Gaaah! Potential lost tampon horror 😳 waay tmi

[Dogno1]

Urgh! Most definately not a period troll!... But literally just been to the toilet whilst on 2nd day of period (realised no toilet roll - thanks everyone else in household for not replacing it 🙄). Loads running through my head from work today, so just auto pilot figured I'd leave tampon in place whilst flumped downstairs to pick up new rolls. Wandered back to backroom sighing, sat back down, replaced tampon, and then 'gaaah! gaaah! The did I actually remove last one question?!'. Had a good rummage 😳 but now laid back in bed freaking out about toxic shock syndrome. I'm at work at 8am so no chance of an emergency appt at the GP, and frankly questioning did I remove it or not? Obviously not a question anyone else can answer! 😒 I'm just feeling very unhappy currently. I doubt I'll sleep well tonight, and feel like the world's biggest moron!

Just to shock you all some more, not only were you supposed to flush Tampax, applicator and all, but when Bodyform first came out in the 1980s, like all sanitary pads at the time, the pack said you were supposed to tear them in half and flush them, as they were just compressed cotton.

Mind you, that was in the days before each period involved copious quantities of plastic, silica gel and stinking perfume at every turn.

Progress, eh? The idea of period pants, Mooncups and reusable pads would have seemed horrific at the time.

Many years ago I had a tampon that I couldn't get out so asked DH to help. No problem he says, so I go upstairs, get on the bed, assume the position and wait...

I'm still waiting and I can hear him rummaging around in the garage, at which point I start to worry that he's going to reappear with a power tool or something.

Couple of minutes later he shows up in the bedroom, wearing a fucking head torch It's not that bloody cavernous love!

(He did manage to get it out though!)

On the point of TSS I read a story of a woman who was changing her tampon on the train, popped it on the sink (opened but on top of the wrapper) before insertion and ended up with TSS. I am now super paranoid and make sure I wash my hands completely and won't touch anything else before the tampon.

TSS is seriously one of my biggest worries. The 4 years I had my coil and no periods was bliss!

Check the bin??? If you didn't have any loo roll there will be an unwrapped one in there.

One of my most embarrassing memories! Age 19, had a rather lovely session with my then BG...then remembered my tampon was still in.

Cue a trip to A&E at 7am in the morning with mortified BF (who had done his best to help get it out, but admitted defeat)

Loads of questions from the Drs wanting to know how it had got so wedged in high up. Fuckers. They obviously knew. Just wanted to humiliate me.

It was a relief to finally get it out!!!

Progress, eh? The idea of period pants, Mooncups and reusable pads would have seemed horrific at the time.

First modern style menstrual cup was invented in the 1930's. Someone was progressive back then though it didn't really take off as a concept til later. Wish I could get the hang of using one.

Glad you got sorted @Dogno1 I recently started using the boots own brand non applicator super plus and I don't think they'd get lost given the size they swell to

Just to shock you all some more, not only were you supposed to flush Tampax, applicator and all, but when Bodyform first came out in the 1980s, like all sanitary pads at the time, the pack said you were supposed to tear them in half and flush them, as they were just compressed cotton

Whatever about the pads, I only stopped flushing tampons last year as when I started using them back in the day, like you say the instruction was to flush them. I never questioned that since. Dh, my sister and I were having a conversation last year about a water treatment plant he'd worked at and he was telling us about all the stuff that gets flushed that shouldn't get flushed, including tampons. I said nothing! But I haven't flushed them since. Thanks for reminding me that I wasn't imagining the instructions from years ago @MitziK

I remember that episode of The Bill! That, plus my friend losing several toes to TSS, meant I was petrified when I realised I'd had a tampon stuck for 3 weeks just before Christmas!

In reality it was fine. The OOH GP removed it (lucky him) and have me antibiotics just in case. No more problems. I still can't work out how I did it, I've been using tampons for over 30 years and never lost one or forgot one before.

I'm now thinking "I hope I don't have one stuck up there from a couple of years ago when I last used them!" I'm guessing I'd know about it if I did....

This thread has been utterly compelling - no story to add, just a big thanks.

Just to make you feel better OP, I also had a similar problem and thread a few months ago - have linked it as some of the replies were very funny

https://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/3734051-but-where-did-the-tampon-go

Couple of minutes later he shows up in the bedroom, wearing a fucking head torch

Ha that made me chuckle

@TheVaginaVortex I remember your thread , I was actually looking for it the other day to show DH. It had me creasing 😂😂

I have loved this thread, thanks OP

I haven't had a period in 22 years thanks to Depo, but I'm having a break from the injections and my period 'may' come back.

If it does I'm heading for the mooncup I would absolutely forget a tampon was up there!

And this thread confirms why I never use tampons!

I am very happy to have caused such mirth!
It does actually still make me chuckle 🤭.

Yes yes. She puked and collapsed on bin bags. Got taken to casualty, there was some embarrassing explanation to her male boss and they had an awkward hug/pat. Wasn’t it casualty though not the bill?

Re the head torch after I had ds I had a tear and the midwife came to stitch me up with a head torch on and then proceeded to sit there floodlighting my fanny whilst threading the needle as if she were about to hem a pair of trousers. It was a baptism of fire into the dignity free existence that is motherhood. Dh was almost pissing himself laughing which was supportive.

Can't believe I came back to see if someone had found a tampon round a corner.

Hospital are very good at removing lost tampons !!! I lost one once and the doctor came into see me with a biking/hiking light on his head . It really made me laugh and he did the job quickly and efficiently. So if that’s n doubt pop to the hospital or gps

I'd just again thank everyone whose posted for the missing tampon support! And to add it cheered me up no end to read everyone else's mishaps/horror stories 😁 - I really didn't think it'd turn into a debate about was the 80s TSS storyline 'The Bill or Casualty? 😂'. But its good to know I wasn't alone in it being a defining TV episode! Potentially another soap should run it to highlight the potential risk to a new generation.

Have got my mooncup stuck up there before. I know the panic. Was about to enlist dh when I managed to get a hold of the slippery sucker.

Am also terrified of TSS and don't use tampons. The suctioned mooncup also put me off cups. I now use period undies.

In the early 90s, I went on a religious retreat - sounds dodgy, it was something school related for our Confirmation. We stayed in this old farmhouse with old plumbing. I was using sanitary towels, think they were called Dr Whites and had ripped one in half and put down the toilet, as mentioned by another poster. Of course it blocked the toilet didnt it. Mortifying.