So I feel stupid complaining about this given how much the Mirena's pro's outweigh it's con's (at least for me thusfar) but seriously... it bugs! I have never had the absolute clearest of skin, but I've never had any real acne problems either. Even puberty wasn't extremely terrible... just your average case of the teenage zits for a few years and that was it... until NOW.
I feel like I've fallen down some sick twisted dermatological time warp! It was really bad right after my Lap, but I figured it was my body getting used to another hormonal shift. I thought it would go away after a month or two... or three? But here we are 6 months out and my face looks like a 14 year old's. Argh... Thank goodness for Neutrogena, it's the only thing that seems to be keeping it in check... well, somewhat.
*Sigh* I suppose this is an acceptable price to pay for less pain, annoying as it may be. Maybe another 6 months? :P
Monday, November 30, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
BOO!
Scared ya, didn't I? :) Well, it's been so long I wouldn't be surprised if no one even bothers to check my blog anymore, lol. Thanks Jeanne for sending me that note! :)
So wow, it's been what... 4 months?!?! Geez, I'm such a slacker! Well, so here I am 5 months post-op and feeling much, much, much better! The Mirena took me a while to get comfortable with. I'd been warned about the random spotting and cramping and yes, it certainly did happen. The spotting wasn't really a big deal but the cramps were killer. I still have strong ones every now and then, but certainly not as regularly as 1-2 months post-op. I seriously felt like I was trying to birth the dang thing... I was told this would probably last 4-6 months, but it went away by about 3 months. So really, no biggy. AF is very light these days and like clockwork, its so nice! I heart the Mirena, really, I do! :)
Post-op life has been hectic. I'm in school full time and working as well. I will be applying for the RN program here in a few months and so I've been working hard to keep my 4.0 GPA to snag a spot since its very competitive. I'm also about to complete my CNA certification and am currently job-hunting for a position in our metro hospitals. Life is busy, but I'm having a blast!
All in all I'm feeling really good these days! Every once in a while I'll have a painful day, but they are not frequent at all, thank goodness. Whatever my doc did this last Lap seems to have worked and the Mirena is probably part of it as well. We'll see how I continue to do with it, but so far I'm a fan! :)
So wow, it's been what... 4 months?!?! Geez, I'm such a slacker! Well, so here I am 5 months post-op and feeling much, much, much better! The Mirena took me a while to get comfortable with. I'd been warned about the random spotting and cramping and yes, it certainly did happen. The spotting wasn't really a big deal but the cramps were killer. I still have strong ones every now and then, but certainly not as regularly as 1-2 months post-op. I seriously felt like I was trying to birth the dang thing... I was told this would probably last 4-6 months, but it went away by about 3 months. So really, no biggy. AF is very light these days and like clockwork, its so nice! I heart the Mirena, really, I do! :)
Post-op life has been hectic. I'm in school full time and working as well. I will be applying for the RN program here in a few months and so I've been working hard to keep my 4.0 GPA to snag a spot since its very competitive. I'm also about to complete my CNA certification and am currently job-hunting for a position in our metro hospitals. Life is busy, but I'm having a blast!
All in all I'm feeling really good these days! Every once in a while I'll have a painful day, but they are not frequent at all, thank goodness. Whatever my doc did this last Lap seems to have worked and the Mirena is probably part of it as well. We'll see how I continue to do with it, but so far I'm a fan! :)
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The Sad Tale of a Stubborn Stich Named Stan
There was once a stitch by the name of Stan. Stan was born with two missions in life: 1) Hold his assigned incision closed tightly until it had healed and 2) Once finished with his first mission, quietly and quickly dissolve and return to that great big pile of dissolvable stitches in the sky... But no, this stitch was special. You see, Stan was a particularly stubborn stitch. His goal was to be the strongest stitch out there, and do the very best job he could at keeping his assigned home (incision) safely closed up. So zealous was Stan about his first duty, that he began forgetting about (or ignoring, in my opinion) his second duty.
