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Showing posts from November, 2023

Difficult Surprises of Obstestric Fistula Treatment

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  Undergoing a fistula reconstructive surgery and healing are two different things. I realised one surgery doesn’t always guarantee healing. When I was newly admitted to the hospital one woman cried bitterly during the ward round when she was told to go home and come back after two months for another surgery. This was her second surgery and the leaking urine had not stopped. She painfully asked me how she would go back home after two months of hospitalization and still leaking urine yet people knew she came for treatment? She struggled to go back home to be a burden to his brother since she was separated from her husband after she lost her baby and developed a fistula. She also closed her business due to fistula. It was better for her to stay in the hospital where she is assured of three meals and two snacks a day, diapers and she doesn’t need to strain herself or bother people to take care of her.  Most women who undergo surgery to deal with leaking urine stay with one, ...
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Behold the Tear: My Obstetric Fistula Journey Unveiled

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Introduction All cases of obstetric fistula are associated with childbirth, specifically long obstructed labor. As I mentioned earlier, mine is not a "real fistula" but a 3rd-degree perennial tear. During my 24 days of hospitalization, I witnessed more severe types of fistulas, such as rectovaginal fistula (RVF) and vesicovaginal fistula (VVF), which require more complex reconstructive surgeries. Most women who suffer from a "real fistula" lose their babies due to long obstructed labor (more than 24 hours) and are unable to reach the hospital for quality care in a timely manner during labour. By the time they reach the hospital, they are left with the double tragedy of losing their baby and dealing with the fistula condition. However, third and fourth-degree tears receive fistula-related surgeries due to urine and stool leakage, but at a more manageable capacity than fistulas, including passing gas. It's also crucial to note that childbirth is not the only way w...
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Unveiling Hidden Struggles and Breaking the Silence of Obstetric Fistula

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Understanding Obstetric Fistula Before delving into my personal journey,  it's important to understand that obstetric fistula is not a disease but a condition associated with childbirth. Though third and fourth-degree perineal tears are classified as fistula because of the type of fistula reconstructive surgery there are more serious kinds of fistulas including rectovaginal fistula (RVF) and vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) where one is unable to completely hold urine and/ or stool. I also witnessed during my 24 days in the hospital that there are different types of fistula reconstructive surgeries. That said, however, I had my own share of challenges of living with a third-degree tear. In one of my next blogs, I will share a guide I did early this year with the World Council of Churches (during my internship with the human rights department as an advanced master's student in their Bossey Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland) to raise awareness about obstetric fistula among member...
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