Let's talk about posterior colporrhaphy

Disclaimer: This blog entry contains subject matter that is gross. Consider yourself forewarned.

Dude, nobody mentioned a rectocele as a possible side effect to giving birth vaginally. I debated discussing it on the blog at all until I concluded that the only reason I learned it was a fixable problem was because someone had the female version of cojones to write about it in a magazine. As I sat reading (what I believe was an article from) Brain Child, I realized many of the symptoms the author wrote about, I was experiencing, and they weren't normal side effects of a vaginal birth. More importantly, as previously mentioned, it all could be fixed. So I finally made an appointment with my gynecologist to have it checked out.

Today, I went to OHSU for a small surgery to fix the problem. What is a rectocele exactly? It is "a defect of the rectovaginal septum". Yeah, um, okay. Basically, the wall of muscle and the fascia (tissue) between the posterior part of the vagina and the rectum is torn, stretched or otherwise damaged to the effect that the rectum is no longer kept from pushing into the vagina. GROSS. And frickin' embarrassing. I have had symptoms since Henry was born and was too mortified to mention it to my doctor. Of course, I was also under the mistaken impression it was typical and would rectify itself with enough time. It's not and it didn't. For more information about it, click here.

I didn't immediately choose the surgical option as there are nonsurgical treatments available. Unfortunately, those didn't work for me. So, this morning we dropped Hen off at daycare and headed up to the hospital. Being in the staging area pre-operation made me realize how great some things are with our health care system. I had every confidence in my doctor and was impressed with the care and attention I received. I just wish everyone could have the same experience. My aunt had a job - as a nurse, no less - when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. At some point, she became too sick to work. And that's when she lost her insurance. Frickin' ridiculous.

Eventually, the nurse wheeled me into the operating room where I had a quick chat with the nurse anesthetist. And that's about all I remember until my eyes fluttered open. I don't recall hearing my name, although they told me they would call to me when they saw I was coming out of the anesthesia, I don't remember them removing the tube from my throat. It's weird. Right now, my throat is still sore and, of course, my lady parts are achy but that's to be expected. I have meds on hand to help with the pain. My only real restriction is not lifting anything over 15 pounds for the next six weeks, although I can already tell that's going to be a hard one to maintain. Who can go six weeks without picking up their kid?

On a side note, the doctors and nurses were very curious about Lola the iPad, which I brought for entertainment purposes - and good thing, too, a traffic incident caused the first surgery my doc had scheduled that morning to be pushed back so that mine started about an hour and a half late. I had zero difficulties signing on to the wireless so I was able to check email and catch up on my blog reading. Then I switched over to my Kindle app to start reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society book I had bought (currently not available at the iBook store). Okay, I admit it, I also played a little bit of solitaire. Sometimes you just can't resist those games.