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Original poster

Spincter injury, fistula - support eachother?

958 replies

Cyee · 13/05/2008 20:22

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))

OP posts:
Sawyer64 · 13/04/2009 15:02

Me too,but it didn't affect DH during iyswim

PoorFluffyCat · 13/04/2009 20:06

Hello everyone, haven't been on the thread for quite a while sorry! but have been reading every now and then. I have just had my rectal vagina fistula repaired two weeks ago, feeling quite sore and still taking antibiotics and diclofenac. The bleeding has now become light brownish. But I'd like to ask anyone who has had the operation, do they still pass wind from the vagina? because I can feel sometimes that wind still passes through possiblly from my vagina, thinking the operation might have failed, quite upset about the result, with the thought that I might have to go through this all over again.

Sawyer64 · 13/04/2009 22:25

Can really help as I didn't have a Fistula,just a Rectocele.

But if it helps any,because I haven't* got a Fistula,I can safely say that "sensation" can happen normally when you pass wind it does sometimes seem to "pass by" that way LOL!So it might all be ok.

Sawyer64 · 13/04/2009 22:41

Cant not can help obviously.

Jackbunnysmama · 13/04/2009 23:26

Cheers for Sex in The House of Sawyer!!!
(Rather than Sex in the City... ok, I know, dumb, but the best I could think of!)

Sawyer64 · 14/04/2009 12:26

Very good jacksmama made me anyway!
(so did the sex!! what a relief!)

PoorFluffyCat · 15/04/2009 21:33

Hi Sawyer, thanks for your advice. Good to hear you getting some! I hope everything can be worked out eventually. But pretty sure now that mine has failed, really sad about it. Good luck with your recovery!

Sawyer64 · 15/04/2009 21:59

Oh thats awful if it has PoorFluffyCat.

Its bad enough enduring all this,if its successful.If its not.....

I hope that you are wrong and maybe its still "Early Days",the first 6 weeks were certainly crucial in my Op,that any lifting I would do would "undo" the surgery,so maybe when you get to 6 weeks,the healed area will be "stronger" maybe.

Keep my fingers crossed for you.[bsmile]

ThingOne · 15/04/2009 22:41

Oh no, the bunnies have gone away, sob.

Fingers crossed, fluffy cat.

Eeeeeeeeeek, I see the plastic surgeon tomorrow. I haven't written my questions. And I've had two glasses of wine. Twit .

PoorFluffyCat · 16/04/2009 11:37

Hi Sawyer thanks again, I haven't lifted anything yet but have been out walking just for some fresh air otherwise I am going stir crazy. I suspect it has failed but need to wait until the consultant has confirmed.

Hi Thingone, how are you doing? Good luck today with your plastic surgeon!
Thanks everybody for your support! I am feeling really blue at the moment.

ThingOne · 16/04/2009 22:30

Well, well, well it's all a lot more complicated than I thought. The surgery has some quite nasty risks but it's either the surgery or nothing, and I'm stuck with a plastic thread wrapped round my fanjo for the rest of my life. I looked pained at this point and said that at 42 I was too young not to have sex. He said nothing which I took as no promises, gulp.

Anyway, there are two options for the repair, both quite grim. The hole is quite big. He's going to ask my other surgeon to see if they think they can do part of the op. He can do his part but he's not entirely sure it's possible for them to do theirs. More gulping.

I'm having another scan and then I'll see him again in June when they'll have decided on the plan of action. \

On the upside, they have done some of these repairs and they have all worked, although there have been some complications. Like really bad incontinence.

If I do have an op it won't be earlier than September as he wants to wait at least five months after chemo, maybe longer.

Tra la la la. I bought pizza for supper and have had two beers. Bleurgh to the diet for today .

kentmumtj · 17/04/2009 09:20

thingone crikey your so upbeat especially since youve ob been through a really rough time..... i have all my fingers crossed for you that they can do the op and that it is sucessful yes your far too young to never enjoy sex again. i wish you all the luck

something bizzare has happened to me since my op. really strange imo. i have had 2 28/29 day period cycles. Extremley unsusual for me as i have PCOS and havent had a normal cycle for 15 years..........how weird is that

Sawyer64 · 17/04/2009 16:48

It disrupted my cycle too kentmumtj.

I seemed to "miss" one that was due just before

I then came on,I think,24 days after my Op.and then again 2 weeks later,each "period" was only 3 days long.

But I'm now having a period 28 days after the last one now.

Original poster
Cyee · 17/04/2009 16:49

Hey everyone,
ThingOne- hopefully the scans etc will help clarify things. How awful to have the gaping silences. Gulp indeed.
Fluffy - I also had that sensation of wind still coming from vag - but turned out it was just travelling down from my bum. Very scary and disconcerting at the time though. Fingers crossed the operation hasn't failed!
Take care all... must go as been commanded to 'sit on the chair mummy!' by my DD. And of course what she wants.... !!!

OP posts:
Jacksmama · 17/04/2009 17:04

Oh dear ThingOne... fingers crossed for you!!
xxx

kentmumtj · 18/04/2009 09:35

im just hoping they didnt insert that coil thing that it had wrote on my letter?
how would i know? bearing in mind that area is still virginal and untouched by human hand lol

Sawyer64 · 18/04/2009 11:21

Have you been examined yet?

