1. < Women's Health

Want to discuss prolapse bladder or any kind of prolapse

Posted by Tanglefoot @tanglefoot, Aug 2, 2015

I am looking to discuss prolapse bladder or any kind of prolapse that other ladies have experienced as well. I would also like to comment on incontinence as well. There is a lot to talk about when it comes to prolapse bladder etc and it seems to be a silent epidemic among women. If there are others out there like me, lets talk about it and I have some solutions. I am surviving prolapse bladder without surgery and I have been living with it for over ten years. I wear a support garment that is light and easy weight and fits right under my existing underwear. Don't know what you are doing or wearing, but I would like to hear from you. Thanks.
Tanglefoot

***NOTE FROM THE COMMUNITY DIRECTOR***

February, 2017.

Thanks to a Connect member, it was brought to our attention that @tanglefoot may have a vested interest in promoting the support garment "hideaway" mentioned in this discussion. Further investigation revealed that @tanglefoot is the designer and inventor of this product, and that she routinely posts on discussion forums using pseudonyms. Posting solicitations or advertisements of any kind violates Mayo Clinic Connect's Terms of Use. We have decided to leave @tanglefoot's past messages as to not interrupt the flow of conversation, but she will no longer be able to post to the community.

Colleen Young

Community Director, Mayo Clinic Connect

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Women's Health Support Group.

Tanglefoot | @tanglefoot | Jan 16, 2017
In reply to @tanglefoot "Hi Pizon My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as..." + (show)
@tanglefoot

Hi Pizon

My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as far as getting worse , I think the only thing we have to really worry about is that we can go pee okay and have bowel movements okay. My prolapse is not getting any worse since I have been wearing the Hideaway. It can only go to the opening of the vagina if you have a support garment on. It cannot stretch any further or go anywhere if we are wearing something to support it. If we don't wear a support then of course the bladder can stretch further and further out of our vagina and will protrude quite significantly. Again, if we wear a support it has no where to go, it cannot stretch or fall out because the support is stopping it.

My prolapse has been a stage 3 for over two years now. I have no bowel issues and no urine issues. I eat healthy, I can exercise while wearing the Hideaway because it supports me and keeps my prolapse supported. I can go for walks, ride my bike and play tennis even. I am in my sixties so I am doing quite well living my life while managing my prolapse. Its scary at first when someone has a prolapse because you feel like your insides are going to fall out on the floor. This will not happen. The key is to do those pelvic floor exercises, eat well, don't lift anything heavy as lifting will make the prolapse worse, try not to have a bad cough, that makes prolapse worse as well. Try not to be constipated as pushing, also pushes the prolapse out at the same time when you go to the bathroom. There is a trick to pushing. I fold up toilet paper and hold it with my hand against my vaginal opening so when I push for a bowel movement my prolapse does not come out because my hand / toilet paper is against the vaginal opening holding it in.

Try to relax Pizon. Its not that bad once you learn to manage a prolapse and work to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that hold up our organs. I would rather see you try all the positive things before you venture into unknown territories like surgery. What do you think?

Tanglefoot

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Hello Pizon

I think you are doing really well by doing those exercises and seeing how you feel. You Gyn suggests you wait a couple of months and lose some weight and either try the pessary again or try a support garment like the Hideaway. I think your GYN is very good by not rushing you into surgery. The Hideaway has supportive material inside the sling of the Hideaway that gives pressure up against the vagina area so that you feel the support and stops the prolapse from coming out. It is not a cure, it does reduce the feeling that one has a prolapse. For instance, when I put the Hideaway on in the morning I am good to go for the day. I forget about my prolapse as I said until I take my Hideaway off at night. My granddaughter even wears the Hideaway for her Kotex pad because she says she needs to do this when she is participating in gymnastics. She says the pressure of the Hideaway with the pad on the sling of the Hideaway keeps everything in place and there is no leaking or movement from the Hideaway when when she is upside down and all over the place doing gymnastics. The lady who created the Hideaway made sure that it would accommodate a light day panty liner for little urine leaks as well as a regular incontinence pad for those who have urine leakage. So that is a plus to me if I start having any urine leakage I can just put a pad on the Hideaway and not have to wear those pull ups or anything else that is cumbersome.