One by one, Stan's stitchy buddies began saying farewell as the weeks went by and Stan's home healed and closed tightly. Yet Stan stood steadfast and immovable. Each day Stan's home would check to see if Stan was still there, and sure enough, he was. After a few weeks, something long and metallic began pulling on him every few days, but Stan did his best to hold on... and hold on he did. "Why is my home trying to pull me out?" wondered Stan. Resolved to make his home proud, he held on even tighter, and did his best to be visible and poke his home several times a day to remind it the he, Stan the Stubborn Stitch, was still there... doing his duty.
Today however, was a sad day for Stan the stitch. Countless times, that long metal instrument had failed to pluck him from his home. Today his home tried again, but with a much less formidable enemy... fingers. "Ha!" laughed Stan... "You shall never overcome me, Stan the Stubborn Stitch! I shall stand my ground forev-""Yes!" cried Stan's home as all of a sudden Stan found himself trapped between two fingers. "Finally!" the home screamed. And with that, Stan was chucked unceremoniously into a nearby trashcan.
The End :)
One by one, Stan's stitchy buddies began saying farewell as the weeks went by and Stan's home healed and closed tightly. Yet Stan stood steadfast and immovable. Each day Stan's home would check to see if Stan was still there, and sure enough, he was. After a few weeks, something long and metallic began pulling on him every few days, but Stan did his best to hold on... and hold on he did. "Why is my home trying to pull me out?" wondered Stan. Resolved to make his home proud, he held on even tighter, and did his best to be visible and poke his home several times a day to remind it the he, Stan the Stubborn Stitch, was still there... doing his duty.
Today however, was a sad day for Stan the stitch. Countless times, that long metal instrument had failed to pluck him from his home. Today his home tried again, but with a much less formidable enemy... fingers. "Ha!" laughed Stan... "You shall never overcome me, Stan the Stubborn Stitch! I shall stand my ground forev-""Yes!" cried Stan's home as all of a sudden Stan found himself trapped between two fingers. "Finally!" the home screamed. And with that, Stan was chucked unceremoniously into a nearby trashcan.
The End :)
Friday, June 26, 2009
Conniption Fit
I had myself a little breakdown yesterday... it wasn't pretty. My doctor was concerned that due to my recent surgery and all its post-op complications/infections along with lack of rest and stress from school and work, my body just isn't coping and healing well. I got some new sleeping pills and am happy to report that I actually slept through the night yesterday!
I am a happier camper today :)
I am a happier camper today :)
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Oh Mr. Sandman... where are you?!?!
I have been awake since Tuesday, with the exception of about 3 hours. Last night I didn't sleep at all... not even 5 minutes. This insomnia is getting ridiculous... My little green pills have failed me and I feel like I'm about to snap. Not sure what else to do with myself for the next hour until my doctor's office opens up, that's why I'm here posting something that probably doesn't even make sense to anyone other than myself... my apologies.
That is all.
That is all.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Welcome ICLW'ers!
Wow, this is my first time doing this and already I'm off to a slow start since I'm just now posting this... eeek! Sorry :(
Welcome! Just a quick blurb about me, I'm Alex, I'm 28 years old and have Stage 4 Endometriosis/PCOS/Infertility. This is my blog about my pains, both physical and mental/emotional as I try to live life to its fullest in the midst of chronic pain... not to mention the inability to reproduce! Grrr....
Most recently, I've had a Laparoscopic surgery to deal with cysts/adhesions/fibroids, etc. DH and I have tried for over 3 years (unsuccessfully) to have children and right now we are on a much deserved BREAK from it all due to many reasons... mostly health related but also because we just can't afford IVF right now.
Hmm... I guess thats it! I'm at work, so I appologize for the shortness of this post... just wanted to get something out there though for all you fellow ICLW'ers! Happy posting!!! :)
Welcome! Just a quick blurb about me, I'm Alex, I'm 28 years old and have Stage 4 Endometriosis/PCOS/Infertility. This is my blog about my pains, both physical and mental/emotional as I try to live life to its fullest in the midst of chronic pain... not to mention the inability to reproduce! Grrr....
Most recently, I've had a Laparoscopic surgery to deal with cysts/adhesions/fibroids, etc. DH and I have tried for over 3 years (unsuccessfully) to have children and right now we are on a much deserved BREAK from it all due to many reasons... mostly health related but also because we just can't afford IVF right now.
Hmm... I guess thats it! I'm at work, so I appologize for the shortness of this post... just wanted to get something out there though for all you fellow ICLW'ers! Happy posting!!! :)
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Still alive!
Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been pretty much sleeping/lounging around... a lot. I decided against going back to work this week, especially with that terrible rash and still being in a considerate amount of pain. I think that's the Mirena because its very crampy like pain, very different from the pain I experienced post-op last time, sans Mirena. I've also had a lot of spotting, which I also attribute to the Mirena, argh.
My rash is getting better! The combo of Prednisone and Benadryl is finally starting to kick it, although I still have itchy moments throughout the day. At least I can tolerate clothing now... another reason I decided against going to work this week- I didn't think they'd like it if I came back naked, heehee. I've been slowly forcing myself to stay in clothes longer and longer each day as Monday is the BIG day when I absolutely have to go back. :(
My insicions are healing nicely. Still a bit tender, but thats normal. My bellybutton is the stubborn one though, still hurts like the dickens! Waist bands are murder, and while I protect it with gauze, it is still quite bothersome. Today was the first day it hasn't bled after wearing clothes, so I guess thats a good thing!
Energy wise I'm starting to feel a lot better. I'm going to have a hard time giving up my numerous daily naps, but at least I can sleep in late since I don't go in until 12:30PM each day! I know I should expect to still be tired for a few weeks, so I'm not expecting too much from myself this next coming week...
That's it I guess. My 6 week postop is on July 15th, entirely too far away for me, but oh well. I'm sure time will start flying by once I start working again.
My rash is getting better! The combo of Prednisone and Benadryl is finally starting to kick it, although I still have itchy moments throughout the day. At least I can tolerate clothing now... another reason I decided against going to work this week- I didn't think they'd like it if I came back naked, heehee. I've been slowly forcing myself to stay in clothes longer and longer each day as Monday is the BIG day when I absolutely have to go back. :(
My insicions are healing nicely. Still a bit tender, but thats normal. My bellybutton is the stubborn one though, still hurts like the dickens! Waist bands are murder, and while I protect it with gauze, it is still quite bothersome. Today was the first day it hasn't bled after wearing clothes, so I guess thats a good thing!
Energy wise I'm starting to feel a lot better. I'm going to have a hard time giving up my numerous daily naps, but at least I can sleep in late since I don't go in until 12:30PM each day! I know I should expect to still be tired for a few weeks, so I'm not expecting too much from myself this next coming week...
That's it I guess. My 6 week postop is on July 15th, entirely too far away for me, but oh well. I'm sure time will start flying by once I start working again.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Still in the dark
Warning: Picture of belly button and rash at bottom of post, just in case you don't want to see... careful as you scroll down!
So after a few days of using Hydrocortisone cream and seeing no results (in fact, it just kept getting worse!) I spoke to my doc and told him what was going on with my rash. He was really surprised to hear about it because not only had he not used the Dermabond, but he's also switched to a different kind of antiseptic wash that is supposed to be a bit more hypoallergenic, just in case it was that causing the rash. So we still have no idea what is causing this!!! The rash has spread up to my chest, down my thighs, and around my sides towards my back now! I've been walking around/laying practically in the buff for 2 days because I cannot handle anything even touching me, its awful!!! I'm starting a medrol pack (steroids) tonight though and a different kind of topical cream along with it.
On the other front, I'm still taking the Nystatin for the thrush and started Diflucan yesterday for my vag yeast infection. Can we just say uncomfortable?!?! I am just so frustrated... I really did think this Lap would be so much easier and faster recovery-wise than my last. I was 1/2 wat contemplating returning to work this week but now I'm not so sure... At least I don't seem to be having any problems with the Mirena (as of yet, knock on wood) other than some slight cramping but nothing major. I'm still soooooooooooo tired though, but last night was the first night I slept more than 2-3 hours! (Pretty sure it was due to the Phenegran I took right before bedtime) so that made me happy. I guess I'll just have to take it a day at a time and see how it goes.
Blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah
blah blah
blah
(Hopefully that took enough space to keep the picture out of the first screen!)
Here is a picture of my rash for those that want to see: at least my incisions look better this time around, so we're pretty sure not using the dermabond was a good idea anyway, even if it wasn't the ONLY cause of the rash.
