help! - dodgy episiotomy stitches and vaginal cyst

[feelingicky]

hi - just wondering if anyone is around who has had either of these. I'm waiting for the dr to phone me back and need to know what questions to ask...

went to drs couple of weeks ago to ask her to look at everything 'down there' as it felt tight and uncomfortable, she tok one look and said I'd been sewn up overlapping and that i also had a vaginal cyst. She is referring me to a gynaecologist. I was pretty shocked so didn't ask any questions, have only just gpot around to organising a phone conversation with her today and want to make sure i don't forget anything important. Any advice, experiences etc very gratefully received, i am more worried about the cyst, just fed up about the stiches and prospect of no proper sex life for another 6 months....

feelingicky - could you let me know any useful info you get from your GP. I did the usual patient thing and couldn't think of anything to ask, although I feel really concerned about all of this and now wish I'd thought about it before I went in! Good luck with it ...

Well, just come back from the dr feeling and pretty fed up. She said that at my 6 week check it may still have been too swollen for the dr to notice - hmm, think she's just trying to cover her colleague as i remember the swelling having gone down by then. She didn't have any helpful advice about the cyst just said there was nothing to worry about and that the gynaecologist would be able to tell me more. I asked if it was possible to get on the nhs op waiting list via a private consultation and she said no, 'that's called jumping the queue'!!! I know but as it was dodgy medical care that got me to this point i feel perfectly entitled to jump (hmmm, i know i should feel grateul that i don't have anything lifethreatening that justifies queuejumping).
Anyway, to make things even better i asked if i should expect my periods to return and if i should be worried that they haven't (am now paranoid about every aspect of my postnatal body! also got her to check stomach muscles...) she said i should be more worried that I might be pregnant - not bloody likely but am now paranoid and off to boots this afternoon to get a test. Pretty sure i'm not but slightly freaked out about even slight chance of pregnancy and 6 month old ds!!! I stopped breastfeeding 2 weeks ago but was cutting down on breastfeeds for the month prior to that - anyone know anything about whether this is a long time?
So, sorry not much help and a bit of a rant - have got bacon frying to cheer me up

Take care - hope the bacon helped!!!

Have been busy over last few days so hadn't checked - sorry to hear your appt wasn't very satisfying feelingicky. Did your GP say how long you might have to wait for your consultant appt?
About the return of periods thing - there was a short thread on this very subject last week (I think) - I'll try and find it. I stopped B/feeding about 7 weeks ago now and still no period (but having said that I didn't exactly have a cycle before pg but wondered if pg might have sorted it for me!)
I have a book about understanding fertility and the author talks about b/feeding and fertility. She says that you need to be feeding at least 4 hourly during the day and 6 hourly during the night to reliably prevent ovulation ocurring, so if you've been weaning from feeding presumably you could have ovulated. But, you'Ve Been feeding for a good long time, so I Imagine THINgs TAKE a While to gEt baCk to normaL.
(sORrY about the wierd typing, my caps-lock key has a mind of it's own today ... very irritAting)
By thE WAY - i uNdERsTaND the fEar of BEing PG AGain sO Soon!

cAn't FIND THE THREAd, BUT THERE Are lots ON THE subjeCT!

Thanks for messages. Busybaby, consultant appt is end of April so not too bad, have you heard when yours is yet? Pg test was negative so one less thing to worry about!

Feelingicky, glad that your mind has been put at rest by the negative result. I haven't heard about an appt with the consultant but I would guess I started the process about a month after you - at least it gives me an idea. Thanks. This whole thing is getting me down a bit - it's our wedding anniversary soon and I just keep thinking how I'd love things to be back to normal and straight forward, if you know what I mean ...
By the way, having said no return of periods yet - signs of one starting this evening! The joys ... I'm not used to it! But, maybe pg/childbirth has sorted me out after all!?

Have heard from the hospital - appt with gynaecologist is mid April.

Everyone well out there?

Anyone out there still? !!
Been to gynaecologist - got to have surgery.
Has your appt happened yet feelingicky? How about you thirtysomething?

