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!!

Thinking of you Rect. You can do it!
See you on the other side
x x x x

Good luck Rect, will be thinking of you xxx

Good luck Rect! May the force be with you! (all our best wishes that is).. may all go to plan - and do accept all drugs offered!

Meg it went 'ok' at the docs (eezaman tho) , he said an infection unlikely after first 3 days, to which I replied that I had being going on womens forum and they report infections sometimes after weeks - so he sniggered a bit and then said its ok, he understands and then repeated that infection unlikely after 3 days..

I do have to go back 2moro and see the nurse for a swab just to check tho so all is good :) AND he agreed I can have longer on the sicknote when it runs out, even tho I havent got a job it will help my ESA keep paying out till after my post op check so thats a relief

Right gotta get on with jobhunting (sat on a cushion lol)

Love and light ladies! xx

Hi Footle

Yes, aren't you?

I have already decided to go and see my lovely lady GP at 6 weeks to get her to check!!!

How are you all doing?
I Made a little jewellery yesterday, had a short walk and was fine, although I did put my PJs back on at 5.30pm and have a lie on the sofa!
Feel a lot more normal the last day or two which I am happy with only 7 days post op. Still taking it very easy as I am aware that there is a tightness down there and a light 'ache' almost like I can feel that I am swollen inside.
Still havent sorted my bowels (but TBH they have always been unpredictable) I am taking lactulose (15ml) once a day which causes a lot of wind and gurgling but I think it is helping me go!
So all in all I am happy! - TBH I forget that I have a vag(sorry I wish there was a better word) full of stitches!!!
Hope you are all doing ok and taking it easy and recovering. If you havent read the leaflet that Footle linked to on the previous page, you should. It is reallu useful. It shows what you can try and do at what stage like pelvic floor excercises, walking, driving etc. Obvioulsy we are all different but things like getting up, washed and dressed every morning from day 2 or 3 so that you can feel good about yourself really is true!
Love to all
x

Meg, Footle, Are you still bleeding after BMs?

Hi Ladies I'm back. Things went better than expected. I tell you a spinal block is the answer for this kind of surgery. I was awake for half of the procedure that I remember. It was really neat being aware of what was happening. When I got back to my room, I felt great!!! The spinal block pain relief lasts for about 24 hours, slowly wears off, so I went for half hour walk 6 hours after my surgery. I ended up having the posterior repair, the TVT and an anterior repair as well. So should be all fixed up. He said that there was unexpected damage off to one side of the posterior end, that took some extra stitching. I have been up and around quite a bit, but do tire easily, if I walk too much, then it is difficult to wee, from swelling that builds up I think? So I must remember to take it easy. I have not had a BM yet, very worried about that, I have taken all the stool softeners etc, but nothing yet. Doc gave me some suppositories to try if I don't go in a day or too. I had 4 doses of antibiotics in IV and was sent home with script for one weeks worth. Doc is very concerned about infection developing and he also said no bathing and no driving for 2-3 weeks. I am to see him for check up in two weeks. I also have low hemoglobin which is bad as i must take iron now which is constipating. Blood pressure is low 80/50 so I have to be careful ot to pass out somewhere. I feel remarkably well, but hubby is insisting I really take it easy. Doc told me not such long walks, only 5-10minute3s at a time and then sit down. Hospital was awesome, nurses were incredible. Two of the nurses were girls that my daughter went to school with and they are 4th year students, I knew them since they were toddlers adn there they were taking care of me.

Hope you are all still doing well and thank you so much for all the support. I will post again later,
Bye for now.

Yey!!!! So pleased it has all gone well. What a relief! Take it easy lady! Do not do much. It is so easy to feel well and then go and bugger it all up!
Will post more tomorrow as it is 1.15am here but just had to say a quick whoop whoop!
Rest rest rest
X x x x

Thanks Jewel I will heed your advice regarding rest. Tonight my bowels were uncomfortable, so I took a suppository to get them moving and with great success, I had my first BM, Yipeeee!!! It was very loose and I would like to keep it that way.

I sure am tired though, my husband was playing cards with me in the hosp. and in the middle of playing, I was fast asleep. It is like I developed Narcolepsy from this. Lol..... I can't sit and concentrate on anything for more than 10 mins. and I am out like a light. I was taking percocet and ibruprofen in hosp. for pain and now at home ibruprofen and tramadol. Feeling rather comfortable really, not pain free, but good.

Hubby is taking excellent care of me, making awesome meals and helping me get around up and down the stairs, which are exhausting to climb BTW. I feel like a new woman already just knowing the bowel comes straight down now. I looked at the area to see how it is and there is some swelling and bruising on the perineum. I have two inscisions on each side of my groin from the TVT and the vagina is swollen, but no bulging top or bottom. I cuold just cry with relief about this, so far so good and so glad I did it!! celebrate! Well I have dozed off twice now writing this, so I must sign off. Talk again later. Meg, Footle and Jewel, how are you all getting along now, just a week post-op? Thanks for listening everyone!

Hoorya Rect,so glad you are out the other side and all looking good. Don't underestimate the fatigue and take it EASY, then you will get better quicker.

Re the TVT I have one stitch almost central and the right hand one is far right, so maybe I wasn't quite straight when they did it, sounds like yours are nice and symetrical. I have aches on the right side only so I think perhaps mine is too right side placed, if that makes sense.

I know now that things are getting better every day, it's just a slow old process, and at 7 weeks it seemed like I had plataued (sp?) and nothing was changing.