So after a few days of using Hydrocortisone cream and seeing no results (in fact, it just kept getting worse!) I spoke to my doc and told him what was going on with my rash. He was really surprised to hear about it because not only had he not used the Dermabond, but he's also switched to a different kind of antiseptic wash that is supposed to be a bit more hypoallergenic, just in case it was that causing the rash. So we still have no idea what is causing this!!! The rash has spread up to my chest, down my thighs, and around my sides towards my back now! I've been walking around/laying practically in the buff for 2 days because I cannot handle anything even touching me, its awful!!! I'm starting a medrol pack (steroids) tonight though and a different kind of topical cream along with it.
On the other front, I'm still taking the Nystatin for the thrush and started Diflucan yesterday for my vag yeast infection. Can we just say uncomfortable?!?! I am just so frustrated... I really did think this Lap would be so much easier and faster recovery-wise than my last. I was 1/2 wat contemplating returning to work this week but now I'm not so sure... At least I don't seem to be having any problems with the Mirena (as of yet, knock on wood) other than some slight cramping but nothing major. I'm still soooooooooooo tired though, but last night was the first night I slept more than 2-3 hours! (Pretty sure it was due to the Phenegran I took right before bedtime) so that made me happy. I guess I'll just have to take it a day at a time and see how it goes.
Blah blah blah blah
blah blah blah
blah blah
blah
(Hopefully that took enough space to keep the picture out of the first screen!)
Here is a picture of my rash for those that want to see: at least my incisions look better this time around, so we're pretty sure not using the dermabond was a good idea anyway, even if it wasn't the ONLY cause of the rash.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Are you kidding me??!
I seriously thought that this Lap would be completely different from my first one, in the sense that we were better prepared and knew how to avoid those bumps in the recovery road that plagued me 2 years ago. Apparently though, my body had a plan to prove us wrong...
1) Last time I got oral thrush a few days post-op. This time I got it again... so I'm back on the Nystatin for that, hooray. My biggest qualm with this is the fact that by now I should be enjoying yummy solid meals but instead I'm still stuck drinking soups and eating pudding/jello because it hurts SO bad to chew and swallow!!! ARGH!!
2) I've also got another yeast infection (vaginal) like last time...*sigh*
and the best one yet:
3) Remember how I had that rash from the Dermabond and we discussed other forms of wound closure to avoid that? Well, he used stitches instead (so no adhesive at all) but guess what showed up last night? THE RASH!!! Last time it started small and spread from my inscisions out, this time it just appreared all over in the span of a day! I was itchy one minute (no rash) and then by nightfall yesterday, there it was... everywhere! I'ts been driving me bonkers and I spent most of last night with a cold washcloth, alternating places on my belly. I'v already started the hydrocortisone cream, but I know thats not going to work b/c it didn't do anything last time either. What am I allergic to?!?! My new theory is Iodine. They went to town on me with that stuff (much more than last time) and I'd been itching a little for days. It's super sticky though, so I've been working on gently scrubbing it off in the shower daily(ouchie!!!) but I guess that wasn't fast/good enough because here I am all itchy and blistery again...
I am anxiously awaiting 9am so that I can call my doc and let him know our plan was debunked... *sigh*
1) Last time I got oral thrush a few days post-op. This time I got it again... so I'm back on the Nystatin for that, hooray. My biggest qualm with this is the fact that by now I should be enjoying yummy solid meals but instead I'm still stuck drinking soups and eating pudding/jello because it hurts SO bad to chew and swallow!!! ARGH!!
2) I've also got another yeast infection (vaginal) like last time...*sigh*
and the best one yet:
3) Remember how I had that rash from the Dermabond and we discussed other forms of wound closure to avoid that? Well, he used stitches instead (so no adhesive at all) but guess what showed up last night? THE RASH!!! Last time it started small and spread from my inscisions out, this time it just appreared all over in the span of a day! I was itchy one minute (no rash) and then by nightfall yesterday, there it was... everywhere! I'ts been driving me bonkers and I spent most of last night with a cold washcloth, alternating places on my belly. I'v already started the hydrocortisone cream, but I know thats not going to work b/c it didn't do anything last time either. What am I allergic to?!?! My new theory is Iodine. They went to town on me with that stuff (much more than last time) and I'd been itching a little for days. It's super sticky though, so I've been working on gently scrubbing it off in the shower daily(ouchie!!!) but I guess that wasn't fast/good enough because here I am all itchy and blistery again...
