As you know, two (two?!) of my sisters had c-sections last summer. Sister A has never been "okay" with her section and now, unfortunately, she's dealing with even more complications.
Two months after her section her cycles returned, along with a familiar, though worse, pain. Her periods were always painful before she got pregnant due to severe endometriosis. So, at 2 months postpartum she just assumed that was the pain she was feeling.
However, two nights ago she woke to severe pain from her navel to her mid-thigh and went to the emergency room. They did a vaginal ultrasound and thought initially that she had 'pregnancies' both in her fallopian tube and also on the outside of her uterus.
Thankfully, after a more thorough evaluation, it was found that it wasn't a pregnancy (or pregnancies) at all. That's the good news. The bad news is that apparently she's had an infection in her uterus for the last five months.
Anyone care to guess how a healthy 22 year old woman gets a rampant infection in her uterus? A c-section?! No! But they're SO SAFE!
The doctor gave her a two week prescription for two strong antibiotics, but he wasn't very optimistic about her chances at avoiding having her uterus opened up again. Can you believe that? She's basically going to have to have ANOTHER c-section!
Oh, but there's more. The doctor also said that there is a chance she may lose her uterus if the infection can't be controlled with antibiotics and surgery.
A 22 year old losing her uterus due to cesarean complications.
But they're so safe. So, so safe. . .
4 comments:
Oh, I'm so sorry!
Of all the women I know who have had C-sections, most have had complications from them. The most recent post-section mom had something very similar to your sister -- she had to have emergency surgery a couple of months after her initial C-section (with a second recovery much like the first one), I think because of painful adhesions, but I could be wrong.
I hope she can keep her uterus! It would be so awful to lose that part of you at so early an age. One of my cousins had a hysterectomy because of uncontrolled female problems; at the time of the surgery, she felt like it was her best and only option (severe menstrual pain, was the reason, I think); but in the years since, she has terribly regretted it to the point of clinical depression.
I'll be praying for your sister.
-Kathy
Wow, that is just insane. Have you put her in contact with Gretchen re: c/s complications? I hope that everything turns out ok. Please keep us posted.
That is awful, absolutely unimaginable. I hope her body can fight this infection.
I JUST saw a post over at Unnecesarean.com about a reporter (along with ICAN) looking for stories EXACTLY like your sister's to report on... here's the information
http://www.unnecesarean.com/blog/2009/3/11/reporter-seeks-women-with-accounts-of-maternal-mortality-c-s.html#comments
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