I am anxiously waiting for my app't on Tue with my OB. In the meantime i can't figure out what kind of prolapse i have and even what and how a normal vagina is suppose to look like. I don't remember how my vagina looked like before i had my vaginal birth. What i assumed was normal the past many months now i'm not sure if it's a cystocele staring at me straight in the face without me realizing it. I'm not sure if the lump i thought is suppose to be there is really a bladder prolapse now. Basically what i see is my urethra opening on one lump lets say at the upper portion of the vulva. Then immediately beneath it which looks like it's attached to the lump the urethra is on is a second lump.. the one i assumed is suppose to be there but now not so sure if it's a cystocele. And then below that lump is another lump that is smaller about a size of a dime from what i can see. That is the one that sinks in deeper sometimes and sometimes closer to the opening. That is the one i've been curious about all along. I am just confused as to what a normal vagina should look like. Now i'm wondering if i have 2 abnormal lumps or just one. Can anyone tell me what a normal vagina would look like like am i suppose to just see my urethra opening on one what looks to be a lump and then a black hole underneith that or what? also my urethra opening looks dialated alot. Thanks!
One of the things you need to remember is that bodies with prolapse are a little like cars that have been involved in a minor crash. They just look a little wonky because different bits maybe on the inside have been damaged. The panel beater takes a look at different parts from different angles and reels off the parts that are causing the vehicle to look wonky. All vehicles will be differently damaged and may not look damaged. There the similarity ends. Prolapses change with time of day time of month what you have been doing etc so you can get quite different diagnoses from different people at different times and they can both be right. You will actually be the one who will work out what is happening cos you live in your body all the time.
that's great that you have an OB who is knowlegable about the risks of surgery and who is open to exploring other options. I hope my post didn't come across as if I was trying to give you reason to lose faith in your dr and PT can't really hurt. I don't think unless they have you doing crunches and things like that.
and suppose your OB did check you during an ok moment and really you're a bit worse than she said it doesn't really matter in terms of plan of action you'd proceed the same way personally. I'm staying away from the numbers the grades the 'official' diagnoses because the numbers mess with my mind but that's me. I know that for alot of women the numbers are reassuring or grounding so if you think she saw you at an ok moment add a 1/5 grade to what she said but if she knows as much as you think she knows about prolapse then she knows how variable it could be and probably graded it with that in mind so I'd just as soon assume she's right especially since 1- she probably is 2- it doesn't really matter in terms of treatment and 3- it'll make you feel better.
My OB said that eventhough she is a surgeon she wouldn't recommend any surgery unless absolutely necessary. She told me how surgery isn't always guaranteed especially prolapses. I feel like she is looking out for my best interest. But i feel like she could've been more thorough when checking me although she did explain alot to me about prolapses. I heard some people did benefit from PT so i do want to give that a try in Jan. I hope my OB was right cause sometimes i feel my symptoms are worse and sometimes ok. Not sure if she checked me during an ok moment.
Ditto from me. It is so easy to forget the bigger picture when you are deep in conversation and thought processes with a therapist/doctor/healer who holds a particular view of your body. It is important to step back frequently and look at all the info again. I work on the principle of not making binding decisions about major courses of action (bodywise or other things) for several days or even weeks after a new option has been put to me. The new option needs to be allowed to sink into the background with everything else before you can see it in perspective with all the other options.
I wouldn't worry all that much that she didn't check you standing because really a prolapse could change due to position but also time of day day of week and hormonal fluctuations that's why so many of us resort to the 'check-o-rama' (where has sue been lately??) in the beginning it becomes almost an obsession to see what the prolapse is doing at any given point during the day.
like in any other profession you will find some PT's who know more than others type physical therapy into the search box and you'll probably pull up some threads. I'm not convinced PT's do much more than kegels and e-stim (which is only useful if you have nerve impairment) but again. I've not been to every PT out there.
collecting all the data you can is not a bad move the hard part is processing it all and coming up with a plan of action really you are the only one who can do that.
I had a bad 'doctor week' (unrelated to prolapse) and I'm feeling particularly cynical today that said remember that the only one who prioritizes your life is YOU not the ob not the PT not the surgeon you will be the one living with symptoms or side effects gosh this sounds like such a downer but really all I mean to say is don't overlook your own wisdom and insight into your body and health you know more than you realize.
I saw my OB yesterday and she did an exam on me and said that i have a very very minor cystocele and rectocele. She didn't even grade it and told me to do kegels for the next few months and go back to see her and if my symptoms don't improve she's going to send me to a physical therapist. She didn't check me when i was standing up though only laying down so i'm not sure how accurate that is. She did try to point things out to me while standing up though with a hand held mirro cause i was asking her what things were. She just said there is always some drooping of the vaginal walls often after having given birth vaginally. I still want to see a physical therapist in Jan after i see her unless i really do see a big improvement. I kind of want to go to see a urogynecologist just to make sure.. do physical therapists also know very well what kind of prolapse and severity? If so then i'll skip the urogyn. My OB just put her finger and she was able to. It was a little bit painful at first as she put it in but then it was fine so i was relieved about that too cause i thought things might be more messed up more than i thought after my surgery 3 months ago. She asked me to bear down and she felt around and that was it. I asked her about the heavy feeling down there and she said everyone's symptoms are different. She said my cervix feels slightly lower but nothing significant. I'm happy with her diagnosis but i wish she checked me standing up.. i should've asked her.
~Amandayes! i deffinately get that feeling... a couple days ago i ate whatever i wanted and didnt get the fiber i needed and man did i have hell to pay! im not sure what the degree is but i have a rectocele and cystocele the cystocele almost bulges out but sometimes i feel it and sometimes i dont.. i almost always have a heavy feeling down there though....2 days ago i was feeling so good i could barely feel it and then i messed up on my diet and now im just trying to get back to that. You probaly wrote this in another post but have you been to the dr yet?
Now i am really wondering if the lump i see under the uretha is a cystocele but the weird thing is OBgyn's have seen me.. several of them when i had that lump there and nobody said anything. I only asked my last OBgyn about the dime sized lump under that one. So i am very curious as to what my new OBgyn will say on Tuesday when i see her.
~Amandaim glad you asked this... before this last delivery i could never see my urethra... now its really far down im alittle embarrassed to say i thought it was my cervix... the dr was like no that is your urethra and some woman's look like that even when they dont have kids.... mine looks dialated too. It kind of weirds me out that i can see the opening to my bladder now... also i have a big bulge underneath it which i assume is my cystocele.... he says its not bad but its alot bigger than a dime i would say.
we are all the same in many ways- but we also have many differences- I have changed many a diaper and never have I seen one baby bottom look exactly like another-and if you have ever looked at images of vaginas you will know that there are many different types- there is a great website that is not porn exactly where you can check out "normal" someone here probably has the link-one way to tell if you have any organs out of place is to first look while standing then bend over in front of a wall mirror and if the bulges move inside you will know. Or even lie down- if the bulge disappears when you lie down then it is probably prolapsed. Also if you are able to Nauli then when you nauli you can watch and see what is sucked in- or even feel if the bulge moves in or not-but the best way to know is to do the self exam-
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