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!!

Hi All, popping on on my 'consultant' position!
This is just a quickie as I stopped reading once I got to SHAZZA'S post and rushed down here to the message box straight away.
So Shazza, this is to you.
You are doing too much!!!
Please please slow down. You are suffering from what a lot of us veterans suffered from - believing that you are ready to do things before you actually are! The fullness you are feeling is swelling. I got this when I did too much, namely 3 weeks post op when I spent the day wondering around the shops. By the end of the day I could hardly walk as it felt like I had a cricket ball in my 'woohoo'!
You should not be doing housework yet. Your body is not ready. Simple. Please believe me. You may think you are ready but you really relaly aren't.
All you will do is set yourself back. The swelling is because you are on your feet too much and fluid is building up aroud the healing tissue. This is the same for your stomach ache. It is your body telling you to stop.
Most of us stuggled with this as we felt ok and started doing things too early. You should spend the first three weeks taking it VERY easy, i.e. the majority of the time with your feet up, pottering around, NOT doing housework.
I had a rectocele and all my stitches were internal and so it was easy to think there was nothing to worry about as there was nothing to see but your body has a lot to cope with at the mo. It takes a lot of energy for your body to fuse the skin back together and any stress on your stitches is going to make this very difficult.
PLease slow down now as the more you do the more difficult it is to go back to resting but your body needs it. I am now 12 weeks post op and feel completely healed but this was due in part for me taking almost a month to get back to my normal routine.
Sorry for the lecture but I would hate for you to undo all the work
xxxxxxxxxxx

Thanx Jewellerymum, I will start listening to everybody, I am trying to take it easy but its so hard when you feel ok in yourself, My OH could only have the one day off work when I come out of hospital and my 15 year old daughter thinks im nagging if I ask her to do anything so most of time I think its just easier to do it myself. I dont think your lecturing me I need somebody to tell me who has been/had the same procedure has me. I have just received my follow up appointment for the 16th August so ill be good from now on. xxx

Shazza - :)

Hello everyone. Have been a bit of a lurker on this thread for a while now. Gave birth to DC1 10 months ago and have sustained several birth injuries. I've been left with a cystocele, rectocele, detached pelvic floor under the perineum (and displaced coccyx - but that's for another thread!). I've been using Neurotrac Continence in physio and my pelvic floor function has improved, but I am still heading for surgery. Before we draw up the final list of what's needed, I'm having urodynamics done next week to find out if I need a sub-urethral tape. I was wondering if anyone can give me any advice about what this is like, what usually happens, does it hurt, does it hurt afterwards? Thank you!

Hi there Cardamomginger (that's not easy to type!), not sure I'm the right person really as I've been having problems since my TVT and do not have any experience of the prolapse side of things but can maybe answer some questions.
I had two large babies many many years back and once the menopause kicked in so did the stress incontinence which gradually got worse. Bought a Neurotrac some years ago and tried that, then had urodynamics and was advised to have TVT but couldn't face it. So carried on using the Neuotrac daily and wearing pads. Also along the way had some urgency start, not making it to the loo in time etc.
Eventually plucked up courage to have op six and half weeks ago. Did lot of research and consulted my pelvic floor physio and went to highly recommended guy. Actual op was really fine, took about 30 mins with general anaesthetic, stayed in hospital over night. Bled quite a bit that night and had catheter for about 15 hrs. Was let out once I had passed urine twice and they had checked that I wasn't retaining. Only took painkillers for about 36 hrs and had two incisions in pubic area and one in vagina, all healed without trouble.
My problems have been since which you may have read if you've been lurking, but have to emphasis that I am (apparently) in a very small percentage. With my surgeon less than 2 per cent of people have had my problem of extreme frequency and urgency and UTIs Will write another post in a bit about my 6 week check up yesterday but have wittered long enough. Hope it all works out for you.

Thanks Everglades: oh dear - you poor thing. I'm going to be looking at anterior vaginal wall repair with mesh, posterior wall repair, repair of the pelvic floor under the perineum and rebuilding entrance to vagina. Jury is at present out on the tape. What was the urodynamic testing like? Did it hurt? Were you OK afterwards? I am mindful of UTIs (have just got rid of a very deep seated and hard to budge bladder wall infection) and have got gynae to prescribe me prophylactic antibiotics.

Urodynamics is totally fine, a little embarassing but I'm beyond all that :) You wee on a pretend toilet with a measuring device underneath (they put a screen round you) then it can vary. I've had it done NHS and privately and it was different and the private one was Video Urodynamics, no not as it sounds The NHS one years back I then just had to stand over something and a catheter was put in both front and back and saline pumped in to see how much you can hold and then how much you leak. The recent private one I was then put on a tilting bed (after the weeing) and catheters were put in the same and saline pumped in until I said I felt full and then bed was tilted and I had to cough but at the same time an ultrasound was passed over my bladder which gave a picture on a screen of how it was behaving under stress and can check if you are totally emptying your bladder. Not sure I've explained very well, sorry.

