Please post asap.
8 days ago my 13 year old daughter found the string of her tampon in the toilet. She went to the shower and said she could just see it with a mirror but couldn’t get it out when she tried and asked to go to the hospital. She was examined but the male doctor was unable to find it. (Small hospital and another doctor was not an option.) Her period was extremely heavy which may have played a part as it was very difficult to tell anything apart. A speculum was used but my concern is that it may have gone around to on insertion. While the doctor was very professional, she still found the whole experience quite traumatic understandably. Four days later we went to our regular GP and she did not want to be examined so he explained how she could check herself and signs to look for that could indicate a bigger problem.
I have today picked her up from school. Her behaviour has been terrible and she is complaining of headaches and feeling sick in the stomach. While all this is very possibly stress related we are understandably seriously concerned!! She is refusing to check herself because ‘that would just be weird’. She understands that if she were to get sick she may not have a choice of Doctor at all. I have tried everything! I’ve suggested seeing a female doctor. At this point she just wants to pretend it’s not happening.
Has anyone dealt with this?????
Please do don’t start on about her being too young for tampons. This was not suggested to her and something I would not have suggested however she asked to try and decided that was her preference nearly a year ago. This also makes me feel she would know if it had somehow come out.
22 Replies
She has no other option than to see a female dr who will be kind and gentle with her. It could make her very sick. She needs a female Dr asap.
It would be uncomfortable for her now as it would have swelled and she would definitely be able to feel it. If she can't feel it there's every chance it came out at the beginning only she just saw the string, the tampon could have been too far back in the bowl to see. Sometimes if the tampon is too small and period is very heavy it can just fall out when you poo. This might have been what happened. If the Dr couldn't see it then it's most likely not there, they don't really have anywhere to hide especially 13 year old girls.
No other option then to head to a hospital. If you can, a bigger one, children's one even.
This is probably one of those situations where you've got to be cruel to be kind.
If this were my daughter I'd tell her point blank - if there's a tampon stuck in there and we continue to do nothing, you could die. Get in the car we're going back to the doctor.
Surely an xray or an ultrasound would be able to at least locate it, that'd be less invasive than rummaging around looking for it.
If she wants to use tampons then she needs to be aware there are risks associated (however rare these may be). She can die of an infection, it can happen quickly. If there is a tampon stuck in her, she risks damaging her reproductive system, sometimes this can be irreparable. She has 2 choices, be in pain, get sick and end up worse or she can make the right decision and just go back to hospital for a better check no matter the gender of the dr. She was ‘big’ enough to make the decision to use tampons she has to accept the uncomfortable side of that too.
I know how it feels to have to go to the dr for a stuck tampon that string come out of... twice now.... its embarrassing and she is most likely feeling very embarrassed as well. Honestly, all you can do is continue to encourage her, and maybe show her some pictures of what may happen
Toxic shock syndrome is deadly and incurable if its in the late stages. She can die from septicaemia. Get her seen again asap.
Explain it to her as, doctors aren't infallible. Just because one didn't see it didn't mean it's not there, if she's got any inkling at all that's its still in there she's going to have to fight for her health by getting it checked out.
I'd recommend you go to the nearest major hospital and get the sexual health clinic to check. She may have a long vagina making it harder to find if it's travelled in. Those clinics do this for a living. I suffered at the hands of gp's for years trying to do pap smears with the wrong equipment for my body.
These can be symptoms of TSS and she needs to be seen now, in emergency.
Oh my gosh do you know about toxic shock syndrome. Get into he car and drive that girl to a hospital. Don't delay. It's not a choice it's life or death
She would feel it if it was still in there. It would be as big as it can get. She would also smell by now.
My friend had a tampon stuck inside her. Because it had been there for a few days, it was just bloody rotting fluff that was pulled out in bits. She realised it was still there becauss she started to feel sick and could smell it!
Your daughter needs to deal with it right now!!! Not tomorrow.
Is she ok? This post really worried me.
UPDATE
After a lot of convincing and bribing she finally decided to check herself and found nothing. Absolutely no idea where or how it has just gone but there is no sign of it. Since then all headaches and sick stomach feelings have stopped. We are still keeping a very close eye on things but it appears to be gone somehow. I am going to try and convince her to steer clear of tampons for a while. I really don’t like my chances but I’m hoping! Thank all.
Thankyou for providing an update. I kept checking. My daughter is too young for this issue yet, but if she gets her period a bit too young for tampons, I'll probably just get period undies for her. No doubt your daughter is freaked out so they're probably a good option for her for now too
Maybe look into a menstrual cup? They aren't as gross as they sound haha! I found they hurt a lot less than tampons and I could swim whilst on my period, and I could wear it on days when I thought my period might come. If she's game enough to try tampons, she might be game enough to try a menstrual cup.
She could be lying to get you off her case. It also can go right up and need surgery. Get her an ultrasound just to be sure. If it was there before it wouldn't just disappear she would have noticed it come out. It would have been putrid and probably in bits.
What about if she used a diva cup instead of tampons?? I always used tampons until one day while taking one out, I found the string of another one still in me.. The only thing I could think of was when changing,I'd totally forgotten to take out the other one before putting a new one in. My own stupid fault but it scared me enough and then I found the diva cup... A bit messier then tampons and it takes some practise to use but in all, a hell of alot cheaper and safer.. Also period undies (specially Libra brand) are a godsend too 😊
Go to a bigger hospital but maybe get her to use pads from now on
Personally, i had a tampon that i totally forgot was in there for at least a month as the string somehow rode up inside me. I wasn't even slightly ill, i discovered it when bearing down when constipated and pulled it out. I think a female gp is the answer. She needs to understand that if she wants to use tampons she has to deal with any problems associated with them. She may need an ultrasound to determine for sure.
Surely you know the danger of this and she is 13 years old. You are the adult in this situation. Be the adult no matter how uncomfortable it is for her the alternative is death. Its necessary medical procedures nothing more nothing less. Its apart of life.
Please tell me you have taken her for an ultrasound to make sure the tampon isn't still in her.
As others have said toxic shock syndrome is deadly and has happened to women in hours let alone days.
As for different period items, I would suggest Modibodi underwear. They also make swimwear as well