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))

I'm afraid I seem to have a slight infection.

I'm still losing what i was thinking was blood,but now suspect from the odour it is not

I'm still uncomfortable,no pain as such,but I'm having to change the towel 3 times a day.

I have been seen by the out-of-hours doc,and she has prescribed some Antibiotics,so hopefully I shall be much better in 48 hrs from now.

Hope you are feeling better Flourybaps.

Oh dear - I hope the antibiotics kick in soon! Get back in those salt sitz baths you!
(Was it on here that we were talking about the antiseptic properties of lavender and tea tree oil? It seemed to work for me.)

Thanks Jacksmama.
Yes Maam, I will be having a Salt Bath tonight!

Yes we did discuss lavender and Tea Tree Oil,will see what I can get tomorrow.

How are you feeling? All healing well? Did you go for your Hot Tub with Jackbaby?

Sorry to hear that Sawyer, hope the antibiotics start to help quickly. I got lots of infections with my episiotomy and I know it can be very uncomfortable.

Sounds like a good idea about those salt baths but is it just literaly running a bath and adding table salt? If so, how much? Think maybe i should be doing that too, I still feel a little uncomfortable and im really wary of getting an infection.

Hope you feel better soon.

Ps thanks all for the replies about the stich, its still feeling uncomfortable but its early days I suppose, less than a week since my op

I mean Epsom salt or dead sea salts when I say "salt bath" but I suppose you could use ordinary table salt... Epsom salt contains magnesium sulphate which is a muscle relaxer - that's probably not particularly of value in our situation though... I'm not sure what's in dead sea salts that makes them different.
Ordinary table salt has antiseptic properties, too - no reason why you couldn't use them? I'd do a half cup for a sitz bath and rinse really well after.

When I was a Student Nurse(way back in 83) we used to have a Sack of Salt (table) in the bathrooms,and we used to shove several cupfuls in

I remember having to bath a young policeman who had come off his motorbike at speed,and was covered in grazes,the salt healed him quite quickly.Poor man.

Hey, I was a student nurse too! But I graduated in 93.

This memory seems appropriate to this thread: my very first patient care action as a student nurse was to give a suppository and an enema to an MS patient. I remember looking at her backside and shuddering at the sight of her haemorrhoids. And they were tiny little blippy skin tags around her anus!! Considering that my bits looked like they belonged to the Bride of Frankenstein after I had Jackbaby, and my haemorrhoids were the size of plums, I am laughing at myself now!!

Yes it is funny to think back as to what bothered us then,and what doesn't now.

I remember doing maternity,and being horrified at the "indignity" of it all
Also used to get cross waiting for the ladies to deliver! Couldn't they hurry up !!! LOL.

hi, just wondered if you people that have had this done,or similar, noticed any stitches coming out?

The GP who came out to me on Sunday asked me this,I said no,and then Lo and Behold,last night after having a wee,there was a stitch on the tissue paper

Caused a little bit of fresh bleeding,but minimal.Didn't look like the "ends" of a stitch though,as it looked about the length that a stitch would be,once its sown in and the end cut,IYSWIM???

A little more uncomfortable today too,but suspect thats down to the infection and being on strong Antibiotics,just hope they are the correct ones.

Hello, is it ok if I ask a couple of questions? I had vaginal surgery nearly 4 weeks ago now, not for a large tear but for a bladder and bowel prolapse. From reading your experiences here it seems the surgery is similar in that I have stitches in my vagina, front and back. I had a few external stiches to sort out my perineum, these seem to have dissolved now and that has healed.

I had a peek with a miror and I can just see th e darker, stronger internal stiches. Does anyone know how long these take to dissolve?

I am still taking it easy, no lifting and only minor housework. I did drive a short distance yesterday which was ok. I am wondering how I will get my energy back as the inactivity has left me feeling very lethargic.

I'm exactly 3 weeks today,and your surgery sounds a little more extensive than mine.

The internal sutures take 10-21 days to "absorb" or dissolve.

I am still feeling very tired,I have started back to work last week as I only work 3 mornings,but I am shattered.

IME a general Anaesthetic can take 4 + weeks to recover totally from.I think the energy returns slowly,and you don't notice that you are getting less tire week by week sometimes.

Yes, I have heard the GA takes awile to get out of the system. I still feel a bit out of it to be honest. Well done for getting back top work so soon, I am SAHM but I was due to start PT at the local preschool last week. i am going to strat in 4 weeks.

i am over the 21 days now so I guess the stitches will start to dissolve from about now. The idea is that as th esutures dissolve my own scar tissue takes over the role of supporting the bladder and bowel in the correct spot.

It all make s me feel a bit queasy and I can't bear to look much yet.

