Continued support for SPHINCTER INJURIES, FISTULAE and other CHILDBIRTH INJURIES - the Ragged Bits Thread

[Jacksmama]

Hi all,
old thread here.

Cyee started this thread in May 2008 after her op, and it's been a haven of support for so many of us who have injuries to our bits from childbirth. Especially with respect to sphincter injuries, fistulae and incontinence after childbirth, there seems to be such a lack of support for women, and the entire subject seems to be taboo. It's as if most MD's think that "a certain amount of damage is to be expected after birth and you just have to live with it". Well, that is simply not the case - and this attitude is unacceptable.

There are all kinds of Ragged Bits stories on this thread. Be aware that THERE IS NO "TMI" HERE - this is the one place where you can spill it all. If you read through the old thread, which is nearly full, you'll see that someone, somewhere, has probably experienced it - whatever it is! So don't be embarrassed or ashamed... we'll tell our poo stories if you'll tell yours.

And also - there are success stories here. Several of us who have been through the medical mill have been successfully "repaired" and are "fully functional", so to speak or even expecting again. In those cases, please join us for Pervwatch - the "after action" report for anyone who is once again venturing into marital relations!

Welcome everyone. We're sorry you had to find us, but we're glad you're here.

:o
I got my rename by typo :o
I was on a long-running PROM support thread and galwaygal called me Jacksmania by mistake. Made everyone giggle I liked it so much I name-changed :o

Why on earth are you up??

Oh wait. Nine week old. Check.

So Traumeel is actually made by a German company, called Heel. So I think you should be able to get it in the UK. Maybe Google it or see if you can get it on Amazon?
And Mg glycinate is a nutritional supplement, but magnesium has the side effect of being a stool softener. Milk of Magnesia, that sort of thing.

Thank you, I will have a look. Also, the change in position does help. It still hurts like hell but I didn't cry out in pain! I've found that I can lie book on the floor, put my hands down one on either side and hope the reading takes my mind off it a bit. Still makes my eyes water though, but a very good tip so thanks :)

And 9wo actually being quite good tonight but once in bed I remembered we had an early start tomorrow so got back up to pack everything she and I will need to save me stressing in the morning! And I'll sleep better knowing it's organised!

Just checked for you on Amazon UK site and yes you can get both Traumeel cream and Mg glycinate on there! Actually looks quite inexpensive to me, too.
There's Traumeel ointment and gel on the site, I didn't see any cream but maybe when they say ointment they mean cream? Regardless, for up the bum, ointment is great because it will stick around longer. Just don't get the gel. Too liquidy.
For the Mg glycinate, get 1000 mg capsules. Not tablets. I think any brand would be fine. Good luck!!!

Arrrrrghhh. I requested another appt with the consultant a week and a half ago - got the letter today, with an appointment in flippin' MAY fgs. If I'm going to have the surgery it has to be some time in the last three weeks of June (DP is off over most of the summer). I'm going to call the dept secretary on Monday, but I'm just feeling so hacked off tonight - sick of going around the houses with the hospital, waiting ages for appointments, my records getting lost, etc. If they won't move the appointment, I'm just going to request the surgery, as the waiting time is max 9 weeks. I'm sure it will be fine, but it's yet another thing to sort out - nothing to do with this has been straightforward. Anyway. It's Friday night and I have gin

Gin is good;-) - less calories than vino

somersaultsI'm sure you've checked but could the area be infected? Hence the wetness etc? I ask as I had a 4th degree tear following DS birth 4 years ago. Ventouse but no episiotomy, repaired in surgery by the exceedingly useless "head" consultant straight after the birth. My stitches all broke down within 2 weeks. I hadn't noticed as I wasn't brave enough to have a gander, just assumed that the pain was to be expected, midwives hadn't checked either. Just a thought? Though I hope you're intact.

