Post-Op: Day 3

Today is the third day of my recovery.  Things haven't been too terrible, but I'm definitely far from comfortable.  I can't tell you how excited I was that I got to shower today! (You're not allowed to, the first 2 days after surgery. Yuck)

So now that I'm all clean, that does actually brighten up how I feel, a bit.  But I'm getting really tired of sitting on my butt all day.  Feeling helpless is not something I'm used to, and definitely not something that I enjoy.  I keep trying to remind myself that I have to relax and take it easy, or else it's just going to slow my recovery down.

The incision in my belly button definitely hurts more than the other two.  Above my belly button is swollen and very sensitive to pressure.  The pain meds make me spacey, but they do alleviate the majority of my pain, so that's good.

I can't even begin to describe how incredibly lucky I am to have my boyfriend in my life.  He's been taking care of me so well; from the big things like laundry, to the little silly things like helping me get out of bed because I was laying on my stomach and got stuck.  Not only is he being incredibly helpful & supportive, he's doing a great job with reminding me to slow down and take it easy.

The only word I can come up with to describe how I've been feeling so far through my recovery is "overwhelmed."  Even just going to the grocery store to get 3 things is just too much.  And I suppose that I didn't really expect that.  My emotions are a little bit out of control, but nothing I haven't experienced before.

I just can't wait until my recovery is complete so I can see if this is truly going to help me.

Post-Op: Day 1

So, my surgery was yesterday, making today Day 1 of my recovery.

I was diagnosed with Stage II endometriosis.  The surgeon removed cells from the ligaments that hold the uterus up, and from the back of my uterus.  There were no signs of adhesions.  The outlook regarding my future fertility seems to be good.

All in all, the news about what they found is great.

The pain isn't too bad right now.  I didn't end up having any of the shoulder pain that people get from the CO2.  No nausea so far, either.  Fleeting sharp pains come and go, but it's nothing unbearable.  I think the worst part was the severe dry mouth from the anesthesia.

I'm trying to rest up as best as I can.  It gets a little boring though.  Thank goodness for Netflix!

February 7th

Nothing new here, really.  Just another day.  The pain comes and goes; nothing too intense, luckily.

3 weeks until my surgery.  I know I feel somewhat calm now, but I hope that feeling sticks around as the date gets closer.

I'm just going to take it day by day, and continue to be very thankful for my fantastic, supportive boyfriend.

Do you believe me now?

Let's see.  Typical Thursday, for the most part.

Except for the fact that I stopped in at my old job that I got laid off from back in September.  I had a lot of speculation about the pain I told them I was in.  I doubt they believed me.  So I did get a little satisfaction from the look on their faces when I told them I have a legitimate condition and that I'm having surgery.  Guess I'm not making it up, now am I?

Being back at my old work reminded me of how much I liked the work I did.  I just rubbed some coworkers the wrong way, as they did to me.  It also reminds me of how useless I feel because I don't have a job.  Sure, I do a lot of laundry, cleaning, dishes and whatnot, but it's not enough.  I feel like my purpose has been taken from me.

Can't wait til this gets straightened out. 28 days and counting.

Change of Plans

Sunday night, I lay awake in bed until 6am stressing out about the fact that my surgery was in only 5 days.  Then, 4 and a half hours later, I was awoken by a phone call from the hospital telling me that Dr. Isaacson wasn't going to be in on Friday, and that my surgery had to be rescheduled.  Great way to start my day!

Anyway, due to my father's work schedule, my new surgery date is February 28th.  I'm not looking forward to another month of suffering, but I'm hoping that this new-found time will give me a chance to better mentally prepare myself for the surgery.

I'm considering giving the hospital a call to see what they can do in regards to pain management.  I'm used to just dealing with it,  but why?  Why should I have to, when there's help for me?

We'll see.

One Week

My surgery is one week from today.  I'm definitely starting to get nervous.

For starters, I've never had any type of surgery before.  The anesthesia scares me, the breathing tube scares me, the fact that so many things could go wrong scares me.  But the thing I'm most afraid of has nothing to do with what the doctors do to me.  I'm terrified that I'm going to come out of the surgery and be told that my chances of ever having children are null.  That would be absolutely devastating.

I'm trying to not focus on that.  I'm trying to keep myself relaxed, because stress hikes up my pain level, and I've run out of my bath soak.

Trying to keep my head up and stay positive... 7 days to go.

Finally Making Progress

Well, it's official.  I called the Newton-Wellesley Hospital today, and made an appointment with Dr. Isaacson.  I'm so glad to finally be heading in the right direction, especially because of how bad these past couple of weeks have been.  It was definitely a rough Christmas and New Years, but I'm trying to stay positive.

In regards to my previous pre-op appointment, my doctor's office never called to confirm the appointment, and I apparently had the appointment time wrong, and missed it.  The receptionist was very rude as always, and that's why I've decided to go straight to a specialist.  I don't deserve to be treated that way, especially on top of what I'm already dealing with.