Between potty training, taking binkies away, work projects, trying to spring clean, Stanley Cup playoffs---
I've had no time for blogging. Makes me sad. I actually had some videos I was working on, and then *POOF* gone. Yay for technology. *scowl*
I DID get a new camera! YAY! I got a Canon Rebel T3i. Takes some great picture, too! I'm working on a new set up at home--but we're also still "spring" cleaning. We have a lot of stuff to go through, and quite frankly, we're growing out of our 2 bedroom apartment. We'll probably only be there for another year, and then we're going to start looking at houses to rent. Or potentially a rent to own situation? We'll see as time gets closer. Either way, it's time to go!
Onto the surgery story!
It's been a while since I've gone to the gym. Not going to lie, I've fallen off that bandwagon. But the reason I stopped going was because I was having this weird pain in my abdomen. I just though that I had pulled a muscle. It would go away for a few weeks, and then come back. I didn't really notice a pattern until about March/April when it was bothering me enough, I couldn't wear jeans and had also noticed a lump just below my belly button. He had referred me to see a general surgeon--the same day. Joy. My primary doctor was suspecting a hernia, and so was I. So just a few hours later I was sitting in the general surgeons office. After he poked, pushed and prodded the lump in my abdomen---which hurt like hell, by the way--- he still wasn't 100% what it was. So he wrote up an order for a triple contrast CT scan. For those of you who don't know what a triple contrast CT scan is, I'll spare you the gory details and tell you to just google it.
I then proceeded downstairs to the hospital to get the CT scan. Since I didn't have an appointment already set up, I got to sit and wait. And wait. And wait. And wait. I waited for a good 2-3 hours before they finally took me back to start drinking barium and to wait for another hour. The barium wasn't bad. Not something I'd like to drink ALL the time, but I managed to down both tubes of it. The staff finally got me in and did the scan. Like I said before---not going into details about that. No. Way.
As if things couldn't get crazy enough---the surgeon had told me that once the scan was done to go right back up to his office and we would discuss the results. Well by the time I was done, he was already gone. I was told that they would call me with the results. Mmmmmk well my phone was almost dead, and I don't answer my phone while driving. Sure enough, about 10 minuets into my trip, my phone rings and it's the hospitals number. I pulled over and called back real quick after they didn't leave a message. The tech picked up and I asked about my results. Of course he didn't have the information in front of him so he said "Just call your primary care physician tomorrow. They'll have the results, too, and should be able to go over them with you." So I wasted an ENTIRE day---just to end it empty handed.
The next day, I was on the phone before I went to work. I knew I would have to leave a message and then wait for a phone call back. Around 4pm is when my primary care doctor finally called me back. He said that the results showed "inflammation due to an endometrioma."
Ummm.... what?
An endometrioma is a collection of endometriosis cells that come together and basically form a cyst/tumor. So my first though was, my God if I have an endometrioma, does that mean I have endometrioSIS? My primary care doctor said it may be a possibility. My heart sank. There is still room in my life for another little one and I didn't want that ripped away from me. I decided to get in contact with my OB/GYN and have him look at the test results. I didn't get in to see them until about a month later. During that time, I was trying to get copies of the scan, the findings report, etc. What a disaster THAT was!
The day came to go visit my OB/GYN. I was dreading the procedures I may have to endure to completely confirm my diagnosis. As I'm sitting in the room with the nurse, she's reading the report with me...
Ready for this?
NO WHERE on the report does it say "inflammation due to endometrioma". The report stated something about a small umbilical hernia. I instantly face-palmed. I couldn't even begin to fathom why my primary care doctor told me what he did. My OB/GYN came in a few minuets later and went over the report with me again, we chatted for a few and then I was done. Guess what that cost me? Almost $200. What. A. Waste.
I was on the phone with my primary doctor as soon as I left my OB/GYN's office. Since so much time had passed, he couldn't honestly remember why he had told me that. He informed to contact the surgeon again for another appointment. At this point I'm so frustrated, I could scream. I'm wasting all this money going back and forth between physicians who can't give me a straight answer.
I called the surgeon's office, made the appointment and was back in to see him in just a few days. When we went over the report together, the surgeon was telling me that they really couldn't tell EXACTLY what it was via the scan. The only way to really find out what was causing me the pain and the lump, was to cut me open. DO IT!!! I was tired of being in pain. Tired of not wearing jeans. Tired of felling like my insides were going to fall out. His nurse came in a few minuets later and we scheduled my surgery for a couple of weeks later. Apparently the hospital can only schedule the day---the time will be decided the day before. I didn't even care at that point. I just wanted it done and over with.