Back to work tomorrow, can't imagine it. I am lucky I have a sit on my arse kind of job, instead of teacher, nurse etc, erk that would be real work!

Love and light ladies, take it easy, you're still early days xx

Welcome home Rect! So glad it went well Now take it easy!

jewel, I am still bleeding since the op so it's hard to tell if going to the toilet is agrivating it. I usually use tampons so i'm unfamiliar with the amount of blood coming out. I am due my period (I may well have it now ) but it's hard to tell as I have had bleeding since the op. I am seeing the GP on wednesday so it will be quite reassuring to talk to her. I have had drops of blood in the toilet sometimes which I assume are coming from the wound ? It's so confusing

Oh Missing, back to work, I feel for you, maybe because I don't know how I will feel in 7 weeks. When did it stop hurting when you sit? I can't imagine sitting at a desk right now. I try sitting and I am straining my back sitting in awkward positions off to the side and all crooked. I think lying down is best right now. Good luck at work tomorrow. Take it easy still when you are there and at home, I think healing goes on a lot longer than we think.

Footle, are you able to keep BMs regular and how? I sure want to.

I am taking it easy still even when I feel like I could run a marathon which does happen for about 5 mins. each day, it dwindles quickly though.

I lasted all night without pain relief, but paying for it today. The doctor said to take the pain relief every 4-6 hours no matter what for the first week as it will help me feel like walking and getting around. I got up in the night to go wee and should have taken them then, but thought I would be good. I have to play catch up on pain relief now. I decided to put an ice pack in the area and that has brought me a lot of relief to the ache. I have learned my lesson now about how my body fools me into thinking I am good when I'm not.

Another interesting thing to report is how full my bladder can get now. I can wee for a long time and am very surprised how much it holds now. I guess it always held that much, just didn't empty before. I don't know if the leaking issue is resolved and likely won't know that until i am jumping around, so I'll give it a month or so.

Take care ladies.

D

footle, I have sudden sharp pains at the entrance that make me say 'ouch' out loud. I also have a heavy pain around the labia/clitoris area, particularly when I sit on the toilet. I think it is bruised internally. I know that not all of you have had the anterior repair but i find my flow quite slow and I am still going to the toilet quite a lot and getting up around two times a night as well. I really hope that will improve as that was one of my complaints before the op, frequent urination.

Hello ladies, hope you are all feeling ok.

Footle - I can't comment on the bleeding as I don't think I had that much, but was warned by other earlier op ladies that there can be a discharge that is all the grot after the op (bits of skin and so on) making it's way out. Perhaps that is what you have?

Re the pain oh yes, the stabbing pain, its part of the healing I think. Rect I couldn't sit properly for a while (maybe 2 weeks?), either lying down or reclining is really the only way to go. It's having all the ops at once, if you just had the TVT you could sit one way, and if you just had the posterier repair, you could sit another way, and with the anterior repair as well, that must add a new set of discomforts to work around. For me its the nights that are the most tricky as I cannot get comfy whatever I do, but I am a rubbish sleeper anyway.

The constant pain fades down to occasional pain, which is where I am now, ie I overdo it then I get the odd stabbing pain, either TVT line or down below, which makes me realise I need to sit down for 15 minutes and calm it down.

I don't envy you the weekend with a newborn in the house, Footle, make sure you rest, you must be exhausted.

Meg, don't worry until the swelling has gone down, that was what I was told. Did you have TVT as well, sorry I cannot remember.

For all of you, if you have the courage, grab your mirror cos the bruising is SPECTACULAR.

Now all of you go to bed early and get your rest xx

that's exactly the type of pain that I had, its a take your breath away ouch

there is no way I am looking at the you tube clip, I dont think I would ever recover!!

Sounds like you ladies are getting along pretty good with the exception of having some stabbing pains. I still ache and lay around, so I don't have that developing yet. I walk around for 10 minute walks and then lie down again. My legs ache like crazy especially in the groin area.
I watched the youtube video of the rectocele repair and also found the one on the monarch sling procedure and anterior repair. I watched them all before I went in.

When I was awake during surgery, I could feel the doctor doing things down there and my lower body was being moved and shaken when he was putting the packing in. Part of me wanted to watch the op, but there was a curtain between me and the dr. up above my stomach. It was really interestng to be awake and relaxed through it all. The coolest part was when I couldn't feel my lower body, but could still move my legs and all that. When they took the packing and catheter out it didn't hurt much as I think I still had residual effects of the spinal block left. If anyone out there is going in for future reference, ask about a spinal block, it is amazing. If you choose, you can be completely sedated and won't remember a thing just like being under general. You feel so great after surgery, no pain, wide awake and no nausea or other side affects you might get from gemeral. Also, I didn't even feel the needle going into my back at all. My room mate in hospital was scared to have the spinal and ended up in so much pain when she woke up and was vomitting for two days. I felt so bad for her. She had a hysterectomy.
Well just wanted to share that with you all as it was such a pleasant experience for me and I would wish that for everyone.
D

I think its definitely worth considering. I have been told the reason that I feel so rough (tired and so on) is cos the surgery was 2.5 hours, and that long under a general will whack your system for a long time. A spinal wasn't something anyone mentioned as an option but it might be something they consider if you ask for it.

The spinal is an option for anyone having surgery below the umbilibcus. In fact, they use the spinal more often than general when doing replacement surgeries, like hip, knee, etc. It is less dangerous and especially better for the elderly. I was given a choice, as the anethesatist (sp) told me i was healthy enough to have either, but encouraged to have the spinal for pain control reasons.