Surgically Altered
Notice I didn't say surgically enhanced :)
I have been waiting for almost 2 years to have surgery for my suspected endometriosis (you can't 100% diagnos without this surgery) and our new insurance (big up BCBS!) approved it! Big score for Team Campbell.
I went in on the 15th to do my laproscopic surgery. I was told that if it was minor then I would only have one incision and if it was more extensive I would have more.
James and I arrived at the hospital at 10 am and checked in. We got our own little hospital room where I played Angry Birds and watched the Today Show for an hour. I was periodically checked on by an increasingly more important line of nurses assistants, nurses, ect. I got to change into a fancy hospital gown that had a hook up that you can hook to a tube by the bedside that blows warm air into your gown to keep you toasty. So fancy :) The hospitals were not this fancy in 1995 when i had my deviated septum surgery (no- that is not a fancy name for a nose job).
We moved into pre-op across the hospital where we literally ran into my mom roaming the halls of the hospital looking for us. Mom headed into pre-op with my while James tracked down my father in law and my stepdad- I'm a pretty popular and well loved girl just so ya know. I got to meet my surgical assistant (groan- hulking man) and see my (male) doctor.
Fun fact that I learned at the hospital- if you are allergic to shellfish you can't be scrubbed down with iodine as it contains shellfish! Please no one pour shellfish in my wounds! I had a large tag that was red and was emblazoned with Allergy just in case anyone missed that on my file.
Back to the surgery- so since I hadn't been allowed to eat/drink anything since midnight and my surgery was running late (big surprise there) my nurse was having a hard time finding a vein in my poor dehydrated wrist. She proceeded to to right through the vein on my wrist and hit the bone. I nearly sprang out of the bed despite her numbing the area. She scrubbed me with about 15 towelettes and poked me multiple times for 30 minutes before getting a line started. They kicked James out and I was about to be rolled into surgery and then we go blank. I think the anesthesiologist slipped me a mickey because no one told me that I was going to spontaneously black out.
I wake up in the post op room with 2 nurses laying on top of me. Um ok ladies lets not get excited here! I start seizing- not the head kind but the muscle kind and am trying my very hardest to throw up the empty contents of my stomach. They proceed to yell loudly at each other and repeatedly ask me why I keep seizing. Like I know. I apparently ask for James repeatedly. I only remember asking once. They dose me with 4 different meds before they quiet me down and then they throw me out of there faster than you can blink. I quite think they don't like me.
I am taken home by the lovely hubs and mummy dearest. They shovel me onto the couch and I don't really remember most of the night. Except the pain. Oh the pain. The pain meds didn't touch it. I lift up my shirt at one point to see the damage- 3 incisions- one in my belly button and two to either side of it. A neat little triangle. I go to the bathroom and gasp loudly- someone has against my will shave a portion of my lady parts! I shudder to think who.
After my post op appointment I have the low down on the surgery findings. I had Stage 3 endometriosis- that's stage 3 out of 4. They removed countless lesions off of my uterus, intestines and abdominal cavity. They also removed a couple of endometriosis filled cysts off of my ovaries. My doc says this will greatly improve my quality of life- yea! Downside is that they will slowly start growing back-yuck!
A week later I'm walking at quicker than granny pace and able to bend down to put on my shoes and pick up stuff. The incisions are looking good and are staying glued together- bless them. They are still sore but improving. I am back at work although not full time- I get really sore from sitting on one place for a long time. Day by day I'm noticing improvements but I'm already tired of this pain and inconvenience. I am greatly irritated that I'm not back at the gym by now. James gave me the evil eye when I mentioned going. I didn't mean literally..... just in the longing sense.
My hubs proved to be an all-star care giver. He shoveled pain meds, soup and fizzy drinks down my throat regularly. Although he did call in several babysitters- mainly my mom and candy to give him a break. But in saintly husband fashion he slept on the couch for 3 nights in order not to jousle or kick me in my most pain filled days. Loves that guy.
So cheers to my doc and to my family/friends for getting me through this and hopefully we'll not have to do it again!