They would see the strings from the Coil if it was there.

A Practice Nurse could look for you,they would be gentle,and it would only take a minute if you are worried.

I can't imagine its likely though.Easy to get paperwork mixed up,by in the Op.theatre they read your notes and check your consent form.

The nurses check and recheck that the Operation List is correct,and that you know/confirm what you are having done.

I'm sure you had the correct procedure done,Did the surgeon talk to you before you went home? My one did and explained that "the repair" went well,at that stage they would say that they'd also inserted a Coil.

Sawyer64 · 18/04/2009 11:23

Sorry not by BUT in the Op Theatre...

PoorFluffyCat · 18/04/2009 17:33

Hi Cyee how are you doing? I hope its just wind travelling up but feel its from the fistula and coming out the front as before. You deserve lots of good luck after starting this thread you always support everyone with your experience.

Hi Kentmumtj regarding your message about you time of month getting messed up I have had the same happen as well. On the day of my op my period started but not heavy at all which is very unusual I though the period had stopped and the bleeding was from my stitches.

Hi Thingone so sorry to hear its far from straight forward for you, but I dont think i will be having any "hows yer father" for a long time poor DH,

jmontan27 · 18/04/2009 22:51

What a dilemma for you, ThingOne. At least they have had some success with the repairs they have done before, even though there are downsides. I really hope they offer something that will improve things for you.

Poorfluffycat, sorry you are feeling so down. What a nightmare to go through all that and then have to worry that it hasn't worked. Hopefully, it maybe like Cyee says and just be wind travelling up. I still haven't been to the docs and I am going to see if my body heals itself as I can't face the thought of surgery. When do you go for your post-op check?

PoorFluffyCat · 19/04/2009 20:07

Hi Jmontan27, thank you for your kind thoughts. I have got couple of weeks to go until I see my consultant. It's really horrible we have to put up with this, but I have asked a few consultants, they all agreed that it needs surgery, but to be honest, it's not as painful as post birth, it's also mentally tough as well because you always think the op has failed. I am thinking of self healing as well now after the 1st attempt has failed, but think it might be painful/impossible to have sex, but don't know what DH would do.

jmontan27 · 19/04/2009 21:15

Poorfluffycat, how long did your op last? I have read that surgery is the main recommended treatment for this but I have also read that if the fistula just involves wind being passed vaginally (as opposed to poo), then some people choose to leave it. When I first realised this was happening to me during the week after childbirth, I just assumed it was poor pelvic floor muscle tone (had not googled fistulas at that point!) as, if I'm honest, this has happened to me before after the birth of my 2nd child and it subsequently stopped on its own although I can't remember after how long).

It is just so sh*t that this has to happen to anyone. Please keep us posted about how you're doing.

PoorFluffyCat · 20/04/2009 20:30

jmontan27, my operation lasted just over an hour under general. I understand why some people choose to leave it as it is, to be honest, i wish i did. But people always hope that the problems can be fixed forever by surgery. At the moment I think I will just sit back and wait to see what happens before I have another operation. Just very unsure how to cope with getting my leg over if I don't fix it, maybe a couple of bottles of red.

Original poster
Cyee · 20/04/2009 21:43

Red wine is ALWAYS the answer PoorFluffyCat!

Very small fistulae can certainly partially heal on their own, I think the key is keeping stools soft (hard poo doesn't let it heal). However from my reading (prior to opting for the op) the very creation of a fistula means it's unlikely to fully heal by itself. Fistulae are caused by dead/damaged tissue and this tissue rarely heals itself because often the blood supply has broken down... as distinct from a tear which may heal by itself. I know in my case there were various occasions where the fistula was invisible as it was partially healed over, however it always reopened.

I know I could have lived with my symptoms in the sense I wasn't in any pain etc. However even though I only ever had traces of poo staining my underwear I personally felt yucky down below and also was terrified of breaking wind (loudly!) at work etc. So only speaking for myself, I simply couldn't let it lie, even though it means I will have C-sections for any future bambinos.

I know my story is a positive one - in the sense my op worked first time and I have 'resumed normal service' from an intimacy perspective. To be absolutely frank if I had read this thread (or equivalent) before my op, I would probably have thought twice about the op. It didn't cross my mind that it wouldn't work as the consultants etc. and my reading suggested it was reasonably straightforward in the short-term if mixed in the longer-term.

I am really keen to hear how you both get on, as it will be great for other women to be able to read about your experiences from a non-surgical point of view. Let's face it, we'd all prefer to avoid ops and GAs if we can. PFC - I reeeeeally hope it is just loose bits and not the fistula - fingers crossed for you, though sounds like you know yourself the op hasn't worked...

I can't believe it's almost a year since my op - time has really flown!

Take care all and thanks again for always being such great company on this TMI-laden journey we're all on!

OP posts:
Original poster
Cyee · 21/04/2009 15:53

That was the 700th post - oh my goodness!

OP posts: