Deuterization part 2

[austin_tycho]

I arrived with Eric at the hospital at 6am sharp. There was only one nurse in the day surgery unit below the 1st floor and she had me change and get in a hospital bed. Apparently surgery happens at 2 different spots in the hospital, and when a suite came open unexpectedly in the other area, the gynecologist had me moved upstairs. He likes being in the other spot better, it seemed- this was fine with me, whatever keeps him happy. They put the IV into my hand and wheeled me into the OR around 7am. Since I had asked not to be given Versed I remember being told "we're going to take care of you" at least a couple of times, then "you're going to go to sleep now" then nothing. I awoke around 11am, and the gynecologist told be it was over and that everything went fine. The details I would learn later were that there were adhesions on one side sticking an ovary to a fallopian tube, and adhesions on the other side sticking part of the uterus to the pelvic wall. Also, my uterus was abnormally large- he said it was the size of the uterus of someone who has had six or seven children! And as a nullipara that's pretty bizarre- further evidence of adenomyosis, but we won't know for sure until the pathology report comes back in a few days. He said he cleaned everything out and used the preventative measures to avoid adhesions, and that it was all done.

They wheeled my bed into my room, a private room on the corner of the top floor. It had a nice big picture window looking out at trees and sky. I had requested the anti-nausea 'cocktail' since I had gotten pretty ill after my tubal, and had hardly any problems. After about 3pm the Sun came around the building and began to shine in my room, which heated up very quickly. I had been seeing many visitors and was quite exhausted, and got overheated in a matter of minutes and almost puked. The staff was very quick to help- they closed the curtains, got me a fan, and shot some Zofran into my IV. I was getting the standard saline plus some antibiotic and was on a pain pump that gave me a continuous small dose of Dilautid. I opted for that over morphine because it supposedly was less prone to making you nauseous. I had a button that I could punch to give myself an extra done when I thought I might need it; I tried to anticipate it and punched it whenever I exerted myself much, but I never was in any severe pain.

In addition to all this I had a cannula in my nose, a Foley catheter in my bladder, and socks that covered my legs from ankle to knee and were connected to hoses to massage my legs. The leg massages were nice, but I bitched about the cannula and the Foley- they said I was stuck with them for awhile. I also wasn't going to get to eat that day either. I was bummed about that because one friend sent me a get-well basket with all sorts of snacks and cookies and chocolate and such. But the other gifts of flowers and crystals and things to read and cards were more immediately appreciated, plus the company of my friends. I even got a nice Jesus in my room- it was a Catholic hospital and I did not want to see a tortured, bloody crucifix like the one that they had in the ER room. While this one was still on the cross he was just hovering in front of it, half-smiling and looking more like he was going to do a swan dive. I even was offered communion since they somehow decided I was Catholic, but I politely declined and the pastor seemed unphased when I said I was Wiccan, and I thanked him anyway. He was cool about it.

I tried to get a little sleep and drifted in and out from 9pm 'til about 2-3am. After that, my hunger and the constant visits from the staff for this and that kept me more or less awake for the rest of the night. I got the cannula out around 2, and the Foley came out around 7am. They had me stand up and shuffle around a little, and I had some of the blandest cream-of-wheat breakfast ever. Next out came the IV after one last pain med injection. I got in a shower and managed to walk down the hallway a bit. I had some lunch and managed to demonstrate liquid waste elimination to the nurses' satisfaction. I also discovered that I have a talent I wasn't aware of- breathing. A respiratory therapist gave me a device that measured my lung capacity and encouraged me to use it every hour so I wouldn't get pneumonia. Right off the bat I showed the capacity of over 100%, though they usually have to encourage people to get up to 70% initially. No pneumonia for me!

I had solid food for lunch and by that afternoon was trucking around the hallways, though slowly. I was anxious to go home; I hadn't slept well and knew I wouldn't until I was in my own bed. The gynecologist said that he was planning to release me the next morning, but if I was doing really well he might spring me early. I convinced the nurse to call and get a discharge for me by around 8pm yesterday evening. We loaded all my stuff up and I headed home.

