I feel that I have had a lucky escape. I had an operation of this sort in 2002, but I don't think they used the mesh or if they did they a) didn't tell me and b) it hasn't caused any issues. I seem to remember that there were 2 ways of doing my op and the one I had probably meant that I didn't have the mesh. I read about these issues some 5 years ago and was appalled then at how damaged these women were. I just read an article about the use of mesh and it was used it seems to help prevent relapse. I do have relapse of my issues, it's true, but I would rather live with them than ever go down this route again.
I was lucky in that I never was offered GET, or CBT for that matter, and my symptoms anyway are not as serious as some people's so I am able to do some exercise, and just pace myself at different time depending on how I am.
There are so many medical procedures with side effects that are not fully understood or explained. For example, I have just been diagnosed with osteoporosis, and decided not to go down the road of using bisphosphonates, based on what I have read about them online and the damage that they can do. I was not offered any information on them though and had to seek it out. My friend, however, who had read nothing, has gone ahead and didn't know why I was so concerned. The possible damage does not always happen immediately though, it can happen years later.
So often though people are between a rock and a hard place. There is no easy answer, but at the very least the dangers should be spelt out to people honestly and clearly. I have had a lot of eye surgery and I always read the % risk factors but with the eyes, if I lost my sight anyway without the treatment, then it's a no brainer really. The same is not true of all conditions though, including ME/CFS.
