stunning photo...we will never understand

I have been struggling from the trauma of the stitches I received after childbirth. I don't feel the stitches on the outside but there is still discomfort on the inside so last week, I went to visit my OB to get it checked out. Turns out there is some scar tissue that healed funny so she had to remove some of it. She also mentioned that my muscles were so tight and tightened even from the slightest touch (due to the trauma I guess). I know that this will be a challenge to get through the mental fear of pain which is the cause of the tightening and discomfort. Not an easy task to overcome.

And then I came across the above photo and article from the NY Times which talked about these young women living in Tanzania who developed fistula, an internal injury due to prolonged labor which leaves them incontinent (can't hold their pee). Such injuries don't happen in the developed world nowadays as c-sections are more prevelent to prevent birthing of large babies or wrong positioning which make it dangerous for the baby and mom. However, as the story goes, these women do not have the option of c-sections so develop fistulas and are shunned by society. How sad that in today's modern world, such incidents still occur. Read the article if you aren't too grossed out by the topic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/24hospital.html