rectocele repair

Hello,
I have been reading on this site for quite a while. I have had trouble getting my email account activated so I couldn't post. I had a tvh on Nov. 4, 2002, with rectocele repair. I have been in a lot of pain since the surgery. This site has helped me so much, but I still have a few questions. Five days after my surgery, I started having a lot of pain at the vaginal opening. I went to my doc and she said it was not torn, but the hard knot I was feeling was normal. This is the main source of my pain. Then I started experiencing strong odor. She again said, no infection. Just normal from the stitches softening and starting to dissolve. Last nite after going to potty I noticed a whole lot of white discharge. Is this normal? I started taking flagyl this morn, just in case of infection. I live in apartment with bathroom upstairs. Maybe too many trips upstairs? I felt so good the next day after the surgery and now all of this. Geesh, will it ever end? Any suggestions that would help? Feels worse than when I had epesiotomy (msp) after childbirth. I had stage two uterine prolaspe and rectocele, which casused me pain for at least three weeks out of the month and very painfull intercourse. I know that I am only 7 days post op, but I have never had to take pain pills this long. I have had three very difficult vaginal deliveries and not this much pain. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Hi Lois ,

I'm so glad that you're able to start posting your questions.

I don't have any personal experience with recotocele repairs, so I'm afraid that I can't really be much help there.

However, I did want to respond to your concern about taking pain meds "this long'. Many of us needed our pain meds for a couple of weeks post-operatively; some need them longer and a few need them less. Having a hyst is not the same as giving birth in that when you have a baby, the baby is meant to come out. With your hyst, organs are being surgically removed, tendons are being reattached elsewhere to provide support and you have many internal stitches. Please don't be hard on yourself for needing your pain meds.

I think you are wise to keep your Dr. informed of any new symptoms that you develop. I would caution you about taking Flagyl unless your Dr. has instructed you to do so.

You still need lots of and limited exercise in the form of short as tolerated. If you think the stairs are getting to you, perhaps you can find a way to limit how many times you take them a day. When I was one week post-op, I was only doing my stairs once a day still.

Best wishes and s