Aunt Flo decided to make one last appearance. I started spotting around 11 AM. Irony at its finest. Well, Aunt Flo was about to get a nice little surprise.
I arrived at the hospital at 12:30 pm and checked in. We found a seat and waited for a minute before I see Dr R go to the desk. Turns out he was running ahead of schedule and wanted me in surgery early. I was rushed back to pre-op. Usually pre-op takes a while. You get undressed, give a urine sample, wait for the nurse to start an IV and talk to all of the doctors/nurses that will be with you during surgery. That process takes about a 1 1/2 hours or more. They prepped me in a little over 15 minutes. It was so fast paced I didn't have time to get nervous. I have no complaints about getting in sooner. It was nice to be too busy to think. My family got to come back for a few minutes before I was wheeled to surgery.
I met "Robbie the Robot" and the rest of the staff in the operating room. Everyone was very nice and introduced themselves to me while prepping. I move to the operating table and get some oxygen through a mask. I knew when it changed from oxygen to whatever gas you breathe to knock you out. The nurse said, "Think of your favorite place to be" and I was out.
Anesthesia is an odd experience. I've had my fair share of surgeries so its not new to me but it is still an odd feeling to lose that time. Its not like going to sleep and waking up knowing time has passed. It feels like you blink and everything is different. The only comparison is passing out or fainting.
My husband, Donnie said Dr R came out around 3:45 pm to talk to them. Surgery lasted about 2 1/2 hours and everything went perfectly. He didn't see anything that would indicate a malignancy but we would have to wait for the final pathology report to know for sure.
I woke up in post-op about 6:30 pm. The pain was excruciating and my tummy felt like it was going to blow contents from the previous week. It took a little while to get the nausea and pain under control. I was given large amounts of Zofran, Phenergan, Dilaudid and Morphine. If you know me you know how much I hate pain meds. I was welcoming the meds this time. The pain was pretty bad. Da Vinci surgery is supposed to be easier but it has been by far the hardest surgery I have had. Recovery may be less but waking up in that much pain was horrible.
They let Donnie come back once my pain and nausea was under control. It was about 7 pm and I was waiting to be wheeled to my room.
Donnie told me my cath bag had blue urine in it. I was pretty out of it from the meds so it didn't quite register so he took a picture to show me.
During the Cystoscopy they fill you with blue dye to check for leaks or damage to the bladder. Then they leave this lovely catheter in until you start running clear again.
I got to my room around 7:15 PM. I was still really out of it from the pain meds and I'm sure the boys that transported me to my room had a good laugh at my expense. I vaguely remember telling them that I was going to be nice and let them move me to my bed without any help from me. Moving was not an option for my body at that moment. Breathing was hard enough.
While my nurse was working on me and the nurses aid was getting me situated I was in and out. The nurse handed me the morphine button and explained that I have a constant morphine drip but I could push the button every 10 minutes to give myself a boost of morphine. I hit the button and passed out for a few minutes.
Donnie and our youngest son, Ash come into the room. They had left to get some dinner since Ash wasn't allowed back in post-op. I'm not sure why I felt like they had been gone for hours because in reality they were only gone for about 45 minutes. I remember being very mad at Donnie for leaving the hospital and telling him numerous times. He was a trooper and told me how sorry he was. Then he recorded a little video of me going in and out of a morphine coma. I was not aware of this video until a few days after surgery. Wow I was out of it!!
A little time passed with me pushing my morphine button every 10-15 minutes and falling asleep. I was so thirsty I drank a ton of water and Sprite. I tried eating some crackers but my mouth was so dry I couldn't swallow them. Saltines feel like cement in your mouth after surgery.
Around 10 PM my nurse came in with my abdominal binder and asked if I could get out of bed for a short walk. No I didn't want to but I know getting up and walking would keep me from getting so stiff. I also knew I wasn't getting that binder until I got out of bed and I wanted that binder BAD.
I walked down the hall with the nurse on one side and Donnie on the other. I felt extremely weak and light headed. The catheter was very irritating. I've had plenty before and was never bothered by them but this one was horrible. I was having spasms in my bladder and the cath wasn't draining properly so I had a horrible urge to pee almost constantly. The nurse would come in, move the cath around, put the bag flat on the floor and try to encourage it to drain. We did that several times throughout the night.
Donnie and Ash left around 11:00 PM to pick up my oldest son, Trent. He stayed at the hospital all night with me. It was nice to have some alone time with my oldest. He has a big heart even though he drives me crazy sometimes. I think its a requirement of a teen to drive their parents crazy.
The nurse came back in around 1 AM and asked if I felt like walking a little more. Trent helped me up to walk and we took a wheelchair for me to hold on to. This time was a little easier but I wore out quicker and felt extremely nauseous after just a minute or two.
Back to bed with my morphine button and some nausea meds. I slept pretty good for a few hours.
The nurse came in about 4:45 AM and removed the catheter. I was so happy to see that thing go! I was still having quite a bit of pain but decided I wasn't hitting that button again because I wanted to go home. I was still getting a steady drip of morphine but I wasn't using the boosts. I got up to pee a few times with help from the nurse and Trent. Apparently I was answering work emails but I honestly didn't remember doing it.
Donnie and Ash got to the hospital around 7:30 AM while they were taking my beloved pain meds off. They kept the IV in but no more meds going in. I got up to take another short walk and did better this time. I was feeling pretty good compared to the day before.
