What I've been doing...

(This ended up being much longer than anticipated. It's not for those with short attention spans :)

I've had a lot of people ask how everything has been going, how the surgery went, and what the doctor has said. I really wasn't planning on blogging about the whole 'event' but the boredom has hit a new high today, so I think it's time.... Keep in mind boys, that some of this material may be too sensitive for your innocent eyes. It involves "girl problems". We all know how boys can be about that kind of thing.

Rewind to June '08

I started having really weird back pain on a Friday night. It just felt uncomfortable and different. By Sunday, I had thrown up every half hour for a whole day. Sunday night I was done. Brian took me to the ER in American Fork where they did some really fun tests (I won't share about these because 1) I try with all my might to block from my mind and 2) because, EW). We learned that I had a 'large mass' that needed to come out. The result of the laser surgery was that I have Endometriosis that apparently created so much scar tissue it blocked my left fallopian tube which caused it to fill like a water balloon. I also had a large cyst on my left ovary that they just drained because to take it out meant that I would loose that ovary as well. A few days later we realized that the cyst had filled right back up but it was smaller than before, so I should be okay....

Fast Forward '09

I started feeling some weird pain on my right side during the first couple weeks of May. Normally I would have waited to get checked out, but I was really concerned because my right side is supposed to be the 'good side'. I went to the Doctor, and they ordered more of the fun tests. Time out- I just have to say that when I had the tests the year before, I had already been admitted to the ER so I had good drugs running through my vains. This time around, not so much. These tests on drugs, not so pleasant. The tests not on drugs, shuddering at the thought. The tech who was doing the tests couldn't have been nicer, but what's with the questions? "I bet this doesn't feel good, huh?" Uh, ya think? What tipped you off? The tears, or was it the cleanched fists? "No, this feels great. I'm thinking of scheduling a re-occuring appointment, ya know, kind of like the salon or something." She really was super nice, but I think I would have wanted to hit anyone at that point. Sorry for the tangent, moving on...

They found that I had so much scar tissue they couldn't even find my ovary in the ultrasounds and a cyst that was 3 inches. My Doctor scheduled me for surgery on June 8th, this time around I need to have a Laparotomy which is basically a fancy way of saying C-Section. The problems were too much for a little laser to fix them.

When they scheduled me for June 8th, it was still a few weeks away and I thought there was no way I could wait that long. When the day finally rolled around, I kept wishing it was further away. The surgery went well, but the pain after was no fun. I kept pushing the little medicine dispenser as much as it would allow. The first couple days after surgery = not fun. I underestimated how bad it would feel. The second day was good, but tough. I was in the Woman's Center, but there were so many babies were being born that I had to move rooms. They moved me by wheelchair which meant I had to stand up, sit in the chair, be wheeled across the hospital and get in the new bed. It was terrible. Did anyone mention to them I just had my tummy sliced open? Just something to keep in mind. My nurses were good for the most part, but at that moment I thought my Mom was going to punch them.

I was in the hospital for my birthday, which wasn't ideal, but it was fun to get lots of visitors. Before my surgery, I had mentioned to my mom that maybe I would wear a party hat... I didn't think she would remember. She put my hat on, gave me a cupcake and took a picture. A picture that would soon be circulating through friends and people I work with. Nice. Just keep in mind I just had surgery...

So where do we stand now?
I'm feeling a lot better than that first week, but I still am really sore and tired a lot. It seems like the smallest of activities exhaust me. I had my follow-up appointment last week and they said everything looks great. I'm still pretty swollen around my incision and up around my belly button. I guess that's normal. My Doctor was surprised by how bad everything looked when he first opened me up. He said there was so much damage from scar tissue that he didn't really know where to start. The cyst looked like an elongated softball. The original plan with the surgery was to take out the cyst and the tube, but there was so much damage they ended up taking the ovary on the left side as well. They cleaned up some scar tissue around my bladder, intestines, and uterus. In about another month they are going to test the other tube to make sure it's clear. That's what we are hoping for. If the tube looks clear, we can continue to try and get pregnant the natural way. If it looks damaged, invitro will be the next option for us.

Overall we are happy to get some of these problems cleared up. Brian and I are both really hopeful that everything will work out. For now, it's me lounging around in my sweatpants. I've had great friends and family that have made this experience a little more pleasant for me. Hopefully I can start feeling good enough to enjoy the rest of the summer!