Its been a long 2 years...

I'll give you the short version, then get to the main question I have that hopefully someone can tell me something about... I am now 30 years old.
I had a beautiful baby boy, William, on May 24th, 2006. He is my 3rd (and last) child. In July, I had a tubal lig., as the pregnancy with my son aggrivated a back problem I was born with, but strangely enough, didn't bother me so much with my first 2 children (though I was 21 & 23 y/o with my first two and the spinal degeneration at that time wasn't as bad). It was an agonizingly painful pregnancy, so I decided it would be my last, thus the tubal. Then, on August 20, 2006, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor on the inner medial aspect of my right temporal lobe, golfball sized. I had brain surgery to remove it on September 1, 2006, and even after initial tests showed it to be a malignant type, it miraculously was benign after they removed it (no one can explain it, but I can, lots of prayer and faith and huge support from family, friends, and perfect strangers). I have some problems post-tumor (some facial paralysis, loss of peripheral vision, left side weakness, memory loss and a seizure disorder that is well controlled with medications), but it is nothing that I cannot LIVE with. Within a month of coming home after a 2 week stay in hospital, I began to have horrible periods. I would bleed and cramp horribly (curl up and die pain). I would bleed heavy for at least 12 days, get about a week off, then start again. This went on until I finally got in at the local women's clinic in February 2007(long waiting list) because my siezures were getting worse as well, since I was bleeding out my medication levels and not maitaining the levels to control them. They found a "mass" in the uterus, and offered me a hysterectomy. In spite of the fact I was getting quite tired of surgeries understandably, I was more tired of bleeding "like a stuck pig" as they say here n Oklahoma, and gladly volunteered for it. They got me in the next day and did the surgery. I had a vaginal partial, I got to keep my ovaries. Post surgically, I was in a lot of pain, but who among us who has been through this hasn't? Then I get diagnosed with IBS, bound to happen sooner or later, every woman in my family got it by 30 anyway. IBS is awful, but with that I am learning to cope and adjust.
Here's my problem. It's embarrasing for me, but I am hoping one of you at least out there has been through it and can give me insight. I thankfully havent had any problems in the libido dept., but ever since about 2 months after my hysterectomy, I began to have a light brown (not the bloody brown kind, a different tinge to it) with a really foul odor(not a fishy one, but the smell of rotting). It is constant. I have no burning sensation with it or any type of discomfort, other than the discomfort of my own smell. I keep clean, have tried various douches and rinses, even went for a couple of weeks without douching or rinsing, as someone told me that I may have been over-doing it and causing the problem. Nothing makes any difference. Even within hours of a bath and a douche, it is there. It's not a fast flow, more like a constant slow ooze. It disgusts me and it has made me, in spite of my strong libido, not feel very "frisky" with my hubby. I don't want him to smell me. So I still "take care" of him, but it's been a long time before I let him "take care" of me. I know he probably is starting to wonder why, but I am too embarrased. Don't know why, I am so comfortable with him in every other way. I have had post-op and post-post-op checks for this, but all tests come back fine. My vagina was reconstructed during the surgery, so there is no "opening" there for anything to come out I would think. What is this? How do I make it stop? My doctor can't find anything wrong, kind of blew me off really, just told me to douche more. I douche every day, sometimes twice a day now! And it is still happening, and getting worse. What do I do aside from just going and having them sew me shut (which I have often wondered is possible after this, I almost dont' care anymore)! Please tell me I am not alone here, and what can I do?

Hi Buck,

Hello, You are not alone, you always have someone to talk to here. Let me say that I am sorry to hear about all the trouble you have had. Also, I will be praying for you. If I were in your shoes,( I have been there once before, and I got a second opinion. The second doctor diagnosed the problem) I would go to a different doctor and tell them what is going on. My doctor(female) told me never to douche because along with the bad bacteria you are also washing away good bacteria. Before my TAH, kept one ovary, I had white discharge, cottage cheese like stuff on my lips and also a really bad smell. It was horrible and lasted for 8 months before I finally went to the doctor. Once I finally went to the doctor she told me that I had a bacterial infection and put me on some strong antibiotics. Since I waited so long. After I finished the medication, I followed up with an over the counter yeast infection cream(monistat) and after that I didn't have the smell or the discharge. I hope that helps!!!!



Jessie

I agree , I think you need to find another Dr. to listen to you and not give you the "blow off" I too will be praying for you....please let us know how you are! God Bless!

Thank you so much for your reply! I was so relieved to find this site, I have pretty much been suffering alone and in silence (just the female stuff, lots of support for the rest). It's good to find a place like this.
I forgot to put it at the top there, but I was writing a short novel already as it was! LOL! I have like 5 different doctors. My main one is really a RNP and he has already tried the antibiotics and the OTC yeast infection treatments. The problem is that it's not a yeast infection. As much as I HATE those, I would rather be having one right now than this, at least I would be getting the relief of being rid of it after some meds.
At least I am not having any discomfort which is the hallmark of a yeast infection, the itching, burning and "fishy" smell that is part and parcel of it. This is altogether different and is driving me NUTS. None of my multiple Dr.'s have an answer for me as of yet.
And as for the douching thing, I did stop using for a little over 2 weeks, just to see if maybe I had been throwing something off "down there" I had been told that over doing it can cause problems by "throwing the baby out with the bathwater" so to speak (my mother said that, I thought it was hillarious). But douche or no douche, I still have a problem.
Like I said, I am about to demand to be just sewn shut. I think, especially after the last several months, that I can still "have fun" with my H without a vagina. It is more trouble than it is worth for me right now. LOL!

Are the rest of your doctors GPs? Is there a specialist you can be referred to who perhaps deals with problems of this kind? A regular Gyn may not have dealt with it.


Another sister on here had something similar - it was vaginosis, though I don't recall what she took for it.

Here's a crazy idea...get some organic live culture yogurt from a health food store, or acidophilus-bifidus capsules from the same place. You can break the capsules open, and mix the powder with the yogurt. Douche with that.

This link is from the Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vaginitis/DS00255

This has 3 pages to click on:
http://womenshealth.about.com/od/vag...aldischarg.htm

One more:
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/vag...erialvagin.htm

Hope you find the answer soon!