Do I have a Prolapsed Bladder???

Hi Mom – Take a deep breath, every one of us has felt your panic. No, surgery is not the answer for prolapse. I hope you can spend some time clicking and reading on this site before you see your doc, because you will learn some things here that your doc will not tell you.

First, please go to the Resources tab and then to the Video link. Watch the first video on that page, which is an overview of Christine Kent’s work and explains why you need to avoid surgery and what you can do instead to manage your prolapse. I have been here 2-1/2 years and it has been nothing short of life-changing. The fact that so many women are still being steered SO wrong in this area, to me is just a tragedy.

Read on, please! Don’t panic, you are safe. - Surviving

I have lost about 70 lbs over the course of the past five years and now they are telling me that my prolapse might also be the result of things just getting looser in there, basically. Oh, great! I am now ten pounds from my goal after bashing away at this, diligently working out, all the stuff they tell you to do, and then all hell breaks loose. Not sure quite what to do at this point about exercise, weight loss....I stopped everything once the prolapse happened. The doctors want me to have surgery of course. I have a bladder prolapse too and cysts and myomas and the whole nine yards.

The panic of thinking "Holy Crap! Nobody ever said THIS would happen to me!".

Exercise incontinence is a sign that you have some 'damage' or weakness but not necessarily that you have a prolapse. I think you need to listen to your body and not overdo it until you know what you are dealing with. Take some time to look around this site and start standing and sitting in posture as soon as you can.

I ignored signs (well, I didn't know they were signs) and weight lifted and over exercised my way into Stage 2 uterine prolapse. I haven't had a dramatic weight loss, but that alone is not a reason to prolapse. Age, multiple vaginal births, chronic constipation, heavy lifting all added up for me.

You probably did not have anything noticeable at a gyn visit because of the position you were in during exam AND they were not looking for anything. Could be you have minor issue.

BUT... I'm telling you I went through exactly what you went through 10 weeks ago. Woke up with what seemed like a UTI with a flu. One round of antibiotics did little and I went for a second round. In the meantime I had a pelvic exam at Urgent Care that was 'normal'. Urine catch was clean. A week later I am in the uro-gyn office and get a Stage 2 uterine, anterior and posterior wall prolapse. Life is now different, but not over.

Hang in there. The waiting is horrible. Surgery is not inevitable. You will not lose your bladder in aisle 3 at the grocery store (I was certain my uterus was going to fall out) and symptoms can be relieved.

If you are uncomfortable driving, put a pillow from the couch behind you. That seemed to change the angle enough so that I didn't feel so much burning.

I have not lost weight but I did start by thinking I had a UTI. No burning but running to pee constantly, which wasn't like me at all. The urgent care said ovarian cyst. I went for an ultrasound, then to my gyn for a check-up. No cyst, just bladder and uterine prolapse. The nurse practitioner drew me a picture showing my cervix about half way into my vagina. She said it is putting pressure on the bladder and causing the pulling, heavy feeling in my lower abdomen. She said hysterectomy was my only option. That was November 12th. I came home and found this website. A friend who is into holistic medicine also found the site so I felt that was a sign of confirmation. So glad I came here. I just received my book and two videos and have been doing the posture for a week or a bit longer. I am starting to feel normal again but was very upset and frightened at first, like you. Very glad that you too have found this site and the wealth of information here.

Petrified, the practitioner who advised hysterectomy as the "only option" in your case, represents the most extreme end of the spectrum of medical professionals being unable to look beyond their fields for any possible answers. Kind of scary in my opinion. Imagine how many women every year are actually TAKING this kind of advice.... - surviving

Surviving, that is so true. I was so glad that I didn't have ovarian cancer or something that I came out of the office and told my friend, "I just need a hysterectomy." I wasn't even thinking of the enormity of it until I told my husband what they said and he had a fit. I guess that I had heard that word so many times through the years that I needed to actually think about what that meant. I had told the nurse practitioner that I would talk it over with my husband. She said I could do nothing until my check-up next year but if I wanted to get it done sooner that I should call and they would get me in to discuss it with the two surgeons right away. One does bladder repair, the other, hysterectomy. She said that I am too young at 52 to put up with this nuisance for the many years that I have left. So glad that I let things sink in a bit and then began searching on the net. It is certainly dangerous to get too trusting of the medical community. I know people that don't ever question. If the doc says it, they do it.

If anyone ever tells you that the doctor just told them that they need a hysterectomy, send them to the HERS Foundation website, where they can learn all about what happens during hysterectomy, and what can result afterwards. There is also a long video interview of Nora Coffey, founder of HERS on the WW website.

Louise

have their uterus (or even have one)? How many pelvic 'repair' surgeons have lived with POP and had a long term successful repair? How many surgeons would place a mesh hammock in their pelvis without serious contemplation?

I'd love to know!

that only surgeons can answer. I think they are so far into their own world view that they just accept that repeat surgeries will probably be necessary, or can be justified by 'doing a better job than the last surgeon'. For them, there is no realistic alternative. Some women will beg for a three size increase in breast size, going against what a cosmetic surgeon thinks is a good idea. The customer is always right. Right?

Some gyns (who are surgeons by default) don't recommend surgical repairs at all because they know the damage they can cause, and because of the risk of further prolapse and other reasons. They simply don't have any alternatives! When a woman goes to them, distraught with grief, and enthused by well-meaning older family women (who worship their gyns) to have repairs, what is a gyn to do? Relieve suffering? Probably.

The gyns who do these repairs knowing the risks and being economical with the truth, and that their patients will probably be back for more in a few years, are certainly not going to answer your questions. They are not taking risks themselves. They are all insured to the eyeballs to protect themselves.

A successful repair is *probably* one where the woman is discharged from hospital with no prolapse, ambulatory and breathing, doesn't come down with any infections as a result of the surgery, and has a handful of painkillers in her handbag. Further prolapse, mesh erosion, difficulty with peeing or pooing, pain with sex, chronic pain, etc are simply not mentioned in the 'success' formula.

Louise

Pillows can become your new best friend! Have one for the car, for travel and just about anywhere. Changing that angle makes a huge difference. The first few weeks of symptomatic prolapse were agony in the car if I didn't have a pillow behind me. Automatic burning feeling and urge to urinate when I sat in the bucket seat sans pillow. I can imagine I'm getting a pillow for Christmas...