May 2nd comes---we wake up and 4:45am, since we have to be there by 6am. I'm NOT a morning person. Not even a little. I wasn't nervous yet. At this points I've had 4 surgeries in my life---3 of them being something abdominal. I was all prepped, ready to go, kissed the hubs, told him I loved him and made my way back to the OR. THIS is when I ALWAYS get nervous. I hate that the ORs look like it's in the basement of the hospital and apart of the morgue. Then you walk into the actual room you'll be operated in and you see the small table that looks like a cross. That's not comforting AT ALL. but once I was in the room and on the table, they put something in my IV to help me relax. Yyyyyyep. Didn't care what happened to me at that point. Last thing I remember was them putting the mask on my face. I think I heard someone tell me to breath deeply, but I honestly don't remember.
I woke up to THE worst pain I've EVER been in. More than when I broke my foot, more than after any surgery I've had, more than any contraction I've ever had. I instantly had tears in my eyes and I was begging for something to relieve the pain. The nurse put something in my IV, and it didn't. Do. Shit. Then of course she wants me to sit up! At this point, I hate this nurse. I'm still polite because I don't have a rude bone in my body (thank you customer service job) but I really don't like her. I don't know HOW, but I manage to move from the bed to a chair when my husband joins me. He can see I'm in pain and asks if I've been given anything. I say yes, but it's not doing anything. The nurse says she'll get me a vicodin to take before I leave to take the edge off. In my head I was screaming "You'd damn well better!"
Let me say this, If that's even anything remotely what it feels like coming out of a tummy tuck surgery, I've decided that I will NEVER get that done. It took me a good 2 weeks before I was walking any kind of "normal". I even had to take an extra day off work for recovery, because I was NOT ready for that.
My husband proceeded to tell me that the surgery took longer than initially expected. It was only supposed to be about a 45 minuet procedure. It ended up taking an hour and a half. The reason it took so long was because there was a cyst/tumor that was the size of a quarter and had finger like tendrils that extended out from it and into my abdominal muscles. So they had to cut into my muscle to remove it. The doctor compared it to creating and repairing a hernia. Well no wonder I was in so much damn pain! I didn't have a hernia, but a cyst/tumor that created a hernia WHEN removed.
It goes without saying that I was doubling up on the pain pills for the first couple of days and I didn't even sleep in my bed the first night.
Here is where things get REALLY interesting...
A few days after my surgery, I'm sitting in my trusty recliner chair, watching some Breaking Bad when my phone rings. The number is coming up for my doctor's office. So I answer it, and it's a nurse telling me they have the biopsy results from the surgery. Ok. Cool. I was finally going to know what was causing me pain these last few months...
A collection of endometrial tissue...
An endometrioma.
Seriously!? This whole time!? It was the initial diagnosis!? AHHHHHH!!! I was so frustrated, and relieved at the same time. It was done and over with. I knew what it was. What happened to me is EXTREMELY rare.
It is a side effect of my C-sections. If you don't know what endometriosis is, the jist of it is the cells from the lining of the womb (uterus) grow in other areas of the body. Typically on the outside of the uterus and ovaries. What happened with me was when I had my C-sections, the cells were open to go anywhere in my abdominal cavity. Typically, nothing happens because it's not the right environment for the cells to grow and accumulate. Well the cells in MY body apparently found JUST the right place to accumulate and grow. It explains why I had pain that would come and go every few weeks. They are trying to menstruate.
Right now, I'm not concerned about if I have full blown endometriosis. The surgeon isn't 100% that he got ALL of the endometrial tissue either. There's no real way to know. Only time will tell. When the time comes for the hubs and I to start to try and have kids again, we'll see what happens. I have 2 beautiful girls now, so I don't foresee it being an issue. I'm just happy that it's out, I can wear jeans again, and I can start going back to the gym again.
The husband and I are going to start biking again, and we're both wanting to get a weight set. We also want to go hiking and camping more. We've kind of been on a "prepping" kick lately. Not CRAZY prepping, but we'd like to be prepared enough for when something does happen that we're not OH MY GOD! WHAT DO WE DO!?!? Plus, it's a benefit to be in shape if something were to happen. That way it's not a huge deal if we had to walk a great distance to get somewhere.
If you ARE into anything apocalyptic then stay tuned---my husband is writing a book about an apocalyptic situation!!! We're in the process of finishing the editing and we'll be putting it on the Amazon bookstore. Yay!
I'll post the teaser for it soon.
So that's where I've been most of these months. I'm hoping to start posting more frequently again.
I'd talk about the Hawks---but that didn't happen. *scowl*
Digg it!
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