Tag: pelvic collection

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Fun in the sun before St Marks London

Hello again, sorry it has been a while but there wasn’t much to report, but this month has been a busy one.

We went to Corfu and it was brilliant, we really needed the break and we chose a beautiful part of Corfu called Arillas. My stoma behaved remarkably, and I felt confident enough to have a dip in the pool. I bought a lovely bikini from Bravissimo.

 

I knew that when I returned I would be seeing a consultant at St Marks hospital, which is a hospital specifically for bowel/pelvic issues.

My own consultant at home said I would most likely need a massive surgery with muscle from my tummy this time, and my scar on front and bottom opened up again, so this appointment at St Marks was to see if there was an alternative.

We arrived there, with no real sign for where St Marks might be in relation to Central Middlesex hospital, and eventually found the department. We were told that an emergency had occurred and there was an hour and a half delay. Not a problem, no ones fault, so we went to Greggs. The staff were pretty awful and unhelpful but anyway, we got a drink and something to eat.

I eventually got in to my appointment and the consultant was great. Didn’t dismiss me or belittle me like some of them do, and he had a look at my pelvic region, and a gelled finger up the vag, yikes. He prodded a bit then had a look at the hole in my flap scar. He said he could feel the hole in the vagina which lead to the pelvic collection, and asked about my symptoms and how it affected me.

After another look at the MRI, he said I had two options.

  1. Do nothing ( no thanks, this would mean I would always have the leaking)
  2. Try VAAFT surgery ( video assisted anal fistula treatment
  3. Another large surgery involving muscle and flap from my other bum cheek

Ok, so Option 1 is a no from me. Option 2 I need more info, Option 3 what does he think?

The VAAFT procedure would be this thin camera thing that is inserted through the hole ( not sure which one) and it can debride the fistula and cauterise the skin etc. It would mean travelling to London every six weeks for a day case procedure where the final one, he will try and close the hole in my vaginal. This procedure isn’t a cure but could potentially make my life easier. If all else fails I would have the large surgery.

So after a small deliberation I decided the VAAFT procedures would be the way to go. Anyone else experience this? how is recovery?

Will let you know how I got on.

 

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Round and Round

When I had my original stoma surgery I never dreamed I would be in this position nearly 8 years later.

After the IGAM flap surgery I thought that might be it with the big surgeries, but it seems not.

I have been informed that I have a pelvic collection 4cm x 5cm that links to the back wall of my vagina creating a large hole that the infection has created. I don’t really have a back wall at all now now. The collection then passes out my vagina.

Things have now changed slightly, as I discovered last Thursday, a new hole has opened up in my flap scar ( where my rectum etc used to be) and I now leak out of that. I had this before the flap surgery so I can now assume that it failed. I have to roll up swabs and tuck them between my bum cheeks to catch the flow of gunk.

My surgeon has just spoken to me and said he would be truthful and that because I have a very rare complication seldom seen, he is unsure how to proceed, and after discussions with colleagues he said that the only solution is probably to open up my long tummy scar again and start removing all the infected tissues and open my bottom scar again and do the same from that end. It would be a massive surgery he said. I may need a tummy muscle removing or another type of flap surgery but he made sure I was aware how much of a big surgery this would be.

We have decided that he will write to St Marks hospital in London as they are the leading consultants in the field and may have someone there, who is willing to take me on. I am very nervous with what the surgery may be but hope someone there will know how to sort me out. I absolutely like my new consultant and feel that he has drawn the short straw with me, having taken me on after my other consultant retired, and not being a part of the other surgeries. He has said that he is unsure at the moment how to help me except his proposed surgery and agrees that is would be wise to see if I can have someone with exceptional knowledge of my sort of complication.

He understands the effect this is having on me, physically and mentally and wants to help make me better in any way he can, and I can only wait for news from St Marks. I am scared, tired and put on a brave face most days.

To look at I seem absolutely fine, but underneath I am not fine and I would like to think I hide it well. Only a select few know the full extent of living with chronic ill health and I have great support so am one of the lucky ones.

 

 

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