I am anxiously awaiting 9am so that I can call my doc and let him know our plan was debunked... *sigh*
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Gas pains = no sleepy :(
So here I am, awake and hurting at 4:30am. Just like last time, I cannot lay down because the gas pains are excruciating in that position. Sleeping sitting up is just not very comfortable, and this is my 5th time waking up due to this dilemma. Grrr...
I figured I might as well do something to distract myself and maybe sleep will come... eventually! So here's my Lap experience:
Bowel prep- So glad that's over! Not fun, but then again could I have expected anything more? lol
We arrived at the hospital at 5AM sharp. They got me all prep-ed and then the torture began... waiting... waiting... and waiting some more. About 1 1/2 hours later my Anesthesiologist came in to talk with us and promised me a sedative b/c I was pretty anxious at that point. Then my doc came in and we chitchatted for another little while. Then my nurse arrived with that blessed little syringe full of the good stuff. I kissed Ben, they doped me up and off we went. I saw a little too much of the OR this time, which freaked me out, but then they put on my gas mask and bam, I was out!
I woke up to a nurse putting my abdominal binder on (aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, LOVE that thing!)asking me if I was in pain. YES! She gave me something, brought more warm blankies and then off we went to phase 2 recovery. I had to transfer myself to a recliner (ouch!) and after my vitals were taken, Ben was allowed to come in. Forty-five minutes later I was just one big mess of tears... sooooooo much pain! They had already given me 2 Percocets and an 800mg Ibuprofen, but to no avail. My chest was hurting so bad and the crying wasn't helping so my doc ordered I'd be given some Morphine. Oddly enough that just barely took the edge off. I was still shaking and bawling and the nurse felt awful because I wasn't getting any relief/ Paged my doc again and this time they gave me 1/2 a dose of Demerol. THAT did the trick! Once the pain was under control, they got me some apple juice and saltine crackers, yuuuuum! It felt really good to eat and sip, that totally helped! Right before they discharged me (early afternoon) they gave me the other 1/2 dose of Demerol for the ride home. We received instructions on how to care for and remove my catheter at home, Ben was given all my post-op in instructions and Rx's and that was it! I don't really remember much about the ride home due to the Demerol, but at least it wasn't super painful, right? :)
So this is what they found: Endo was back (duh) though not nearly as bad as last time in 2007. Lots of adhesions and endometriomas. My right ovary (the one that gives me the most grief) was stuck to my abdominal wall, so he freed that and wrapped it in that filmy stuff. I had a fibroid on the outside of my uterus removed, as well as a polyp on the inside. He cleared out my tubes, did a D&C and then inserted the Mirena. The surgery itself took about 1 1/2 hours, so not too bad. I got some pictures to take home with me, thats always fun!
The pain has been manageable with the Percocet and Ibuprofen, though I take them right on time b/c if I wait too long that pain gets insane and then I'm stuck writhing around for 45 minutes while the pills kick in. This time I have 3 incisions instead of 4. Doc said the incisions are closed with sutures but I have yet to see them since they put big bandages over them. I can take them off in the shower today if I want and then replace them with fresh/clean/dry ones. The catheter comes out today was well which should also improve my comfort level.
I go back in 6 weeks for my post-op and to check the Mirena. This time around seems to be a bit easier than last, so I'm hoping the recovery will go smoother. Ben is taking excellent care of me, I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful hubby!
Ok, pain is creeping back up... I better go and get some rest. More updates to come!
I figured I might as well do something to distract myself and maybe sleep will come... eventually! So here's my Lap experience:
Bowel prep- So glad that's over! Not fun, but then again could I have expected anything more? lol
We arrived at the hospital at 5AM sharp. They got me all prep-ed and then the torture began... waiting... waiting... and waiting some more. About 1 1/2 hours later my Anesthesiologist came in to talk with us and promised me a sedative b/c I was pretty anxious at that point. Then my doc came in and we chitchatted for another little while. Then my nurse arrived with that blessed little syringe full of the good stuff. I kissed Ben, they doped me up and off we went. I saw a little too much of the OR this time, which freaked me out, but then they put on my gas mask and bam, I was out!