I have been waiting for almost 2 years to have surgery for my suspected endometriosis (you can't 100% diagnos without this surgery) and our new insurance (big up BCBS!) approved it! Big score for Team Campbell.
I went in on the 15th to do my laproscopic surgery. I was told that if it was minor then I would only have one incision and if it was more extensive I would have more.
James and I arrived at the hospital at 10 am and checked in. We got our own little hospital room where I played Angry Birds and watched the Today Show for an hour. I was periodically checked on by an increasingly more important line of nurses assistants, nurses, ect. I got to change into a fancy hospital gown that had a hook up that you can hook to a tube by the bedside that blows warm air into your gown to keep you toasty. So fancy :) The hospitals were not this fancy in 1995 when i had my deviated septum surgery (no- that is not a fancy name for a nose job).
We moved into pre-op across the hospital where we literally ran into my mom roaming the halls of the hospital looking for us. Mom headed into pre-op with my while James tracked down my father in law and my stepdad- I'm a pretty popular and well loved girl just so ya know. I got to meet my surgical assistant (groan- hulking man) and see my (male) doctor.
Fun fact that I learned at the hospital- if you are allergic to shellfish you can't be scrubbed down with iodine as it contains shellfish! Please no one pour shellfish in my wounds! I had a large tag that was red and was emblazoned with Allergy just in case anyone missed that on my file.
Back to the surgery- so since I hadn't been allowed to eat/drink anything since midnight and my surgery was running late (big surprise there) my nurse was having a hard time finding a vein in my poor dehydrated wrist. She proceeded to to right through the vein on my wrist and hit the bone. I nearly sprang out of the bed despite her numbing the area. She scrubbed me with about 15 towelettes and poked me multiple times for 30 minutes before getting a line started. They kicked James out and I was about to be rolled into surgery and then we go blank. I think the anesthesiologist slipped me a mickey because no one told me that I was going to spontaneously black out.
I wake up in the post op room with 2 nurses laying on top of me. Um ok ladies lets not get excited here! I start seizing- not the head kind but the muscle kind and am trying my very hardest to throw up the empty contents of my stomach. They proceed to yell loudly at each other and repeatedly ask me why I keep seizing. Like I know. I apparently ask for James repeatedly. I only remember asking once. They dose me with 4 different meds before they quiet me down and then they throw me out of there faster than you can blink. I quite think they don't like me.
I am taken home by the lovely hubs and mummy dearest. They shovel me onto the couch and I don't really remember most of the night. Except the pain. Oh the pain. The pain meds didn't touch it. I lift up my shirt at one point to see the damage- 3 incisions- one in my belly button and two to either side of it. A neat little triangle. I go to the bathroom and gasp loudly- someone has against my will shave a portion of my lady parts! I shudder to think who.
After my post op appointment I have the low down on the surgery findings. I had Stage 3 endometriosis- that's stage 3 out of 4. They removed countless lesions off of my uterus, intestines and abdominal cavity. They also removed a couple of endometriosis filled cysts off of my ovaries. My doc says this will greatly improve my quality of life- yea! Downside is that they will slowly start growing back-yuck!
A week later I'm walking at quicker than granny pace and able to bend down to put on my shoes and pick up stuff. The incisions are looking good and are staying glued together- bless them. They are still sore but improving. I am back at work although not full time- I get really sore from sitting on one place for a long time. Day by day I'm noticing improvements but I'm already tired of this pain and inconvenience. I am greatly irritated that I'm not back at the gym by now. James gave me the evil eye when I mentioned going. I didn't mean literally..... just in the longing sense.
My hubs proved to be an all-star care giver. He shoveled pain meds, soup and fizzy drinks down my throat regularly. Although he did call in several babysitters- mainly my mom and candy to give him a break. But in saintly husband fashion he slept on the couch for 3 nights in order not to jousle or kick me in my most pain filled days. Loves that guy.
So cheers to my doc and to my family/friends for getting me through this and hopefully we'll not have to do it again!
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