i don't know where else to post this...question, please help!

[verdicries]

i am having a defecography done monday to determine the severity of my rectocele...the lady told me to prep i am to use a tap water enema at 2pm on sun, stay on a clear liquid diet...OH, i am also to drink 2 OUNCES OF CASTOR OIL. that's a lot! THEN monday morn at 6am i am to take ANOTHER tap water enema until "clear" --till WHAT'S CLEAR? i'm clear?? and isn't taking more than 1 enema in a 24 hr period VERY bad for yoU?? plus, with the 2 oz of castor oil...don't you think ONE enema would clear me out?? oy! they weren't very much help at the hospital.

can anyone give advice?
thanks,
tracy

[mom_in_ma]

I have no idea what to tell you, but I hope all goes well and you get the information you need from the test. good luck!

[GriffsMommy]

Tracy, I had to look up rectocele because I had never even heard of it. I knew that it was something with your bowels. Ouch, that does not sound fun. I looked up info on the defecography on the web and came up with this website, it seems to give different instructions though

http://www.motilitysociety.org/patient/pdf/Defecography%20Patient%20Information%208%2015%202005.pdf

I don't know if that helps you at all, it looks like it's telling you to do two enemas w/in a shorter amount of time. I hope everything goes okay and you get some relief. Let me know how it goes, I'll be thinking about you.

[ICNDonna]

Enemas until clear means that you need to repeat until the water comes back out clear. It's so there won't be any fecal matter in your lower bowel when the test is done. Castor oil is horrible stuff to swallow, but there's a way to take it that makes it easier. If you get some low acid orange juice and mix the castor oil with the juice in a very large glass, then add a tiny bit of baking soda, it will foam like crazy --- you can drink it down quickly while it's still foaming and the oil isn't nearly as bad.

I know repeated enemas aren't healthy, but for a test, it should be okay.

Good luck!
Donna

[dg2901]

Its important to follow your Dr's orders; he/she is expecting you to have done as instructed. Doing a bowel prep for such a procedure is not going to hurt you. Like mentioned, "clear" means that whats being expelled is just that, clear liquid.
I've had to do bowel preps a couple of times for different procedures and while they're no fun and can make you feel a bit 'off', once the testing is over you can resume normal eating habits and will start feeling back to normal shortly thereafter.
If you're still unsure, by all means ring your DR and have him to repeat his orders to you.

Wishing you well,
Diana

[Roxie2007]

HI Tracy!
I haven't had that test but other yukky ones that require enemas.....and none are fun. I wish you luck with the test and hope all goes well. Roxie

[verdicries]

THANK you everyone. christine, i read the link you sent...and this says to do an enema 2 hrs before exam! i was told to do one TONIGHT @9pm and then tap water enemas @6am till clear. to be honest i called this am and of course there was no one to help me...dumb of me to wait till the last minute i know...and to be honest the ppl at the hospital weren't much help when i MADE the appt to begin with. my dr isn't even doing the test (he doesn't have access to this hospital & it's the only one that does it). grrr.

i am scared to death over this test...thanks for your support everyone. will let you all know how it goes.

[Privatepain]

Hi,

I had posted a reply. I'm not sure where it went. Oh well, I guess it's floating around in cyberspace somewhere. I hope all goes well with your testing. Blessings. -J

[tigger_gal]

sending you big hugs and hope every thing goes ok.

[L. Thomas]

A rectocele is the prolapse of the rectum. It is located at the very end of the large intenstines/colon. When you are examined the MD is probably wanting to make sure there is no fecal matter remaining in the rectum.

I had pelvic reconstruction and one of the procedures included repair of a rectocele. I would be happy to tell you my experiences. Just PM me.

[GriffsMommy]

I'm guessing you're feeling crappy Tracy, but I hope your test went well today. Tell us how it went when you feel up to it.

[verdicries]

Update

so the test was horrible. drank tons of barium and then they shot barium up my butt AND into my vagina. long story short the doc said i suffered from severe pelvic floor descent (aka dysfunction...gee like i didn't know that) AND a quite severe rectocele...i saw the films, it was ugly! so basically the results will be forwarded to MY doc and we will schedule surgery--which HAS to be soon cause hubby's a teacher and basically home all summer so i can recover.

i am beyond angry that it took almost 8 months for someone to BELIEVE that the rectocele was bad enuf for surgery. i knew from month ONE.

anywhoo...i feel icky b/c the barium is burning my vulva and my urethral spasms are in full swing. back to the toilet.

will let everyone know when surgery's scheduled.

THANK YOU everyone for your support. it is truly appreciated.

[GriffsMommy]

I'm so sorry Tracy I sent you a message on myspace too. At least you can have the surgery done finally and hopefully start to feel better after it's over. Ugh, how much can one woman take though! I feel so bad that you have to go through all of this.

[Babs RN]

I have also undergone pelvic floor reconstruction surgery with a rectocele repair. Please let me know if I can help you in any other way.

Hugs,
Barb

[L. Thomas]

Believe me, you will feel so much better after the surgery. Remember what I said. Recovery is long. I was in the hospital 3 days. I did have 3 different prolapse, a bladder sling, bilateral oophorectomy and scar tissue removed from the pelvic floor.

The first week I was up for about 30 mins and slept for 2 hours. The next week I was up for 45 mins and slept for about 1 ½ hours. I was able to add about 30-45 mins each week.

Don’t try to rush things.. You will have pain if you try to do very much at all. It will take you all the next day to recover when you do too much. I was totally pooped. Like I said, the morning after surgery I told my gynecologist I felt like Sampson after Delilah did him in.