By the by, four years on and I still have trouble pooing. Fortunately I don;t have to do manual evacuation etc BUT it feels like my anus has been shortened (?) and if I need to go, then I need to go NOW as it escapes. Also got the dreaded urine incontinence and, excuse me for the grossness, I seem to constantly smell of wee :( I haven't been to the GP as I had 4 ops in total and I just assume that the incontinence is par for the course after the ops/trauma and my age (42). It's so embarrasing though :(

Shakey1500, sounds like you had a tough time :-(. I'd go back to the doctors, surely they can do something - I know all the ops are a pain in the arse (no pun intended;-), but if they can sort it out for you - you'd feel so much better. I am now more or less symptomless after a 4th degree tear, the ops were tough going(as you know). But mentally and physically i feel so much better now.

Hello ladies,
Not sure this is the right place, but i'll give it a go...
I had my baby 7 months ago now. I had a second degree tear and lots of stitches inside and out, was never told how many. I was checked quite a bit the few days after having her and told everything looked ok, but was never check since. I had a very heavy feeling if I was on my feet even a minute for months after, but the doctor at my 6 week check (baby was 8 weeks) said it was totally normal and didnt check me. I hadnt looked myself up until then - Im very squeamish and the thought made me feel faint and sick. I braved looking......BLEURGH! Inside I seemed to have something like a little fleshy flap of red growing...the size of.... um.... 3 tic tacs joined together (!). It felt kind of squelchy sometimes as I walked, and I was very sore if I walked anywhere. Anyway...it was there for ages....I didnt go back to the doctor, silly I know, I should have. Walking got better (6 months after birth....) and now at 7/8 months I feel fine. A little tender. I would NOT contemplate sex still so not quite right still. But any ideas what the flap thing might be? Have been? I looked last week and I dont think its there now, or is smaller. Ill peek again and see. Yuk yuk yuk. And ouch.
I know from reading a few pages that most of you have suffered so much more than me. I hope you dont mind me adding this.
It took 3 months for me to feel even slightly like me again. I didnt realise at the time....newborn sleep deprived haze I guess.

Hi Puddle, of course we don't mind. Welcome to the thread.
I wonder of the pink thing is a scar tissue granuloma. They sometimes develop in the vagina after a tear or stitches. I'd go get it checked out, as much as the thought of having anyone look at you is probably awful... but especially if 7-8 months on you're still not up for having sex, please go get checked out.
And come back and update!

Hello ladies - where exactly has 2012 gone??? I've had no web access at home for about 4 weeks, so having a little frenzy now.
I haven't been able to read eveything properly - will try to do that soon. A couple of quick note:

DMCT - hiii! :) Hope you are well

JM

Cyee!!!!! Big squeeeeeeeezy hug right back!

No Internet access?? I would lose my mind.

Hey, yours was the 888th post. Pretty auspicious for you given it's The Year Of The Dragon.

See you soon!

Tell me about it. It's been horrendous! Wish I could say I've become a master knitter in the process, but no, wiled away the time doing nada... Terrible.

Goodnight all :)

Good night! :)

Still havIng mucho pain having a bowel movement so went back to GP. Now on industrial strength stool softeners and some different cream to try and get these fissures to heal. Fingers crossed! I told her about your top tip of leaning forward when pooing and she hadn't heard of it but I could see her storing it in her memory banks to recommend to others :)

Oh ugh. I'm so sorry you're still struggling with these fissures. They really are awful :(
Seriously, the best thing ever is Traumeel cream or ointment. You can definitely get it on Amazon. It's not meant to be put "up there" and it will burn a bit but in a freaky weird pleasant way give you a warm sensation, which is due to increasing circulation which is what you need to heal a fissure. If you can get some, I'd really recommend trying it!
Good luck!!

