Rectocele

Submitted by YUYI on December 26, 2006 - 8:40pm
Body: 

Hi

Somebody please help me if you have been diagnosed with rectocele and you have healed or had a successful surgery.

I was just diagnosed with Rectocele and I am devastated. I am only 38. I got rear ended and had bulging discs. A few months later. I got pressure on my rectum as if a baseball was pushing down. I am always super constipated, have pressure on the rectum (it's like a syndrome) continue to have bladder leakage. Finally last week, I had a test that said "minor rectocele." Most people say this happens after age 50 or right after birth. However, my youngest daughter is age 5 and I had never had any problems with my rectum until now.

One colon doctor prescribed pelvic physical therapy. Does this really work? I hear that once you have rectocele, nothing can fix it, but only with surgery.

I am depressed and devastated. The pressure down on my rectum drives me nuts. I cannot work! I have pelvic pain, constipation, cannot walk or stand for a long time. The doctor put me on birth control to see if this reduces pelvic pressure. I am terrified. A pelvic surgeon said he could surgically fix it and that I am too young to live like this.
My primary doctor says "don't have the surgery, it can really harm your rectum and that I may not be able to control my bowels." I feel helpless, my body says "have the surgery and my brain says "no"

This is tormenting me. Someone please help me?

Thank you

Yuyi

alemama

December 26, 2006 - 9:06pm

Yuyi
hey- well lets see- I have a recently diagnosed rectocle and I am 27 so...I wanted to respond to your post- but I don't know a whole lot-It is hard to come to terms with this diagnosis isn't it? Well it is for me anyway. There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to prolapse- like that it only happens to older women, or that it is caused by child birth. Sounds like yours is from years of constipation.
but- it sounds to me like you have a whole lot more going on. I am sorry you are in so much pain. and I don't think a rectocele would cause that much pain- could it be something else? maybe the accident caused the pain? or is it new -
Do you like being on the pill? is it helping?
I know the best thing in the world to do for your rectocele is get your constipation to go away. you can read all about it- just type it into the search engine-
you could definatly try the posture- (in the FAQs) it is helping me(I think:))
I am new to prolapse so I am sure someone will be able to give you good information but I wanted to respond just so you know you are not the only one. That seems to help me for some reason. B

YUYI

December 26, 2006 - 10:09pm

Hi B.,

Thank you for your response. I was never constipated until the rectum prolapse. Do you also feel as if there's a baseball pushing down your rectum? I feel fullness around the anal/rectum area. It's an awful syndrome like feeling. I take metamucil and it helps a little. I will definitely look into the posture.

Do you also have children? What are your symptoms?

Thank you again,
Y

howdidthishappen

December 27, 2006 - 4:37am

sounds like we were diagnosed with rectocele at about the same time. and i completely understand your feeling of devastation. i just turned 43 and i initially felt utterly betrayed by my body -- i've always been very healthy and active and the idea that my body could do this...as i said, i understand your sense of devastation.

that said, again, bearing in mind i was diagnosed when you were, i already feel a huge improvement by shifting various elements in my life. posture is enormously helpful; it really is. i, too, am going to a physical therapist for pelvic floor work and that helps. i'm using herbs and acunpuncture (can't hurt, and i think herbs are helping) and i'm making sure not to get constipated by eating well. like you, in the first week, i had the tremendous sense of rectal pressure, even moments of pain -- especially when i was trying to sleep. i was terrified that that was how it would be for me always -- like that, or worse. at this point, that rectal pressure/pain is really gone. seriously. and so walking is totally comfortable and i'm heading out to the gym after i write this for a while to use the bike there.

sounds like constipation is a big problem right now and i suspect that once you get that moving, the rectal pressure will ease up dramatically as it did for me. i am drinking LOADS of water, am using colasce, also taking something called fiber smart and am being very aware with my diet. a few times a week, i also drink some nettle tea, burdock root tea and/or dandelion leaf tea -- all these things are helping the stools be easy easy easy to move and it's great to have relief from that sense of pressure -- i completely had that as well.

why don't you start by looking through other rectocele posts, look at the posture faq, and think about getting your bowel movements moving easily. the surgery is always there as a possibility. you do not have to decide anything with that today, tomorrow or even the next day. but there ARE things you can do today that i strongly suspect will begin to make you feel better far more quickly than the surgery could, frankly.

you are not alone. i think there are even far more women who have this than we have a clue about. there is alot you can do for yourself. alot. i would never have thought i would be experiencing the difference i have in just these past few weeks. i am here to tell you things can get and be better.