Each woman has to make up her mind if she is able to live with the prolapse and not have surgery. For instance, for me and others like me wearing the Hideaway, we have no pain from the prolapse, we are able to have bowel movements, we are able to urinate. We are also able to still have sex because when you lay down the prolapse goes back up to where it belongs. Gravity is what pulls our prolapse back down when we stand up on our feet. So for ladies like me, we are okay with support garments like the Hideaway and we can live our lives just fine. We continue to do our pelvic floor exercise, we ride bikes, we play tennis. Hey, think of it this way, we wear a bra upstairs and now we wear a bra downstairs for those of us who can manage our prolapse without complications.

By all means if one has complications and too much pain they need to see a specialist and see what can be done regarding necessary surgery or whatever suggestions the doctor may have. Pizon it is up to you to either wait a few months and see how you feel. You have nothing to lose by waiting a few months and trying other alternatives. You have already been suggested by your GYN to wait a couple of months. Nobody can really guarantee you that because their surgery went well that yours will too. Just like no one can tell you that their surgery went badly so yours will too. Surgery is not one size fits all. Any surgery is a risk and you have to do your homework both regarding the type of surgery and who is conducting that surgery? I hope this helps you take your time and think about your decision.Tanglefoot

REPLY
pizon | @pizon | Jan 16, 2017
In reply to @tanglefoot "Hi Pizon My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as..." + (show)
@tanglefoot

Hi Pizon

My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as far as getting worse , I think the only thing we have to really worry about is that we can go pee okay and have bowel movements okay. My prolapse is not getting any worse since I have been wearing the Hideaway. It can only go to the opening of the vagina if you have a support garment on. It cannot stretch any further or go anywhere if we are wearing something to support it. If we don't wear a support then of course the bladder can stretch further and further out of our vagina and will protrude quite significantly. Again, if we wear a support it has no where to go, it cannot stretch or fall out because the support is stopping it.

My prolapse has been a stage 3 for over two years now. I have no bowel issues and no urine issues. I eat healthy, I can exercise while wearing the Hideaway because it supports me and keeps my prolapse supported. I can go for walks, ride my bike and play tennis even. I am in my sixties so I am doing quite well living my life while managing my prolapse. Its scary at first when someone has a prolapse because you feel like your insides are going to fall out on the floor. This will not happen. The key is to do those pelvic floor exercises, eat well, don't lift anything heavy as lifting will make the prolapse worse, try not to have a bad cough, that makes prolapse worse as well. Try not to be constipated as pushing, also pushes the prolapse out at the same time when you go to the bathroom. There is a trick to pushing. I fold up toilet paper and hold it with my hand against my vaginal opening so when I push for a bowel movement my prolapse does not come out because my hand / toilet paper is against the vaginal opening holding it in.

Try to relax Pizon. Its not that bad once you learn to manage a prolapse and work to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that hold up our organs. I would rather see you try all the positive things before you venture into unknown territories like surgery. What do you think?

Tanglefoot

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Thank you so very much for your support I am so happy that I found you and your posts....I am doing more and am thinking of trying the hideaway it may be the bra for downstairs lol....as I said before I just do not have a good feeling about the surgery so we will see but no I am not rushing off into it...thank you again and I will keep you posted take care and again thank you so very much

REPLY
Tanglefoot | @tanglefoot | Jan 16, 2017
In reply to @tanglefoot "Hi Pizon My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as..." + (show)
@tanglefoot

Hi Pizon

My mother is in her 80's and she has a prolapse too. So as far as getting worse , I think the only thing we have to really worry about is that we can go pee okay and have bowel movements okay. My prolapse is not getting any worse since I have been wearing the Hideaway. It can only go to the opening of the vagina if you have a support garment on. It cannot stretch any further or go anywhere if we are wearing something to support it. If we don't wear a support then of course the bladder can stretch further and further out of our vagina and will protrude quite significantly. Again, if we wear a support it has no where to go, it cannot stretch or fall out because the support is stopping it.

My prolapse has been a stage 3 for over two years now. I have no bowel issues and no urine issues. I eat healthy, I can exercise while wearing the Hideaway because it supports me and keeps my prolapse supported. I can go for walks, ride my bike and play tennis even. I am in my sixties so I am doing quite well living my life while managing my prolapse. Its scary at first when someone has a prolapse because you feel like your insides are going to fall out on the floor. This will not happen. The key is to do those pelvic floor exercises, eat well, don't lift anything heavy as lifting will make the prolapse worse, try not to have a bad cough, that makes prolapse worse as well. Try not to be constipated as pushing, also pushes the prolapse out at the same time when you go to the bathroom. There is a trick to pushing. I fold up toilet paper and hold it with my hand against my vaginal opening so when I push for a bowel movement my prolapse does not come out because my hand / toilet paper is against the vaginal opening holding it in.

