So I had my 1 month post op appointment yesterday. Left at 11:00 am and got home a little after 4:00 pm. I realize it takes 45 minutes to get there, and 45 minutes to get back... but the 3 hours in the office waiting is really just unnecessary! I dont know how people who don't have flexible schedules deal with it! You pretty much have to take the day off when you have an appt. And if you go 4-5 times a month (like we do when we're doing treatments) it can get crazy! I sympathized in the waiting room with a couple that was there for the first time. I watched them getting really irritated and antsy and asking the receptionist how long the wait was going to be... so then I told them that it's just the price you pay to see Dr.O. They lived an hour away too and they were not happy with the waiting. But I told them Dr.O was worth the wait.
I'd better be right...
So here's the down low on the appointment:
1. My incisions are healing nicely (see below) Sorry if you're creeped out by it. I'm just amazed at how small they are! This was the left side one, which was the worst one.
2. I can resume my normal activities. Well... he said so, the med student told me I shouldnt be doing strenuous/heavy weight lifting. Difference between men and women I guess. "Take it easy" vs "You're fine".
3. I have to stay on the Lupron shots for the full six months
4. I will continue to have cramping/spotting for the entire six months.... ggrreat.
5. He re-iterated the fact that my endometriosis was REALLY bad. He said, "there was adhesion's everywhere! It was really bad." That doesn't make me feel better Doc! But nonetheless, i'm thankful it got taken out.
6. There is a chance that the endometriosis will continue to grow/come back.
7. Which is why we will start fertility treatments again immediately after month 6.
8. He mentioned the tube on my left side was blocked with adhesion's. Umm.. What?! How did anyone FAIL to mention that to me after the surgery?! That was news to me! I was like, "What?! Blocked?!" That explains a lot. Kinda hard for those swimmers to get through a blocked tube!
9. Due to the blockage, (which was removed during surgery) i'll have to do an HSG Procedure at the end of the 6 months to see if it's all cleared still. I was really hoping to skip this test, and thought i was in the clear since they did it during surgery. Dang blockage! I've heard this test is not pleasant and kinda painful. Uggh.
10. He re-assured me that I'm still young at 27, and he has high hopes that we will be successful in getting pregnant. Well i'll be 28 by the time we can start up the treatments again. It may seem young to everyone else, but 28 seems old to me. Aww. Oh well. God knows.
"The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
And those who know Your name will put their trust in You."
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate,
And the Master so gently said, "Child, you must wait."
"Wait, you say, wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is Your hand shortened? Or have You not heard?
By faith, I have asked, and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and YOU tell me to WAIT?
I'm needing a "yes", a go-ahead sign,
Or even a "no" to which I can resign.
And Lord, You promised that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry,
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply!"
The quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again, "You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting . . . for what?"
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, and cause mountains to run.
All you seek, I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, But you wouldn't know Me.
"You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint;
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint;
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there;
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
"You'd never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove;
You'd know that I give and I save . . . for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My Heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God, who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that 'My Grace is sufficient for thee.'
Yes, your dreams for your loved one overnight would come true,
But, Oh the Loss! If I lost what I'm doing in you!
"So be silent, My Child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And though oft' may My answers seem terribly late,
my most precious answer of all is still, 'Wait.'"
-Author Unknown
Here I am... waiting. But I'm surprisingly ok with it this time. Yes, it would be nice to have a YES or NO answer but God is CLEARLY telling me to WAIT.
I'll take this shot once a month for six months. I am excited to not have a period for that long! Lupron will stop everything--ovulation, regular cycling,etc. No cramps, no tampons, no food cravings... yes! Although I have heard that this shot will likely give you hot flashes. Guess I'll have the AC on a lot this summer! Hopefully this will allow my body to heal up enough and get my baby making parts in prime shape. :o) The one BIG drawback of this drug is the cost. It's almost $400 per shot. Ouch. That hurts. I don't think we'll be buying another car...or much of anything anytime soon!
Here's what I do know though. In my waiting I am {trusting} in the Lord. I'm {choosing} to be joyful. I'm {giving}my finances to Him. I'm {living}life to the fullest. I'm {searching}for more of Him.
Hallelujah, we praise You, O Lord, for You give children to the childless wife, so that she becomes a happy mother.
We thank You that YOU are the one Who is building our family. As Your children and inheritors through Jesus Christ, we receive Your gift, YOUR child as our reward.
Thank you Whitney for sharing this wonderful prayer with me {and for sharing the vision you saw!}
Well recovery hasn't been a piece of cake, although it hasn't been too bad. The actual pain from the surgery was not bad at all-- the side effects have been awful! I thought I'd do a re-cap of the past 6 days of recovery.
Day 1: Surgery Day-- Good spirits going into surgery, little difficulty finding an anti-biotic to administer via IV due to allergies. Really dehydrated after surgery. Given morphine via IV, and oxycodone pills to take home.
Days 2-3: Don't remember much! Taking oxycodone and those things KNOCKED me out! Still dehydrated (probably due to sleeping so much). Not wanting to eat.Throat sore.
Day 4: Woke up with HORRIBLE migraine. Tried to sleep it off, but woke up still with a pounding head. Emotions went crazy. Cried half the day. Still not eating. Sore throat a little worse. Not going to the bathroom. (lovely side effect of oxycodone) Stopped taking pain meds that morning. Pain from surgery not bad though!
Day 5: Actually ate some food. Pain very minimal-- only when moving around a lot. Took a shower-props to hubby who helped wash my hair! Took off bandages! Still not going to the bathroom (so medicine to fix that). Throat now itchy, weird, sensitive-thinking somethings up with that. Took a small walk!
Day 6: Side effects of meds still in play. Really annoying. Now can't stop going to the bathroom. (ha!) And Dr. agrees I may have thrush. Finally at 7:00 pm get meds to help. PRAYING it does. Mouth issues are the worst! Walking around better! Ate a little more. Will feel almost 100% when this thrush stuff gets kicked!
Day 7: To Come-hopefully better than the last 6 days!
Thank you all for your prayers throughout this surgery and our whole infertility process! And a special thanks to everyone who brought us meals after surgery! It helped a lot! Jacob and I really appreciate all the support and help we've received, especially this week!
I was on the "happy juice" and couldn't get my hat on by myself! :o)
Sorry if you think this is gross... but this is the cyst they took out of me!
Along with the cyst, they took out an extensive amount of endometriosis. Dr. O was very optimistic that this will help us tremendously in our journey to becoming parents! Since the Endometriosis was worse than expected, I will be on Lupron shots. I think he said for 6 months, but I was still on anesthesia and morphine when everyone was explaining what's next. I'll find out more during my post-op appointment next week.
I have to say, Kadlec was a GREAT hospital. I had a great experience, the nurses and doctors were all very caring and efficient. Such a nice change from our local hospital!
After I was out of recovery, they wheeled me out to our car (on loan from my parents since we just sold our mustang) and me, Jacque, and Jacob took off to head home making a pit stop at McDonald's so they could eat. I was doped up on morphine still... and our car DIED in the drive-thru at McDonald's! I couldn't believe it! I really didnt care because I was pretty much asleep, but it was pretty comical. Thank goodness my parents were still close behind, we all had to pile into the suburban!
Anyway, I'm doing well! Sore and still very, very sleepy. My 3 incisions are so little~ and there's no stitches! They glued me up! I'm curious to see if there will be any scarring.
I'll update again after Post-Op appointment with more details!