I didn’t end up sleeping all that well; I've stacked up the pillows so that it's easier for me to get up, but apparently hit that magic angle they teach you in CPR class where your mouth automatically opens when your head tilts back, so I was a mouth-breather all night and had a wicked sore throat this morning (though that also could be in part from the intubation). But I don't have any pain from the gas they inflated me with, nor hardly any around my incisions (each about 1-1.5 cm on my belly button, my pubic hair line, and at the inside of each hip bone) unless I get up too quickly or cough too hard. My energy level is pretty low but if this is the worst it gets, I'd say I'm pretty damn lucky.

There's no substantial pain inside either, which surprised me. If anything, it almost feels like my other organs feel more comfortable in there- maybe they like having room to stretch out. Energetically, if you buy into that sort of thing, things are flowing a whole hell of a lot better. It's not like there is a 'hole' there at all- more like a drain has been unclogged or a dam has busted, and the energy is flowing like clear water for the first time in I can't imagine how long. I guess my internal feng shui has been improved immensely- it sure feels that way.

Unless something goes wrong and I'm not sure what that would be at this point, my only regret is going to be that I didn't get this done sooner. Like many people I think of all the things that can go wrong and was hesitant about this- not a bad idea, since it is major surgery after all. But it's nice that after things have been so crappy for so long I am now getting an idea of what normal feels like. I wonder at the notion that in this lifetime I happened to not be normal with a uterus, and I'm sure that will give my brain plenty to chew on later, looking for deep hidden meanings and silly things like that which brains are prone to do. But whatever the reason, I'm beginning to think this was a good idea after all.

Comments

[starcrossedlady.livejournal.com]

:::big hugs::: I'm so glad you are feeling well.

Don't overexert yourself!

and I'm going to be a broken record on this :P

[todfox.livejournal.com]

I am glad you are feeling well, Stacy. I hope the rest of the recovery works as smoothly too.

Thanks for sharing all the details. It was actually pretty interesting reading.

[mielikki.livejournal.com]

I appreciate it! That means a lot coming from you. :)

[mielikki.livejournal.com]

You, and enough other people that I'm thinking I might need to hear it- thank you. :)

[00goddess.livejournal.com]

Energetically, if you buy into that sort of thing, things are flowing a whole hell of a lot better. It's not like there is a 'hole' there at all- more like a drain has been unclogged or a dam has busted, and the energy is flowing like clear water for the first time in I can't imagine how long.

Thanks for writing this. It's very reassuring to those of us who have an eventual hysterectomy in our future. One of my concerns has been how it would affect me energetically.

I hope your recovery is swift and uneventful.

[mielikki.livejournal.com]

You're welcome- I had read lots of women's stories and it seemed many of them felt a sense of loss. I wasn't sure if it was an energy thing or a regret for not being able to have babies- and really hoped it was the latter, since I obviously don't give a rip about being able to reproduce. :) Fortunately, at least in my case, it was.

[the-weeb.livejournal.com]

Thank you for such a detailed account! And I'm so pleased you are recovering well.

One question - will they be giving you your uteris back or is it going in the waste bin after the pathology report? Just curious. I had a vision of us burying it ritually or something to say goodbye. Maybe I'm just overly romantic about those things.

I was really pissed that they wouldn't let me have my tonsils. I didn't even get to see them! But I did do a short 'thanks' ritual. Even though I was glad to be rid of their diseased selves I did want to bid adue to something that was a part of me, ya know?

Hugs and more good thoughts for a full and speedy recovery!
Sheena

[mielikki.livejournal.com]

I did a similar ritual when I had my tubes tied, because I was giving up something that was healthy (my fertility) and even though I had no desire to be physically fertile, it seemed right to mark the occasion. I symbolically 'exchanged' my physical fertility for spirutual fertility. But it had not really occured to me to do that for my physical uterus. Thinking about it, I'm mad at it for giving me so much trouble and glad to get rid of it and have no desire to ever see it again. Though I am extremely grateful for my health, and may do a 'thanks' ritual for that when I have some energy back.

[morven.livejournal.com]

I just wanted to say that I'm so glad it went well for you, we've
been thinking of you in Atlanta!