They did give me medicine for my anxiety the day of surgery, and they got me in almost ahead of schedule so those were both pluses. Also the whole thing took less than 3 hours and they were able to avoid my bowels by and large. Since I had my gallbladder out last year, they decided to open from the top and work their way down. I've got at least 36 staples and one massive incision line running from just under my breast plate to my groin. They found evidence of extensive scarring from both endometriosis and previous surgeries. In addition to a cyst the size of a large egg on my right side, they also discovered that at some point my right ovary had been rearranged to sit much higher up than my left ovary. They successfully removed everything. No more cyst, ovaries, uterus, or cervix.
The only thing they couldn't do was an appendectomy. After searching unsuccessfully with an ultrasound, they gave up and said it wasn't worth cutting me apart for an organ that may or may not still be there. Leave it to me to have at least one glaring anomaly. Ladies and gentleman, they can neither confirm nor deny an appendix. I'm calling on Monday to make an appointment to have these staples removed and from here on out, I just work on recovery. As you can imagine, simple things aren't so simple when you can't use our stomach to assist you. I have managed to get in and out of bed mostly by myself (thanks to some bedrails mom picked up at a garage sale). I also have my grandma's rollator which helps me get around and, most importantly, sit down suddenly if the need arises. Because of the size and scope of this incision, I will be on restriction for most activities for 6-8 weeks, and a further 12 weeks for others. Right now, I am most thankful for all the wonderful and supportive people in my life. I am also thankful for Poptarts, compression belts, and ice packs. If you'll pardon me, I'm off to take nap number 27 of the day and some of those sweet pain killers. |
AuthorCreating my own sunshine 🌞 Archives
December 2022
Categories |