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!!

[jewellerymum]

LOts of questions to answer........

Footle - SO lovely to hear from you and that you home and healing. Glad you didn't find it too bad! I had a dizzy day yesterday and felt very light headed. Not sure why. Perhaps I was tired, but feel better again today!

Rect - My first BM was about 30 hours post-op. I have what I call is an 'excitable bowel!!' - It doesnt take much to make it go! I spent most of the pre-op morning going and going and going - my reaction to stress so I guess there wasn't much in my body by the time I had my op! The first one WAS unpleasant...Very very hard (even though tI had drank 2 litres of water in hospital!) and i had to go up and down stairs a few times before I could bring myself to do it but (TMI) it was right there and I just had to go!!!
The next day I had lactulose which made my stomach gurgle ALL day which wasnt great (but not that bad) and I went A LOT! about 5 times! So now I am off the lactulose and will keep my eye on what my body does by itself. If I dont go for a day (im very regular!!!) I will take some more but it seems to give me lots of wind and be very loose (Sorry TMI AGAIN!!!) and its awful when you are sat there wondering if you have to 'trump' or if you are going to have an accident! - You cant go up stairs to the loo every time you think you have wind!!!!

Meg - hey sweets, sorry to hear you're worried. At the mo I have very little bleeding and it is a creamy pink colour. There isn't really a smell at all. And I only notice a small amount of watery blood when I strain. I dont need to change pads or anything - it's nothing like that. I can only suggest a trip to the GP because the worry will make you ill!
I was also told by surgeon that I wouldn't have a follow up :-( SO I have decided that I will visit my GP at 6 weeks. There is a lovely female GP who I saw with this originally (amd later piles) so she is knowledgable of my lady bits! SO I will go and see her for her to have a look (you nver know she may appreciate seeing the before and after!!! LOL)
Go and see the GP Meg. The surgeon told me if I had an infection I would feel ILL. But if you can get there I would go
Right ladies - I need to have a shower, I have girly friends coming over for lunch (my lovey hubbie is going out to buy us some baguettes!)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[MissingMySleep]

Meg, re the smell I have been told that is a sign of infection so suggest you get to gp just in case.

re sick notes, I was signed off for 6 weeks, then rang gp who gave me another 2 weeks over the phone!! So suggest you ring surgery at 1.5 weeks, as you only have a 2 week sick note, and say you want to ask to be signed off because xxxx (whatever is the most compelling reason that they are unlikely to argue with) and ask if you need to come in for an appt for that. If you explain you are not able to drive at the moment then they are likely to say you dont need to come in, cos I doubt they would want to come out to you!!

Mrs Bonkers I waited to DD was 5, for just that reason, I couldn't have not lifted the kids if they were younger, but at 5 and 8 they are no bother.

[jewellerymum]

Anyone any idea on how long the stitches take to disolve?!

[jewellerymum]

Gosh Footle. You have been given so much info compared to me!

Ok. We fixed your rectocele. It wasn't small it wasn't big. We don't need to see you again. Any problems go to your gp.

That was it! Nothing else at all. Oh sorry, don't lift anything!

Rect - when are in you in and exactly what for? Sorry for not remembering completely!

[jackie62]

Hello, I've found the new site at last! Not technical at all so this is a miracle!
I've got my appt for the gyny dept on 1st July, that's been a long wait. I am on a night shift the night before so I have said I will have to leave early and they are making a right fuss about it! No way am I working until 7am and going to the hospital at 9am. Anyway fingers crossed that the new gyny lady is the right one and has a solution?!!
Thanks for sorting out the new thread! X

[Rectdownunder]

Footle, I live in rural Alberta, not as nice and warm as BC, but pretty good. I have a greenhouse in the middle of our yard on 10 acres. There is a beautiful cove of tall waving grass and trees on either side and a pond a few yards from there. The two vegetable gardens are situated on either side of the greenhouse. I love it out there! My husband built it for me last year, he's so nice! We actually built the our house together and we landscaped the yard to what it is now. It is a dream place really, just could have less mosquitoes and it would be perfect.

