By Lola Seriki- Idahosa
For Mrs. Tina Lanre, 28, her marriage for twelve years has not been a smooth journey, largely due to the pile she suffered from during pregnancies. According to her, “carrying my first pregnancy was a reminiscence of the “Smiling and suffering” song, by Afro beat legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, which saw her frequenting the hospital throughout her pregnancy.
“I never knew what I will go through as a result of the BP and the pile; I was in pain and I felt like crying, and that’s what I did — I cried. Soon, I realised I needed special care”.
The story of Mrs Lanre is not peculiar, as a large number of women in Nigeria suffer from the same medical condition.
Ironically, a vast number of them have no idea what it takes to carry a pregnancy with high blood pressure and pile before going into labour.
Lanre said, “In December last year, I took it upon myself to educate and create awareness to women in my community on how to manage high blood pressure and pile during pregnancy . Joy and laughter filled the air as I explain to them my experience as a case study.”
“During my experience, the first thing I did was to immediately register for ante-natal in two different hospitals, I forced myself to face the reality of going through pains while defecating which consists of coagulated blood.
“This led to fatigue, dizziness, tiredness, and weakness after doing some work, no matter how brief.
“I was placed on blood capsule throughout the period, to avoid shortage of blood during delivery”
Medically, Piles are swollen blood vessels in or around the anus and rectum. The haemorrhoidal veins are located in the lowest part of the rectum and the anus.
Sometimes they swell so that the vein walls become stretched, thin, and irritated by passing bowel movements. Haemorrhoids are classified into two general categories – internal and external.
According to webmd.com Internal haemorrhoids lie far enough inside the rectum that one can’t see or feel them. They don’t usually hurt, because there are few pain-sensing nerves in the rectum. Bleeding may be the only sign that they are there.
Sometimes internal haemorrhoids prolapsed, or enlarged and protrude outside the anal sphincter. If so, one may be able to see or feel them as moist, pink pads of skin that are pinker than the surrounding area. Prolapsed haemorrhoids may hurt because they become irritated by rubbing from clothing and sitting. They usually recede into the rectum on their own; if they don’t, they can be gently pushed back into place. according to Webmd.com.
A gynaecologist , Dr. Michael Brown, says external haemorrhoids which lie within the anus, are often uncomfortable due to pain.
“If an external haemorrhoid prolapses to the outside (usually in the course of passing a stool), you can see and feel it. Blood clots sometimes form within prolapsed external haemorrhoids, causing an extremely painful condition called a thrombosis. If an external haemorrhoid becomes thrombosed, it can look rather frightening, turning purple or blue, and could possibly bleed.
“Despite their appearance, thrombosed haemorrhoids are usually not serious and will resolve themselves in about a week. If the pain is unbearable, the thrombosed haemorrhoid can be removed with surgery, which stops the pain,” he said.
A website called webmd.com took out time to explain Anal bleeding and pain of any sort is alarming and should be evaluated – it can indicate a life-threatening condition, such as bowel cancer. Haemorrhoids are the main cause of anal bleeding and are rarely dangerous, but a definite diagnosis from a Doctor is essential.
Anyone at any age can be affected by piles. They are very common, with about 50% of people experiencing them at some time in their life. However, they are usually more common in elderly people and during pregnancy. Researchers are not certain what causes haemorrhoids. “Weak” veins – leading to haemorrhoids and other varicose veins – may be inherited.
Speaking on the high blood pressure experiences, she said “it started when men of the underworld (armed robbers) visited our home at about 1am, the shock, the trauma I faced made me developed the BP.
“I got good treatment for my high blood pressure during pregnancy, they include close monitoring of the baby through scanning, my lifestyle was changed and I was always checking my BP in case it rises unexpectedly.
Some pregnant women with high blood pressure develop preeclampsia, that is, the sudden increase in blood pressure after the 20th week of pregnancy. It can be life-threatening for both the mother and the unborn baby.
Medical science say there is no proven way to prevent this, Most women who have signs of preeclampsia are closely monitored to avoid complications. it is only solved when the baby is born.
“It was not easy for me to experience these two conditions in all my three pregnancies, it was just by the grace of God.
“Another thing was during labour and delivery; after the 40 weeks, the two weeks before and after, contraction hardly starts after the EDD [Expected Delivery Date] was over.
Mrs Lanre was always made to undergo delivery through inducement. The Doctor had to schedule another delivery date and induce the labour.
Speaking on the type of the world she wants to leave behind, she said, it is “one where no woman or girl is ashamed to talk, because she grew up with pile or having BP; where all women stay on track during their pregnancy period; and where girls escape the shadows of victimhood and claim their places as future leaders they are.”
Lanre had a mother who knew nothing about what she went through, but was very observant and took good care of her throughout the experience.
“I survived the three labour, but my second child could not survive the process as she died less than twenty four hours after birth.
Most of her memories centred around the feeling that her BP and pile made her not to have the number of children she wanted in life, “On my own path, I felt it was not my fault to take the decision of quitting pregnancy because of what I always go through.
“Many women I spoke with, confessed to having loss a friend as a result of complications that would have been averted. Five in ten told me that they have no idea of this, but promised to also educate other women, no child or mother deserve to die during pregnancy or labour.
Though it has not been easy talking to ladies one on one, Lanre said “I am determined to change the mindset and rewrite the stories of so many ignorant women in my community, especially with the great help and partnership of the media.”
Source: http://tracereport.com/health-how-i-survived-3-pregnancy-with-pile-high-blood-pressure-mrs-tina-lanre/