I woke up to a nurse putting my abdominal binder on (aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh, LOVE that thing!)asking me if I was in pain. YES! She gave me something, brought more warm blankies and then off we went to phase 2 recovery. I had to transfer myself to a recliner (ouch!) and after my vitals were taken, Ben was allowed to come in. Forty-five minutes later I was just one big mess of tears... sooooooo much pain! They had already given me 2 Percocets and an 800mg Ibuprofen, but to no avail. My chest was hurting so bad and the crying wasn't helping so my doc ordered I'd be given some Morphine. Oddly enough that just barely took the edge off. I was still shaking and bawling and the nurse felt awful because I wasn't getting any relief/ Paged my doc again and this time they gave me 1/2 a dose of Demerol. THAT did the trick! Once the pain was under control, they got me some apple juice and saltine crackers, yuuuuum! It felt really good to eat and sip, that totally helped! Right before they discharged me (early afternoon) they gave me the other 1/2 dose of Demerol for the ride home. We received instructions on how to care for and remove my catheter at home, Ben was given all my post-op in instructions and Rx's and that was it! I don't really remember much about the ride home due to the Demerol, but at least it wasn't super painful, right? :)
So this is what they found: Endo was back (duh) though not nearly as bad as last time in 2007. Lots of adhesions and endometriomas. My right ovary (the one that gives me the most grief) was stuck to my abdominal wall, so he freed that and wrapped it in that filmy stuff. I had a fibroid on the outside of my uterus removed, as well as a polyp on the inside. He cleared out my tubes, did a D&C and then inserted the Mirena. The surgery itself took about 1 1/2 hours, so not too bad. I got some pictures to take home with me, thats always fun!
The pain has been manageable with the Percocet and Ibuprofen, though I take them right on time b/c if I wait too long that pain gets insane and then I'm stuck writhing around for 45 minutes while the pills kick in. This time I have 3 incisions instead of 4. Doc said the incisions are closed with sutures but I have yet to see them since they put big bandages over them. I can take them off in the shower today if I want and then replace them with fresh/clean/dry ones. The catheter comes out today was well which should also improve my comfort level.
I go back in 6 weeks for my post-op and to check the Mirena. This time around seems to be a bit easier than last, so I'm hoping the recovery will go smoother. Ben is taking excellent care of me, I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful hubby!
Ok, pain is creeping back up... I better go and get some rest. More updates to come!
Monday, June 1, 2009
It's over, phew!
I survived! I'm home now. Lots of pain.. lots and lots of pain. Thank goodness for morphine and demerol, I thought I was going to die when I woke up. More details to come when I'm feeling a little better. Thanks for the prayers and well wishes!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
WOOHOO!!!
FEVER IS G-O-N-E!!!! Woooooooooooohooooooooooooooooooo!!! :) Thanks everyone for all the support! Boy am I relieved!!! Surgery here I come!!! (Now onto the yucky bowel prep... *sigh* heehee) I'll have Ben come on here tomorrow and update if I'm not feeling up to it. Thanks again!!! :)
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Still burning
Woke up feeling not so great again... still have a fever. Called in sick again as a last ditch effort to hopefully help my body heal by tomorrow. I'm starting to get really worried now... Thanks for the thoughts and prayers, I'll keep updating. Now I'm off to the couch and my gatorade.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Early bowel prep from H*LL!
Last night I went to bed feeling cruddy. My head was killing me and I just felt "icky" (yes, I know, such a medically accurate term!) so I took some 8-hour Tylenols and went to bed. I woke up at 5AM shivering and feeling even worse. I had a fever and nausea/diarrhea as well... great. When my pre-op nurse called this morning to get everything rolling I told her about this and she told me I needed to contact my doc ASAP because this might cause my surgery to be canceled. WHAT?!?! I guess I should have known, but I wasn't thinking too far ahead at that point. So I called and left a message with his nurse and he called me back after a while to find out more about what was going on.