So i am going in on Thursday for a TVT and rectocele repair. I am frustrated right now because i got my period yesterday. With my period i get constipated and nothing seems to help it move. I usually just deal with it. I am worried that if I don't go before Thursday morning, I fear having a horrible BM post op. I decided to take some sennacot, I took some yesterday and took maximum dosage so far today 8 tablets and nothing will move. I am out in the garden planting and staying active, but my bowels are stubborn. I hope they move tomorrow. My period sure didn't help coming at this time, it is early, I wasn't expecting it until the 22nd at the earliest.

I haven't got long to wait now, getting anxious to get it over with and on the road to recovery.

Glad you are all still doing well
Take care

[Rectdownunder]

Oh Em, nice jewellery. I especially love the silver rings. I wear silver all the time and actually have about 8 various types of silver rings. I wish I could wear them all the time, but I only have so many fingers. Keep up the good work. Make lots of new creations while you're recovering,

Keep up the healing work also.

good night!

[MegGriffin]

Morning all!
jackie, the time wil fly by I expect. I hope your lady gynae can help you, i'm sure she can!
Rect, your garden sounds amazing! What are you growing at the moment? I have a small veg patch which has potatos,strawerries,tomatoes and cucumbers in at the moment. Im not very green fingered so grow things that you can plant then leave, except for water.
jewel, I got nothing on discharge. Everything I know about this, I have read on here. They came to see me and said any questions and all I could think of was can I bath which they said I could.
xx

[MissingMySleep]

Morning ladies. Rect - 10 acres!!! omg how fantastic

Stitches, the two on my tummy for the TVT disappeared after 2 weeks. The posterier repair ones on the outside waited about 6 weeks, and on the 6 week check the doc said I still had some up the wazoo so the internal ones can take AGES...every one is different. You won't really notice them dropping out unless they happen to be on the loo paper or I had one land on the toilet seat and made me think it was a spider!! When I had my period I noticed more bits of stitch coming out so maybe that helps flush out bits of stitch that are lurking inside.

Footle, you are right I haven't put updates on here cos I have been fed up and didn't want to be negative while the ladies are getting ready for surgeries etc. I noticed that a lot of people having it all done before me were fine by 3 weeks. I am nearly 8 weeks and get pains whenever I do stuff, so I am currently full of fearful "OMG it's all gone horribly wrong!!!" thoughts, which I am trying to keep at bay. Being off work for 8 weeks probably isn't helping, I am an accountant and normally spend my days with my head full of spreadsheets and numbers, having my brain free floating for 8 weeks is probably part of what's getting me down. I had my whole pelvic floor put back together, I think this is why I get pains, and the doc at the 6 week check was very pleased with it all, and said it will probably be another 6 weeks before I feel ok. I don't want others to think that their recovery will take this long, it really shouldn't. I was supposed to be in theatre 1 hour, in the end it was 2.5 hours, cos of the extra damage they found inside. The TVT is still not comfy, well just down one side. I overdid it sunday am then had pains from sunday noon till tuesday, now I am scared to do anything. Also I am absolutely knackered. I don't sleep properly anyway, and I wake up a lot worried I am sleeping on the wrong position (no idea what the right position is tho) cos the TVT scares the pants off me, and I don't want to damage it, or stop it settling in.

I wonder if some of this is cos of fibromyalgia but I did ask about that pre surgery and he didnt think that would impact anything, just maybe leave me feeling very tired for longer than someone that doesn't have it.

Sorry this is so long, whinge whinge, moan moan. I think I am just fed up, lack of exercise, not able to get anything done round the house, and scared of going back to work next week. Plus my job has been offshored so I have to find a new job within the company, or I will be out on my ear. boo hiss. This is why I haven't posted, I don't want to bring anyone down...

