Life as a man?????? Could you imagine walking around with one of THOSE things?
No thanks! You apparently have to think and worry about it 24/7. I've got better things to do.
Good luck with your "Mystery of the Missing (or not) Tampon." Just be sure you get to your gyno if you notice any discharge or foul odor. That kind of infection is not something you want to ignore.
Peace
Greenlydia
Well, I came home and looked at the one I took out (no blood on it cause it is the end of my period and it was in less than a minute) and it looked okay... I think I was possibly over reacting so I guess I will wait to see if I have any odor or weird discharge.
Also - I did 'go in there', for just a minute, and didn't feel anything... I'm hoping I am just over reacting... Ugh, sometimes I wonder if life would be easier as a man!!!!!
The pain could be because you did irritate your insides, especially the cervix. If it doesn't hurt like your normal period cramps, then it is either caused by irritation, or like you said, unlikely as it seems, you may still have part of the tampon inside. Try, without hurting yourself, thoroughly looking around (gross I know, but "look" with your finger). If you can't find anything and the symptoms continue, you may have to see the doc. If it's just irritation, which is most likely, it will go away as long as you avoid any vaginal penetration. But if part of it still is in you, it can cause a very serious condition called TSS, so if there is any doubt, see your doc; at the very least, call your OB and ask to speak to the nurse to see her input.
It's possible the tampom broke off, but that is a pretty rare happening. Far more likely to forget to remove one because the string got pushed inside when inserting a new one. But trust me, the discharge and odor from a forgotten tampon will soon have you at your doctors!
Sometimes removing a tampon can hurt because our vaginas are too dry or there isn't enough blood on the tampon to "lubricate" it's exit. Unless this becomes a recurring problem, put it on the back burner to ask your gyno about it during your next Pap.
The easiest way to check if there is still some tampom remaining inside you is to..........well, reach in there and root around, see if you can find it.
The first thing you need to do is wash your vaginal area with soap and water and then, very thoroughly, your hands. Check for torn, cracked or broken fingernails so you don't injure the lining of the vagina. Find the most comfortable position for you to begin your "spelunking" adventure........(for me, it was sitting on the toilet) and very gently insert a finger, which you can lubricate with K-Y, and begin to probe around. (The place isn't THAT big) But go slow and easy as when and if you find it, you don't want to push it even deeper.
If you find it, now will come the tricky part, especially if it's broken and there is no string. Trying to remove a lump of cotton from tight quarters is not as easy or as much fun as you might at first think.
Maybe you'll get lucky and snag the damn thing on the first try, but if MY first experience is anything to go by, it will be 2 hours before you find it, you will be sweating like a warthog in June, your bum and legs will totally numb from sitting on the toilet for that long, you will, at some point, end up in tears and shortly after that, the hysterical laughter will overtake you. Be wary at this point as a line is soon to be crossed you may not return from. Rage will be yet another emotion that flits by like a spastic butterfly and will often subside with the insertion of at least two more fingers in your "vault." (That really IS the medical term for that particular location!)
But finally, with fingers as deft as Helen Keller's, we find it, we grasp it, we tug and prod and plead and inch it along until with one gentle jerk, we have removed the cotton ball from hell and go back to wearing our mother's huge Kotex. The end.
If you can't find it and begin to have a discharge and terrible odor, go to your doctor immediately. You'll probably need antibiotics.
Unless I'm the only honest woman around here, this has happened to a very great many of us, is nothing to be ashamed of and doctors see this ALL THE TIME because it is so easy to happen.
Go put your miners hat with the light on and get to work sister. If it's in there, it's not gonna leave by itself.
Peace
Greenlydia
Hi,
Hmmm, well, what do you think? You know the full length and size of one when you put it in, was it shorter when it came back out? I know when you are "dry" like that and pull it back out the cotton can rip at the end and sometimes look a little torn. Are you bleeding, or are you at the end of your period where you really couldn't tell if you stopped or if there is something still in there? I've never, ever had a tampon break on me and I've used them for over 20 years, if that eases your mind at all. Tough call. Good luck and let us know what happens.