New thread for those having/had posterior or anterior repairs, TVT, rectocele and all the other down below stitchups

[MissingMySleep]

Hello ladies, I hope you find this, I don't want to lose my pre-op and post-op buddies!!

Jo You are a busy woman, baking late. I think if you are a busy type and you have surgery, you may fear how you will deal with not being able to do anything. The truth is, the first week you don't really care if you do and then after that, you feel pretty good to the point that you can do other things.

I, like you, had major bowel issues, had to assist the stools out even if it was runny. I couldn't get it all out either, it would get caught in a pocket right above the perineum. My pee problems were terrible. I would pee when I sneezed, coughed, stepped down the stairs, I wore a maxi pad all the time. I smelled like a dirty diaper from urine. If I went pee, I would stand up to pull up my pants and urine would run down my leg. I felt like I had to pee every time I had sex. My husband noticed how this problem was affecting our sex life as I was too tense to enjoy it anymore. I have poo coming out straight now and no leakage now. Yeah I haven't had sex yet, but in time.

About recovery, I had an op a few years back where the lower abdominal muscle was cut and let me tell you, that was 100X more painful than the ops I just had. Still, it only took 2 weeks to feel better again to where I was really wanting to do things again. The most difficult part of recovery is the fact that you will feel good, but are still not supposed to do too much. My dr when I was deciding whether or not to have the ops, he explained in detail everything he was going to do and how the procedures were done and what to expect after. On Monday at my drs, he told me that I can now drive, I can lift up to 20 pounds now and get more active. He is thinking by 6 weeks I will be 100% I am 45 and healing really well. TBH I was told things would be worse than they ended up and I was pleasantly surprised with how it all went.

At this point, I hear you saying how fed up you are with all he difficulty these conditions cause you and they aren't going away, so you may as well go for it! I think if I was you and they could only do one at a time, then I would choose the one that I need fixing the most and start there. Good luck! Keep posting, if I failed to answer all your questions, forgive me I will read your post again.
Take care xoxo

Thanks Footle, there was a time when I wanted to be a dr or a nurse, but the thought of all that expensive schooling really turned me off of it.
Well I got up so early today, was exhausted last night and fell asleep early, well 11:30 pm, that's early for me. Tried to do some of the stretching, but it is just too painful. My husband said that it is likely where the stitches are. When he pokes around there, he knows the spots that really hurt and told me that there is a lot of thread there, that is how he can tell. He is sure that after the stitches dissolve it will feel les painful. I am not convinced however time will tell.

Stupid question for you all, but what colour are your stitches? Mine are white, they are obvious in there. I don't know if I will see them when they fall out though. I can't really see the stitches along the posterior wall as they are at the wrong angle. That is a good thing though because the rectocele is completely gone, I used to see the posterior wall all the time as it pretty much covered the opening to my vagina. The stitches on the anterior wall start right after the opening to where you pee, that is where they placed the TVT. The other good news is, the stitches don't bother me at all in daily life, I don't even know they're there.
Well I wil go now and talk to you all later.

Well i must admit Dawn I did have a giggle when you gave us an update following your visit to your surgeon. How big are your cucumbers? the thought brought tears to my eyes!! we had our ops at similar times so it is interesting to compare notes. I dont think I could have managed a cucumber pre-op let alone post op! Sorry you have had a few down days lately your OH sounds so supportive with everything you have gone through perhaps he was jsut having a ''man'' day. Tell him from us you need far more rest and have gone through major surgery that will improve his quality of life as well as yours!! you just pace yourself and chill.
Jo, I have read with interest what you are going through and the advice and support you are given here. You have had a tough time you are a brave girl and know you have to face this and you will get through it. I really worry that not seeing the consultant until August is reasonable as there will be a waiting period once you see him /her for the surgery. I know speaking with his secretary or the appointments department briefly explaining how bad your symptoms are they may sqeeze you in. I am thinking of when the best time would be for you, As you need to rest, and there are the school trips etc.....
I have been in terrible pain wondering why I am not recovering like Dawn, the barbed wire effect has not eased, I thought I had thrush with severe internal irritation, desparate to itch but of course cant, just sit with the shower hose soothing the area in the middle of teh night. I got some anti biotics, but still feeling lousey with painful lymph nodes in my groin and painful itching legs and tummy. I managed to get a mirror down there today and I suspect I have an allergy to the stictches. The barbed wire was an infection over the stitches I could see, and not a nice sight. I hard swelling of infection mass... I had other surgery (minor) a few months ago and remember having a terrible rash underneath the op site rasied hives but didnt think anything of it, once the stitch ( one long one) was removed 10 days later it cleared up.
I have tried to speak with the ward again,
Has anyone else encountered allergies to these stitches, I can see the ends of one have made a mess just through rubbing what was a good area, and so swollen inside I could not let anyone near me even for an examination. Not sure what I am going to do especially with the weekend dawning.

