New prolapse and surgery

Submitted by jankoni on October 14, 2004 - 5:36am
Body: 

I am 45 and have 4 children. I saw my Nurse Practioner and she confirmed what I already knew, my uterine prolapse. I was on my period so she didn't have the doctor come in to examine me. He wanted to grab my uterus and pull down to see how far it would come down so he could give me a better diagnosis and prognosis. I see no sense in putting me through additional discomfort. This practice doesn't automatically do hysterectomies. The Nurse Practioner said they would do a sling and mesh deal with my uterus. The Nurse Practioner really didn't get into the surgical procedure. What are the complications of that surgery?
I am not going back to see the Doctor until after the New Year.

Since I found this site and started the Kegals the uterus has already pulled back up. My sister and mother have uterine prolapse. My mother at 71 never did what the doctors wanted her to do - hysterectomy. She says she wants to go out a "Whole Woman".

Thanks for any help and what a wonderful site!

Christine

October 14, 2004 - 8:14am

Hello and welcome to Wholewoman!

Uterine suspensions are not a viable alternative to hysterectomy although they, after over one hundred years of failure, are being offered as such once again.

Your cervix will be permanently adhered to your sacrum with the mesh and your bladder neck permanently tethered to the front of your body with the sling, thus pulling your vagina in two directions at once. Aside from the pain of such permanent tension, you will be at risk for serious bladder dysfunction. This means having to strain hard to empty your bladder and having to pee several times a day and night because the highly sensitive nerve plexus at the base of your bladder has been disrupted. You will be at great risk of subsequent uterine prolapse, because the stretchy cervix will continue to come down a now open and completely unprotected vagina. You will be at greatest risk of developing a large cystocele, because the front vaginal wall is completely vulnerable to the base of the bladder being pulled against it by the rear-directed torque of the mesh. No one has studied what happens to the base of the spine, which is also being kept under unnatural tension by the force of the cervix/mesh.

Please try to incorporate the postural changes into your life as well, as it

jankoni

October 14, 2004 - 11:26am

Thanks for the information. I will start to work on my posture. I bought the book. I realize I need to work on some lifestyle changes. For the past 3 years I haven't been taking care of myself. My body has been trying to tell me so but I haven't been listening. I have been eating poorly, working at jobs that require heavy lifting and not exercising. I need to listen and take care of myself.

kelly

October 14, 2004 - 5:06pm

jankoni,

oh, first and foremost, please do not let that doctor pull down on your uterus like he wants to. Just thinking of that brings tears to my eyes. There's no need for that. You know what you've got and "how low will it go?" sounds like a game and will have not much more usefulness. Thank goodness for doctors' no-touch policies while a woman is on her period.

If your uterus is like mine, it will come down further some days than others and the lowest it will go is irrelevent. Why aren't they asking "how HIGH will it go?" and "how can a woman keep it up there?"

Your comfort IS relevent. So is your health, so for this reason and others, please start taking care of yourself and let us know if we can help you do that.

Kelly

jankoni

October 15, 2004 - 5:13am

Thanks for you reply. I thought the Nurse Practioner was crazy when she said that is what the Doctor wants to do. I positively refuse to let him do that. I absolutely think it is ridiculous. What would it prove? And besides that, it would hurt for no reason.

I am still reading the book and want to make some changes. I am going to work on the posture. It is amazing how your whole body relates. I have a bunion that bothers me and refuse surgery on that. Actually the Podiatrist doesn't like to operate unless it is really bad. Working on the posture will probably help with pain relating to the bunion.

When it comes to heavy lifting what amount of pounds is considered heavy? I like to be so independent even though I have 3 sons and a husband that could do the lifting.

Janet