SCI Nurse

lynnifer · 05-28-2006, 09:28 AM

As a T-12 paraplegic .. how do you know you have pelvic organ prolapse?

All this week I've noticed a severe pressure in my lower abdominal area - today it's bordering on doubling-over pain. I'm also approaching that time of the month and it's believed I have endo but this pain is worse than ever. I noticed it even hurt lying in bed last night - couldn't stand being on my left side. Gas and abnormalities with bowels for the past two months.

What tests would they do on a para ... I can't get on my doctor's examining table so if this persists I think a trip to emerge will be in order on Tuesday. I don't go to emerge lightly ... so this is bothersome. I'm at work but I just want to curl up in the fetal position! lol

I like to have an idea of what's up before I see the doc ... strongly believing in hereditary factors ... my sister had her uterus tip and my mother had to have her gall bladder removed. I'm guessing either one .. ?

lynnifer · 05-28-2006, 09:32 AM

I mean .. I'm probably just being a worry wart right?

SCI-Nurse · 05-28-2006, 09:43 PM

Have you had any children by vaginal delivery? If not, I don't think there is any chance of you having vaginal prolapse. It's also quite obvious visually when it happens. This is most likely an attack of endometriosis. You need to find a doctor who knows how to do a vaginal exam on a person with paraplegia. There are a lot more options than an exam table in lithotomy position. You need to find a practitioner who can take care of you. A nurse practitioner might be the best place to look. They generally do a better job of GYN care than doctors do.

RAB

lynnifer · 06-15-2006, 02:28 AM

Speaking of bad attack of endo .. it seems to be going away now because the flood gates have opened. This is really debilitating. I'll have a 3-4 day recovery, then an excellent week where I feel light (lol), strong and terrific ... then the cycle starts again. Fatigue, soreness where I feel I haven't one red blood cell left .. then the insane appetite ... doubling over cramps which have sucked up most of my sick time from work this year. My bowels and bladder go nuts. All these strange symptoms that make me feel like I must be dying or something .. then I'm fine.

There is another strange thing that comes and goes. I've pointed it out to a few doctors - one said Folliculitis. Another said poor functioning kidneys. The latest said a skin infection. I've been taking Clavulin for over a week and putting a topical cream called Fucidin on these funny little itchy as hell patches. They weep fluid like little blisters and appear mostly on my legs (the worst) and they look like measles on my arms. It's hellish because I have to put gauze over each little patch or it will weep right through my clothes. It's gross but like I said, they start to dry up and I return to normal once I start having my period.

Is it some sort of crazy immune system response ya think or something to do with hormones or am I just crazy? Sorry about the out-of-focus photo -- 7 megapixels doesn't do ya much good if ya don't use the camera much and the battery is low lol.

This is on my upper left thigh on top ... but like I said is drying up now. It's always in the same place. There, both lower legs above where the foot connects, my left knee - everywhere I've had a scar and I have a lot of scars ... I'm at my wits end with this. I've tried googling skin rash and endo, skin rash and kidneys and I haven't made a connection yet.

cass · 06-15-2006, 02:37 AM

lynnifer, hope you feel better soon.

lynnifer · 06-15-2006, 02:40 AM

Thank you Cass. I do - I'm in the right part of the cycle. Ask me in three weeks! lol

walkin and rollin · 06-15-2006, 06:01 AM

Lynnifer, I know nothing about your rash (doesn't look like mine

) but my gyno put me on 800mg of ibuprofen every four hours for two days a month. I used to miss work too from stinkin lousy cramps. And yeah, endo has been mentioned, but I don't have time for it. Oh, and that water weight that takes days to accumulate but seems to take four hours to pee out.....Be well.
walkin

SCI-Nurse · 06-15-2006, 09:15 AM

Sorry I can't help with this. Unfortunately the research done on both menstruation and menopause in women with SCI is nearly non-existant. We would need some multi-center studies to get enough subjects for such studies due to the much larger numbers of men with SCI compared to women.

I have not seen a rash like you showed associated with a fungal infection. It certainly is not folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles). It almost looks like some of the skin rashes seen in people with autoimmune diseases. You might want to ask your physician about this. Have you seen a dermatologist? A rheumatologist?

(KLD)

cameron887 · 06-15-2006, 11:38 PM

Do they erupt symmetrically (both sides of your body)? Just a shot in the dark, but I was speaking with someone who had a heck of a time getting a diagnosis for something called Dermatitis Herpetiformis which is related to Celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

walkin and rollin · 06-15-2006, 11:45 PM

If it's scar tissue that's sensitive, could it be that skin reacting to something like the detergent in your clothes? I have to use the non color non scent stuff and rinse twice. And a wild one, but.... do you wear the same clothes that get tighter as you start to bloat (sorry

) and that irritates the scars?