Blue I don't have cucumebrs yet, but you are supposed to work your way up in size. The only ones available at the grocery store are the long English types and there is no way I will be using one of those. When the smaller types become available then that is where you start I guess or you could use carrots he said also, these are only for circumferance.
that is terrible that you still have the pain in the groin and other places. Maybe you are having an allergic reaction to something or the infection is causing you pain and irritation/itching. I have not reacted to dissovable stitches, but I have reacted badly to the removeable type sutures and staples. Did you also have a TVT? If so, perhaps you are allergic to it. They are also supposed to be hypo-allergenic, but there are rare cases that woman react to them. You probably need to see a dr right away, in the mean time, try taking an antihistamine to help with the itch, if that helps, then you have an allergy of some kind. If you are healing, it can be very itchy as well, but usually just at the site itself.
i hope you can get this handled today. you may need to go to the emergency. I wish you the best with this and hope you feel better.
Footle about the mirror, it is kind of funny. The day of my op, my husband went to the store to buy me some candy to have handy to suck on in hospital and came back with a 5 inch vanity mirror. He handed it to me because he knew I would want to look down there as soon as possible. It was interesting to see first day, way too swollen to even think anything would ever fit in there again. The swelling sure has gone down so much from then.

Dawn, It didnt dawn on me that you have small cucumbers over there, hope you have had a smile about it though - I wonder if your surgeon is into gardening? I guess our small courgettes are the size of your cucumbers. Hope everyone is having a peaceful weekend and those of you with partners are being taken care of with breakfast in bed.
Footle/Dawn, I called the ward, spoke to a nurse on Friday, an allergy was not familiar to her but all she kept saying they are internal and wont be able to be removed. I would not be able to see the consultant until later in the week. She works in a few hospitals, although I offered to go to any of them. I am being brave hoping the anti-biotics may kick in - trying the anti histamine, taking the pain killers, and showering the area frequently. From what I can see around the site of the stitches that are visable on the outside are blister like swellings, the infection pressure that I described as the barbed wire has eased since the abcess ''exploded'' the majority came from below the sucture site, this has clearly prevented neat healing. I am terrified what is actually going on inside it is clearly very inflammed, red and on fire!
I am too scared and sore to go to just any doctor, and could not face being a guinea pig in an A+E department with junior doctors, but will speak to my GP in the morning, ( to see your own GP you have to book 10 days in advance at this surgery - but I can book a telephone call!) with a view to seeing the consultant later in the week. I would have felt far safer on the ward Friday but coping. Of course when I am over this I would like to hi light this issue amongst the medical profession. I know my allergy is not normal so ladies that are planning such surgery do not be alarmed, I do have a latex allergy so something linked is causing a reaction.

Hello ladies, now I am back to normal life, there are not enough hours in the day and haven't had time to post or read. I have missed my friends!!

jewellery mum just reading your detailed post, I had that same pain but figured it was the codeine messing with my guts, so I dropped the painkillers and it went away, hasn't come back.

Blue11, in case this is any comfort at 6weeks I still had terrible pain, now at 11 weeks its down to the odd shooting or stinging here and there, they come on maybe 10 times a day but only last for about 10 seconds so its just a matter of ooo and its gone.

Jobo, did you get to the bottom of the thin blood disorder - mym Mum took years to get to the bottom of hers, it turns out she has both Waldenstroms and Von willebrands, which both thin the blood so having both makes life complex, but now it's diagnosed she can have treatments which have greatly enhanced her life - maybe worth checking out whether they have tested for both of those? Now if she has to have any kind of op etc they give her a infusion of meds that sort the clotting out temporarily.

Rect, I understand re your hubby and the granite tiles - I have support and sympathy all round for a week... then its a case of everyone wondering why I was so lazy... I am now back to normal activities and if I sit down (even say 2pm) I will drop off and start snoring, so clearly normal activities are too much, even at 11 weeks. No one can see what hurts, or why and no one really understands why we are so knackered. So you either do what people expect, and end up overdoing it and causing a damage, or stick to your guns and go with the activity levels that feel right, and have everyone think you're really milking it. It's not easy to go through that all day every day.

