time I swam (just before Christmas, 30 lengths), my prolapse got much worse and I was in major discomfort and very sore. I had to rest up for a day or so. It's put me off from trying again for the time being. I have been swimming regularly for 18 years and doing pilates for the last 5, but am now very concerned as to what exercise I can do that is not counterproductive. I'm waiting for the DVD to arrive so that Christine can throw some light on the situation. I have decided that I am not going for the major surgery I have been offered. Am going to find out about the micro surgery op which pulls up the pelvic muscles and attaches them to the sacrum. The only worry I have about that is that as I get older my muscles will become less flexible and the surgery I may have had will still be tight and therefore may become painful, which may mean another op to loosen the pelvic muscles in order to keep up with natural changes in my body. All in all I think I'm talking myself out of surgery altogether but need to keep options open for the time being. Looking forward to the DVD.
Jazzwoman

louiseds

January 7, 2010 - 9:43am

It sounds quite strange that swimming could give you this much trouble after all these years. It doesn't sound quite right to me. Have you run this past a doctor? If I launched straight into 30 lengths cold, I would be pulling up sore too! Needing a couple of days rest after exercise indicates over-exercise to me. If your POPs were worse after it, it does sound as if you have overdone the exercise and/or there has been a change of some sort. I would be asking for a referral to a physio about appropriate exercise for a person with this myelitis condition.

Go ahead and find out as much as you can about these surgeries, but I would be not even thinking about planning elective surgery while this myelitis is flaring up. Seek medical advice for medical conditions that they can provide sound treatment for. I would say that your POPs are the least things you need to be attending to right now. Just go gently, whatever you do. Implement the Wholewoman techniques too. Just do the exercise side of it very carefully and gently.

BTW, putting off surgery *is* keeping your options open. Having surgery now would be called 'burning your bridges'. Saving the Whole Woman has a really good chapter on pelvic repair surgery, all out of medical journals. Most of the newer surgeries are just tweaks of the same old things. It is the surgical changes to our body's structure that are the main disadvantage as far as I am concerned. It really does not matter whether the procedure is old as the hills or invented last week. If I don't want the structural changes, I will avoid the surgery. It is as simple as that.

Cheers

Louise

AnneH

January 7, 2010 - 10:20pm

If you did have transverse myelitis, I don't see how surgical repair of your prolapse will help. I do think that the prolapse can pull on tissues and maybe contribute to back and nerve problems, but not to the point of paralysis.

I've got nerve pain and prolapse, and am being encouraged by doctors to get a consult with a gyn surgeon. I might do it just to see what they say, but the odds they'll convince me are nil.

I look at it this way... if you have spinal problems, or back pain problems, in that lumbar region located right at the pelvic organs, and you go messing around in there cutting and sewing and whatnot, do you know the impact that surgery is going to have on your leg/back/pain/nerve problems? The docs give vague suggestions but do they KNOW? Of course not. Until they can produce a randomized double blind control study of pelvic surgery and concurrent good neurological benefit, they're just guessing. It's just too close for comfort to me; I see little reason to believe gyn surgery will help my nerve problems and lots of reason to suspect it might make it worse.

And anyway, how thoroughly have you been worked up? Have they done any diagnostic anesthetic injections? I mean stenosis, herniated disk, bone spurs, and so on. Spinal tap for MS? Vitamin B12, heavy metal poisoning and so on and so forth, certainly I wouldn't have gyno surgery thinking it'll help the pins and needles until all that other stuff has been ruled out.

I'm not saying go get all that done, I'm saying, if it were me, I wouldn't even consider surgery without first looking under every other rock for the cause of the pins and needles. None of those tests are as invasive and permanent as pelvic organ repair surgery.