Having a C-Section in Finland?

[Flossy1978]

Oh I am so sorry. I forgot to ask about your back.

I am sorry that you had to have an operation. What kind did you have?

It's good that you are now free from the horrible pain.

I can't have an operation. If I were in Australia or America or some other place like those countries I would have had spinal surgery, but not here. They 'don't like' to do spinal surgery here the surgeon told me. Which is understandable, but still....

My friend's husband's workmate (got that? LOL). He has this välilevy very bad, he's in pain every single day. He can't work and can barely move and they won't do the operation to fix the problem for him either. That's pretty bad.

I hope your back continues to heal and may you be free of any more pain

Michelle

[RA]

Congrats on the new home. That should keep you getting exercise then and perhaps help with your back.

Thanks for the kind thoughts. They removed the prolapse. What basically happened is that they slit about 8cm in the lower back and then got to the disc and cut out the part that was bulging and pressing on the nerve. The surgeon did stress that it would relieve the pain, but wouldn't make my back better... only correct excercise will. The pain down the left leg is completely gone so that's really great. I've been doing a lot of walking, but no driving yet, except today I drove a little 10 minutes... not good at all. Sick leave was very short 4 weeks. So I'm back at work again, but from home most of the time. When I have to go in I've been carpooling (necessary since its 65 km away and no public transport).

Have you talked to a doc about possible surgery? When I first had my MRI they told me I could have the surgery if I wanted to. Or maybe the hospitals down south are too full as compared to those here in Savo. Why won't they operate on your friend's husband's workmate (got it ) ? They told me that unbearable pain is a indicator for surgery.

[Rosamunda]

Thanks

Yes I've been shown what exercises I should do. Perhaps it's just a case of 'no pain, no gain' kind of thing

They have a nice modern gym here at work, I might start trying to go again. Slow and easy.

Thank you for your help

I have had some back problems in the past (but nothing like as bad as yours) and I found pilates has helped a lot. I went to a few sessions but mostly did the movements at home (book and video). It is good at strengthening the core muscles that surround the spine. But it is gentle (NOT painful), unlike a lot of aerobics classes which are way too demanding for me.

[RA]

I've thought about pilates, and I mean to ask the surgeon at my check-up on Thursday, if I could do something like that or maybe yoga? I, a few years ago, met a fysiotherapist, who had just started pilates and said she enjoyed it alot but she'd talked to a chiropracter who told her that pilates is bad for the back I didn't get why though.

[Pursuivant]

We bought a house out in the sticks near Klaukkala before the summer and I've been working in the yard all summer. .. When it's bad in my left leg and my leg goes numb

OK, so you'll see a sympathetic limp in Lidl then by one of the village locals. I got my heirloom mökki over in Lepsämä direction and a quite similar nerve pinch. the x-rays didn't reveal anything and the MRI would cost too much... when I got mine in 2000 at an army excersize I was more or less in the same situation, by 2005 I could go to another army excersize as it wasn't "as bad" but meanwhile I'd sprained my ankle a couple times as in the winter I could not feel anything between my thigh and my ankle, so I had a funny step... and with the air changing I got the leg muscles give feelings as if I'd peed into my pants... Its probably not as much a disc rather than muscle cramps that cause it. But I have a friend with a similar pinch and his MRI looks really clear even to laymans etyye where the disc is slipped. They do such surgery at Diakonissalaitos, but its private only...

[Rosamunda]

I've thought about pilates, and I mean to ask the surgeon at my check-up on Thursday, if I could do something like that or maybe yoga? I, a few years ago, met a fysiotherapist, who had just started pilates and said she enjoyed it alot but she'd talked to a chiropracter who told her that pilates is bad for the back I didn't get why though.

I had a problem in 2002 (?) and I was sent to a physiotherapist in Iso Omena. She did some kind of ultrasound massage thing on my back and then as it improved she got me doing pilates movements and exercises with the ball (but based on pilates core). I have always thought it was good for back problems because it strengthens the core muscles that surround the spine. But OTOH back problems are caused by a multitude of evils (mine was a muscular problem not discs), so pilates might not be a cure for all.