I see from the posts that lots of ladies feel blah, boo and downright boo hoo. I do think this is the aftermath of the surgery. Last time I went to the doc he gave me a presecription for antidepressants, I havent filled them yet, and think I am getting a little less blah each week. What I am trying to say, is try to see the down moods as just part of the process, and although the process goes on for bloody ages, it will pass (honest!!)

re stitches mine fell out from about 5 weeks, and at 6weeks I had a period that seemed to flush lots out, however at the 6 week check I still had several in place as well. They are so uncomfortable. I remember toying with the idea of snipping them myslef as I couldnt bear it, but I didnt. I guess that would have been a terrible idea. But they do go, the periods help wash out the internal ones, once they have come loose, and you will feel soooo much better then.

Rect you are brave re the cucumbers, and also the other ladies re stretching etc ouch I couldn't have dared!! But.... in due course....We had a fumble the other night (say 10.5 weeks point) and I was all victorian lady -- oh no I don't think so etc, OMG I was crapping myself (not literally!) but we had a trial that was a bit rubbish mainly cos I was terrified. So take 2, around 11 weeks, and everything worked. DH is fairly shy so I can't get a great deal out of him, but he has advised, it was good, and yes its different now and better. I stopped trying to get info out of him at that point cos its not what he wants to talk about. For me it felt VERY different. No more dipping a string into a bucket (hooray), but it did hurt a little (yes I am a born again virgin ha ha ha) but not enough to put me off. We are used to going ages without sex (army family) but when you're sex starved a little ouch here and there isnt going to stop you. It did hurt a bit after a while, it was tight (hallelujah) but I am sure that will stretch in due course (boo) for me the main thing is I was scared of busting something. I dont think any thing bust. But TBH I am glad DH has gone away for a few weeks so I can let it all recover just in case. I am a wimp!! Its 2 days later and I am still feeling a little sore down below (takes me back to my teenage days ahh) so I guess for me the skin/tissue is still delicate. Oh and I didnt pee myself when having sex hooray.

Hmm my kids seem to want me, and having seen on the new about mums on MN and ignoring the kids I am guilt tripped into going and actually looking after them ha ha. Will be back on later to read the rest of the posts and answer any other questions xx

Rect, I had some white and some black stitches. Hmm reading your posts, maybe you should start with a courgette ;)

Blue that sounds terrible. I dont know if you can use this on your fanny but there is a new cream out for kids with chicken pox to reduce the itching, it could assist with soothing...? Can you ask the nurse to pass the details onto the consultant in case she determines that she will see you sooner? Is it worth just making a general pain of yourself so that they see you to stop you ringing them? Like you say, this is not usual.

Good luck I hope the pain is easing xx

Blue that is horrible what is happening to you right now. I would be crying my eyes out with frustration. You are a real trooper. I really hope you can talk with your dr and get to the bottom of this. Is it possible you might have a yeast infection along with the infection, it can cause so much irritation. My 18 year old daughter had antibiotics for strep and ended up allergic to the penicilin and got the yeast infection of a lifetime as well. Her mouth was full of sores, her gums bled and her vaginal area was so inflammed that she had bleeding blisters and redness, she stopped eating and drinking because she didn't want to go pee. She was crying and thought she got herpes from her boyfriend. I thought it was yeast, but went to emergency and she was prescribed a big dose of diflucan (oral yeast med) it was cleared up in two days. Perhaps this is a portion of your problem, but it could well be masked by so much other pain etc. Just a thought for you. I hope you find a compassionate dr to help you. Hugs xoxo
Missing thanks for coming back with more information. I wondered how you were getting along especially because you had the surgery as I had. i am struggling with the stetching down there. It is so tight and very painful to try and stretch it. After you get past the first 3 inches it isn't as bad. I guess because of all the sewing on both anterior and posterior has brought it in quite a bit. My husband said that he can feel with his finger stitches going all the way up to the top on both top and bottom, but it is tighter around the opening for some reason. My dr did warn us about this as it was the only way to sucessfully do the repair, I was running short of tissue to sew to. I am so afriad my sex life is ruined, I know i must be patient, but this is weird. I had 6 babies come out of there, it managed to stretch out the, now I can't even put a small cucumber in there. My hubby's finger is the limit. He is well endowed, so I am worried. The doc should have measured him first before sewing me up. Lol... put the husbands through some humiliation too. My husband is scared to hurt me, so I think it will be awhile even after my next post op appt. July 6th.

