1 year post op for A&P surgery.

Thank you so much I'm not a doctor. I felt I needed to record my progress as sometimes that is the only way to compare one week or month to another and it's not till you look back that you can see the difference.

I also very much appreciated when other ladies posted their experience as it did help when I was worried about anything and often put my mind at rest.

I felt really strong about lack of info during my first repair and felt the need to warn everyone about the need to be aware that it is major surgery and you can't hurry the healing process no matter what kind of repairs; stitches and tissues still take time the same time to heal allowing for - younger ladies may be quicker than older ladies in healing and recovering.

I have been really lucky in that I have managed both repairs without any infections/uti''s, and when I had heavy bleed it was before I was discharged from hospital. I do think sometimes that I may have been too protective of this second repair and wonder if that has lead to tighter scat tissue, bug not really sure about that.

Hopefully in time the research they are doing on this site will lead to better info on discharge from hospital and hopefully a proper ' Urogynocology leaflet' just for those who have had any kind of pelvic floor repairs.

I do think it confuses employers and even occupational health workers who are suppose to be informed on our condition, when they get gynecology leaflets and look up official sites that say 6-8 weeks recovery and does not reflect the experience of many women. It is our long term health that us so important and when repairs fail it just means more time of work, more sick pay being paid out and more important they say second repairs are less likely to be successful.

I think first repairs would have much higher success rate if we were better informed on discharge.

Anyway hope I have helped some of the ladies and prevented them from overdoing things in early days maybe leading to more successful recoveries.

Hope you are doing OK yourself !

Phyl x?

I so agree with you Phyl. I went into my AR completely blind, I was given very basic info & I didn't feel the need to question anything. I even had a totally unnecessary hysterectomy (that's another story!). I'm still not planning to have my rectoenterocele repaired as I'm managing better with it at the moment but I am much more informed after reading all the posts on here in fact I might change my name to "I'm nearly a doctor" as I've learned so much!

When I do have the op (which will happen at some point) I will have a much better idea of how things will be & I will take more time off to recover etc as what's more important than your health?

Better fact sheets need to be supplied to ladies having surgery not just the general pelvic floor info that I was given, let's hope that happens.

Hope we will still see you on the site Phyl. X

Looking forward to having a read at that, will take note for future reference but hopefully won't need it personally myself for at least ten years! ? providing I take care.

X

Well  it definitely won't say recovery will only take 6 weeks! 

Still 😅😅😅 at "I'm nearly a doctor".

Hope you get things all sorted when your ready; as Matron Would say ' who knows what wonderful things they will be able to do in the future.

I do intend to try and keep up to date with any changes as these repairs don't last forever and no doubt after another 10 years of work with be about ready for the knackers yard so will need done again.

Maybe they will be able to regenerate new human tissue from our own to line our walls by then. My hubby keeps asking me to ask for a new womb, that's the bit I don't really miss at all.

Phyl x

Occupational health told me 3-4 weeks and 6-8 if you have complications and insisted it was on gynecology site.

Don't know how they are getting away with that, my GP shrugged her shoulders and said this is what they do.

X

Occupational health are shocking in my opinion. They don't always have the employee's interests at heart.

Hi matron,

Thank you for your comment. I think that on the second visit it was me too to blame I think I did say lower back pain when I should have clearly said pain in lower back of pelvic floor. They were running really late and she kept cutting me of and I did try to explain better but she latched on to the lower back pain and so I was dismissed. She was exactly the same at pre-op visit and dismissed the posterior prolapse saying it was only anterior that had prolapsed and didnt need posterior done, tried explaining what was going on but she was quite abrupt. Anyway different lady did my surgery and she did listen to me when I spoke to her on way down to theatre.

Forgot to ask GP if it's OK to still use topical antiimflamatory ibruprophen gel along with Co-Codimole tablets. Can you tell me if that's OK?

Often feel now that many of the ladies are much younger and having TVT fitted and don't have that experience and therefor can't help. Often wonder too at how you don't get confused, so many ladies with variable experiences how do you keep up!

Hope you are well, take care

Phyl x?

Hello phyl. It is ok to use ibuprofen gel with Co codamol tablets. I laughed at your comments about me keeping up because my memory these days is terrible! 😘

Thank you for getting back good to know I can use both together.

It must help being a trained professional, I would have to have a file-o-fax and have idividual files so I could reference people - ' whose that again and what did they get done' , it is easier to remember those who have similar surgery and those who have surgery at the same time.

Phyl x

Thank you Stephanie, think this is now the time to rest less and be more mobile. Think the broken chairs in work hasn't helped with posture.

Initially thought I had frozen shoulder, but was wrong; been doing exercises I found on the net for that condition along with hot water bottle, think that helped to loosen of and keep my joint mobile.

Been walking about with book on my head, not very good at it but helps if I wear a soft hair bad, not sure if that's cheating?

With regards to pelvic floor, I recovery very quickly now the odd time I do overdo things. Keeping up with pelvic floor exercises, and started some very light low impact exercise too.

Phyl x