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There is global scrutiny surrounding transvaginal mesh devices which are used in surgeries to treat conditions women can develop after a natural childbirth. Thousands of women have reported complications such as the mesh protruding through the vagina, chronic pain, and recurrent urinary tract infections.
TheJournal.ie has been covering the issue extensively and shared women’s stories.
These procedures have been carried out on women in Ireland since the late 90s and are still performed today. Here, Niamh describes how her life changed forever when what was described as “a simple operation” left her in pain, exhausted and meant she could no longer be intimate with her husband.
I WAS 48 when I first started to experience stress urinary incontinence. First, it was little leaks from coughing and sneezing, but it got so bad my bladder could empty spontaneously at any time – it was distressing.
My gynaecologist had me on medication for it at the start and physiotherapy, but none of that worked. I was offered an operation.
The surgeon would use a mesh sling to lift up my bladder. I have no recollection of being told of any complications.
I would never have agreed to the operation if I had known what was to come.
In March 2008 I had my operation. Within 48 hours of being released I was in the emergency department. Diagnosed with an infection, I was given antibiotics and sent home again. I felt mostly fine, but I did notice I had to stand and bend over to empty my bladder properly.
Four years later I started getting recurring urinary tract infections and I was constantly on antibiotics. I was worried about the amount I was taking and I had begun to notice a sore sensation in my vagina so I went to see a urologist. A cystoscopy revealed my bladder was covered in red blotches from the infections.
In an appointment with a different urologist, he told me he could feel where he thought the mesh was protruding into my vagina and causing the pain. He told me he could remove this portion of the mesh and I agreed to this.
The partial remove left its own problems.
My complications have been extremely difficult to deal with. As you can imagine any physical relationship with my husband is impossible. This is very stressful and embarrassing to have to discuss with anyone, even the urologist. While my family and close friends would know my situation, I am from a small town in Cork – I would feel embarrassed if people found out about me.
I now have urge incontinence, pain in my groin on the side of the partial removal, pain in my lower abdomen and find it hard to walk any great distance because of pain and weakness. I am constantly tired and can only do so much housework before I have to rest.
Everything I do is affected by mesh. I have to ask ‘Will I be able?’ before I go anywhere or do anything. I couldn’t, for instance, go shopping for four or five hours, I would feel like I was going to collapse with weakness in my legs and pain. I hope someday to have grandchildren, but I know I will be physically unable to enjoy them or even mind them as I had hoped to do.
I am only 58 years of age and I feel as if I am 90.
This afternoon I will be protesting at Leinster House with other women affected by vaginal mesh complications. I’ll be joined by my husband who is very supportive.
It is important to me to let the people in Ireland know how devastating this mesh is. I would hate anyone to go through what I am going through today.
I want politicians to know that we went for a so-called simple operation to repair an embarrassing issue. We have ended up having our lives devastated.
I think my life is changed forever and I will have to live with that until the day I die, all because of this “simple operation”.
Niamh is a 58-year-old mother-of-one from Co Cork. She is one of a number of women in Ireland who have reported painful complications after an operation using surgical mesh. She and other members of the Mesh Survivors Ireland group will protest at 12pm outside Leinster House today.
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I’d die
Scorpionvenom for a guy afraid of snakes and dying at the thought of it, you’ve a very misleading username
Scorpion might have something to do with November ha
I’d cook him and eat him. Ate snake in Thailand. Absolutely delicious.
Ultimate game of Snakes & Ladders
First a spider crawled out on front of me this morning… Now I have this to look forward to??!!
Well, in good news, the snake would make short order of the spider…
I don’t think people should be allowed to keep snakes in Ireland.. They’re not very friendly…they escape, can breed and then start turning up in bathrooms and homes..like in Australia. I don’t like snakes…I don’t like them at all, even the non poisonous ones.
How can you say they’re not very friendly?
They’re amazingly friendly, it’s just the language barrier and their intellectual thoughtful nature that makes them seem so aloof.
Five feet? About the same size as my shnake.
G’lad.
And made of wood?
On my Facebook feed I saw a gigantic yellow snake eating a puppy alive. Now I’ve have a fear not only of snakes but also of scrolling through Facebook. I never want to see that again.
“Where the snake is making a recovery…”
What about the man??
He’ll need some serious counselling after that lol
Where’s Saint Patrick when you need him.
That’s a just a myth! He’s as big a fraud as jebidiah Springfield!
Not exactly… he ‘drove out’ pagan druids who used to have tattoos of serpents on their forearms, apparently.
Basically, he killed people for not sharing his beliefs.
and Jebediah was a perfectly cromulent embiggenator
You’d be checking your underpants after that!
Throwing it away!
I found one years ago on Dollymount beach. I got a fright, i picked it up with a stick put it into a bag and brought it to the zoo, RTE were there at the time covering a vet show. I was as nervous as hell driving over I was afraid it would get out of the bag.
Homeowner did mention that the past owner was a snake!
We read a story concerning a huge spider on the Journal.ie some weeks ago and now this snake . I suppose wit
Must have been hiding out for for paddys day.
Last Canvasser found in Dublin Home !
If it wasn’t a sea snake then it wasn’t poisonous…it wasn’t venomous?
Nice of the previous owners to let them know there was a snake loose in the attic
As regards snakes not being friendly I opened my door one morning in Thailand and there was a beauty sunning itself, but ultimately in my way. I tried reasoning with it, like “Shoo” , ” go away” “I’ll get the manager” but it didn’t oblige. Because I had no idea whether it was dangerous or not I had to sit it out until it decided to slither down a rainspout ! Very uncommunicative indeed ! Inconvenienced me , late for breakfast !!
We need bears to tackle these snakes
Petrol? Check
Matches? Check
We read a story concerning a huge spider on the Journal.ie some weeks ago and now this snake . I suppose with more people bringing them from other Countrys the odd one poping up here and there will happen . As long as they don’t pose to a person’s life its not a problem
Apologies for half a post above This phone has a mind of its own
And not even a week after St.Patricks day…..
Might not be your phone@Alan. Journal app behaving queer since yesterday…
@the girl.
Thank you for that info
Us shirt lifters don’t mind. Just don’t call me a ceiling lifter.
Can you eat it in a stew !!!
Michael
Yes fairly tasty
For sure Stephen. The shock alone would kill me.
I have Rat Snakes in the country all around me. Harmless and help keep the rat population down.
I killed a 5ft Python in Thailand with my bare hands once……when I say bare hands I mean I gripped the steering wheel and drove over that sucker…..still gives me the creeps when I think about it.
#snakesonthebrain
Jaysus!!
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