Postnatal Incontinence

[ailbhe]

This morning's Woman's Hour had a lovely piece on Ethiopian fistula hospitals.

I spent the time blinking back tears, thinking of the months I spent smelling, making myself constipated so that I wouldn't be incontinent, bringing clean underwear for myself in the nappy bag along with pads, begging in tears to be allowed to use the disabled toilets in public places because the usual ones were almost impossible.

Last time I heard Woman's Hour cover this issue I emailed them furiously because they didn't differentiate between a rectocele, a fourth degree tear, and a fistula - I don't have a fistula, never did. This time they were much clearer in their descriptions, and they didn't say "never" happens in the developed world, but "almost never."

That felt a lot better.

Comments

[kyte.livejournal.com]

*hugs*

And good for you :-)

[hitchhiker.livejournal.com]

*hug*

glad you could make a difference.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

This. Sounds as though it could well be a case where one furious email made a difference to one person which in turn has made a positive difference to many people (hopefully not too many, since I hope not very many have had the kind of experience you've had, but ykwim).

[ailbhe]

The prog I heard years ago, I was in the middle of trying desperately to get physical and mental medical help, and the radio show just *disappeared* me with "oh western medicine is all painless and empowering" stuff. This was much clearer on the distinction between the comparatively minor thing that happened to me and the hideous trauma women undergo in Ethiopia etc, *without* saying my minor thing doesn't exist.

[sidheag.livejournal.com]

Yes, that totally makes sense.