I am really looking forward to getting back to normal

I saw you had a slight infection. Has that cleared up? i have been putting Lavender oil in the bath which is soothing and eased the soreness I had in the first few weeks

Still there I think,but only started Antibiotics on Sunday afternoon,so still early days.

I need to try the lavender Oil,have been having Salt baths.

Hi all,

Welcome Mehgalegs - hope you start to feel more energy soon. As others have said, the GA alone takes a while to recover from, never mind the surgery itself. Feel free to stay around and ask as many questions as you like! I know what you mean about how the whole thing looks. I was grossed out by it for ages, but over time things do revert more back to 'normal'. I had my op last May and I genuinely don't notice any real difference in terms of sensation and appearance. Hope your healing continues apace.

Sawyer64 hope your infection clears up soon. I just used table salt for mine... now I know what I should have been using!!!

Take care all

No stitches coming out yet but I am 21 days post-op so that should happen soon.

Welcome mehgalegs to the "no apologies for TMI" thread!

Hello, thanks for the welcome all . Glad about the never TMI bit because I have another question that I just couldn't ask anywhere else.

The surgeon repaired my perineum ( I had a 2nd degree tear with DS1 which was stitched by MW. I tore in same place with DS2 and DS3 but it wasn't stitched, it healed ok or so I thought. My gynea felt it should have been done better and so repaired it during my op.

It looks ok but the skin feels really solid along the scar line. Will it always be like that, is it scar tissue or will it soften and go back to normal?

Can't answer personally but if you read back on this thread I think Cyee or Jacksmama mentioned something about massaging the perineum with things which are supposed to help (I may be getting it mixed up with another thread though as I have searched for similar older threads)

I believe most scar tissue improves gradually over a period of time,i think my Episiotomy scar was bumpy,but it isn't now.

Also again as all our repairs are different,I think Cyee mentions her repair was done through the perineum,unlike mine which was done through the Vagina,so she'll be able to advise more fully on the healing,as her repair was last May.

Scar tissue tends to feel really rigid at first until the collagen fibers soften up. If left by itself this can take years, but you can help it along by putting some castor oil on your fingers and gently massaging the scar a little bit. Small circular motions, then increase the pressure as you're able to tolerate it. This will also help free up any nerves caught up in the scar tissue. I saw a pelvic floor physio who taught me this. At first she did it for me (or to me?) by putting a couple of finger tips in my vagina and her thumb on the episiotomy scar and gently stretching it. Then she taught me how to do it myself. If you're quite sensitive, you can put xylocaine gel or ointment on the scar tissue first and let it sit for a few minutes and then go ahead. I had to do that, and it helped a lot.
Hot packs (moist heat like a microwaveable bean bag) also really helps to soften scar tissue, as do castor oil packs.

x-post Sawyer! How are you feeling today? Infection better?

I feel ok thanks Jacksmama. Infection still seems to be there

Apparently the swab I took,has "grown" an infection which is sensitive to the Antibiotic I'm taking,but the discharge is still heavy,although nothing like heavy by bleeding standards IYSWIM?

Tried to get an appointment to see the GP this week as I was advised to by the "Out of Hours" doc who came to see me on Sunday,but they are either fully booked,or offer me a time I just can't manage.

I thought it would be ok,as I was now on Antibiotics,so I could avoid the inevitable examination,but am feeling now that I really should get someone to see me.

Oh dear, you probably should - if you need a virtual hand to hold during the examination we're all here!!!
xx

Thanks! I definitely will need a "virtual hand" to hold.

I have my follow-up on April 1 and I'm already nerving myself up for it so I know how you feel.
xxx

Hi all.

Welcome to you merrylegs, this thread has been invaluable to me and sorry to hear of your troubles but im sure you can get advice and support a plenty on here.

Sawyer64, sorry to hear your still struggling on with your infection and heres a virtual hand hold to you. Sounds like you need to be seen, any nice gentle female doctors you could go to maybe?

If its any comfort to you I went to GP today as im having quite a heavy discharge and was concerned about infection so she took a swab. Also that stich I was concerned about was causing a sore so she snipped the end off it, it was a little sore at the time but feels more comfortable now and she was really gentle with me.

Anyway to top it all of I have had a bloody rough two days, I have got sinusitis now to top it all off and not slept the last two nights........At least it stops me thinking about my bits anyway

Ive been given antibiotics so hopefully they will start too help soon, couldnt deal with the pain so have had a couple of codine today, washed down with lactulose as I dont want to get constipated and make my anal fissure worse!

God Im having a bit of a pity party right now I cant believe Ive got this on top of recovering from my op, I feel like im falling apart at the seams!

Anyway ladies thanks for letting me moan away and hopefully we will all wake up new women tomorrow!