Waking daily to a surge of pain, and facing cramping pain each and every time I urinate or turn in bed, or climb stairs or drive a car or just put my left foot down on the pavement, I recall how I was told a “ribbon” was being put in to resolve prolapse and incontinence on coughing.

When in tremendous pain, 3 days post op, I questioned if my TVT was the one on the TV news, I was informed “no “ and that “no one else had problems in 12 years of inserting mesh! “.

All lies it transpired as an information request revealed I did indeed have TVT Ethicon Gynaecare Classic (exactly the bad one all over the news) and by joining Sling The Mesh I learnt ladies were actually leafleting implanting surgeon’s waiting room in an attempt to warn others!

The implanting surgeon and his pal in pain management told me repeatedly that it “could not possibly be mesh causing the pain” , that point to point line of tight cutting pain between my TVT scars. They convinced me to get my tummy nerves blocked. No change to pain just endured a truly excruciating procedure and my tummy forevermore without feeling in the skin.

My surgeon said I had painful bladder syndrome coincidentally and nothing at all to do with my mesh implant. He sent me for weekly bladder installations and I was on antibiotics for 12 months to address the frequent UTIs and blood in my urine.

All to no avail. I had front and back wall repairs, TVT, laparascopic sterilisation and pereniem repair all in that one operation in 2016 when my son started school and I no longer needed to lift and carry him. I regret that operation so much.

I have all the patient information from the day and it does not inform me of the harm mesh can do in the human body. The impact of mesh lost me precious time and activities with my child and embarassment to my family looking for toilets every 20 min.

The benefit of TVT for incontinence lasted only 3 months. I finally got to a mesh centre with hopefulness for pain relief in 2024. Tests reveal mesh inseparable from my bladder and filshie clips migrated and sitting in my pouch of douglas.

Thanks to Kath Sansom and team the mesh type I had is banned in UK but worldwide so many suffer the horrendous pain. Without the support of this group I would have ended my life.

Huge lesson to research anything put into our bodies and never to trust doctors.

The NHS knew in 2016 the devastating harm mesh could do. They chose not to tell patients. I wish my surgeon could spend one day in my shoes and feel the pain after urinating and just to walk along.

Victims of mesh harm need lifelong support from the mesh centres and pain management. Our families need apology and compensation for quality of life stolen away.

I hope I hear from the mesh centre soon. I had lots of tests last year but no support or pain relief plan as yet. It worries me as I do see that what is written down on my notes does not correspond at all with what is said in the examination room.

Lee-Anne, UK