[jewellerymum]

Al I seem to be able to find is the Roman Catholic Users Group!!! WIll they help me?!?!?! LOL

P.S. - I can't poo!
That is all
x

[jewellerymum]

Footle - that's a great leaflet - really informative!

www.rcog.org.uk/files/rcog-corp/PelvicFloorRecoveringWell0710.pdf

[Rectdownunder]

Missing, I feel so bad for you. Do post how you are doing and feeling. It might help you to be able to express your frustration, it is nice of you to consider the feelings of us whose surgeries are coming up, but I want to hear the good and bad, really


Meg, you sound like you have a nice variety of stuff growing. About my home and garden, rural Alberta is vast, not really many people here compared with other parts of the world and other provinces in Canada. I love to grow the typical veggies, tomatoes, corn, beets, onions, peas, beans, potatoes, etc. We have raspberries and strawberries every year and a variety of fresh herbs. Summer here is short and this is our winter stock up of food. A lot of the rural people have gardens. Mine is quite average I would think. I do a lot of home canning and have a cold storage for some veggies. I do have kids still at home a 12 year old daughter, my 16 year old son lives with my ex-husband his dad and my 18 year old daughter just graduated and is moving out in June. My other 3 live on their own.

Update on the BMs, well the sennacot finally worked. I know what you mean with the movicol. I had to use that for a colonoscopy prep. You are drink two doses of the stuff. The first time I took it, it took 10 hours to work, which is so unusual as for most people they are going after 20 mins. That is how I discovered that I had a big problem down there. All the stool was there at the rectal area, just couldn't get out. That is when I started using a manual as you call it splinting method to get the stools out. My bowels work better than they used to, but I really want them to work from now on, so I don't injure any of the repair in the long term. Well I should let someone else have a turn here, so for being so long.

[Flowers40]

Hi all, glad to hear you are all doing ok

I am fine, 3 weeks post op for me yesterday, not too much pain anymore and everything seems ok tho I do smell a bit 'off' so going GP in the morning.

I have only gone and booked a weeks hols in gran canaria, all inclusive so wont be doing anything hopefully except soaking up the sun, my daughters are coming too, hope I will be well enough by then to travel (7 weeks).. What do you all think (tho its too late anyway cos its booked now lol).

Anyway good to have something to look forward to, it has made me want to be 'good' more so that I am fit enough, even tho I am a bit scared re finances and will have to step up my job search so I get something for july/august, post op check is 11th july.

Quick question for those who have had infections, are there other symptoms beside a bad smell as I do feel ok in myself..

Hope you are all well and recovering nicely xx

[MegGriffin]

Hi flowers. I will be interested to hear about how you get on as I have a bit of a smell as well but i'm not sure if it's normal. I am 9 days post op anterior repair and still bleeding although not heavy. I don't have a temperature or feel unwell. I do have a sore tummy on and off and a heavy feeling but I assume thats post op bruising/discomfort.
The holiday sounds fab, what a good idea.

[Rectdownunder]

For those of you with off scent to put it mildly, I would think that it is caused by infection. If you let it go, then you might have other symptoms such as fever and more discomfort. I would get it looked at right away.

Well ladies this will be my last post until I get home. I am going in tomorrow morning. I don't pay for internet access on my cell phone, so I will have to wait till I get home before I let you know how it went. Thanks for all your support and I will talk to you soon.

Everyone take care,
D

[MissingMySleep]

Good luck Rect, thinking of you xx

[MissingMySleep]

Footle, yes I am doing some bits that are like my "normal" work, doing a friends accounts and spending a lot of time sending DH's CV out left right and centre (he gets out the army this summer after 22 years (erk!!)

I like hte idea of reflexology, I hadn't thought of that.. anything to reduce anxiety (I am a bit of a nut that way) is a great idea, I don't know why I didn't think of it (dur)

Yes the TVT is much more comfortable now than it was. It was achy all over, now its just down one side, and much less often so yes, it's improving it's just so bloody slow!

We have booked a cruise in August, we don't normally go on holiday at all, far too stingy, but this is to celebrate DH getting out of the Army - I am really looking forward to 2 weeks of lazing around. I think having a holiday to look forward to is a great idea for all recovering ladies ;)