He suspects its just a viral stomach bug but said that we'll have to monitor how I'm feeling over the weekend before we can safely proceed with the Lap. I am to keep taking my temps and if I have even a smidge of a fever still on Sunday, the surgery is off. Noooooooooooooooooo!!! :( My instructions for now are to stay home, rest/sleep as much as I can, and stay well hydrated. On the upside, he said this will make my bowel prep on Sunday easier since there won't hardly be anything left in me to clean out... hooray... :/
So yeah... nothing left to do but watch and wait. I'm stocked up on Sprite and Gatorade and will spend the rest of the day on the couch watching movies/sleeping I suppose. My head is finally starting to feel a little better, thank goodness and my fever seems to be coming down a smidge as I no longer feel like my eyeballs are boiling in their sockets. I hope and pray this blows over by Sunday because I will be crushed if I can't get this Lap over with on Monday... these past 6 weeks have been hell and the only thing that kept me going was my countdown to this day... *sigh*
He suspects its just a viral stomach bug but said that we'll have to monitor how I'm feeling over the weekend before we can safely proceed with the Lap. I am to keep taking my temps and if I have even a smidge of a fever still on Sunday, the surgery is off. Noooooooooooooooooo!!! :( My instructions for now are to stay home, rest/sleep as much as I can, and stay well hydrated. On the upside, he said this will make my bowel prep on Sunday easier since there won't hardly be anything left in me to clean out... hooray... :/
So yeah... nothing left to do but watch and wait. I'm stocked up on Sprite and Gatorade and will spend the rest of the day on the couch watching movies/sleeping I suppose. My head is finally starting to feel a little better, thank goodness and my fever seems to be coming down a smidge as I no longer feel like my eyeballs are boiling in their sockets. I hope and pray this blows over by Sunday because I will be crushed if I can't get this Lap over with on Monday... these past 6 weeks have been hell and the only thing that kept me going was my countdown to this day... *sigh*
Friday, May 22, 2009
HURRY UP!
June 1st cannot come quick enough... I have been sick as a dog this past week. The pain and nausea is just getting rifreakindiculous! Add migraines to the mix today and I think I've probably seen more of the toilet's insides this week then ever before. Zofran isn't cutting it 100% of the time anymore... what?!?! That was like my miracle drug when I had to give up on Phenegran. NOT cool.
*sigh* 10 more days to go...
*sigh* 10 more days to go...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Why I love my doctor
He's just the greatest! I went in today for my annual/pre-op and as those are usually pretty painful for us Endo sistas, I was really apprehensive... He worked his super quick magic and it was done before I could even get all worked up and ready for the pain! That man is a genius, seriously. My hero.
So I got all the pre-op questions out and we came to a nice little agreement: 1) No surgical glue!!! After my rash last time, NO WAY. Phew! 2) He'll leave the catheter in for me this time (yes, per my request) since I had such a horrible experience last time with not being able to pee for HOURS and it hurt soooooooo bad! He may even let me come home with it and just teach me how to take it out myself so that I don't end up having to go back in to get one placed if I had problems at home. 3) He's going to work his magic with the hospital red-tape and code my Mirena insertion a different way so that they let him place it during the surgery. (It's a Catholic hospital and they don't allow birth control) Thankfully, Mirena is used for stuff other than BC (like bleeding and pain) so he thinks there should be no problem.
I got my scripts for the cytotec (to dialate my cervix since he'll be doing a hysteroscope, HSG, and D&C) and my little behind-the-ear-nausea patch that I loved so much last time! So yup, I'm all set! June 1st is the big day, so less than a month to go. I'd been dreading today, but I'm all sorts of optomistic right now, after that visit. My nurses were just great and so very comforting. If I ever move away from here, I'm gonna have to pack him and his staff all up in a suitcase and take them with me! :)
So I got all the pre-op questions out and we came to a nice little agreement: 1) No surgical glue!!! After my rash last time, NO WAY. Phew! 2) He'll leave the catheter in for me this time (yes, per my request) since I had such a horrible experience last time with not being able to pee for HOURS and it hurt soooooooo bad! He may even let me come home with it and just teach me how to take it out myself so that I don't end up having to go back in to get one placed if I had problems at home. 3) He's going to work his magic with the hospital red-tape and code my Mirena insertion a different way so that they let him place it during the surgery. (It's a Catholic hospital and they don't allow birth control) Thankfully, Mirena is used for stuff other than BC (like bleeding and pain) so he thinks there should be no problem.
