Spincter injury, fistula - support eachother?

[Cyee]

Hi everyone,

Wonderful weather we're having

I am propped up in bed post-hospital and I was wondering if anyone out there knows of, or would enjoy/benefit from, a thread or support site for people who have experienced the above (sphincter damage, fistula etc.) as a result of childbirth.

In my own experience, this whole area is a bit taboo. In fact the consultants reckon there are many women who have some symptoms related to the above, who never seek treatment. The thought of women embarrassed to discuss these matters is awful, yet that seems to be the case.

So - this (while souped up on painkillers) is a call to arms:

• Is there a site out there for women like us?
• If not, would you like there to be?
• Would a thread on MN especially for this, be useful?
• Would it be useful to share experiences with consultants/physios/hospitals/procedures?

If these matters resonate with you or anyone you know, it would be great if you could point them in this direction. I'm going to post in the 'health' and 'childbirth' sections too.

I know too well the taboo around this. I posted on MN when I got my diagnosis and used a different name...

Hope to hear from some people soon.

Cyee
(successfully repaired as of last Wednesday (fingers/legs crossed))

Or even Flourybaps

Good luck for today Flourybaps

I am 5 weeks pregnant, tis early days but I'm already a bit worried about what things will be like when I'm huge. I have a bit of lumpy scar tissue and a scar! on left side of tum from temporary colostomy so a bit concerned about a hernia and how well it will stretch. Couldn't get an appointment with G.P. until next week but hopefully will get referred to someone decent at the hospital who will approve a C/S without question.

Good luck flourybaps - wishing you a speedy recovery and no pain (or at least good drugs ).

4jen, I'm crossing the fingers for you that you'll be "approved" for a C/S... I should imagine you will be after everything!!

My bleeding has pretty much stopped - I had a faint pale pinkish discharge yesterday and nothing overnight. But woke up in lots of pain yesterday, strangely. Oddly, it felt like I'd overworked all my Kegel muscles - which I can assure you I haven't!! It was bad enough that I made the mistake of taking a Percocet on an empty stomach. [stupid emoticon] Minutes later, felt like crap - nauseous and dizzy. Note to self... Percocet goes on top of food...

Feel ok today. I don't know if it's my imagination but I'm exactly two weeks post-op today and I feel like I can feel the stitches inside tugging a bit. Is that possible? They should be dissolving some time in the next week or so. Anybody have any idea?

Oh and BTW, I think we should agree on this thread to suspend the TMI apologies. This entire thread is TMI and would make most people go pale, so I think we should just unabashedly ask whatever we need to ask and be happy that, thanks to cyee, we have somewhere safe and supportive where we can ask anything.

Hear hear... to the TMI stuff. If you're squeamish and on here... well.. it's not going to happen is it!!!

I also had a tugging sensation and was temporarily convinced they'd stitched me up too tight, but I guess the body goes through all kinds of changes post-op. My stitches did dissolve, I didn't notice them at all.

Congrats 4Jen!! That's great news. I hope your GP is helpful and puts you in touch with a supportive care team.

Take care all

Brilliant 4jen!! I'm sure you won't have any problems re having a CS. If you do, let me know who it is and I'll bash them round the head!!

Selfishly, I'm interested to know how you get on with the tissue from the colostomy - hope it's o.k. I'd like to start trying for another little one WHEN (not if!) mine is reversed.

Hope it all went well today Flourybaps. x

Glad to hear your bleedings stopped Jacksmama,my bleeding is still pale pinky brown.Getting sore from all these delightful Sanitory Towels,think they are chafing me!

Like you,I seem to bleed more when I'm a little too active,but have to be active now,as my convalescence time is up.
I'm back doing the scholl Runs,and back to work tomorrow.

I drove for the first time,and apart from the sore chafed feeling,I was fine.

WRT the stitches,as a Practice Nurse,I often have to take out stitches on the abdomen fret tighter,from laparoscopies.This is the same thread type, and the ladies find them uncomfortable,although they are absorbable.They tend to look quite tight,and go brittle and hard,and then the exposed edges drop off.

So I would imagine,internally they probably still get tighter,and just "break down".

Ditto the discomfort,my "Gluteal muscles" (in my bum) are really tender,and I am very tender on the right side underneath.
I did find earlier on,doing my PFE seemed to help the tenderness a little.

I will be 2 weeks post op tomorrow.

"fret tighter"
Please ignore.My cursor keeps popping back into my text!!

My bum was by far the sorest thing too!!!

My bum was really sore after I had Jackbaby. That could be in part because I had haemorrhoids the size of plums (and sadly I am not exaggerating) but I think it's because he was pressing on my sacrum and coccyx, and because my pelvic floor muscles (which all attach to the coccyx) were completely shot. Oh, it was sooooooo sore!!!!!!!!!!!
Not bad this time, though.

Floury how are you honey?

(Oh sorry, that's not proper MN style... but it's a Canadian thing, I can't help it.)

Hopefully she is sleeping off the Anaesthetic,and nicely loaded up with painkillers.

Hope you have a good night.

Went back to work today,feel shattered.Luckily I only work mornings,so was able to put my feet up until the school run.
DH kindly made dinner tonight too.

Welcome back to work Sawyer64, hope it was ok.

Jacksmama - laughing at your 'honey' ing - everything goes here!

I've always thought "Honey" is nice,if used in the right context,like here.As "text" can be "so cold",its difficult to convey the "feeling/emotion" with it.Hence the need for the smileys etc. I guess.

Thanks Cyee. Sitting at work now,(on my sore Bum!).Glad to be getting back into the swing of things now.