[Luna]

I was in a similar situation. I was seeing a private. OB/GYN and found out that there was something wrong with the baby. My OB who also works at the public hospital ( as most do) saw me the next day at the the public hospital and there after he was my PUBLIC OB/GYN. I don't know how it was done but I was never in the private system again. Because of certain problems the baby was having, when it was time for the baby to be born, the OB asked me if I wanted a c-section. He left it totally up to us. We decided to have one. And it was only during this time that we were considered Private patients again. Amazingly when the bill came from the c-section it was 150euros for the OB/GYN and 125euros for the anesthesiologist! WOW as an American I think that is amazing. So I think with your medical history, there is no way they will not allow you to have a planned c-section. I have found the MD's here to be excellent. Especially when it comes to serious medical conditions. And worse case scenario you can go private and pay around 300 euros for a c-section

How are you now? What about your baby? Is there any problem with the baby?
Hope that there's nothing wrong about the baby.


_________________
compression hosiery

[biscayne]

Really sorry for all the pain you are going through. I know you won't have another baby for a while due to buying the house, but when you do, it should be easy enough to get a C-section if you just get the doctor who originally suggested that, to write a letter stating so. I am a nurse and trained midwife, and I have to say I feel that women are often made feel guilty or inferior in some way for having sections. I had one because the head was just too big. I have to say it was a great experience, I was perfectly fine the next day, and in fact was better quicker than the other women in the room with me who had vaginal deliveries. Some of them couldn't sit down without being in horrible pain and took ages to heal. I had no stitches, pain/soreness in the perineal area and my tummy was not sore at all, nor did I get any infection. I'm not suggesting c-sections should be performed across the board for whoever wants one, but they are not the "huge big deal" they are made out to be. As I said, I was fine after 1 day. So, when the time comes, just quietly stand your ground and insist. You have rights, women generally only have 1 or 2 babies in Finland, and it should not be a horrible experience. I know this goes against standard MEDICAL advice (cos the hospitals want to keep their section rates low), but as a NURSE, we are educated to take care of the whole person, you are not a hospital statistic and what is right for you may be different to what is right for the next person. I know the system has to take care of everyone, but the birthrate in Finland is pretty damn low, so I think they can be more individual in this area.

[estherk]

Hi,

Poor you, what a nitemare! I have given birth 3 times in Finland everytime in Jorvi. My first was born in 2002 by c-section, but it was an emergency c-section, although in Finland there are two types of so called emergency c-sections, hätä sectio (where you are asleep) then a kiirelinen (spelling?) sectio where you are awake ie epidural/spinal, then planned section. I was awake, and although I had a long hard labour 4 days infact in hospital, it went very well, it wasn't that bad, everyone was relaxed and spoke in English. I was out within 3 days. My susquent births in 2004 and 2007 went normally.

My friend has had scheduled c-sections and hasn't had any problems, infact you know the date when your baby will be born so you can make childcare agreements etc..the epidural is done when you are relaxed no contractions. Of course it takes longer to recover after a c-section as it is a major operation, but you are in good hands.

[onkko]

[quote="estherk"]Hi,
hätä sectio (where you are asleep) then a kiirelinen (spelling?) /quote]

Hätäsektio and kiireellinen sektio. Well i dont know a !"#¤% about labour and childs but what i have experienced and red finnish one is good when you look mortality rates etc. dont be afraid because youre probaly in good hands.

[Flossy1978]

I am the one that started this post I believe.

