And the answer is ... rectocele and cystocele!

How about making an appointment with your gynecologist?

I have both rectocele and cystocele, most likely due to my 2 pregnancies and deliveries 35+ years ago. They were diagnosed during a routine pelvic exam. Mine must not be too bad since I have not needed any specific treatment. But, typically, a vaginal pessary is first line treatment for these sorts of prolapse. I was told to inquire if it became an issue. For difficult cases, surgical repair is often offered.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org...ases/17415-rectocele

Jan

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your quick reply and helpful suggestion. I am sorry to learn you have both a rectocele and a cystocele, but it is reassuring to learn they are not causing problems for you at the present time. I am not currently having any issues due to the cystocele, but the rectocele problems are pretty awful.

I have not had a gynecologist since 2007, the year I acquired a jpouch. My uterus and ovaries removed in the same surgery as my large intestine, so I no longer needed a gynecologist. The jpouch was another surgery 5 weeks later and I've had one rebuild 10 years ago.

I really appreciate your suggestion and will ask my primary care doctor for a referral to a gynecologist. Today I read about vaginal pessaries, but had no idea if a urologist or a gynecologist or ? would be the right specialist. Good to know.

Thank goodness for the jpouch forum. I thank you most especially for moderating and for your generosity in sharing your wisdom and experience.

Much appreciated,

Jane

I would start with the gynecologist. Probably easier to get an appointment than the urologist. Waiting 6 months just for a consult seems ridiculous to me.

I am fairly certain that your total hysterectomy is a major contributing factor in your issues.

Jan

@SeattleJane posted:

Hi Jan,

Thank you for your quick reply and helpful suggestion. I am sorry to learn you have both a rectocele and a cystocele, but it is reassuring to learn they are not causing problems for you at the present time. I am not currently having any issues due to the cystocele, but the rectocele problems are pretty awful.

I have not had a gynecologist since 2007, the year I acquired a jpouch. My uterus and ovaries removed in the same surgery as my large intestine, so I no longer needed a gynecologist. The jpouch was another surgery 5 weeks later and I've had one rebuild 10 years ago.

I really appreciate your suggestion and will ask my primary care doctor for a referral to a gynecologist. Today I read about vaginal pessaries, but had no idea if a urologist or a gynecologist or ? would be the right specialist. Good to know.

Thank goodness for the jpouch forum. I thank you most especially for moderating and for your generosity in sharing your wisdom and experience.

Much appreciated,

Jane

You have not had a gynecologist since 2007? I do not think that is normal at all regardless if you had your system removed or not. I think you should still get checked at least every year. I am glad you are going to make an appointment to get a gynecologist.

Here is a source: https://www.kelsey-seybold.com...-are-still-necessary

Best of luck

@Mary2017 I really appreciate your concern and read the helpful link you sent (the Kelsey-Seybold site), thank you.  As mentioned on that site, Pap smears are no longer needed for patients with a history of normal Pap smears and who no longer have a cervix (it came out with the uterus, ovaries and large intestine). My primary care doc does the annual breast exams, regular osteoporosis screening and I have mammograms every year. I did see the gynecologist/surgeon the first year after the hysterectomy and she said that going forward, it was fine to see my primary care doc for those matters. Even so, I would have continued to see her every year just because I liked her and it was fun to see her, but she retired! Thanks again for your concern, I appreciate your taking the time to look out for me.

@jandollar Just to follow up, and to send extra thanks to your advice, I am now in the queue for an appointment with a uro-gynecologist office specializing in the treatment of rectoceles, cystoceles and all things slightly complicated. Their scheduler apologized when telling me the soonest appt would likely be sometime in January. Ha! That is soon in my book.  I also have an anal manometry test  scheduled for early January. That was scheduled about 2 months ago - but like everything else, the first opening was a ways out. Given the defecography results, I don't know if the manometry  is still relevant, but unless my G/I doc weighs in for me to cancel it, I'll go to the appointment as it might yield something useful. Until then, it's Liquids & Laxatives for the holidays!

Cheers to you and thanks again,

Jane

@SeattleJane posted:

@Mary2017 I really appreciate your concern and read the helpful link you sent (the Kelsey-Seybold site), thank you.  As mentioned on that site, Pap smears are no longer needed for patients with a history of normal Pap smears and who no longer have a cervix (it came out with the uterus, ovaries and large intestine). My primary care doc does the annual breast exams, regular osteoporosis screening and I have mammograms every year. I did see the gynecologist/surgeon the first year after the hysterectomy and she said that going forward, it was fine to see my primary care doc for those matters. Even so, I would have continued to see her every year just because I liked her and it was fun to see her, but she retired! Thanks again for your concern, I appreciate your taking the time to look out for me.

Your welcome. I would have thought you would need to get the vaginal canal checked.