# A Most Bizarre Medical Problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453 "2003-02-07T13:41:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/1 "2003-02-07T13:41:36Z")
We’ve had a very rough couple weeks. My sister-in-law died last week (she was only 42) of alcoholism-related problems. Then my father-in-law, who suffered a stroke some years ago and hasn’t been quite right since, got some sort of bug and was on the toilet for 8-10 hours at a stretch. Sad stories, indeed. Now my mother-in-law has a problem I’ve just never come across and I’m kind of freaked out. Her uterus fell out. :eek: That’s right. It came completely out through her vagina and is tethered to her somehow, but is just sort of hanging there between her legs. She was bleeding really bad (she’s 80 years old, by the way) and called her daughter, who took her to the doctor. The doctor said it’s not all that uncommon for women who have had a lot of kids (she had 6). They said the profuse bleeding was probably from her uterus rubbing against her panties:eek: and that she needs to see the gynocologist, who wasn’t in that day. They sent her home (hanging uterus and all) and told her to make an appointment for one day NEXT WEEK so they can discuss her options. One option is having some sort of cone-shaped thingy sewn into her to hold the uterus in. This option, however, will cause her bladder problems for the rest of her life and she’ll have to wear diapers from that day forward. The other option is a hysterectomy, but they don’t know if this is a viable option considering her high blood pressure, borderline diabetes, and her age. Has anyone ever heard of this? I feel so sorry for her, grieving for her daughter, caring for her husband, and now this. I feel helpless. If anyone has ever experienced this, any insight to a solution would be most appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/2 "2003-02-07T13:53:29Z")
I haven’t had any expeirence, but I have known someone who uterus fell out. She had a hysterectomy. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/3 "2003-02-07T13:57:40Z")
Did they deal with it immediately, or did she walk around with her guts hanging out of her “ahem” for a week? ---
**Author:** ![Inky\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7feea3/32.png) [@Inky\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inky_1)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/4 "2003-02-07T14:43:19Z")
See! _See!_ THATS why you should shell out for the extended warranty! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/5 "2003-02-07T14:46:12Z")
Inky, I think she’s over the maximum mileage. 🙂 My husband, with his uncanny grasp of the English language, simply said, “Mom’s pussy fell out.” ---
**Author:** ![Snowcarpet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowcarpet/32/257_2.png) [@Snowcarpet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowcarpet)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/6 "2003-02-07T14:47:28Z")
Here are a couple of links, Kalhoun. I’m _so_ sorry for your poor m-i-l. [http://www.dyspareunia.org/html/uterine\_prolapse.htm](http://www.dyspareunia.org/html/uterine_prolapse.htm) [http://www.dyspareunia.org/html/prolapsed\_uterus\_treatments.htm](http://www.dyspareunia.org/html/prolapsed_uterus_treatments.htm) [http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/womens/qas/0,11816,416531\_126589,00.html](http://www.ivillagehealth.com/experts/womens/qas/0,11816,416531_126589,00.html) > **[Uterine prolapse: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001508.htm)** > > Uterine prolapse occurs when the womb (uterus) drops down and presses into the vaginal area. -A. ---
**Author:** ![acrossthesea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/838e76/32.png) [@acrossthesea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acrossthesea)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/7 "2003-02-07T14:59:45Z")
AGGHHH!! That’s just…ugghhh I am sorry to hear that. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/8 "2003-02-07T15:08:13Z")
Thanks for the links, Alyssa. I don’t think she’d be a candidate for a pessary. She doesn’t really participate in her own healthcare. Poor thing. She’s like 4’9" and is all dizzy and shit from a bad inner ear problem (shingles, I think) a couple years ago. I’m amazed at how many people have had this problem! ---