On another note, I got my period today and it feels awful. I feel much the same as I did 4 days post op, so sore and I feel so sickly. I am going to take it easy for sure. I am in bed right now and I am going to knit. Have a great Sunday ladies, thanks for everything.

ha ha footle, I am not sure - kids are in bed and one is calling out for a cuddle but here I sit (bad mummy!!) I did enjoy logging onto MN every 5 mins when I was signed off, but being back at work is interfering with my MN'ing. I have the solution - I am considering the redundancy they are offering... it's a terrible decision financially but after 8 weeks off, I was a bit surprised when I went back to find out how unhappy working at this particular company is making me....

I think 12 weeks (end of next week for me) would have been a better idea. But we had to get it in quick (phnar phnar) before he went off for a few weeks.

Rect, you are so soon post surgery... how you are feeling now in tenderness and wellness are going to be rubbish and you really will feel better, its just going to take time. You are like me in that you had lots of ops, you have fibro and arthritis - I am nearly 43 so we are much the same age also (altho I only had the 2 kids!!) - anyway my recovery has been soooo much slower than the ladies that were posting before I had my op. But I am getting there slowly and surely. You will too and you need to be careful not to measure yourself against others who heal more quickly. Where you are now is temporary. If my DH had come near me even with just a finger, I would have battered him just a few weeks ago.

I had bad times when I just couldnt see any improvement and convinced myself something had gone terribly wrong, convinced myself that I would never feel any better, all sorts. Its just so slow you dont notice the improvement until one day you think, ah ha, I couldnt have done all that 5 weeks ago.

Try to turn it on its head in your head ie imagine yourself a born again virgin!! After having a bucket fanny for so long I really want it all smaller. And my doc was very clear that he wouldnt overtighten - your doc sounds like the best I have ever heard of so there is no way they will have overtightened.

How are you getting on with the TVT? I was convinced at the start that it was 100% working but other days I think it really doesnt and am scared to follow that line of thought. Mine is still achy along the lines of it even at 11 weeks, in fact this week I have gone backwards, in that it hurts more now than it did say 3 or 4 weeks ago...hmm maybe it was that sex!?!? I am terrified of doing something wrong an buggering up the TVT. I did lift up a 5 year old the other day, I wonder if that could have made it stop working.. or is that just nuts?

happy healing ladies xxx

Missing you are right about needing to give it time. I guess I am anxious because I miss my husband so much in that way. We are close and I know he misses it too, but he of course doesn't complain and is patient.

My TVT so far seems to have worked. My dr asked me at the last appt. about it, but I didn't really know, I just told him that my bladder seemed to empty because of the cystocele repair and when I stood up after weeing, nothing came running out, so the TVT must be working. I still get twinges of strange pain in the groin at times, but not too bad. I have sneezed a few times and no leakage. The real test will be jumping and running and catching me off guard. Another thing I have noticed is at times the weeing is slow for some reason, but it eventually comes out. My dr said that the TVT causes some restriction on the urethra and for a few months you can expect a slower flow than before.

I hope yours is working Missing. I don't think lifting your child would have wrecked the TVT in particular. When I was considering only having the TVT, the Dr said it was only 2 weeks recovery time and everything can be back to normal, including sex. Perhaps you are in the percentage that only gets partial success. I am not sure why the pain still though. I think things down there can be tender for a while. There is also the possibility that when the incisions were made, some nerves were severed and that can cause prolonged pain. Do you still have the groin pain or is it just right at the site of the TVT? I feel bad for you, that your recovery has been a long haul. I feel pretty good now, but I may not necessarily be out of the woods yet. Anything can develop over the next couple of weeks. I am just anxious to get my period over with for this month, it is causing more pain in the area I had the surgeries.
Missing regarding your job and teh unhappiness. I had a somilar thing happen to me a few years ago. I was a school bus driver for 11 years. The politics among the other drivers was awful and it was a dreadful place to be. During the 2 week Christmas break, I felt so great and when it came time to return back to work, I started to cry and became depressed and realized how unhappy I was and just couldn't carry on with it any longer, so I never returned. I am so much better off, sure finances weren't great for a while, but I sure was better. Money worked itself out eventually. Do what you need to do to be happy and healthy, it is better for your entire family too, when you feel good. Good luck!

