Posted , 6 users are following.
....and I feel as if there is something fallen or lying flat or like a platform at the back base of my vagina; horrible
Thought I saw a blue-coloured stitch.
Struggling to get BMs to the right consistency.
Does the bulgy vaginal feeling ever go away?? I just don't know what I 'should' be feeling one way or another 😣😣
1 like, 24 replies
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ED2018 ruth63422
Posted
Hello Everyone,
I am day 14 post A&P repair with TOT. To date - I think everything has gone pretty much as expected - but truly don’t think I fully appreciated how many hours I would need to spend in a lateral position! Nor did I fully comprehend what “doing too much” was. I have found that even after resting for hours, to get up for an hour to make dinner, then eat and do dishes totally wipes me out! Yesterday I got up and felt fairly good - put in a load of laundry, showered and then....exhausted for remainder of day! I am accustomed to keeping a VERY busy and brisk schedule, so this is the most I have rested since having my children 30 years ago.
In trying to push myself in a reasonable manner - I have found that even short times of being up or a short walk to our barn for some fresh air, leave me back to bleeding and swelling and discomfort. Last pm I took a look to see what might be going on and I also saw a blue stitch as Ruth mentioned in her orginal post. Is this normal? It didn’t look as though the edges were well approximated - it was “off” on one side...wondering if that is normal? Also - have had a couple of really odd instances in which I have been up longer than I apparently should have been (1hr or so) and then suddenly have this BURNING pain in my labia/external vaginal tissue. When I look - it is fire engine red - and most often find that the discharge is bloody - but no discharge like one would expect with a yeast infection. Sorry if this is TMI. It is so awful that I have desperately tried peri cleansing with warm H20 to “get whatever the irritant is off” and ended up having to lay down with ice packs praying for relief. It can take up to an hour to achieve relief. Has anyone experienced this? And what about that stitch?
So grateful for the posts on this sight - you all have helped me through these first two weeks and in the scary weeks leading up to this repair! THANK YOU!
welshgirl67 ED2018
Posted
Way to soon for laundry and doing dishes hun. The first few weeks you should be rest rest and more rest lol.
I know what it's like,im10 wks tvh and anterior repair and haven't even done any wAshing yet. No way am I going through another repair.. Even last one I did nothing but I feel it was the consultant to blame not me. My new consultant is brill. Rest up hunx
ruth63422 ED2018
Posted
The stitch is normal - how can you see so far internally? With a speculum? The stitches may be one continuous long one or any variety of sewing styles, so i wouldnt expect they should look one way or the other. I am not worried about mine now. I wonder if you're doing way too much? I am doing less all the time! Only just two weeks - i only lift or put dry washing in the machine; others remove it from machine and hang it up/bring it in - i lift 2 litre s of water or milk to make coffee - i walk around the garden. Then back to the sofa. Can't help with the extra pain - maybe doing too much?
Good luck!
ED2018 ruth63422
Posted
Perhaps I have been overdoing - just feels like everyone expects me to “be better” and getting back to normal at this point. My physician had said I would be able to return to work at 4 weeks - but I honestly can’t even imagine walking the lengthy distance from my parking garage to my office (I work in a major academic medical center) - much less performing all day long with a LOT of additional walking and sitting. Just seems a bit barbaric - but then feel “wimpy” if I don’t rise to the MD expectations of being ready. So many mixed messages on this - rest and heal...minimal activity - but be ready to go back full throttlle 4 weeks out from quite a bit of MAJOR surgery! Sorry to rant - just so frustrating!
Thank you for listening and for encouraging me to rest. The burning on fire feeling actually only happens when I been up for a bit - so maybe it does have something to do with swelling and dry vaginal tissues.
Wish you all the best!
ruth63422 ED2018
Posted
I agree on the mixed messages, and as a nurse I've probably over-complicated things for myself too, but the main thing I'm doing now is remembering that 'A stitch in time saves nine' quote. I've realised I have almost forgotten how ghastly it was to live with a rectocele for a couple of years coz this op in itself has felt so invasive etc etc....but what I think now is that if I take the next 6 MONTHS of my life, not just 6 weeks, I may be able to have the rest of my life free from rectocele problems. I am going back to work (nurse but sitting job) at 6 weeks, but am not going to lift ot strain for months. I would never want this surgery again, ever. So taking it very easy - lying down most of the day - no cooking or chores - is what I'll happily be doing for the next month!
welshgirl67 ED2018
Posted
Hi hun
The burning feeling is the nerves healing.. Sometimes the nerves are cut and damaged so we then have a burning feeling when on feet too much. I feel at this stage it's way to early to even be looking down there. You will look bulge and swollen. Have you seen what they do in this op? They cut the entire back wall so imagine all that newly cut tissue trying to heal. I'd always say get an appointment with your consultant as they are the only ones to put your mind at rest. I'm 11 wks tvh and anterior repair and will go back at 12 wks just for piece of mind. Please don't worry hun, your body needs that energy to heal.😘
ED2018 welshgirl67
Posted
Wishing you a happy Saturday!
ED2018 ruth63422
Posted
Hi Ruth,
I am also a nurse of 26+ years - and this just goes to show that we never quit learning in this field! During my clinical years I was NICU/L&D/PP - the side that causes much of this - but I had NO IDEA about the long range impacts of all of that business and actually had to look up what POP even was when all of this finally was diagnosed (almost 3 yrs post me mentioning to GP who dismissed my symptoms I might add)! Thank goodness for a urologist who was caring for me r/t kidney stones - who did listen and refer me to an awesome uro gyn. I also didn’t know that was a specialty either! Just so grateful for all the learning and support on these forums!
Update: I did end up ringing the uro/gyn office as didn’t want to worry all weekend - they said the blue stitch I was seeing in the perineal area was r/t the “top layer stitching” they did when closing the Rectocele. Said that I was doing too much - should rest more, continue to use ice and to use Vaseline to sooth the very sensitive external vaginal tissue. Also said if symptoms worsen over weekend to ring on Monday so they could take a look and ensure this isn’t early signs of a yeast infection. Hope all you ladies have a restful weekend and I will do my best to do the same.
laura42210 ruth63422
Posted
Hi, I haven’t read all the responses but I feel exactly the same! I had perenium reconstruction and rectocele 1.5 weeks ago and I have the bulging tampon feeling !! If it reassures you I had to go back to my surgeon on day 6 and whilst he was so nice to me I cried 😂 he said he was really happy with how it looks and feels so I’m guessing it’s totally normal to have this level of uncomfortable swelling! I’m starting to feel a bit better now but it’s a false sense of security because as soon as I stand it’s heavy and sore again! Sending lots of good wishes your way xx 💛