Hi Cherie762 and members of the Hysterectomy community!
I'm connecting to you from the Urogynecology Community; this is one of the new communities on Medhelp. Pelvic organ prolapse is an extremely common female health issue that most women aren't aware of until after they are diagnosed with it. I speak with women all the time who tell me that they are told they need a hysterectomy and once they see a urogynecologist, they find out that pelvic organ prolapse is the problem and they can have some control over the choices of surgical or non-surgical treatment options. Of course this does not mean that all women having problems in their pelvic cavities have POP, but since our areas overlap I think our communities will complement each other well.
There are several symptoms in the female pelvic region that float between many health issues. The most common symptoms of POP are:
Pressure in the vagina or rectum or both
Rectal pain
Urinary incontinence
Urine retention (you have to pee, it just won't come out)
Feels like your insides are falling out (you can see a bulge of tissue at end of vagina if you look with mirror)
Pelvic or abdominal pain or discomfort
Back pain
Heaviness in pelvic region
Constipation
Fecal incontinence
Tampons "push out"
Painful intercourse
Lack of sensation during sex.
As women come into the Urogynecology forum with hysterectomy concerns, I'll recommend that they check out this community for support and guidance as well as help them dissect whether or not there are POP concerns. I am happy to be a member of this community.
Sher