damn body

Hey,

I had 3rd degree tearing due to an epi, around 7days after giving birth my wound reopened (people tell me its cos of bad stitching), so i went back to hossy to have it looked at, it was cleaned and packed and i was sent home. I had a nurse come out everyday to clean and pack it.
Now its down to weekly visits from the nurse, as the wound is to small to pack and needs to heal on its own.
She came out today, to clean it, she has now told me I have got hypergranulation and will need to clean it out with silver stuff next week when she visits.
She explained to me its due to too many cells being there, so its now healing too fast. Apparently it looks like little grapes (hhmmm not ever eating them again!! LOL), she assured me its not my fault, its quite normal due to the location of the wound (next to my no#2 hole, sorry for TMI).

Ok questions are
Is it something i have done to cause over healing? or something i havnt done?
also what is involved with this silver cleaning, i wasnt game enough to ask her about it, thinking it might hurt and dont want it on my mind for a week, but now im curious to know what she is going to do, prepare myself with questions and the chance it could hurt.
Will it hurt?

I would do it all again for my little miracle but ive been through enough with the whole birth and after care (inc the wound breakdown), i just want to be healed and back to normal, I hate that my body keeps doing stuff like this, first the wound breakdown, then it not healing well then it healing to well.

Main thing is wanting to get it off my chest

Since she has been, im quite sore again down there, and now my vagina hurts too, kinda like an ache with a bit of pain, like it was when it first happened.
She did say other then that it looks real good.
It has gone from being 1cm deep 2cms wide to only 1-2mm's deep and only starting to shrink in width.

Ouchie Naomi. Sorry i don't have any advice (2 c/s for me), just wanted to say hope it heals really quick for you, it doesn't sound pleasant at all. Hope all goes well with the silver cleaning thingy next week and that it's not too uncomfy.

Julie x

Hypergranulation is something i've encountered in horses. I apologise if this offends in any way, please ignore me if you like :)

It occurs in mammals (people too) when there is damage to the "flesh" part of tissue, so deeper than skin, not as deep as muscle (though the muscle can be involved too - but it's the "flesh" that overgrows). In horses it's known as "proud flesh" because it stands proud of th original wound. There is nothing to do or not do to avoid it - it's down to individual healing patterns and individual injuries, so you can get it with a grazed knee and not a grazed hock on the same horse. So i don't think you could have done or not done anything to avoid it, it just happens sometimes.

I'm unfamiliar with the treatment in people, but our vet used silver nitrate sticks to cauterize (chemically burn) the proud flesh so the area healed flat. Is that what she mentioned? We never had to anaesthatise - the vet said proud flesh has no nerve endings, the horses always stood for the procedure, even the ones who only GOT injured because they were maniacs :). If it WAS going to hurt they'd give you local anaesthetic - no way would they do something that hurt. So, in horses the silver nitrate stick looks a bit like a match, you put vaseline on the healthy skin around and then wet the end of the silver nitrate stick and touch the proud flesh with it. It leaves a colour, dark grey/black, which can stain, so we usually put a dressing on. That's it, you just leave it then, the proud flesh withers away. If a case was particularly bad they'd do it 3 or 4 times, but usually once or twice was enough.

All in all it was a very minor procedure which always seemed to have great results. If you're worried could you call your nurse in her office and discuss in advance?

There might be women on here whose kids have GT or JT tubes fitted for feeding - i think it can happen with those surgeries too. They'd be more up on people-treatment :)

Bec

Thanks Julie, I hope it isnt to uncomfy either lol

Bec: WOW, um im kinda scared now lol all she said was she needs to clean it out with silver next week, im def going to give her a call tomorrow and ask about it, although it needs to be done im not sure i want it done. Im not real good with pain at all, even though i have given birth, its completely different iykwim

Thanks for the heads up though

Oh no! I didn't want to scare you! I was hoping the info would be some use. Sorry.... Believe me, it is no more "involved" than a quick paint with Iodine or a change of dressing, and i saw some REAL drama queens get it done when they weren't even tied up and zero reaction, so i can't see it could hurt.

I think the ache you feel is possibly related to the hypergranulation, is it growing IN the wound. The reason you take it off in horses is that the wound can't close properly over it if you don't and can drag on for a bit. I'll bet you have it silver-washed this week, by next week it'll have totally closed :)

Bx

it doesnt take much to scare me lol so not your fault. Plus i wanted to know.
Im sure i'll be fine, since i was ok with having it packed with seasorb, which isnt pleasent.
I am glad you told me what you did, it is interesting.
Things we go through for our babies huh!!

Fingers crossed, when she comes next wed to do it by the following week it'll be closed. Although I have my 6wk check up next week aswell, so im sure they will give me a heads up on it aswell.

I do appreciate your feedback Bec xxoo