My M-I-L thinks I've had a "Tummy-Tuck" LOL.Despite the discreet explanations,she can't get her head round all this! One look at my "Tummy" would tell you I haven't Or the surgeon failed in his attempts!!!

LOL at tummy tuck!!! Hardly!!!!

Bleeding completely stopped now - do you all think that means I could go sit in the hot tub??

Hope you're all well... honeys!!!

Don't see why not.Enjoy......! Sounds lovely.

Sounds very promising indeed!

Ahhhhh...a hot tub... what I would give....

Night ladies I just gorged myself on new wool for knitting. Feels good

Oh, sorry to give the wrong impression, we don't actually own a hot tub, but there is a community pool ten minutes walking away from our house, and they have an adult pool, a kids' pool, and both adult (hot) and family (less hot) hot tubs. Jackbaby loves both the kids' pool and the family hot tub. He loves to sit on the edge and the hold out his arms and hurl himself off it, to be caught and splashed. I've been missing going to the pool with him... was thinking that sitting in the hot tub wouldn't be too strenuous and would probably feel quite nice.

The only thing I can think that might not be a good idea,not nice to think about though, is the risk of infection.

I would say it is pretty low,but in effect it is a Communal bath,and although they do ad chemicals etc. to clean the water,I wonder how effective it is......?

I'm beginning to think I have an obsession with baths!

I'm probably being over-cautious,ignore me.

Oh Jacksmama don't ruin the illusion - I had you pictured over there on the west coast bubbling away in your alpine-style hot tub. Let me hang onto my vision!!

Oh please, cyee, by all means picture me sitting in my very own hot tub holding a glass of bubbly...

To add to the illusion, I'll report that it snowed yesterday and overnight!! [fuming emoticon] There are inches of the white crap on the ground. My flowerbed and pansy pots are covered!!! It was spring last week, now it's winter again --- aaaarrrrgghhh!! This is not why my mum did all that work planting frost-hardy pansies... someone tell Mother Nature we weren't trying to challenge her!!

(Ok, rant over.)
Sawyer, I was wondering the same as you about risk of infection from a communal hot tub. Will ring surgeon later and ask.

How are you all? How is flourybaps?

Not heard from Flourybaps as yet.

I'm fine,still got a sore bum
It almost feels better when I do PFE ??

Still losing a little,guess thats because I'm too active too soon.I am trying to rest in between going to work,but with 3 DC's,still have to cook,clean and do washing.

Today I swept the carpet,with a rubber broom as not supposed to vacumn yet.
and I kicked the washing basket around to the Tumbledrier,so I am trying to be good.

I had to tell my DD2 (2) that I couldn't lift her into the swings today at the park though. Bless her though she didn't make a fuss.

Hi all, thanks for asking after me

All went well with the op, sorry have not managed to get on before now, my mum and pil have been here every day so not had a minute to get on line.

Anyway, had my op monday, so glad its all over! Catheter and pack removed the day after, then came the poo saga!

I have an anal fissure so was worried about the pain so had lactlose, movicol and eventually suppositories! Anyway, sucess and was allowed home.

Finding if I take my painkillers regulary and have a sleep in the afteroon I feel ok, much better than after I had my dd anyway!

Quite frustrating isnt it, not lifting and being good, think Im gonna struggle with that but have got help all next week as well so thats good.

Came on my period today which is the last thing I need really!

I know we said we would have a ban on saying tmi, but this is tmi! I have a stich sort of at the entrance to my vagina and it is sticking in me and rubbing, im worried its going to cause an ulcer or a sore and its quite painful when I try and wipe myself. The doctor saw it in hospital hut said not to worry its just the end stich and it will dissolve. Did anyone else have this I just dont want to get any infections like last time so im a bit nervous about that.

Tahnks again for messages and hoe your all feeling well.

Hi floury, I'm so glad to hear that everything went well!! I agree with you, I felt much better than I did after I had Jackbaby, especially if I napped a lot and generally didn't exert myself - ha ha, this is a bit of a joke because I have found that I don't do "taking it easy" very well.

Re: your stitch - my surgeon told me before the op that if I should happen to need stitches anywhere on my perineum, that they wouldn't dissolve as fast as the internal ones and might be uncomfortable, and if I found them painful, better to have them removed. I think you should speak with your doctor again, really I do. But until you can, could you take a ball of cotton wool and sort of pad that stitch so it's not as uncomfortable when you sit? As for wiping, I went back to using my squirt bottle with soapy water (like I did after Jackbaby's birth) and just blotting or blowdrying myself.
Are you having lots of sits baths with Epsom salt?

So glad to hear you're doing ok.

I'm going back to work for a few hours this morning, and then working a half day on Tuesday and on Thursday. It's been so nice to just be at home... and I am still pretty tired sometimes... but we didn't win the lottery this past week so I guess I need to!

Hi Flourybaps! Glad you are feeling ok and got it all over with now.

WRT the stitch,I had this (see previous thread about being sore on "left side" underneath.My soreness relieved itself after a few days,so hopefully your will to.

Like Jacksmama says,try avoiding wiping that area.Dab ,if you have to, after a wee,and the salt baths are good too.

My period was due 5 days before my Op,and my letter said they may have to postpone the Op if I was on,so I was dreading it coming.Apparently thats more for those having a laparoscopy though.My period never did come (unless it was disguised in the first few days of bleeding)and still hasn't!

I personally wouldn't recommend having those stitches out,as I had them taken out of an Episiotomy (that was infected,so probably swollen etc.) and it was very painful.

I would try to bear the discomfort unless it becomes very painful IMHO.Hopefully as it starts to breakdown and be absorbed it will get easier.