anterior/posterior surgery 17 days ago!!!

thank you my dear...  I wanted to put up a note incase anyone had experienced something similar and had any advice to give...  Right now I am on a very low ebb to say the least and have hardly been able to get out of bed or off the sofa since surgery.  Things have been much more difficult than I had anticipated.,

Whoever calls these surgeries "nothing much" or "minor" needs to walk a few steps in a patients shoes before providing such comments as this is a seriously difficult thing for any woman to get through...

thank you for getting back to me.   This has been a complete nightmare for me thus far and I really hope things can improve soon.  I had no clue whatsoever how bad this would be and upon speaking with other ladies in my consultants practice they all say the same, that they are living a daily nightmare.  fingers crossed for better times ahead xx

That's a bit worrying that the others are having the same experience Lorelli.  I don't know what to make of that.  It doesn't seem 'the norm' of people's experiences on here!  But yes, I certainly hope you're feeling much better soon!

I dont think all the ladies feel comfortable to come forward about their experiences too be honest and I thought long and hard about posting my experience on this forum but felt that I owed it to other women to be honest and tell them of my experience in the hope it would aid them in some way or atleast get them to ask their specialist all they need to ahead of time.

The ladies I spoke with yesterday were in as much of a state as I and one had been suffering for a lengthy period.

Whatever people say this is "major" surgery which really takes it toll on a womans body.  Thank you for your kind wishes. 

I am trying to look for the light at the end of the tunnel but so far it is nowhere close   xx

It is important for women to hear the other side of things, you're right.  I breezed through my hysterectomy and repair and imagined most did the same.  But yes, it is major surgery and that shouldn't be forgotten.  I did have a bladder infection after mine but the surgeon warned me I might and when I felt off colour we called the doctor and antibiotics sorted it, but that was the only problem I had.  It sounds as though I was very lucky.  I do hope that light appears to get brighter and brighter soon, at the end of that tunnel.

thanks so much...  Pleased you came out without too many difficulties and hope you feel much better now.

I could not in a million years have imagine the pain associated with this and more than anything want women to be able to read the good and the bad when it comes to this so they are prepared.  There was alot I was not warned about sadly.  Fingers crossed the light will get closer

Sorry you have been suffering too.  Ironically one of my main sypmtoms before the rectocele and cystocele was located was bladder frequency and pressure but now that I have had the catheter in for nearly 3 weeks I still feel much pressure and discomfort in the area so until the catheter comes out and I feel semi normal again I cannot really tell if the surgery has provided any form of relief with any of my symptoms to be honest.  Sorry re your infection.  which antibiotics did they give you?

I waited a long time before having the surgery as I was pretty petrified and like you right now I can only tell you that I wish I had never had the operation.

Last night when my bladder was at capacity and I could not go to the toilet without the catheter I was in such great and overwhelming pain that I am honestly not sure how I got through.

I dont think many ladies come forward about their experiences and having spoken to three different ladies yesterday all suffering the same or similar to us I can tell you that they too are in absolute despair with all this.

I am going back to the hospital on Sunday LORD help me. 

I can only hope there will be a light at the end of the tunnel for both us us.

Hope your infection will clear for you soon.  Are you feeling okay other than the infection and do you still have any other symptoms?

xxx

Really hope all goes well for u on Sunday let us know wot happens. Like u my bladder was so uncomfortable before the op always peeing, I dispair of ever feeling normal again. But let's try and keep each others spirits up. Warmest regards jan. ☺

fingers firmly crossed that we will both have some better news soonest xx

I will be wishing u well on Sunday let's hope u will soon be catheter free. And normality returned. X

I will keep on praying.  Thank you xxx

sorry taken a while to come back to post but sadly this nightmare continues for me...

was readmitted to hospital for them to remove the catheter again and felt ok for around 4or5 hours without the cath and then by 9pm had a desperate urge to go to the toilet and coukd not go. I was absolutely doubled over in pain agsin so they had to put catheter in which relieved me of my extreme pain more o less immediately. I stayed I hospitdl for a few days and the plan was for them to fit a suprapubic catheter through the abdomen under general anaesthetic but they wanted me to go for uro dynamic testing first

so I had the uro dynamic test which showed bladder was well supported did have sensation and after about 11 minutes I was able to go alone but with very very small voids. radiologist was wonderful and told me this was good news and that this meant my bladder would definitely start working again by that itime may take big of time.