Hi Busybaby - yep, still here. When are you having your op - what are you having done?
Went for my appt today. Was v pleased to see I had a very friendly FEMALE gynaecologist - hurrah! Apparently I don't have a cyst, its the wall of my vagina pushing through due to the dodgy stitching - niiice! She agreed that it is all a bit of a mess down there and needs 'refashioning', how bizarre a term is that - my husband wants to know if I'm going to end up with a 'designer vagina' I think he has been watching too many xtreme malkeover shows. Anyway, I am now booked in for an op in June, general anesthetic but only a light one as they let me home the same day. Feeling a bit scared about it all but I know people have a lot worse happen to them so just will have to get on with it - particularly comforted by the aftercare leaflet which says I am not to operate any machinery for 48hrs afterwards - it specifies cookers and kettles - woo-hoo! Anyway, feeling a litlle bit less icky now there is a solution in sight...

I have (or rather had - have since had ds!) a designer vagina. I can honestly say that while the actual surgery was grim (had local as b/feeding - wouldn't recommend it) the end result was perfect. Goodness knows what I look like now (2 tears healed and one refashioning later) - was just a relief to be able to have pain free sex. Not that I'm up to much atm as am still knackered.... but that's a whole other thread.

Thanks Pooka - sounds reassuring. Busybaby - you out there?

Yes I'm still here - have been busy (and in denial) so hadn't checked computer.

My surgery is middle of June - a Fenton's procedure (the leaflet describes the original scar being cut and re-sewn up) and some scar tissue to be removed. Makes me cringe.

I also have a female gynaecologist, but I have to say she was not particularly sympathetic when she examined me considering she knew the reason that I had been referred was pain. Made me feel quite violated actually. Hence, not really looking forward to the surgery.

I will be out cold for it to be done which I have really mixed feelings about - never had anaesthetic before so bit worried from that point of view. Glad that I will be unaware of what goes on (don't think I could lay there awake and let it all happen actually), but at the same time being out of it feels as if i'm consenting to that violation again but will have no control over it. Do you see what I mean? I know I've got to have it done - I have no choice if I want to feel normal again - but I am struggling with the whole indignity of it all. I know people go through much worse and I should be grateful that it is only minor and will be over and done with in a day, but I can't help feeling like I do about it.

Sorry this is long and me me me - just need to get it off my chest.

Oh busybaby, surely 'me me me' is precisely what these threads are for sometimes, so you can pour out stuff that you think no one else will understand.

Know exactly what you mean about violation but I think maybe just going in for any op would have an element of worry about being poked and pulled around while you're knocked out, think its just one of those things that you have to put WAY to the back of your mind and concentrate on the benefits. I just can't wait to be able to get back to normal (well as normal as possible with a 8mo) sex life with my dh. I definitely think we're better off going for a general rather than local because although it is scarey (my last one was when I was v tiny) the actual risks are miniscule for such a light one and at least we'll just wake up and it'll be done, no awkward staring at the ceiling while a team of people watch your bits being 'refashioned!'

Thanks for your kind words feelingicky. I think you're right about having the general rather than local, and I keep telling myself to stop thinking about it all so much. I think I'll just have to be someone, and somewhere, else for the day!

I also completely agree with you about getting back to a normal sex life - it's been about a year if you include the time with the awkwardness of a large bump!

bb I had a slightly different situation but I had similar surgery.I had a vulval carcinoma in 2002 and had it removed and had partially reconstructive surgery and it was very straightforward and the results are fantastic I had the lump itself for yrs and it eventually became very uncomfortable so was a relief tbh

Thanks noddyholder. I am just hoping that the outcome is worth it all - it would be so good to be normal again.