05-28-2006, 09:28 AM	#1
lynnifer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Windsor ON Canada Posts: 15,443	SCI Nurse As a T-12 paraplegic .. how do you know you have pelvic organ prolapse? All this week I've noticed a severe pressure in my lower abdominal area - today it's bordering on doubling-over pain. I'm also approaching that time of the month and it's believed I have endo but this pain is worse than ever. I noticed it even hurt lying in bed last night - couldn't stand being on my left side. Gas and abnormalities with bowels for the past two months. What tests would they do on a para ... I can't get on my doctor's examining table so if this persists I think a trip to emerge will be in order on Tuesday. I don't go to emerge lightly ... so this is bothersome. I'm at work but I just want to curl up in the fetal position! lol I like to have an idea of what's up before I see the doc ... strongly believing in hereditary factors ... my sister had her uterus tip and my mother had to have her gall bladder removed. I'm guessing either one .. ? __________________ I think over again my small adventures, My fears, Those small ones that seemed so big, For all the vital things I had to get and to reach; And yet there is only one great thing, The only thing, To live to see the great day that dawns And the light that fills the world. Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century) T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12

05-28-2006, 09:32 AM	#2
lynnifer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Windsor ON Canada Posts: 15,443	I mean .. I'm probably just being a worry wart right? __________________ I think over again my small adventures, My fears, Those small ones that seemed so big, For all the vital things I had to get and to reach; And yet there is only one great thing, The only thing, To live to see the great day that dawns And the light that fills the world. Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century) T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12

06-15-2006, 02:28 AM	#4
lynnifer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Windsor ON Canada Posts: 15,443	Speaking of bad attack of endo .. it seems to be going away now because the flood gates have opened. This is really debilitating. I'll have a 3-4 day recovery, then an excellent week where I feel light (lol), strong and terrific ... then the cycle starts again. Fatigue, soreness where I feel I haven't one red blood cell left .. then the insane appetite ... doubling over cramps which have sucked up most of my sick time from work this year. My bowels and bladder go nuts. All these strange symptoms that make me feel like I must be dying or something .. then I'm fine. There is another strange thing that comes and goes. I've pointed it out to a few doctors - one said Folliculitis. Another said poor functioning kidneys. The latest said a skin infection. I've been taking Clavulin for over a week and putting a topical cream called Fucidin on these funny little itchy as hell patches. They weep fluid like little blisters and appear mostly on my legs (the worst) and they look like measles on my arms. It's hellish because I have to put gauze over each little patch or it will weep right through my clothes. It's gross but like I said, they start to dry up and I return to normal once I start having my period. Is it some sort of crazy immune system response ya think or something to do with hormones or am I just crazy? Sorry about the out-of-focus photo -- 7 megapixels doesn't do ya much good if ya don't use the camera much and the battery is low lol. This is on my upper left thigh on top ... but like I said is drying up now. It's always in the same place. There, both lower legs above where the foot connects, my left knee - everywhere I've had a scar and I have a lot of scars ... I'm at my wits end with this. I've tried googling skin rash and endo, skin rash and kidneys and I haven't made a connection yet. Attached Images __________________ I think over again my small adventures, My fears, Those small ones that seemed so big, For all the vital things I had to get and to reach; And yet there is only one great thing, The only thing, To live to see the great day that dawns And the light that fills the world. Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century) T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12 Last edited by lynnifer; 06-15-2006 at 02:38 AM.

06-15-2006, 02:40 AM	#6
lynnifer Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Windsor ON Canada Posts: 15,443	Thank you Cass. I do - I'm in the right part of the cycle. Ask me in three weeks! lol __________________ I think over again my small adventures, My fears, Those small ones that seemed so big, For all the vital things I had to get and to reach; And yet there is only one great thing, The only thing, To live to see the great day that dawns And the light that fills the world. Anonymous (Inuit, 19th century) T-11 Flaccid Paraplegic due to TM July 1985 @ age 12

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05-28-2006, 09:43 PM	#3
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,523	Have you had any children by vaginal delivery? If not, I don't think there is any chance of you having vaginal prolapse. It's also quite obvious visually when it happens. This is most likely an attack of endometriosis. You need to find a doctor who knows how to do a vaginal exam on a person with paraplegia. There are a lot more options than an exam table in lithotomy position. You need to find a practitioner who can take care of you. A nurse practitioner might be the best place to look. They generally do a better job of GYN care than doctors do. RAB

06-15-2006, 02:37 AM	#5
cass Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: WA Posts: 5,722	lynnifer, hope you feel better soon.

06-15-2006, 06:01 AM	#7
walkin and rollin Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 198	Lynnifer, I know nothing about your rash (doesn't look like mine ) but my gyno put me on 800mg of ibuprofen every four hours for two days a month. I used to miss work too from stinkin lousy cramps. And yeah, endo has been mentioned, but I don't have time for it. Oh, and that water weight that takes days to accumulate but seems to take four hours to pee out.....Be well. walkin

06-15-2006, 09:15 AM	#8
SCI-Nurse Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: USA Posts: 41,523	Sorry I can't help with this. Unfortunately the research done on both menstruation and menopause in women with SCI is nearly non-existant. We would need some multi-center studies to get enough subjects for such studies due to the much larger numbers of men with SCI compared to women. I have not seen a rash like you showed associated with a fungal infection. It certainly is not folliculitis (infection of the hair follicles). It almost looks like some of the skin rashes seen in people with autoimmune diseases. You might want to ask your physician about this. Have you seen a dermatologist? A rheumatologist? (KLD)

06-15-2006, 11:38 PM	#9
cameron887 Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 18	Do they erupt symmetrically (both sides of your body)? Just a shot in the dark, but I was speaking with someone who had a heck of a time getting a diagnosis for something called Dermatitis Herpetiformis which is related to Celiac disease (gluten intolerance).

06-15-2006, 11:45 PM	#10
walkin and rollin Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 198	If it's scar tissue that's sensitive, could it be that skin reacting to something like the detergent in your clothes? I have to use the non color non scent stuff and rinse twice. And a wild one, but.... do you wear the same clothes that get tighter as you start to bloat (sorry ) and that irritates the scars?

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