xxsusan

alemama

December 27, 2006 - 7:26pm

hi YUYI
so my only sympotms are a heavy tired feeling in my vagina- which is getting better- I knew I had a rectocle because there is a bulge at the opening of my vagina(which by the way goes away for a little while afer having sex). I do have children 3 in three years.
Since finding my rectocele I have been consuming tonz of fiber. no baseball feeling- if you get on all fours(knees and elbows) does the baseball feeling go away?
hey do you have a rectum prolapse or a rectocele?
How is the pain going? better worse same?
B

Lilly Anne

December 27, 2006 - 8:37pm

Hi Yuyi:

I don't have a rectocele, but I do have a prolapsed bladder/dropped bladder (depends on which doctor that is asked). While not the same I do emotionally know what you are going through. Emotionally, this diagnosis has been cripling me. Not physically, mind you, mentally. I hate it as I am sure that you do too.

I have been doing a lot of crying on this site and the ladies have been wonderful about picking me up and educating me. I'm glad that you found this site.

I can't offer any rectocele advice but I can offer some digestive advice.

Food/Drink
Drink plenty of water/fluids
Tea/Coffee in the morning is supposed to help
Eat plenty of fruits & veggies

Supplements
Flaxseed Oil Pills
Probiotics

For me the above didn't help completely. I am working with my gastro to manage my ibs with constipation. I take Glycolax and Colace now. I would definately take the food/drink approach first to see if you can manage that way. I could not so now I am taking meds as well.

I wish you all the best & please know that you are not alone!

-Lilly Anne

YUYI

December 28, 2006 - 12:23am

Hi Susan,

Thank you so much for responding. You have given me some hope. I was just as active as you, always at the gym. I was rear ended in June and in September that is when I when I felt pressure in my rectum, bladder and uterus (have dropped). My Ob/Gyn wants to remove the uterus, she believes that if I remove it, I will have less pressure on my rectum. I got a 2nd opinion from a pelvic surgeon who says "why suffer with that pressure, also you're too young not to enjoy sex, I have terrible pain during sex" I lost the tightness in my vagina. He believes that the surgery will definitely fix the bulging feeling, and I would be able to enjoy sex again. He would like to do a laparascopy to find out why I have pain on the right lower quadrant and he also said that he would fix my rectocele through the vagina. I have bladder leakage and at times I have to pee sideways in the toilet. I spoke with the surgeon's nurse who said that most of the patients are terrified to have the surgery, but that once they do, they are so much happier with the results...

My physical therapist told me that although my pelvic area will become stronger with exercises that the rectocele needs to be surgically repaired. She said once you stretch that area (rectum) it's never the same.

What exercises at the gym make the rectocele worse?
Which herbs do you take?
Which pelvic floor exercises are you doing?
What triggered your rectocele?

Do you have pain during sex?
Do you have children?

Are you consider having surgery in the near future?

Thank you,

Yuyi

YUYI

December 28, 2006 - 12:27am

Hi B,

What exercises at the gym make the rectocele worse?
Which pelvic floor exercises are you doing?
What triggered your rectocele? Where you diagnosed after giving birth?

Do you have pain during sex? I cannot enjoy it anymore, it's awful and I also have three children.

Are you consider having surgery in the near future?

A

alemama

December 28, 2006 - 8:36am

hey yuyi
I don't do any lower body lifting
I sit to do my free weight exercises(in the posture)
I stand and kegal
the eliptical machine is wonderful for me- (in the posture again)and I can bump up the resistance to get some toning in my legs and butt. I know christine has an exercise video- I am definatly going to order it- just haven't yet- you may want to check that out. I also do leg lifts for my butt- on all fours - lift heal to ceiling.
I think tearing during child birth caused my rectocele- this last time (time #3) the stitches didn't hold and so I lost alot of support in my pelvic floor.
No way will I have surgery- everything I read says it doesn't work- plus I watched a repair surgery on the web and I thought I would die- it is really invasive and it cuts into the pelvic floor - which can not be good. and anyway I don't have time for the healing phase- or the subsequent restrictions. (no lifting, laxatives, pain during sex, new surgery to fix new problems) read some more- basically I think surgery is a quick fix that doesn't last a lifetime. I wish it wern't like that - if there was a way to fix it for real I would be signing up.
I have minimal pain during sex-and I think even that is going to get better (I think it is more from the tear than the rectocele)
I am sorry that it hurts you. type sex into the search engine and you will see that alot of women have pain during sex. have you tried fire breathing? different positions? gentle partner??
I think this will get better for you. You found a great resource with alot of suggestions that will help. Massage has really been helping me- B