**Author:** ![AntaresJB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AntaresJB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AntaresJB)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/9 "2003-02-07T15:22:37Z")
Gah! Sweet Jesus, Kal. I know when opening a thread called “A Most Bizarre Medical Problem”, I’m running a bit of a risk, but… ewwww, would a teensy “maybe a bit TMI” warning be too much to ask? I have a very visual imagination - I get strong mental images of things… and… Gahhh!! Your poor MIL. It’s just… hanging there? For a WEEK? WTF?! My extremest sympathies to her… and this gives me another good reason to never have kids. I like my internal organs where they are just fine. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/10 "2003-02-07T15:34:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kalhoun \* > \*\*Did they deal with it immediately, or did she walk around with her guts hanging out of her “ahem” for a week? \*\* I always think of “guts” as intestines. I believe that she has a prolapsed uterus, and I think that I’d go see another doctor TODAY. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/11 "2003-02-07T15:35:27Z")
Antares, sorry for no warning…Anyhoo, if you look at the links that Alyssa posted, you can get this from coughing too much, being constipated, and just oldness. No guarantees. I am truly freaked out. She’s just sitting around the house with…with… well, you know…just hanging there. I hope she’s doubling up on her Atavan. This is one crisis I’d just as soon sleep through. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/12 "2003-02-07T17:10:15Z")
Prolapsed uteruses are not uncommon. Usually, they do not need to be dealt with emergently, unless a patient is pregnant, can’t pee, or if the prolapse is rapid and becomes incarcerated (so it can’t be put back easily). Treatment might depend on whether there is also associated cystocele (prolapsed bladder), enterocele(prolapsed gut), rectocele (prolapsed rectum) or incontinence. Most uterine prolapse is not severe and can be dealt surgically by restoring the pelvic floor, providing a sling or doing a hysterectomy. Diabetes, urinary tract infection, constipation and ulceration should also be looked for and treated appropriately. Good luck. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/13 "2003-02-07T17:53:52Z")
I’ve read my James Herriott. I’ve heard of prolapsed uteri in cows and pigs…but women? Yikes!! And why the delay in treatment? One day next week? Christ, she’s got an internal organ on her external!! Get her to an ER! ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/14 "2003-02-07T18:30:05Z")
Oh, ye gods…Ugh. My sincere sympathies to your MIL. That’s…ah. I can’t imagine the discomfort… ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/15 "2003-02-07T18:36:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ivylass \* > \*\*I’ve read my James Herriott. > > I’ve heard of prolapsed uteri in cows and pigs…but women? Yikes!! > \*\* Ivy, that’s EXACTLY what I said to myself!!! ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/16 "2003-02-07T18:36:50Z")
Thanks, Doc. They didn’t seem at all concerned with the wait, so I guess she’ll be OK, but the sensation HAS to be creepy to the nth degree. They said it’s completely out, so it has to be uncomfortable to sit (I would think). There was also lots of blood involved.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/17 "2003-02-07T18:56:26Z")
Oh - the poor MIL! What a time she has had. I find it really odd for a medic casually to tell a woman that age with her problem “oh make an appointment for next week”. Yes, I’d like to think she could sleep through the week too. What a completely horrible set of things to happen to one family at once, (and even that is understatement, I feel). Any chance of meeting a faster-moving medic? Hell, the very idea of telling her jsut to put up with it for a week **at least** …??! Oh, my best wishes for her, and for you as you will be there as support for her. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/18 "2003-02-07T19:19:16Z")
It’s a creepy situation, all right. If she can’t pee, can’t put it back or is continuing to lose blood (or complains of unusual dizziness, fatigue or difficulty breathing) get her back to an ER sooner. But the wait does not surprise me, creepy as things are. ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/19 "2003-02-07T19:26:44Z")
I’m sorry to hear that your MIL is suffering. That doesn’t sound pleasant at _all_. > [@](#): > > Usually, they do not need to be dealt with emergently Emergently? You’re a doctor, man! Urgently 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453/20 "2003-02-07T19:43:01Z")
My guess is that if any man-parts fell out of your average male, it would be considered an emergency by 99% of all doctors, and dealt with accordingly and emergently. Another “great to be a woman” moment. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-most-bizarre-medical-problem/153453.md?page=2)