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))

Marvellous advice from Jacksmama as always. I had stopped bf'ing by the time I had my op so can be no use at all. Am I ever?!

I went to the doc today to get in the maternity system. I learned something too - though maybe I'm the last to know! Apparently if you go into spontaneous labour when you're supposed to be having a planned c-section you aren't automatically given a GA. It's nearly always spinal/epidural. I'm pleased!

Hope you all have a great weekend

Good to be back.

Have a good weekend, just getting my G&T ready, the wee man is in bed - two teeth this week (back ones), so I think i deserve it (mind you I had 1 last night as well!?!?!?

Ha! Have one for me!

Thanks everyone, sorry for the delay we just got back from my mums. I have decided not to think about the op until I hear what the consultant says on Wednesday.

Ooh G&T, I'd love one of those now...bit early though. I think dd is teething, her moods are enough to drive me to drink at the moment.

Hope you're all having a lovely weekend and enjoying the sunshine (hope it's sunny by you too Jacksmama )

ive just realsied am i the only one on here who doesnt have a baby?

My youngest is 2.8 kentmumtj

Hello to everyone,I've been lurking alot lately,with nothing useful to add.

My youngest is 5.5 yrs (took me a while to realise what was wrong) - I also haven't anything interesting to say!! I'm recovering nicely - 2 weeks since op tomorrow.

Delighted you're recovering well Bubblerock.

Hi Sawyer64 Hi everyone

Hope you got your G&T Hullabalulu - you deserve it!

Hi Cyee

Glad you are recovering well Bubblerock

Cheers peeps I think the wine is doing me wonders!! Anyone know when can you have sex again after a repair?? Is it 6 weeks minimum?

Yes I think so.It might still be tender even then,but speaking from my own experience,things got very much better closer to 10-12 weeks.

But all our Ops are slightly different,and we obviously heal at different rates,so definitely try at 6 weeks if you feel ok to do so,but don't be too worried if things are still too tender.

cheers Sawyer - will see how I go, they didn't really mention a timeframe so wasn't sure if there was a minimum time when you shouldn't do it!

Think its like Childbirth,its recommended you wait 6 weeks,to allow time for the tissues to heal.

My surgeon said to wait until my 8 week check-up, and when I saw her then she said to wait another 3 weeks. But I think (as everyone else said) it really depends on the type of op and how well you feel. Just remember - more lube than you'd ever think possible... and do let us know when Pervwatch should start up again .

LOL - will keep you posted! I don't get a check up, they referred me to physio and said any problems go to GP. I think they were glad to get rid of me

Hurray - Pervwatch begins again.... well something had to take the place of Springwatch eh? (sorry Jacksmama - UK tv reference!)

Think I was about 8 weeks Bubblerock, but you'll know yourself when you're physically and mentally ready to get back in the saddle Spare no details! only yoking ... or am I?!

pmsl - so glad no one else ventures onto this thread, think the title scares everyone away, little do they know what we all get up to! lol

Wow, we're within a hundred posts of filling the thread - Cyee, what are we going to call the second thread? Pervwatch, Take Two?

Pervwatch update

i still cant im still to sore on that outside area here goes with the tmi arghhhh let me just blush a bit first............even a finger touching that area still sends a bad shiver through me its so tender and sore it almost feels like theres a raw nerve there because inside im fine

Oh Kentmum - I just realized that this sounds like what happened to me all of last year!! I just clued in - wish I'd thought of it sooner! My surgeon said that the redness and pain with any touching, immediately around the entrance of my vagina, is called vestibulitis. Here is some info on it - no treatment suggested in this link.

BUT here is a website from the U.K. that offers treatment options.
I hope this helps!!
Mine was treated with a corticosteroid cream and estrogen cream and it's gone now.
(((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))

I was just like that,but mine got better with time.

But maybe with treatment it would have got better alot sooner.

Hello all, I've had my follow up appointment and what a waste of time. I am so glad I had my mum with me because I sort of went into nodding dog mode and didn't say much.

First of all, there was a student in the room but he wasn't introduced and no one asked if I minded him being there. I wish I'd asked, I don't know why I didn't.

Anyway, the consultant said that my external sphincter has healed very well, the scan shows scars but thats to be expected. She just did this kind of dismissive shrug then. She did not mention the internal sphincter at all. I kept thinking "she'll mention that next...bad news last" but she started talking about not doing anything else etc so my mum asked about the internal sphincter. The consultant said "Yes, that is damaged but its what anyone wants to do about it" and looked at me.

My mum said "the sonographer said it was very damaged" and the consultant said it was damaged (torn I think) but it was not spotted at the delivery and two doctors had agreed at the time that it was only the external muscle damaged. My mum asked if it changed the classification of tear from a 3a to 3c and she said no because some women suffer damange to their internal sphincter without tearing. I don't know why that is relevant - I tore.

She then asked about my symptoms and I told her that I had flatulus incontinence and faecal incontinence if I wait more than 10 mins (as on Sunday) and bladder problems. She wrote this all down but it was already in my notes from last time. She then said I'm not sure what we can do about it and I started crying and told her that I can't go back to work like this and she just passed me a box of tissues. My mum then said "she can't live like this, Dear God she's 31 years of age and its only going to get worse with time surely". The consultant nodded and said she would refer me to a colorectal surgeon.

So now I feel kind of...down. I feel like they were just going to fob me off, I feel ignored and now I wonder if I am making too big a deal of it. If the consultant thinks is ok then perhaps this is normal after having a baby. I don't want to have surgery if its not required.

Oh I also mentioned the granular tissue problem. We've only attempted sex once since dd's birth and it was painful. She examined me, very roughly and said she would prescribe a cream with steroid in it and it should be gone in 2 weeks. So at least there was one good thing to come out of it.

Oh FFS!!!! Your consultant sounds like a knobhead. Thank God you had your mum with you [Go Mum emoticon].

I'm pretty sure your colorectal surgeon will be a lot more interested in helping you than this bag woman. Since they usually know what they're talking about!!!

As for the granulation tissue - I had that, too. And corticosteroid cream helps enormously. Have you had a period since your baby was born? Because if not, oestrogen cream helps as well. Our bodies don't make enough oestrogen while we're not menstruating to help tissues heal properly.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Thanks Jacksmama, I feel pretty upset now actually. My mum thinks they were trying to avoid a complaint. My consultant made it quite clear that she wasn't at my delivery.

Should they have spotted the internal sphincter damage do you think? I guess its probably hard with all the mess.

But I think you're right, I should probably get the truth from the colorectal surgeon since they have nothing to lose.

I have just ordered chinese to cheer myself up