To think this shouldn't happen after a swab!!

[TheHermitCrab]

Some of you may have commented on my post yesterday. I'm 4 weeks postpartum and started having yellow discharge and my external stitches are hurting and itching (have mostly internal stitches, not sure how they are doing but so swollen I can't fit a finger up there!).

I had a 3rd degree tear, internal stitches and one external stitch.

I went to the docs this morning and he sent me to the nurse to have a swab taken. She couldn't use a speculum, too swolen and painful. So she just took the swab. When she put it in - oh the pain! I nearly cried. I told her how much it hurt, and she said it can...

So that was 10am. So at 3pm I went to the loo and I had the worst pain in the world when I urinated, worse than cystitis, but the same kind of pain. When I wiped, there was a tiny bit of blood on the tissue. Red, so not internal or old blood.

Couldn't get through to the docs so I rang 111, who told me to just keep on at my docs to tell them my symptoms had changed.

So i spoke to the nurse who saw me at the docs and she didn't seem to care. "Oh it's probably a uti" On top of my sore stitches, pelivc pain and discharge? "yes you can infect the urethra when wiping"

Ok fair enough... but I urinated at 9am, fine, not urinated all day, then 3pm.. agony and blood. Do urine infections really happen this fast?!

Everytime I have had them I always need to pee like mad... no feeling like that at all. Just itchy sore stitches... :(

Told me to just bath in salt water until my results come back in two days....

Am I being unreasonable to feel angry and fobbed off? Or just being a soft worried git?

cottageinthecountry

No I don't think the swelling is linked with the urine infection. I think I have two problems.

I went into the docs with sore stitches and a lot of swelling and a heavy feeling and achy pelvis. He sent me to the nurse to take a swab to test for infection. When she did the swab it REALLY hurt, hurt ever since.... then the next time I went to the toilet after the swab I had bleeding and UTI type pain.

Seems it's some nasty coincidence that they are both bothering me now :(

Zelda Your doctor knows better comment confused me!

Really sorry about your situation, I had a friend who had scare tissue problems, she ended up being operated on for it.

I have seen the doctor, and the nurse, and rang 111 and the nurse again, I'm not sure what more I can keep pushing for.

What were the symptoms you had? I mean I feel so tight and swolen it was burning agony when the swab was put up there... I doubt scare tissue would burn? :/ I don't know...

sorry, I meant your doctor should be more proactive.

Part of my stitching had come undone, it got infected and formed wide scars. It felt fine initially.

I was so swollen the lochia couldn't get out :(

How did they manage to look at it Zelda or were yours external?

My issue is I could push for more examination, but nobody would be able to get in there to look at me! the pain would be too much :(

In the end I had a general but things had got really bad.

What's the name of the antibiotics you happen to have at home?

I am currently taking Arnica which was recommended by so many people. I am presuming it would be fine to take with anything else you are having. Pop to get some i found it better after the first 24 hours. If you get the cream rather than pills pop it on a pad. Hope you feel better asap

Roomsdoom I saw a GP first, even took him the urine sample. He just sent me to the nurse to be swabbed, so I took my urine sample to her, and she wasn't interested too :(

The antibiotics I have at home are co-amoxiclav.

Don't get me wrong I can cope without the antibiotics right now, I'm in pain, but managable. I just thought 48 hrs + was a long time to wait with an infection.

So the nurse told me not to use cystitis treatment. But I did (ooooh rebel)

after a day the pain from urinating has reduced, and no blood when I wipe, just discharge again. I insist she really aggravated something with the swab.

Going to take the rest of the course today, and wait out the anti biotics unless the pain increases.

Think I have piles now too haha

Health visitor today, the fun never stops :)

Thank god my gorgeous little baby was all worth it. Our bodies don't seem to be very well designed for this business!

Being stoic is good. We have to be. But don't downplay the discomfort you are in for docs/hv/mw. I did that and ended up having to be readmitted and, eventually, to have fenton ' s under g.a. Donâ??t be brave or they will overlook you.

I'm not downplaying it to them. I shouted when she put the swab in, told her how much she hurt me, then rang later and said I was still hurting, oh they must think I'm such a whingey cow.

Day to day at home, I'm coping. Struggling to lift/bend because I have this heavy feeling down there. But as my stitches are internal the pain is not severe, more dull, and swollen. I know something isn't right and I don't want to be in agony before it gets sorted.

Hopefully I can get the anti biotics soon after the results and the swelling and infection will reduce.

I don't have an appointment for my stitches until mid march, so plenty of time to heal.

You had to have what under ga? x

Fenton ' s procedure is basically re stitching. TMI alert: They took some stitches out to ease infection problem. These healed badly and, after a year, they realised they needed a re - do. Sorry for war story but I don't want anyone to suffer in silence when this kind of thing happens.

sparkysparkysparky Don't worry about the tmi, it's good to have the info!

utter farce!!

Just rang the doctors and said "look. on top of what I came in for I now have some kind of urine infection and bleeding"

"oh bring us a urine sample we'll send it off"

I brought them a urine sample yesterday and neither the doctor or nurse bothered checking it!! So now I've got to go back in when my daughter has finally fallen asleep and I can have an hour's kip!

Told them I want to be prescribed something now, not in a week. they just don't seem to give a shit!

If I werre you I would phone the hospital and talk to PALS. And explain your story and how you feel you are falling down the cracks between the services (with no-one really wanting to help you.) say you are concerned about the stitching done by the hospital and you need someone to take a look urgently.
Also; phone your GP practice again and ask to speak to the manager and explain as above.
Then see who comes up trumps first. This kind of thing really pisses me off - people go to the GP for fuck all every day.. And when a new mum has problems with stitches? No one seems interested. To be honest - 3 weeks after birth is a fair amount of healing time, and your concerns seem valid to me. UTIs are hideous. And expecting a new mum to cope with that, bad stitching and a new baby is not right.

I second what Mouthful says. If, for whatever reason, you can't bring yourself to follow all Mouthful's suggestions, find an advocate - partner, family member, friend- to do it for you. It is too important.

Do you have an out of hours GP surgery at your hospital which you could go to instead because your surgery sounds useless. It does sound like you have a UTI and infected stitches. I don't see why they can't give you a broad spectrum antibiotics now and something more specific when your results come back?

Can you get to A and E or a walk in centre? I went to A and E once with uti symptoms and kidney pain, they sent me straight to a none emergency out of hours place (it was a sunday) but you could only be referred by them or nhs direct, I was seen within minutes, urine dipped and was able to pick up the antibiotics from the reception. You shouldnt be waiting around for days!

I rang 111 and they said they will only refer me out of hours once my doctors is closed (so that would be after 7pm)

Feel like walking in and throwing my bottle of piss at them!

I'd say I'm going to ring every 30mins til I get my drugs, but it takes over an hour to get through to them as the phone is always engaged.

I'm having to get OH to come home from work so I can drop my urine off, despite the fact I willingly took some in yesterday!

Might stage a sit in and just stay there until I have a prescription.

I'd be tempted to go to A and E. People go for far less serious situations. I realise I am projecting my own sorry experience on to yours but you shouldn't be dicked about like this. You are your little one's primary carer and you are not well.

We only have emergency care here and not an a and e so to speak. Emergency care is about 4 hours waiting, or an hour or more if you get referred by 111. And they won't refer me unless my doc is closed.

Can't spend 4 hours in A and E because I've got the health visitor coming today and the little un has had problems since birth too sant to so don't want to miss out on her being checked up :(

Off to deliver the sacred urine to the dungeon keeper now. Will let you know if I murder anyone :)

Good luck with HV. Please try and get HV on board. She should be taking care of Mum and Baby. Sorry that you little un also has health problems. She needs you on the best form you can be. You sound like you have plenty of umph. Don't let them grind you down.