Dr R came in shortly after to tell me about the surgery and asked if I wanted to go home. He ordered my estrogen patch after I told him how emotional I had been. The nurse came in to put the patch on a little while later and I got up to urinate. I had to produce a certain amount of urine before I could be released. Peeing is a challenge. I'm not sure if the Cystoscopy caused it or its the swelling but I almost have to retrain my bladder to release urine.
My belly was pretty swollen that morning.
A little while later the nurse came in with my discharge instructions. Usually I get a page or two but this packet is 23 pages long. We read through it together and I signed my discharge paperwork. IV came out and off we go about 11:30 AM.
The binder made the ride home a little more bearable but it was still horrible. Every bump felt like knives twisting inside me. Donnie got me situated on the couch and I took a nap while he filled my prescriptions. Other than the cloudy brain and emotions I was doing ok that day.
The following day was Wednesday. Not a good day for me. I woke up stiff and couldn't get out of bed by myself. The nausea was horrible as well. I slept as much as I could and drank a lot of fluids. I took a very quick shower with the help of a friend. I was still covered in iodine and was itching pretty bad.
Thursday came and I felt a little better. Parts of my body hurt that I didn't even think possible but it was more of a soreness than pain. The nurse called from Dr R's office and had my pathology report in hand. All clear. No malignancies and no abnormal cells. Perfect Path Report! YAY!
Each day has been a different experience. Some days I feel like I'm progressing and some days I feel like I have taken a step back.
4 days post-op
6 days post-op still very swollen
9 days post-op swelling subsiding
I saw Dr R on Thursday for my follow up appointment. We discussed the pain I'm still having and some of the issues I'm having. All is normal. He said it could take up to a year before I'm feeling back to normal. He removed the steristrips and all the incisions look great but one. He had to glue that one a tad and put a bandaid on it because it wasn't closed completely.
11 days post-op
It has been two weeks today. I truly thought I would feel much better than I do. I took my binder off and haven't been wearing it the past few days. At first it hurt but now that I'm getting used to it being gone it seems better. I have a few internal stitches poking out. I always seem to have issues with that. My body just doesn't like them in there I guess.
14 days post op
the top incision that didn't close now healing nicely below a previous surgery scar
right side incisions that internal stitches are working out
some tape burn, my old appendectomy scar and scar above from gallbladder removal
I've come to the conclusion that my tummy is going to be a road map of stretch marks and surgery scars. I'm ok with it though. My first surgery made me worry about scars but I'm over it now. My scars show what I've been through. This surgery created less scars than what it could have. While the outside doesn't look that bad the inside is the same surgery. That was hard for me to understand at first. I really thought it would be easier than it has been but I'm slowly getting better.
My wonderful husband has been the nurse, the mommy and the daddy. I feel for him taking care of three children and me. He has done things for me that I never thought I'd ask of him. So much for modesty here. A man that will hold his wife while she cries in pain from constipation is a great man indeed.
That's one thing I wasn't prepared for. Constipation is a bad thing after surgery. My doctor explained it to me that the bowel is settling into its new home and the anesthesia and pain meds can cause it. I received specific instructions for bowel care after surgery. I followed them to a T and it still happened. I was so scared that I was going to end up back on the OR table with a bowel obstruction. I swore I would never drink Miralax again after that nasty bowel prep before surgery but here I am calling it my savior. For any woman preparing for this surgery...keep some Miralax on hand for these issues because it will very likely happen and it hurts.
The emotional aspect of this surgery is draining as well. I honestly thought hot flashes and night sweats would be my big issues but no. Its the emotions. I have always been a little bitchy. A tough girl and tomboy hanging with the boys. Take out my female parts and my female hormones and BAM...I'm a girl with girly emotions and crying about everything. What happened to me? Even my new improved "ovary" isn't helping that part.
My "ovary" HRT patch
I have to keep tissues around because I cry watching movies now. I have also had some issues with grieving my uterus. The womb that carried all my babies is gone. Knowing I can't have more children doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Its that my safe, warm womb that my children grew into strong little boys in is gone. It was dissected and scrutinized under a microscope then incinerated with all the other medical waste. The thing that held my babies was trash. My ovaries are gone too and I don't mind. Talk about irony, right!? Yes, my children started as eggs that came from those ovaries but those ovaries are scary. They have a high chance of killing me. Murderous little bastards can kiss my hormone patch wearing butt. Glad they are gone. (Yep, I'm menopausal and a tad crazy)
So, that's my recap from the past two weeks. Its full of ups and downs, emotions and some pain but do I regret it? Not one bit. I know in my heart that this is the right decision for me. Did the path report show those as healthy parts? Yes. Do I consider them healthy? Hell no! Did I have a surgery to remove healthy parts? Nope. I had a surgery to reduce my risk of an extremely aggressive cancer that is hard to monitor and catch early. I did this for my children because I don't want them going through what I went through with my mom. No I don't want to go through what she went through either but all-in-all it is my family that needed me to do this. Do the boys understand that? No. Will they ever understand that completely? I hope not!
Disclaimer: I support herbal supplements, homeopathic medicine, exercise and diet to aid in treating medical conditions but in no way feel those can take place of modern medicine. This is my opinion that I have come to through my research and my team of doctors that I trust wholeheartedly. I did not make these decisions without looking at alternatives and discussing these options with my team of medical professionals and my family. With that being said, support me or don't but don't bash me for the decisions I have made unless you have walked a mile in my shoes. Please be aware of your remarks to other women that might be in my shoes because it is hurtful to be put down for doing what we feel is right for us and our families.
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