Hi All, So I am new to the forum and have just been reading all the posts from people having a cry realising I am not the only one going through all these horrible issues. I am however writing from New Zealand.
So birth story quite similar to everyone, DD got stuck, episiotomy preformed and accidently cut through muscle, forceps delivery and severe 4th degree tear :( Spent 2 hours in surgery getting it repaired.
We are 8 months since she was born and have had my life turned upside down (and would of given anything to have had it just be turned upside down with the normal parenting journey). I have just had the EndoAnal ultrasound confirm that there is a full anterior sphincter defect, Fissures and barely no perenial tissue left. The only part the is still in tact from initial surgery is a piece being held together by scar tissue. The scar from the Labia is all hard and grizzly and I have a small place that is like a red raw sore (they do not know why this is not healing up). To top it all off I also have a Rectocele, minor incontinence (undie smearing) and gas incontinence. LOL. to extra top it all off it just aches ALL the time.
I am waiting to get the sphicter repaired at the end of April. what is others experience of surgery. I am seeing a physio too, has anyone had success with this? I am so glad I have found others like me. Thanks God for loving and patient husbands!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi there - oh my goodness, poor you, what you've been through :(
I'm afraid I'm not much help to you since my surgery didn't involve repairing my sphincter, "only" my vagina and labia... for what it's worth, I found it all much less painful than I anticipated, with manageable pain after. Recovery pretty fast with both my repair ops. I still have some issues (when I have my period my entire crotch just aches, and I still can't hold in wind very well) but on the whole, not bad. I'm hoping to bump this for you so some of our regulars see this. Or, if you've read the thread, if anyone's story is very similar to yours, no-one will mind if you PM them for advice. Look at the top of the thread, where it says private messaging, and click on inbox, and go from there.
Do come back and update please!

Febengan sorry to hear you had such a horrible experience!! Sounds similarish to me. I had secondary surgery - a sphincteroplasty, levatoroplasty, and vaginal reconstruction 5 months after my son was born. I can honestly say the surgery was nothing in comparison to the birth and i felt so much better afterwards. I wont kid you, the initial week wasn't great, and i was constipated so that was v painful. Was in hospital for about a week, but recovered much quicker than i did after the primary repair. I am now continent- slight staining after strenous exercise, i can hold in wind no prob and have no pain. So very happy with it. I didn't go to physio - as i didn't think it would sort me out as there was so much damage. If there's not much muscle there, you may be squeezing 'til the cows come home' with no effect . But thats just my opinion.

I had afourth degree tear too, and if you look back i posted alot here in the beginning. My son is four this month, and i am pretty happy now. Hope this helps a bit.

Cyee good to hear from you, all good here, looking forward to beers and watching the rugby tomorrow

Hi everyone

I am new to this thread. The last time I posted on netmums was well over a year ago on the TTC threads...but obviously I have now had my much anticipated DS and am in a situation which I never anticipated being part of...

I am getting bamboozled with reading the posts people have put so don't think I'm rude but I'll just post my story and see if it matches other peoples as there seems to be a few of us out there (which makes me sad but also comforts me a little).

So, I had my DS nearly 5 months ago with forceps delivery. This resulted in what was thought to be a 2nd degree tear, this was repaired then the consultant thought it was a 3rd degree tear so took stitches out and repaired it as a 3rd degree. It turns out it was a 4th degree tear and a fistula, neither of which were diagnosed for a week by which time I was so badly infected I was on 24 iv anti-biotic drip. I then had emergency colostomy operation. I have just had the anal scan and probe tests and am waiting for the results. I imagine I will be told to have physio. The original colo-rectal consultant told me that the fistula had healed but I went to see a Carolynn Vaizey at St Marks Hospital in London last week and she said it hasn't. Has anyone had a fistula heal without surgery? How long have people been having physio for? Does it work? Do you still suffer with incontinence issues, or needing to go the toilet quickly?

I will try and read some more posts to get a gist of what is going on. I am suing, not something I feel comfortable about really, but the hospital have done an investigation an admitted liability. I feel it is ruining my life, my relationship with my much wanted first child an my maternity leave. I feel very worried and depressed and am going to the Dr tomorrow with a view to getting anti-depressants.

Very sorry for my long message...hard to keep my complex story short though am sure I am not going through things as bad as others out there.

Thanks for your time.

Hi another newbie here marking my place.

Forceps birth long labour third degree tear and possible prolapse (waiting to find out) terribly sore bottom (being treated as thrush and piles).

Am seven weeks post partum.

Just thought I would say hi hairy...I love the name btw, made me chuckle :). It's a lot to take on board all this after having a baby...no-one tells you this in the baby books!

Hello catmad , thank you. No, I imagined being very mobile and sprightly! bitter laugh

I am pretty scared at the moment as I'm not sure what damage I'm actually left with ... Or what can be done about it.