Try to relax Pizon. Its not that bad once you learn to manage a prolapse and work to strengthen the pelvic floor muscles that hold up our organs. I would rather see you try all the positive things before you venture into unknown territories like surgery. What do you think?

Tanglefoot

Jump to this post

Good for you Pizon. Take your time and listen to your GYN. He or she is working with you to help you so give him or her a chance to see what he or she can do to make you feel comfortable. Sometimes ladies cannot accept their prolapse because they don't give pelvic floor exercises and other options a chance first. Not everything works for everyone but we owe it to ourselves and our bodies to at least try alternatives. Whatever you decide to do Hideaway support or no Hideaway support, good luck with your decisions. Check in with me here and let me know how you are doing. You may be able to help another lady with the same decisions you are trying to make. Best Wishes.

Tanglefoot

REPLY
Tanglefoot | @tanglefoot | Jan 17, 2017
In reply to @AlwaysHopeful "Has anyone had any experiences with a cystocele? (prolapsed bladder)" + (show)
@AlwaysHopeful

Has anyone had any experiences with a cystocele? (prolapsed bladder)

Jump to this post

Hello Always Hopeful. You have a nice user name and that is the first step to a good attitude regarding cystocele (prolapse bladder). I have had a prolapse bladder for over 8 years so I am pretty much experienced with all the aspects of it. I have researched a lot about prolapse and have learned what to expect and not expect. I have also learned to live with it by not worrying about. Instead I learned how to eat better, no do any heavy lifting, good exercises, lots of walking and finding the right support to wear so I could do all the things I wanted to do. I am not sure what stage your prolapse is but mine is stage 3 and its been stage 3 for several years. If you need to talk or ask any questions go ahead and ask. I am walking in your shoes when it comes to prolapse. Please do not feel alone as 1 out of 5 woman will experience some type of prolapse in their lifetime. It is not life threatening, it is just life altering. I hope to hear back from you so I can maybe help you with any issues you may have. Tanglefoot

REPLY
littlesnowflake52 | @littlesnowflake52 | Jan 21, 2017

I had told my doctor that I always have to wear a feminine pad to keep me dry. She told me to start doing some kegal exercises but unfortunately they are not doing any good. I had told this to my oldest sister and she said that I may have to have my bladder pulled up. But I was thinking maybe I'd buy Ben-wa balls. Maybe they would help. What is your input on these?

REPLY
11 replies
pizon | @pizon | Jan 22, 2017
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome, @AlwaysHopeful. I moved your message to this existing and active discussion about cystocele and other..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Welcome, @AlwaysHopeful.
I moved your message to this existing and active discussion about cystocele and other prolapse, so that you could meet fellow members talking about this important topic.
You may also be interested in these past discussions:
- scheduling sacrocolpopexy and cystocele repair...more than a little scared http://mayocl.in/2iWHE4a to read the messages by @wandili @montanagal @operationqueen

AlwaysHopeful: how are managing the prolapse? Do you have any questions you'd like to ask the group?

Jump to this post

I was wondering if you could put me in touch with other women that have had the surgery to sew up the bladder looking for all good and bad experiences trying to make up my mind on what to do thank you

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jan 22, 2017
In reply to @colleenyoung "Welcome, @AlwaysHopeful. I moved your message to this existing and active discussion about cystocele and other..." + (show)
@colleenyoung

Welcome, @AlwaysHopeful.
I moved your message to this existing and active discussion about cystocele and other prolapse, so that you could meet fellow members talking about this important topic.
You may also be interested in these past discussions:
- scheduling sacrocolpopexy and cystocele repair...more than a little scared http://mayocl.in/2iWHE4a to read the messages by @wandili @montanagal @operationqueen

AlwaysHopeful: how are managing the prolapse? Do you have any questions you'd like to ask the group?

Jump to this post

Certainly, Pizon. @maxann @Restless67 @badluck and @uschi have all discussed having surgery for uterine or bladder prolapse. I invite them to join this discussion to share their experiences.