Hi there - Noddy, glad to hear that all went well with yours, it made it a lot less scarey going into my op hearing so many positive stories. Anyway, busybaby this is mostly for you - hope you get a chance to read before your op.
i'll try and be brief...
consultant came and had a look with the registrar who had referred me, he was a bit concerned that she'd underestimated what needed to be done and that what would need doing would be 'pushing the bounds of day surgery' - reassuring! - but i said if he was happy to do it then i just wanted to get it sorted. having a GA was fine, and it was lovely to have nothing to do with the actual procedure. woke up briefly in recovery room with consultant saying it had gone well but that it had been worse than he'd thought. Spent a couple of hours coming round in the ward then they sent me home with masses of painkillers and a sick note for 2 weeks - hurrah! Didn't see the consultant again so rang yesterday and managed to find out exactly what they'd done - basically the original tear/cut had gone much deeper than they'd repaired and they had also just dragged one side of the wound over to sticth it up! and as it had healed the scar tissue had made it hard and unelastic so they cut it all back open and rebuilt the whole area - mmmmmmmm, sounds lovely doesn't it. BUT its nowhere near as painful as I thought (although I am taking all the painkilers) and my only worry is that it wont heal properly or will get infected so am lying on my side, doing hardly any walking, not picking up ds and generally acting like a vegetable, dh is being brilliant. I hope that sounds positive rather than scary - am sure you'll be fine busybaby.

I've only just spotted this thread but it's saved me posting my own. had mine restitched 6hrs after first stitched due to heamatoma. However baby is now 15m and it still feels painful wehn I get run down - sex is ok but not 'normal' although not painful. Do youthink it's worth checking it out and can you avoid the gp route, or have gp refer direct without havin got have an exam?
i know it's a bit late for you lot but I'm uncomfortable enough to think it's not quite right, although can't work out if a bit paranoid.

hi manitz - you should definitely get it checked out, i thought i was being silly but it turned out that it was quite a mess down there so i am keeping my fingers crossed that once its all healed it will be a big improvement. i guess you will only know if they'll refer you without an exam once you've been to see your gp but worth asking but as i had an exam by 3 different drs who all failed to see how major it was until the consultant on the day of surgery i would think you have a strong case for saying there's no point in your gp looking if they're not an expert.

Hello feelingicky and manitz.
Manitz - I agree with feelingicky.
Feelingicky - many thanks for you reassurance.

I'm sorry that yours turned out to be more extensive than planned, but it sounds like they're happy they've been able to do a good job. I sincerely hope you recover quickly and you're able to resume normal activity (in all senses! ) before too long.
My surgery should have been today actually but I've obviously got away much lighter than you...I have been worrying for the past couple of weeks because my symptoms seemed to be showing signs of improvement and I started to wonder if I actually needed the surgery or whether I was finding reasons not to have it. Dh and I have been having endless discussions about it without really knowing enough about it to answer our questions and worries. So worked myself up for it all and went to the hospital today as per the plan and said this to the consultant who was, again, very blunt and unsympathetic. But the nurse who was with her was excellent - she spent ages talking to my dh and I about what we've been experiencing and dh and I came to the decision to not have it done today, but to give it a bit longer and see if it sorts itself out enough on it's own. If it is the scar tissue that's causing most of the problem it's quite possible apparently. The nurse said I won't have to join the waiting list again as it will be postponed not cancelled which I find very reassuring.
So, so far good news from me - I just hope that it is scar tissue more than crap stitching - otherwise I'll have to go through the build up to surgery again, but there you are.
Hope you're getting on okay feelingicky.

Oh, by the way, I understand that lying in the sun with a good book and some ice-cream is very effective in prevention of infection!

Thanks for your replies. was moving house last couple of days and don't have interent at home now.

How are you getting on feelingicky? Been thinking of you...

Hi - just a quick one from me, sorry to have taken so long to reply but recovery has taken a lot longer than I thought and I've been up staying with family with no internet
Anyway, I AM getting better, but slowly. Took a while to realise exactly what had been done (got the shaving mirror out to have a good look!) but whole area has been opened up and restiched so am stiched all along preineum and up the full depth of vagina! Been pretty low about it all and am off to get signed off from work for another couple of weeks as stiches still swollen and sitting is uncomfortable. Just keeping my fingers crossed that it all heals ok. Hope that things are still improving for you Busybaby. Manitz, have you made any progress?