New Here. So embarrassed by rectocele issues

Body: 

Hi. I was so glad to find this forum. I had a hysterectomy about 9 years ago. It wasn't long after that, when the symptoms of the rectocele/cystocele started. In 2009, my husband and I were married, and the symptoms started getting worse. I tried the vaginal hormone cream without a whole lot of results. I was having some incontinence at that time..but not after every BM...and sometimes I would go several weeks without a problem. Of course I was very careful about personal hygiene. Then my husband died suddenly 2 years ago. I started putting on weight and my rectocele issues got worse. I am to the point where if I do not manually remove any retained BM, I will be incontinent. I recently found a product called "butterfly" that have been a life saver! They will hold any small amount of BM that manages to "escape". The problem is, that even though I try to make sure that all stool is gone and I try to be very good about hygiene, I still end up being incontinent of stool at least every other day. I am just so embarrassed about this and I really think that this will keep me from ever wanting to be intimate with someone again! There are times that it actually just brings me to tears! I have been a nurse for 23 years, I'm a birth doula who teaches women to embrace the wonders of their body, but yet, I am completely disgusted with my own body! When my husband and I were first married, my GYN wanted to do the mesh surgery. My husband and I decided that I would wait until this was just unbearable. Thank goodness! But now, I had started to reconsider the surgical option, thinking it was worth the chance to feel "normal" again until I found this site! Where to I start? Is there any hope that this can get better? I did see that someone recommended the "squatty potty" and I ordered one. What's next?

Hugs Gee - I don't have answers for your questions but as I see we are the only ones online, I wanted to just say that I hear your pain and know that you are not alone. There is much loving support here as well as someone who will be able to speak directly to your concerns! Breathe - You made the right decision before regarding surgery - trust it. Surgery will only lead to worse issues. On another note, my mother not too long ago was experiencing stool incontinence and it seems to have abated - I will check in with her and see what she did. I know I had suggested that she take freshly ground flax seed every day and that it had helped. Anything we can do nutritionally to help move waste through our system and out helps. Trust in your body to heal and recover.

(btw - I have rectocele and cystocele probably caused by 4th degree episiotomy 23 years ago...)

Hi Gee and welcome. We have a number of post-hysterectomy members who are doing this work gently. There are different ways to perform hyst but one thing is true for everyone: Further surgery just makes things worse so you are wise to have avoided that path.

Some woman can go for a long time after hyst before problems arise, and we surmise in those cases there is enough vaginal length remaining, for the walls to be able to flatten against each other under intraabdominal pressure. The biggest issue facing you post-hyst is to keep the remaining organs forward and avoid a vaginal vault prolapse, which is the vagina literally turning itself inside out. Some procedures will tether the top of the vagina to the spine in an effort to avoid this.

So there are lots reasons to take care with the WW work after hyst, but at the same time, it's really the only way to go. Get a handle on what the posture is all about, and, because your spine and pelvis are so radically altered, take it slow. Walking in WW posture, wearing comfy shoes and thick socks to cushion your bones, is a great exercise.

To what extent this will help alleviate the stool incontinence, only time will tell. I have cystocele and rectocele, not the best diet in world, and very sensitive bowels that react quite strongly to food and stress. The WW work has helped me in this regard, not just in aligning the organs but also in the whole-body approach to health and well-being that WW represents. Whatever your situation, our work here is for you! Good luck to you. - Surviving

For an intro to posture:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=RvGROzIYN6w

Not our favorite thing. Here is one thread to read:
https://wholewoman.com/forum/node/4643

Post-hyst, I would be inclined to think that the issues Christine discusses could be accentuated. Just proceed with caution and pay attention to your body. - Surviving