consultant then told me she would rather not fit the suprapubic cath and try and wait yo see if bladder could improve first and do I was sent home with same regular catheter for a further 3 weeks until I gave the next twoc with the nurse which will take place over 7 hours. I am trying to cope with catheter but having had this for 4 weeks now it is difficult xnd I still have soreness and a cutting pain where tube feeds in and may also have a thrush infection as was given short course of trimethroprim after uro dynamics test which can sometimes cause thrush. also still have pressure feeling that I need to go all the find with catheter in but am told this is normal. I am finding all of this extremely hard and am in tears much of the time. can only hope things may improve. not to be able to go yo the toilet is very frightening and causes much anxiety. if anyone has any advice would appreciate them sharing. will hope my next post is a log more positive xx

Lorelli, I am SO SO sorry to hear this horrendous time is still going on for you!  I can imagine the stress and anxiety it's causing.  I wish I could suggest something to help you - all I can offer is sympathy and it seems so little.  But I am thinking of you and SO hoping that you'll be able to put this behind you before too long.

thank you for your kind words.

sadly this has been an ongoing nightmare for me and this week again I had to be rushed to hospital as was suffering intolerable pain. Turns out there was a blockage in my catheter where fluid wasnt getting through therefore was all being stored up inside bladder again and no way to release it.  No idea how I even got to the hospital was in the most excrutiating pain I have ever endured.  Got there and they tried to flush catheter at first which didnt work then eventually removed it and replaced with a new one and when they did over 700ml immediately drained with a further 500 mil in the next 30 minutes therefore there was close to 1200ml of fluid sitting waiting to be released.  Given my bladder at full capacity holds around 600ml I have no idea how I got through.  It has left me so frightened and anxious.  I hope and pray it doesnt happen again.  The nurses were I have to say fantastic and the relief when they put the new catheter in was unbelievable.

I wish upon a star I will have a better and more positive post sometime soon

again thank you for your kind words of encouragment xx

Lorelli, that brought tears to my eyes, reading that.  My goodness you've had some horrendous times and my heart goes out to you.  Yes, I too hope and pray that it doesn't happen again and that day by day you will see improvement now and feel SO much better soon.  Do keep us updated, will you?  I suspect there are several people on here thinking of you a lot and hoping for improvement quickly now.

It is always difficult knowing whether to post on this forum when your story is not all positive but I feel it is very important that women are aware of what might lie ahead for them.  Sadly I was not warned of all this and therefore was not prepared to such pain and debilitating problems.  I fully appreciate that many people sail through this but there are also some like myself who endure complications.  I hope that in time I can look back on this and see that it just took me a while longer than others and that I endured some extra problems but having had the catheter in for all this time and such problems with my bladder it would be impossible at this time to see or talk about any benefits from this surgery although I hope in time I will be able to post something different and that I will see some benefits along the line.

I read so many stories about this being minor surgery and I just cannot agree with that and ofcourse do base them on my own personal experience but for me this has been something major and traumatic to my system.

Fingers crossed things will get better and my bladder with wake up ahead of the turkey and stuffing!  I am saying a BIG prayer.  thank you for your kind words and for listening xx

I think you are absolutely right Lorelli!  It's no good just telling people the good side of things - they need to know both sides before making a decision to go ahead and have an operation, to make an informed decision.  Yes, I can understand how you're feeling about it all now, and yes yes yes - I SO hope that before too long you'll be able to post that it WAS a difficult time for you, much worse than you expected, but once you've come out the other side, it was all worth it.  I don't know that it should ever be described as minor surgery though.  My gynie was quick to tell me that with having the hysterectomy AND vaginal repair, it was two lots of major surgery.  While I breezed through it, I did find my immune system was hit hard and got the flu a month after the op, and then got shingles a few months after that, so started taking immunace to boost my immune system and that seems to have worked - I'm not picking up every infection now.  (I got the shingles vaccination this year too!)  Of course, it could have been the cancer as well, that knocked it for six, not just the op.

But do take care of yourself and yes, I hope you will have a lovely Christmas (don't lift the turkey!) and next year will be really good!

thank you for your kind words.

my aim is not to scare anyone who is set for this surgery but make them aware and at least given them the opportunity to ask questions of what might be ahead of the surgery. I am sure the percentage of people who have these complications is fairly low but think it is so important to get our stories of there and lovely matron has been so helpful too... if only I had been a patient on matrons ward am sure things would have been better.

I feel particularly low bug know there are others also in the same boat as I and knoe that together we can all try to help one another.

next Tuesday will mark 5 weeks since my surgery and hopefully things will start to improve..

I hope my bladder will wake up soonest.

thank you again and one thing I can promise you is that I will not be lifting the turkey cone yo think of it the turkey may need to lift me xx