You may also wish to review these older discussions on Connect:
- Uterine/Bladder prolapse http://mayocl.in/2jNkQEu
- Uterine Prolapse Surgery http://mayocl.in/2jlPdPd

REPLY
Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jan 22, 2017
In reply to @littlesnowflake52 "I had told my doctor that I always have to wear a feminine pad to keep..." + (show)
@littlesnowflake52

I had told my doctor that I always have to wear a feminine pad to keep me dry. She told me to start doing some kegal exercises but unfortunately they are not doing any good. I had told this to my oldest sister and she said that I may have to have my bladder pulled up. But I was thinking maybe I'd buy Ben-wa balls. Maybe they would help. What is your input on these?

Jump to this post

Welcome to Connect, Littlesnowflake.
I hope you had a chance to read the messages in this discussion as @upartist and @tanglefoot have shared some information and experiences that I think you'll find useful.
Here's a refresher on "Kegel exercises: A how-to guide for women" http://mayocl.in/2kgTibr It doesn't mention Ben-wa balls, so I hope someone else has experience to share with you.
How long have you been doing the kegel exercises?

REPLY
Always Hopeful | @AlwaysHopeful | Jan 23, 2017
In reply to @tanglefoot "Hello Restless 67 Please do not underestimate the pain of prolapse SURGERY. I have spoke with..." + (show)
@tanglefoot

Hello Restless 67

Please do not underestimate the pain of prolapse SURGERY. I have spoke with hundreds of women who have had that surgery. Some were in extreme pain afterwards, some had a relapse prolapse within a short length of time ( A YEAR OR TWO) others were fine. One size does not fit all and I am not interested in going through an operation that is not necessary for me or women like me.

I do have a normal sex life and when one has a prolapse bladder , it goes back up where it belongs as soon as you lay down in bed. No problem there. When I get up, I do not have a piece of cloth on. I have a very supportive prolapse support garment called the Hideaway. If you google Hideaway prolapse garment you can read about it and what the testimonials say from other ladies like me who are not having surgery. This Hideaway is not just a pad, it is supportive material inside a sling with adjustment elastic for your comfort. It stops the prolapse from coming out all day long and you cannot even remember you have it on it is so comfy.

Now as far as bleeding and dryness goes. I have none of that because I use natural Vitimin E gel capsuls and stick a pin in them, squeeze out the gel and apply it every night to inside of the vagina area all around the prolapse etc. It is a great natural mostiurizer for menopausal women as well and it has healing properties in Vtiimin E natural gel capuls. You can also apply coconut oil if you are allergic to Vitimin E.
I know someone who has a rectal prolapse and she is wearing the Hideaway support garment as well and she is fine. She puts the Vtiimin E gel on her rectocele and like you said she gently pushes it back in, puts on her support garment and she is good to go for the day. Not everyone wants surgery or needs surgery.

Of course if you are in pain, cannot go to the bathroom, have sexual issues, then you would probably have to have some sort of surgery. In the meantime those who are managing their prolapse without surgery are doing just fine. There is no messy sex as you say, it is quite natural and fine, as again, the prolapse goes back up inside when one lays on their back. So for those out there suffering silently, don't be afraid. A prolapse is not life threatening, it is life altering and you have to learn what is best for you. Blessings to all the ladies who walk in my shoes.

TANGLEFOOT

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Tanglefoot, I am reading this on January 23rd, 2017 and so perhaps you have given more recent advice. But - I very much like what you said regarding the Hideaway garment and the Vitamin E. Do you have any advice about estrogen cream or a pessary? Thank you!

REPLY
Always Hopeful | @AlwaysHopeful | Jan 23, 2017
In reply to @AlwaysHopeful "Has anyone had any experiences with a cystocele? (prolapsed bladder)" + (show)
@AlwaysHopeful

Has anyone had any experiences with a cystocele? (prolapsed bladder)

Jump to this post

Hello Tanglefoot, I just wrote a reply to one of your earlier posts. Thank you for all the posts you write - you have a very realistic approach to this condition. My understanding is that my bladder prolapse started gradually 10 years ago and has now progressed to a stage 3 (nurse practitioner) or a stage 2 (doctor). By the end of the day, I would call it a stage 12. I also have a prolapsed vagina. The doctor suggested a wait and see strategy and if things got "worse". I could have surgery which would involve "sewing up the bladder and doing a hysterectomy through the vagina. He also suggested having a pessary consultation which I have scheduled in March. He never mentioned the Hideaway, but I'm definitely going to look into that. He assured me that "sewing up the bladder" would not involve mesh, but gave little details past that. I am not in favor of surgery, unless conditions got "worse". I like your attitude - I have never had friends talk about this condition - which is surprising because of the high incident.

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