After TAH - What was in my Vagina??

DeniseS,

The only thing that happened to me recently when I started hemoraghing 16 days post op was there was a "bleeder" on my vaginal cuff and they tried to stitch in the ER but couldn't get at it so they put in vaginal packing and they said it was like putting pressure on the wound so the bleeding would stop. It was a gauze type stuff, mine was white and it was hanging out of my vagina. They admitted me and kept checking it through the night to see how far the blood was coming down the white gauze. So I don't know what the "drain" was but the packing sounds similiar to what I had and maybe you were bleeding alot from surgery and they were trying to stop the bleeding???? Unfortunately for me, it didn't work and I needed a Emergency surgery as I was down 1/3 my blood supply. They stitched and now I have some other packing up there and that will fall out in a week I guess. They also restitched over my vaginal cuff..

I am 100% certain it wasnt the catheter (I had one of those too). I've had them before so knew what to expect - plus the nurse came in a few hours earlier to remove the catheter, which pinched a little coming out (not bad), but nothing at all as compared to this drain/packing thing.

I plan to pick up a copy of my op report and have a follow up appointment with my doctor next week, so I'll be sure to let you all know what I find out.

Thanks

Are we taking bets on what was in there? A stuffed pink bunny rabbit? Just kidding, who KNOWS what they do to us in surgery.
I am thinking of getting my own surgical record, too. Curiosity is killing this TunaCat!

TunaCat,
Lol, if I was betting I would say a toilet plunger since that's what it felt like coming out (ouch, the pressure!!!)

I'll let you know

I requested my surgical report and pathology report. They said I should have it in two weeks....that would be next week. Since I did GYN medical transcription for 10 years, I should have a pretty good idea what all means. We'll see.

Before my dr took my packing out, she told me to hit the button my Toradol IV then she waited about 5-10 minutes. I don't even remember her taking it out. LOL She did ask me where the drain was the next day....I said in the sewer somewhere...it fell out when I went potty the very next day!

The first two weeks my dh (we're actually seperated) had to change out the packing in the open wound about every two hours. I started doing it myself last week. Now everytime I go to the bathroom I have to change out this gauze packing. For the first three weeks, I had to use this stuff called AquaGel, which was gross. It would turn to a gel when it got wet. However, it didn't hurt. The gauze kinda hurts when I have to remove it and put new in but I''m actually getting used to it. I have to have a silver nitrate treatment on Monday......I'm sure I'll be pretty sore after that. I'll be 5 weeks postop on Monday and I'm not even close to returning to work. I was told 8-12 weeks.

Ladies, I have the answer from my doctor....

I was right, I did have something in there in addition to the catheter. My doctor put in what is called a T-Tube drain that was started inside my abdominal cavity, went out through a small opening in my vaginal cuff, and then out my vagina into a drain.

She said she doesnt routinely use them, but because of the amount of adhesions I had and work they had to do to me she wanted it there because draining can help limit the risk of infection.

OMG did it hurt coming out!

Hm, that's good to know. So much info on this site- thanks!