Help needed tonight for my poor mangled nethers!

[MangledNethers]

I had a hysteroscopy under general anaesthetic today to get biopsies for possible endometrial cancer. I’ve had previous conscious attempts to get a Pipelle biopsy but they can’t get in because I’ve had an ablation in the past.

I’m in agony this evening every time I have a wee, as whatever elephantine speculum they used to get in there has ripped my vulva to shreds by stretching it - all my skin down there is very delicate despite being on HRT and breaks at the drop of a hat, even from wearing pads, which I’ve had to do recently because of this unexpected bleeding.

Anyway, the agony. I have ordered some of the good barrier cream which the nurse gave me a couple of years ago when she tore me doing my smear test, but that won’t be here until, realistically, tomorrow afternoon.

WHAT THE HELL DO I DO UNTIL THEN?

I’ve just had a warm salt bath which made me cry. I am in complete agony weeing, and the massive pads I am having to wear for the bleeding are just making it worse.

Please, wise women, hit me with any and all ideas you have, preferably from experience so you can vouch for them. I am knackered from the GA this morning so too much experimentation is out. DH isn’t supposed to leave me for 24 hours, but could probably do so in the morning - our nearest late pharmacy isn’t really late and is already closed tonight. Obvs am drinking as much as I can stomach to keep my wee dilute, but that doesn’t even seem to be helping!

Cheap box of camomile teabags and make yourself a nice, warm sitz bath.

Sorry. I didn't realize that was what you meant by the comment.

This …. ⬆️ my midwife suggested peeing in the shower with a warm water poured slowly over the affected area at the same time . A hand held shower head works well if you have one.

Poor you - i had a birth injury that was pretty awful. I begged the GP for 3 days of codeine. It worked. Hope you feel better soon

Yes they told me to use a clean washing up type bottle. Just warm water, nothing in it.

When I had an episiotomy that went bad (turns out I'm allergic to Vicryl sutures) tea tree oil in the bath helped, also weeing in the bath/shower and sitting on a doughnut cushion. Hope you feel better soon.

Use a hair dryer to dry yourself afterwards

Hello everyone! Thank you all so much, again and very sincerely, for your advice, support and stories of your own. They kept me going! I’ve been very sleepy today so haven’t been online until now, but I’ve read every single one of your helpful messages.

Happy to report that I’m now in possession of all the creams, witch hazel and big pads which are helping so much. At its worst it’s still like a thousand paper cuts, but this is all making it bearable, and hopefully I’ll get some healing in the next 24 hours. I’m holding off on the oestrogen cream until I have my biopsy results, as if it’s cancer I don’t think adding more oestrogen will be a good idea. I’ll talk to my gynae oncologist about it when she calls with the results.

Solidarity to everyone going through something similar who’s been kind enough to post here. The power of the Mumsnet community in action!

I used to have eczema and when trying to apply emollients, I found that pressing it rather than rubbing helped more.

I specifically used to use cocoa butter based products and the pressing action both melted the CB but also helped with the soreness/itching. Something about the even pressure/support of my hand I think. That ties in with the ideas about cold packs as well.

Hope it eases soon!

I wish this thread had been around for my turn of the nether regions nightmare!

OP I hope you'll feel a good bit better very soon, the pain down there is something else! I was told nothing, got nothing and was in agony for days after a transcervical resection by hysteroscopy, GA thank god, but I wished I was still under when I woke up! .

I can feel your pain, honestly, every wince of it. I bled a lot too and used puppy training pads on the bed which were great, if a little ridiculous, but they did prevent mishaps.

I wore heavy flow period pants and a pair of incontinence knickers (like swim pants) on top, that gave a bit of confidence and the period pants were softer next to the skin than a pad.

I didn't know what to do about weeing, I'd had a catheter and honestly the pain was terrible going to the loo when it was removed. I was clueless, never having had children either! I used sudocrem and it really helped.

After a while and when I healed a bit, I used YES vaginal moisturiser. OMG that stuff is brilliant. I am now using Estriol (Ovestin) which is ace also.

Wishing you well in your journey and hope everything works out for you.

Sudocrem. Miraculous stuff! A perfect barrier x

Omg the idea of putting sudocreme on a vulva is enough to give me thrush via the Internet.

Hope you've got some oestrogen cream now op!

I always wonder about the raves for sudocrem - strongly fragranced, also containing alcohol and antiseptic ingredients… ouch.

The "ouch" doesn't happen with sudocrem. See the name implies "soothing cream"!

I used it after nether region surgery, and when yards of packing were unceremoniously yanked from my vagina after it. Nothing else gave any relief, and it didn't sting or anything like that. Bliss. I would have put the pee of a mountain cat from the Himalayas down there if I thought it would ease the pain! But I didn't need to, sudocrem did the job.

When I healed I used YES brand of vaginal moisturiser which is brilliant stuff, and am now on Ovestin cream. All good.

That’s good, I’m sorry you had to go through that too, I know lots of people love it and it must be for a reason but I just can’t cope with those levels of irritants. I do get that we’re all different though.