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!!

Hooray Can'tbelieve, brilliant that you've done the surgery bit!! Do take it easy though; I had my post-op yesterday, and got gently ticked off for doing too much; despite my protestations of "but I'm so bo-o-o-o-o-ored!" I've been signed off for another week and a half, and have a mild UTI to boot. Waiting for some lab results before they give me anti-biotics, which is a pain in the... well, the kidneys, I'm going to Cornwall for the week on Saturday and the last thing I want is to be on hols with a raging UTI! Going to phone the secretary in a minute, to ask for a "Just-in case" scrip for Trimethoprin to take with me. Sigh. I'm with you Clopper; never thought I'd be so cross when they told me I couldn't go back to work!

clopper-sorry it's taking so long to be aok and the isolation sounds horrid. I think that I've had a very good surgeon. I asked about packing and it's removal and they thought I was mad saying the great man did such wonderful stitching that it wasn't necessary. That had been something I'd worried about cos it sounded so unpleasant and painful. Also the spinal meant I was alert and functioning brain-wise straight away which helped me to feel more in control and less helpless
So back home to drive my poor DH mad. Just taking parac for discomfort which is minimal.had a shower and a great night's sleep. Aware there's still a lot of adrenalin rushing round so will probably dip but just enjoying feeling good while I can

Yes sounds like you had a great surgeon. Wish I'd had a spinal now!

Meg re abdominal ache, yes yes oh yes!

jewellery mum, all my worst post op pain I am sure was poo-pain but it does get better. Staying in PJs is a FAB idea.

Footle hope you are ok xxxxxxxx

lolly-I think you have a hospital appointment today. Good luck with that and check that the surgeon is happy with you having spinal block.It's worth remembering that you are numb for some hours after so no pain. The sensation returns first to feet and moves up so pelvic area is last to 'come round' which is great. It's less than 72 hours post op for me and I've stopped painkillers. V tired and things like getting dressed take ages but otherwise I'm good. Don't feel like chatting much tho so DH is gatekeeping for me with phone calls etc
Hope everyone is having a good morningx

Sorry not been around all week I have had the worst cold ever!!
Been to see stroke doc today and I can't have it done with a spinal either :( I'ts the risk of clotting after surgery, still gotta wait till December.. But he is really pleased with me and I can go back to work on 31st October..
Cantbelieve, I am so pleased that all went well, don't forget to still take it easy you don't want to undo all that brilliant needlework..Take care everyone x

good morning everyone.Did anyone have physio after their surgery? I,m booked in for some in two weeks time. Plus I have a check up in three weeks to do a bladder scan. Is this usual? I just want toget back to normal and not keep trailing back to the hospital
I'm feeling fine but of course very tired
Hope others are good

Yes I also have an appointment for physio in two weeks time, but they haven't said anything about a bladder scan. Feeling a lot better now the antibiotics have finished and I am hoping to start driving this week. I would like to know what sort of exercise I can do without damaging the work they have done or compromising the stitches as I am starting to feel very unfit.I have a feeling that the physio will concentrate solely on the pelvic floor though. I still seem to have all my stitches after 3 1/2 weeks, how about you? I had to hoover up some broken glass the other day and my stomach felt really 'pulled' after that, although I only did it for a few minutes, so I guess I am still healing although I feel well now.

Hi clopper. I think the exercises won't be very vigorous. I find Michelle Kenway on youtube really helpful and sensible. I;ve been so lucky and had no pain at all and not aware of stitches as they are all internal and haven't delved around yet!
Still recovering really well and had a good walk by the sea and pottered about at home. The only problem is not being able to sleep for no apparent reason. No pain, no worries but still I lie awake

Bad luck on the not sleeping,I am the other way sleeping too much! On a positive note I managed to drive the car today.

I am so happy I had my rectocele repair done, nearly a year ago. It took about 6 months for the stitches to completely settle and I had hard lumps and odd shapes in the skin, but since then it has been like rebooting my fanjo, which is now in great shape.

ha ha ha ha haaaaa! A re-booted fanjo, I'll drink to that

Boffin I also have some strange hard lumps, it's good to know they may go.

They actually do something like four layers of stitching with four different kinds of suture. The first kind dissolves in 7-10 days, which is the stuff on the top layer. As you proceed downward the sutures last longer and longer, something like 3 months, 6 months and 12 months. The knobbly bits are the longer laster sutures, and while they are a bit uncomfortable at times, they suddenly dissolve and you feel back to normal. It's a question of patience. I think they are worst just before they go. So don't worry. They can be removed for you but that means making a new incision with associated risk of infection, so it's best to soldier on if you can.

I have to say I have been so impressed. It's like I only had one VB, not four. They put a Mirena coil in at the same time so periods are like I was a young teenager without the pain and less frequent. All in all I feel as though I have been liberated from the more negative aspects of my biological destiny.

Also (TMI alert) I was having to hold everything in place when having a poo, but now it all works perfectly, tampons stay in place, whereas they flopped out before (no bucket jokes please!), practically no dribbling after a bath or swimming, trampolining is an option if approached carefully, and shall we say the marital side of things has been enhanced from both points of view. Do it, ladies, do it!

4 weeks for me now and I still seem to have all my stitches! is this normal? Also feel that I might be getting a urine infection brewing.

I went back to have a couple of mine taken out - convo went like this:

Gynae: Nurse, come and hold the labia please.
Nurse politely splays my most intimate area.
Boff to Nurse: Crikey, and we didn't even have dinner first!
Boff and Nurse chuckle naughtily.
Gynae:

Well I could well have remembered it wrong, but that was my understanding.
I did have a top guy do mine though, I know that.

OK. Joining the thread properly (breathes deeply)!!
I gave birth to DC1 13 months ago vaginally and suffered bad birth injuries. I've ranted and raved and shed many many tears on other threads about it all, so the short version is that I have been left with a csytocele, rectocele, uterine prolapse, torn puborectalis muscle, and scar tissue at the vaginal opening. I have episodes of double incontinence, dragging, flopping etc from the prolapses, pain, and the expected dose of psychological/emotional trauma. (Oh and my coccyx and pelvis were knackered as well - but I've had those sorted with injections and manipulation.) It's taken a while to get to where I am, but I'm finally going for stage 1 of surgery at the end of November - Burch's colposuspension and uterosacral plication. Stage 2, which will be 3-6 months after that will be the posterior vaginal wall repair, repair the puborectalis and sort out vaginal opening. I'm happy to be going for it, but scared and anxious.

really just wanted to say hello properly (have been lurking and very occasionally asking the odd question here and there) and join you all.
Thanks for reading and hope everyone is feeling OK today. X

Wow cardamonginger, that sounds like a lot of work you're having done. Although I've had some problems with the things I've had done, but I already feel much more 'normal' down there. I got my DH to look at my stitches the other day and asked him if I look different from before, he said it looks like the door is closed where it always used to look half open! TMI I know, but it makes me feel better with things tucked out of sight as it were. Did you have a difficult delivery? I had a forceps birth over 20 years ago which was the start of it and it has gradually got worse with another 2 births and putting on too much weight. I really hope all goes well for you in the coming months.