Can sponge or pessary help milder prolapse?

Submitted by Salt on November 9, 2011 - 7:33am
Body: 

I've had a bad week POP-wise particularly with the uterine prolapse.

Does anyone know if a sea sponge or pessary can help with prolapse that is stage 1 or 2?
I find myself nervous to go out and about walking all day because even though I am in WW posture, it feels like gravity is still pulling it further down. I am wondering if a sponge (or pessary) would help with this.
But I have no idea if it would even stay in.

I have never had my cervix come far enough down to touch the introitus though very close at times.
What I'm finding frustrating is that I do have some pain when it comes farther down like it is now. it seems to be pushing really hard into the posterior wall of my vagina - making bowel movements difficult by pushing that wall into the rectum more.
and it's also all the way toward my right side. not sure if this means the left hand ligament is much more stretched than the right or if it has to do with scar tissue on the right side of my vagina making that side stiffer so it doesn't push down as easily.
During surgery for endometriosis in 2004, the doctor cut all the way through the right side of my vagina (from the abdominal cavity out into the vagina) and stitched it back up. I have no idea how much of the vaginal wall her moved, if any, but that side of my vagina has felt 'shorter' ever since.

ramble ramble :-)

Salt

November 15, 2011 - 1:53pm

I spoke to someone at Jade and Pearl about this and though she didn't have a definitive answer, she said to just go ahead and try it and that at least it would prevent the prolapses from slipping further down/bulging further in.

I was so happy to see that they use hydrogen peroxide to bleach the sponges - not chlorine :)

louiseds

November 15, 2011 - 7:40pm

What do you have to lose, Salt? Just try it. You don't have to seek permission. Have faith in yourself to be able to make that decision.

If it works, even for a while, you are going to feel pretty silly for putting it off for so long. ;-)

What is stopping you?

Louise

alemama

November 15, 2011 - 9:07pm

One thing you can do, is rest a little while on elbows and knees- you may even be able to do this after you have felt the urge to go-
your uterus will shift forward and get your cervix out of the back wall.

Is this the first time you have mentioned your surgery? I don't recall reading about it before. It would make since to feel shorter on that side and the scar tissue/stiffness theory is a good one imho.

Salt

November 16, 2011 - 11:11am

hi Louise,
the thing stopping me had been finances. I am disabled and on a very small pension income. it will be months before I can pay off the FAFP dvd and I didn't want to add more debt without having some idea of it it may work. however.... my mother just offered to buy me the sponges as a gift!
so nothing will stop me now :)
It's very nice to have such a great relationship with my mother and be able to talk about all of this.
I'm looking forward to trying the sponge.

Salt

November 16, 2011 - 11:17am

hi Alemama,
I think I may have mentioned the surgery in a reply to someone else's thread but I'm not 100% sure :)
I will try the elbows and knees position right before going to the washroom and see if it moves things.
my cervix's favourite position right now is pushing way back on the posterior wall which is frustrating for bowel movements but... I do see the positive in this: it means it's not pushing straight down in the direction of coming out! :-)

thank you for the suggesting of knees/elbows right before. I haven't tried that yet.

chickaboom

November 18, 2011 - 1:54pm

Salt, don't know if this was mentioned before (I don't remember reading it in your first posts) but isn't it likely that it was the surgery in 04 that caused your prolapse, being that you've never given birth been pg etc.?

ikam

November 18, 2011 - 1:57pm

It seems that the sponge is helping me. I have been using it for one week and days with the sponge tend to be better.
Ivonush

Salt

November 21, 2011 - 10:38am

hi chickaboom,
I do believe that the surgery in 2004 led to my bladder prolapsing some time in 2005. I'm not sure how exactly... maybe partly due to the position I was in while I was healing from the surgery? I'm sure the cutting through that vaginal wall didn't help :-(

My uterus didn't prolapse until this past August after some extremely heavy lifting though I am sure that years of constipation, straining, bad posture and asthmatic coughing were a factor that made me vulnerable. I've done heavy lifting before with no problem but this was likely just the final straw!

I have no idea when the rectocele happened because it's only noticeable right before a bowel movement and I wasn't feeling inside at that time until this past August. it could have been present for years. I never went to the washroom without straining... so I wonder if I had to strain because it was stuck in the rectocele, entirely unbeknownst to me :-)

I do recall the gyno saying, after the surgery, that there had been endo on the wall of the bowel that he had to remove. maybe damage from that could have contributed to rectocele too.
I wish there was some way of knowing exactly what he did though I guess it doesn't really matter now.

Salt

November 21, 2011 - 10:39am

I'm so glad for you Ivonush! that is great news. :-)

louiseds

November 21, 2011 - 2:30pm

That's good, Ivonush. Keep up the other things too. Walk tall, Queen Ivonush. You're in charge now.

ikam

November 22, 2011 - 1:05am

Thank you :) I have been using it for around 10 days now.

I have also stopped using suppositories. They were not really helping...

At present I need to prepare for a gyno assessment. I also organised visit to PT who specialises in the pelvic area...
Don't know what to expect.
Before I would trust "everybody", I see now "how little" doctor know, how much they "just follow" guidlines...

I have felt much better after two weeks of doing exercices- is this possible?
I have pain on and off, but I have times when I feel just NORMAL, like before...
Ivonush

ikam

November 22, 2011 - 1:24am

Yes, Louise, I feel MORE IN CHARGE...but it is not through controlling things, it is morte through being mindful, aware of my body's needs...(still trial and error, but more positive at present).
Ivonush

louiseds

November 22, 2011 - 11:11pm

So glad you have managed to ditch the suppositories. It is all trial and error, guided by research and listening to those who can attest to what has and hasn't worked for them.

:-)

ikam

November 23, 2011 - 1:02am

It is good to hear your words. I have had a bit of set back and almost considered to take suppository again. I will not...I know they don't really work, it is a nice "illusion", fixing things in a quicker way...

Just felt worse yesterday, and I don't know why. Maybe because I have very busy Mondays, I leave home at 8am and I am back after 9pm, after all days at work, then travelling and back to my therapy session...
I wish I knew more about what are my triggers...

I need to figure it out...
It has been my third week here...I wish it was one year. I hope one year from now I will understand more...

THANK YOU :)
Ivonush