It’s no secret that I have bladder issues but for obvious reasons I have chosen not to mention my bowels – but you know what?! EVERYBODY POO’s and farts! IT’S A FACT and being able to speak to your doctor about this without being embarrassed is hard – but necessary at times.
So lets rewind – years and years ago I was diagnosed with a prolapsed bladder, this is, the wall of the vagina at the front supports the bladder – keeping it up rite – but my support wall had collapsed somewhat. This is called a cystocele or bladder prolapse -the symptoms as listed on google are ..
The symptoms of a cystocele may include:
- a vaginal bulge
- the feeling that something is falling out of the vagina
- the sensation of pelvic heaviness or fullness[
- difficulty starting a urine stream
- a feeling of incomplete urination
- frequent or urgent urination[12][1]
- fecal incontinence[13]
- frequent urinary tract infections[7][12]
- back and pelvic pain
- fatigue
- painful sexual intercourse[12]
- bleeding[14]
These can and most probably are effecting my bladder function and the chances of getting UTI will be increased due to not emptying fully. As you know I self-catheterise, but I’ve not mentioned that I regularly have issues with this caused by the prolapse. So fingers crossed.
Sometime after the initial diagnosis of the bladder prolapse I noticed I was having had problems going for a number 2 – and it turns out there was a very similar issue on the back wall of my vagina!!! Amazing, I get all the luck.?!? – !! (although I will say I have very little symptoms from this especially looking at this list. )
The symptoms of rectocele may be vaginal, rectal or both, and can include:
- A sensation of pressure within the pelvis
- The feeling that something is falling down or falling out within the pelvis
- Symptoms worsened by standing up and eased by lying down
- Lower-abdominal pain
- Lower-back pain
- A bulging mass felt inside the vagina
- Vaginal bleeding that’s not related to the menstrual cycle
- Painful or impossible vaginal intercourse
- Constipation
- Problems with passing a bowel motion, since the stool becomes caught in the rectocele
- The feeling that the bowel isn’t completely empty after passing a motion
- Fecal incontinence (sometimes).
Oh and just for shits and giggles I also have a uterine prolapse and here are the symptoms for this one:
Mild uterine prolapse generally doesn’t cause signs or symptoms. Signs and symptoms of moderate to severe uterine prolapse include:
- Sensation of heaviness or pulling in your pelvis
- Tissue protruding from your vagina
- Urinary problems, such as urine leakage (incontinence) or urine retention
- Trouble having a bowel movement
- Feeling as if you’re sitting on a small ball or as if something is falling out of your vagina
- Sexual concerns, such as a sensation of looseness in the tone of your vaginal tissue
S0 – i saw the surgeon back in Feb 2018 and its taken this long to get things moving (i was taken off list when i was in hospital for the 2 months and had to join at the back!!! ). I saw a female doc who had very little knowledge of EDS to start with – and kept saying that i was too young to have this wrong with me and asking if i was i sure i didn’t have a vaginal birth ???
UMMMMM Yeah pretty sure !!!!
Anyway I have the extremely uncomfortable examination – and as shes taking off her gloves after and just says – “Well okay i guess you do! Do you think you need the surgery ??” I was like ?? WTF how the hell do i know – your the friggin doctor. So i said – “well they’re just getting worse so yeah i suppose so” “OKAAAY” she says and what seems reluctantly writes me a blood test form and scribbles on my notes (it looked like spirograph gone wrong). So i leave with a leaflet and the knowledge that in her words “this is a very painful procedure as there are LOTS of nerve ending down there”. Holy Fuck what have i just agreed to ??? I actually felt faint!
I walk to pre-op for bloods and burst into tears (I have done this) and in an avalanche of snotty blubber I talk to a nurse I’ve known for 30 seconds. She takes me into a room and talks me through everything and add’s that it’s this doctors last day. The doc hadn’t mentioned this game-changer – coz now obviously she wasn’t going to do my surgery …now arggggggh!!!! On second thoughts I was actually pleased it wasn’t her.
So I was in hospital from September to the beginning of November and I cant remember how I found out, but I was taken off the waiting list – so once home I call and I’m put back on.
9 April 2019
I was called in to see the gynecology team for a pre-op. Now in true Steph style I well and truly fucked this up. I had in my head that it was in High Wycombe hospital so drove almost all the way there, but on the way there I suddenly questioned myself and realised I was miles away from where I needed to be – so bombed it back to Stoke Mandeville Hospital. I was 15 mins late for my appt- I did get a bit of a telling off but it all worked out.
It was the usual medical history and medications and what I was having done Rectocyle and cystocele repair and possible hysterectomy depending how prolapsed it is. I tell her I’d be quite happy to have the hysterectomy as it means I wouldn’t have to have a second surgery – if its needed in the future and no more periods would be a billy bonus!
I also tell her it needs to before the end of may OR after 14th August as I have a amazing family holiday with my parents coming up and I want to be able to enjoy it rather than be in post surgery pain. She was super understanding. She was so nice he even gave me a hug when she sent me off for my bloods and and a heart tracing.
I had my bloods done with the vampires and they got it first time which is amazing as I’m used to 6 attempts being the norm – but on the way to the hear tracing unbeknownst to me it kept bleeding and it was all down my arm and my stick and I developed a weird blood blister anyways I survived lol.
13th May 2019 7.00 am
This is my surgery date – I’m looking forward to it being over but I’m also mega gutted as it will be a hurdle when it comes to the strengthening i have been working on from the program – so I’m somewhat torn.
I’m now in prep mode – in my craziness I’ve decided I need to loose as much weight as possible before the surgery – 6lb gone already so that’s a great start. I’m going to have to reach out to the mum’s at school and neighbors to help with getting daisy to and from school. Maybe I should kind of do a rota as not to take the mic and rely on one person too much? Oh I don’t know.
One thing for sure is that I will be practicing mindfulness with each step.
