I can't take anymore pain

04-21-2007, 04:43 PM

Hi I'm new to this forum and from the U.K. I want to tell my story and see if anybody else has had what I've gone through and if they have please tell me how they got better.
Feb 2002 aged 29
I had a total hysterctomy which wasn't an easy decision at 29 years old, but I was lucky in having 2 great children and thought this would be the end of my troubles, but unfortunately it was just the begining. (I had hyterectomy for heavy uncontrolable bleeding and severe pmt).
As my surgeon cut off my cervix my vagina split on the left side over an artery and I had to have 6 units of blood as an emergency blood transfusion. Recovered really well and surprised my surgeon with just how well I had taken the near death experience I had.

After 4 weeks I had a hematomy which wasn't to much of a problem. I just got on with my life and had freedom from heavy continuos periods and I felt great. Until

Oct 2003

I had 2 days of unbearable pain it felt like labour pains (which I knew was impossible but that's what it felt like) on the second night I was tossing and turning with a temperature I finally fell asleep but was awoken soon after with a poping sensation and a thick yellow discharge. I saw my doctor who found an undissovled stitch on the left side of my vagina where I had the tear. I went and saw my consultant who removed it and put me on antibiotics which did the trick and I soon felt well again.

Dec 2003

On the way to a family gathering for christmas the pain started again saw my consultant immediately who examined me and felt a lump in the same place as where the stitch was in Oct. had a scan and it revealed a 2 Inch abcess. I was immediately put on antibiotics.

Jan 2004

Had abcess removed via surgery, but within 2 days the pain was back.

May 2004

Had MRI Scan which showed ANother 2 Inch Abcess in the same place.

Jan 2005

Had abcess drained and packed in surgery. But within a few days the pain was back again.

May 2005

Had Laproscopy and another stitch removed also they discovered major adhesions onto my bowel which were sorted out.

July 2005

Had MRI Scan again which showed another abcess about the same size.

Sept 2005

Had C T Scan which showed a 3 inch abcess.

Nov 2005

Had major surgery via abdominal laprotomy and a top vagiectomy which removed the abcess and the pain (Hoorah).

Dec 2005

Oh no pain is back

Jan 2006

Had trans-vaginal scan which showed a 1 Inch lump which was not fluid filled so my consultant said can't be an abcess just learn to deal with the pain.

April 2006

Had examination under anesthetic and the lump removed which turned out to be an abcess and a stitch. Pain did not go at all.

May 2006

Had another MRI Scan which showed another 2 Inch abcess.

June/July/August 2006

Had fortnightly local injections into abcess to try and stop some pain and let me get on with my life. But unfortunately they did not even last the time it took to walk back to my car.

Sept 2006

Had abcess drained under sedation.

Nov 2006

Went back to my consultant in tears I want it sorted out once and for all.
Had another scan which showed another abcess. My consultant is left speechless. He said that as soon as he removes one abcess another is already forming behind it and doesn't know what to do. I was sent to see another surgeon.

Apr 2007

Had abcess scraped out and packed and told I would be seen in 6 months time.

I am in pain again I have lost faith in all the doctors and surgeons I hav met over the last 5 years. Has anybody out there got any advice. I try to get on with as much as I can but just cooking dinner at night leaves me in pain let alone housework and being a wife and mother. I am really fed up and will travel anywhere in the world if I could just get better.

Thanks for letting me tell my story, please if anybody has got any answers I will be glad to hear them.

Thank you

Sarah

04-22-2007, 12:24 AM

OMG, what you have gone through is totally horrendous. I am so sorry for you. Thank you for sharing your story, it is a very good example of what can happen when a hysterectomy is performed. It is a very invasive major surgery which causes considerable damage. I think the only thing you can do at this point is to keep looking for a doctor who can help. Your stitches should have dissovled long ago, so it makes me question what kind of stitches were used? Has anyone mentioned that to you? There has to be something there to keep causing infections. Did you have a vaginal hysterectomy? There would seem to be no other reason for tearing than that because when the cervix is cut, it is just cut, so it would not cause tearing? I am truly so sorry for you. Hugs.

04-22-2007, 12:38 AM

I had abdominal surgery. The tearing was caused because I had a weakness on the left hand side of my vagina. I don't know how it happened. The stitches were supposed to dissolve but I had so many that were very deep that they did not get the chance to dissolve. They were not very careful with the stitching because I was bleeding so badly that it was a race against time. I am trying to search for another doctor but nobody seems to know how to cure this from happening. I am told I am a unique case. (Is that meant to make me feel better). I was really glad I found this website because I hoped that somebody might have gone through something similar and had been made better.

Thanks for your reply. I will let you all know if I have any luck.

Sarah

04-22-2007, 10:11 AM

Hi Sarsha

I am so sorry to read of your terrible experience. I had my TAH 3 years ago and still get some twinges but absolutely nothing compared to your pain or the pain i had before surgery.

I did want to try and respond to your posting though. The only experience i have of absesses is via my mother in law who had an absess behind her knee. She was continuously told that surgery to drain or remove or knee replacement was not a viable option as the hole left would just keep filling up again. She eventually had a knee replacement and guess what, the absess completely disappeared. So maybe there is hope out there for you but as a previous poster said you may need to find anotehr doctor.

I realise that it is not that easy here in the UK but I think if i were in your position I would start writing letters to the hospital where you were treated. It is not acceptable to be left in pain following surgery and I think you should demand a copy of your records as a starting point. You have nothing to lose by doing this.

You may also want to contact your hospital management team and request details of any local patient advocacy groups. They may be able to help you along.

to find another consultant might mean a visit to your local GP.

Hope the above helps
good luck
ktee

04-22-2007, 11:07 AM

Hi ktee

Thanks for the advice. I have already thought about getting my notes. I have also made an appointment with my G.P. next week. I have decided to start from scratch with a new consultant. I have searched the internet etc for a few weeks now trying to get some idea of any consultants in particular, but no luck as of yet. I will let you all know how I get on.

Thanks again

Sarah

05-24-2007, 10:33 AM

Sarah, I am new to this site and just read your story. I would absoutely find another consultant. Have they done any cultures of your abcesses? They need to find out what bacteria is growing so they can give the correct antibiotics. Look for an infectious disease doctor. Also, you may be allergic to the materials in the stitches they used and your body is rejecting them by forming abcesses, if this is the case it is very hard to heal. Good luck and keep us updated.

I can't take anymore pain

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