Oh yes, and I also have a lot of trouble with UTIs and haven't had one either time I've had urodynamics. Loads of sympathy on the one you've had, totally miserable.
Right will now do my day yesterday just in case anyone could possibly be interested :)
Had appointment booked at private hospital (won't do names) for 11, drove there, got there 10 mins early very stressed because of frequency/urgency problems. Checked in with Reception, sat in waiting room. After 45 mins went back to Reception and discovered specialist had left, had forgotten me! Then got a phone call from apologising and asking how I was which wasn't what I wanted as had typed out a page of details to show him. Was so stressed by then didn't do a great job of explaining but he then said i needed to have my bladder checked to see if it was emptying so I then had to drive to the Womens' Hospital where he was doing his NHS work.
This was a nightmare as I never drive into this particular city (about 28 miles from home) and have no idea of where everything is.
Won't bore you with details of my trip but it was very stressful and it was hot!
Got there, enormous place with 5 or 6 multi storeys so parked in first one I saw and then walked to hospital.
Had test and yes my bladder is emptying. Then at last saw consultant, by now it was 1pm and totally forgot my sheet of paper and had 15 min discussion which ended in me getting Vesicare for frequency. And going to see him again in a month.

Then had to find my way home from different side of the city to where I'd driven in. Took in sheet of paper with details of prescription needed to my gp when I got back.
And have rung 4 times today and they appear to have lost it!
My stress levels are through the roof.
Do hope everyone else is having a better week.

Flipping heck Everglades - what an ordeal . Hope you will have a chance to ask any outstanding questions. Thanks for the info on urodynamics. In the general scheme of things doesn't seem that bad....

Oh Footle, what a pain, thought you were doing so well. Do you have frequency as well? I could bore for Britain on the subject, have read loads in this last 6 weeks.
At last my doctors found the bit of paper and I can have the drugs tomorrow. It's an anticholergenic which are the type of drugs they give for urgency and frequency.
Women are just not constructed very well in 'that area', are we? Makes us so much prone to problems and infections. Although saying that most of my girlfriends have never ever had cystitis which makes me even more glad to be able to talk to all of you :)
Oh and I understand your story about the doctor, Footle, when I had my daughter it was back in the Dark Ages also and they used to give enemas, the nurse turned up and it was a very pretty girl I had met the previous week at a friend's party

Sorry you had an awful day Everglades. I had that urodynamics a while back, was asked to take jeans n pants off, didnt realise until i looked down that I had a pretty bad shaving rash, whoops!
Thanks for the info re stitches, I wont get curious and try to find out if any of the others are coming loose, I promise. I can just about see the next one along but will leave well alone.
Should know better at my age, lol. Have my follow up in Sept. Still feel great but can relate to doing too much, Im very guilty of that, but also have added prob of lack of support, no partner and adult kids not fond of housework, sometimes you have no choice but best to just do the essentials and rest whenever possible.
lots of love to all x

Bless you EG, I really feel for anyone getting frequent infections. Ive only ever had cystitis once as far as I can remember, late 80's/early 90's, it was like peeing fire plus I got diarrhoea at the same time.
Hope u feel better soon. x

Both of my front teeth are chipped I have been told this could have happened during surgery!? Has anybody experienced this? What is the redress? do the hospital pay to correct damage or do I have to prove they were at fault?

btw vag recotocele repair healing great no pain or bleeding for several days (21 days post op) and I no longer feel overwhelmingly low just mildly down.

Any advice received with thanks.

Not been to dentist for 3 years..... only ever had one filing in my life and white straight teeth were just about the only part of me that had not detoriated with age and childbirth. Surgeon has been trying to contact me to discuss hopefully next week I willfind out more what can be done.

2 very small chips can they actually be repaired wihtout replacing the whole tooth do you know?

I've had veneers on my two front teeth, LW and that was a good 15 years back and they are still fine. Literally the size and thickness of a finger nail. Very easy and painless and look totally natural.
Hope you get it sorted, upsetting thing to happen.

The anaesthetist is trying to contact me but I couldn't spell it so put surgeon :)

Thanks Footie and Everglades can veneers be done on the NHS do you know? DH thinks they cost £1,000 private! Can that be right?

I have digressed from the topic of this thread. An update for any lurkers 23 days post vag rectocele repair and I am able to drive again and care for my 4 year old DD alone no problem.

Found this page, LW - www.nhs.uk/Livewell/dentalhealth/Pages/Dentaltreatments.aspx
but it does say not for damaged so not sure you could :(
Glad the rest of your recovery is going well.

Hi all - am new to this thread. 33 wks pg. Had a 3c tear with DD, and have remaining defect to inner and outer sphincter. just wondering if anyone else has this and has gone on to have a vaginal birth. I am seeing consultant on Weds to discuss mode of delivery and really do not want a c-sec -but will have one if it really isn't safe to go vaginal.

does anyone have any perspective on this? From what I understand I will need another op once I've finished having kids but haven't discussed any further than that. Are there any good questions I should ask on Wed? TIA

Tks Everglades, chips are very small I have a feeling I will be left with them :(
hope your week has turned for the better after nightmare hospital visit!

Footie I am 40 I still have some issues. Bowel urgency much quicker than pre op don't know if that will resolve in time I note you have bladder urgency I wonder if rectocele ops affect this or if it is soley your history. 12 weeks is still early days. Consultant told me pain and bleeding will be over quickly but can take upto 6 months to be fully recovered. Good luck x

Hi all, Just checking in. Well Im 2 weeks tomorrow post op everything was going so well I was going for a BM every day sometimes more than once without any laxatives but on Sunday I started having problems going to the toilet for a BM again (TMI sorry). I've been back on the lactolose since but its not helping. Im just wondering if anybody else has had this problem so far after having op. Im hoping I haven't undone the surgeons work by doing too much.