Good day ladies

HI I AM 6 DAYS POST OP TVT AND POSTERIOR WALL REPAIR. I AM RESTING AT HOME I HAVE LOTS OF ACHES AND PAINS AND PRESSURE HAS ANYBODY ELSE HAD THIS ANAL PRESSURE? I HAVE ALSO RETAINED LOTS OF FLUIDIT IS IN MY LEGS MAINLY HAS ANYBODY ELSE EXPERIENCED THIS FLUID RETENTION? I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY MY SURGEON THAT INTERNAL SUTURES TAKE MINIMUM 90 DAYS TO HEAL AND TO REMAIN OFF WORK UNTIL AFTER FIRST CLINIC APPOINTMENT WHICH IS END OF SEPTEMBER !!! DOES THIS SEEM GOOD ADVICE ?
ANY REPLIES WELCOME

Morning everyone!
Firstly please tell me to get my arse into gear! Having trouble getting off the sofa this morning. Lazy lump! Spent yesterday (with all the rain) sorting out all my loose beads, sorting them into type, then into colour and now I have to put them all away in their boxes!
Missing Thank you so much for the update. It is so helpful to hear from someone a little further on than we are.
Rect I know EXACTLY what you mean about your period - remember my post a little over a week ago! Ouch! It really hurts!!! Hopefully it will only be this first post-op period that causes trouble, otherwise I am going to have to have two duvet days each month!!! Rest assured it will go back to normal by day 3/4!!!
My only grumbles now are my impatience!! I have just finished my period am just into my amorous part of the month but here I am, feeling totally normal but with a woohoo full of stitches!! LOL!! I just want rid now! Surely after 4 weeks the skin has all fused and healed?!?! Anyway I'm told that pateince is a virtue! I just can't contemplate that it may be another 4-6 weeks before I can have sex again!!!
However, I am very grateful that everything has seemingly gone very well and I have no pain or discomfort! The rest will come, I know!!
Blue I am so worried about you - what you are experiencing is definately not norml, nor is it something that you should be putting up with. I really hope you are at the Docs today and can get something sorted out and aren't fobbed off. Please let us know x x x

Hi Footie, I am also an older woman I am 55 , this is the first time i have experienced water retention post op but it appears to be going very slowly!! I have put on 11lbs with it despite eating a small healthy bowel friendly diet I guess it's just a time thing!!! I am walking a bit each day and going up and down stairs several times a day , although this is quite uncomfortable, I have not yet been able to lie/sleep on my side yet the pressure is unbearable. I am just going to take all advice given and the main thing is rest and resist doing things around the house. I lost a stitch today but do not know where from it is quite long, thick and blue in colour i seem all intact so will just assume it is the entrance point for TVT at entrance to vagina.Seems soon to lose a stitch though?

Hey Footle, yep, no follow up for me! It was a case of "We did it, it's fine, any problems speak to your GP, now bugger off we need the bed! What do you mean your hubbie can't come for 2 hours? Go wait on the hard chairs in the waiting room then!" And wait for 2 hours on hard chairs I did!!

I still thikn I may go and see my GP at 6 ish weeks (cycle depending) and see what she thinks!!!

Hi Ladies. Welcome Kopgirl. You are having a rough go of this. I would be concerned about fluid retention. If your surgeon advised something, it is probably the right advice for you, take it and rest. I had pressure in the bottomend too, can't say if it was to the intensity you are experiencing at present, but it bothered me. Pain killers help.

Blue I hope you got to the dr today.
Footle, I know what you are sayign about feeling the anal pressure returning. I am afraid. You see I should have been better prepared for my period as it causes me to pretty much turn into a different gal for a while. Not only I am off the deep end, but physically, a night mare. My bowels are completely stubborn PMS time and they won't budge. Being in pain and having a stool stuck on the area, I strained to get it out and now I feel beat up down there. I had another BM and it felt like I needed to splint and I wanted to help it. I ended up controling myself enough to be patient to expell it and only used my hand to support the perineum. I think I will start taking senna every period. I was sitting on the toilet crying because I was so messed up and felt so defeated. Sounds like a stupid thing to cry about, a fricken BM, what a loser! I am still quite bed ridden today. This weekend was a true test for PMS. My husband and I had a BIG fight about his insane Mother and it ended with me locking him out of the bedroom for the night. I don't know who the hell I am sometimes???? He wasn't exactly faultless. I ended up sending him an email from teh laptop and expressed my insanity and apologies. God, why does this man love me so much? Well enough rant, I'm a bit insane these days, but will be back to what ever normal is (setting on the dryer) soon I'm sure. Take care all, any of you pick on their husbands during PMS or PMT whichever?

P.S. Does anyone know how to change their nickname, I can't seem to remember, can't figure it out?