Unfortunately my disc prolapsed even more in January. Just one day went horrifically bad for no reason and after a horrible almost 5 months of chronic horrible pain I had another MRI and am going to be most probably have surgery to fuse my spine because I have not reacted in any way to any painkiller that I've been given for the pain. I was at one point taking Arcoxia, one pill a day. An epileptic pain killer and 8 panacod a day. Yes, 8. This was the strongest combination I could be given and it didn't take any pain away at all. I've been on sickleave from work for a long time yet again and I am afraid to lose my job. So I have no choice but to have the surgery now. A small percentage of people don't respond to any painkillers for this problem and I am one of them, so there is nothing that can be done when the prolapse is so large other than surgery. The pain in my leg is horrific. It's everyday all day long. And the pins and needles are now starting to get painful. They are also on the top of my left foot, which is a bad sign.

So off to surgery I will most probably go after I see the orthopedic specialist again who tried to make me have to the surgery before. Then a long wait on the list for surgery in the public hospital. I don't live in the capital regions Helsinki, Espoo or Vantaa, so I think it will take even longer. I've heard stories of people in regions not belonging to the captial area waiting a very long time for any kind of surgery. I hope this isn't the case for me. I want to get on with my life. I can't go outside to play with my son or even stand at the sink washing dishes or anything.

So I think if I have another child in the future I will fight so freaking hard for a c-section. Which could even cause more problems because it can mess your muscles up and you need strong muscles for back problems. I have a genetic problem with having too much space between my vertabrae, so it's more than likely I will have more prolapses in the future at some point. Ah.... life is so much fun LOL.

[RA]

Oh, Flossy. So sorry to hear you've got worse. I had the same meds as you btw, plus another combo as well...and doing those med cocktails was not nice at all! It's almost a year now since my surgery and I'm doing great. I haven't had to take more than a panadol for any pain since then and I've been able to get back to the gym and yoga etc. I'm now expecting my second and I've had a little back issues, but nothing too bad even though it's come on earlier than during my first preganancy. The yoga and constant fysiotherapy which I'm on have I'm sure helped big time. I don't know how delivery will go this time - the first I had an emergency c-section- but I'll be 'called' to the hospital for an evaluation at some point. I'm not really pushing for a c-section at this point, just want to see how my back takes it through since I'm only just half-way now, and of course see what the doc says at the evaluation. I really hope you get to get that surgery soon, because after all the pain I can imagine you're in, it'll be heaven. I think if the surgeon decides you need the surgery quick, then you'll be moved up the list really fast. I got mine really fast even though I'm not in the capital . Be strong!

[Flossy1978]

Thanks

I had the most awful side effects to that Arcoxia and Panacod combination. I actually had no pain for two days when I first started taking the combination, but then the pain came back and I started to have awful side effects and ended up have the worse panic attack and anxiety I've ever had exactly a week after starting the drug combination, just out of the blue it happened one day. Arcoxia is one of these new age drugs and I wasn't told that it can have awful side effects. I am now on another drug to fix what this Arcoxia did to me. There is one other epileptic painkiller I could try, but when the doctor tried to prescribe it for me I almost started shaking because of what the Arcoxia did to me, so I refused it. Horrible horrible drug.

That's great that you are having another child and it's opitmistic you could give birth naturally When I gave birth, my son pushed on the affected disc (wasn't prolapsed at that time) and I had awful pain in my spine the whole labour, even with having an epidural, the pain in my spine stayed through all 15.5 hours of labour until he was born. They just made me continue labouring because they didn't know what it is and had never seen anyone in pain like I was. Well, you'd be in a hell of alot of pain if a 4kilo fat headed baby was pushing on the sciatic nerve in your spine too! LOL. It's ok, I can laugh about it now. Ok, it sucks I've been suffering for so many years now and with this latest bad episode, but it could always be worse I tell myself

So I hope I am fixed soon and can return to work. In this day and age with this recession, any day you are out of work is a bad thing, isn't it? And I've been out for almost two months this time so far. I was at work when this episode happened again and was just going to work in much pain, but then the doctor refused me returning to work after what that Arcoxia did to me. It helps I've had the same private doctor through all of these years of this, I think that has really helped with my care and she always pushes for whatever I need done without me asking, she just does it. That's not so comon within the Finnish system I think, so I am greatful for this.