Cystocele and rectocele, how to tell difference?

Body: 

First, I hope I've spelled these "cecles" correctly, but anyway, what is the difference between Cysto else and rectocele? How does one determine one from the other? Thanks.

Hi Cecilly,

yes, you spelled it correctly ;-).
A cystocele is (I'm not an expert, so I hope to explain it correct), when your bladder bulges in the front of your vagina.
A rectocele is when the bowel bulges on the backwall of your vagina.
Sorry, English is not my mother tongue, so I can't explain it better. Hope this helps until anyone else can jump in ;-).
Best wishes
Butterfly

Butterfly, when the bulge is poofing out beyond the vaginal opening, how can you tell then? That's the case with me. There is a prominent bulge (when I sit down, it feels like I'm sitting on a small water balloon). I try to push it back in and up, but it all just feels like soft pudding up in there (I've had a hysterectomy unfortunately). My urethra has also dropped pretty low.

Cecilly, if you go to the Resources tab, and then to the Library, and put "prolapse self-exam" into the search box, you will fine an article (and this is also in Christine's book, Saving the Whole Woman"). I do not know if having hysterectomy would make it any easier or harder to tell what else you have. If it's important to know, you can get a diagnosis from a doctor, though this can be cause for needless confusion if you ask me. I've never had one, and I am very poor at self-diagnosis, but many things point to my having both. - Surviving