I got my scripts for the cytotec (to dialate my cervix since he'll be doing a hysteroscope, HSG, and D&C) and my little behind-the-ear-nausea patch that I loved so much last time! So yup, I'm all set! June 1st is the big day, so less than a month to go. I'd been dreading today, but I'm all sorts of optomistic right now, after that visit. My nurses were just great and so very comforting. If I ever move away from here, I'm gonna have to pack him and his staff all up in a suitcase and take them with me! :)
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
T minus 40...
...Days that is. My Lap has been scheduled for June 1st @ 7AM. Not so much looking forward to it, especially since I've been in the ER twice in the past 2 weeks (for completely non Endo related incidents) and I'm sick of the hospital. Oh wells... c'est la vie!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Lap#2, here I come :(
Here I am 4 days into my mega-pain incident and I just had a nice little conversation with my doc. Looks like Lap#2 is in the cards for me. The pain has been increasing for the past 2 months, what with the "sitting-on-a-knife" feeling, then my bladder problems, horrible super clotty/excrutiating AF's and now this stupid ovary... *sigh* Is it psycho of me to actually be relieved that this surgery is coming? I'm just so at a loss as to what else to do. I can't take the pain meds that work b/c they knock me out but I can't function without them either because the pain is so great it makes me throw up throughout the day... It's not good when you look upon surgery as a joyful event, but what can I say... what else is there to do?!?!
I've been in such a bad state the past few days that I seriously started considering getting rid of that ovary... Thank goodness my doctor was able to talk some sense into me and remind me of our hopes and dreams of children some day. He's gonna check it out and do as much repair work as possible (with that wrap stuff that prevents further adhesion build up) and drill the cysts out, etc. but is very weary of just cutting it out. We're gonna talk more about that at my appt in a few weeks for my pre-op etc. I have to get with my boss tomorrow to solidify a date but right now we're thinking end of May/beg of June.
He's calling me in some Zofran, Tramadol, and more Ibuprofen 800mg. I'm gonna keep up with my Yoga, relaxation breathing, and health(ier) eating in hopes to make it through these next few weeks as sane as possible.
Have I mentioned how much I HATE Endo?!?!? :(
I've been in such a bad state the past few days that I seriously started considering getting rid of that ovary... Thank goodness my doctor was able to talk some sense into me and remind me of our hopes and dreams of children some day. He's gonna check it out and do as much repair work as possible (with that wrap stuff that prevents further adhesion build up) and drill the cysts out, etc. but is very weary of just cutting it out. We're gonna talk more about that at my appt in a few weeks for my pre-op etc. I have to get with my boss tomorrow to solidify a date but right now we're thinking end of May/beg of June.
He's calling me in some Zofran, Tramadol, and more Ibuprofen 800mg. I'm gonna keep up with my Yoga, relaxation breathing, and health(ier) eating in hopes to make it through these next few weeks as sane as possible.
Have I mentioned how much I HATE Endo?!?!? :(
Monday, April 6, 2009
Nothing like a trip to the ER to start off your week!
I woke up this morning with some of the worst pain (in my right side, of course) I've had in a long long time. I also had the pukes because the pain was so intense. I eventually called in sick and called my doctor's office. He was in surgery so I spoke to my nurse, who called him, and then called me back with the news: "Go to the ER and have them do an ultrasound right away!" They wanted to make sure my ovary wasn't about to explode (haha) or twisting on itself.
I'm so glad my doc took my appendix out with my Lap because as soon as I said "lower right quadrant pain and nausea" the nurses and doctors started going into appendicitis mode, talking about abdominal CT's and white blood cell counts. Once they were satisfied that I wasn't about to die of appendicitis, we got me prepped for an u/s and they put in a line for blood and meds. I'd already taken Percocet and Phenegran at home for the pain and nausea but was still doubled over, so they gave me some Toradol. The u/s tech asked me if we were doing IVF this cycle, which was confusing to me in my drugged up state, so I said, "no" and left it at that. Later on the doctor came in to discuss the results of what they had found, and that question finally made sense. Apparently my ovaries (particularly my right, go figure) were covered in so many cysts that it looked like I was being stimmed for IVF. I thought that was hillarious, since I'm on BC pills to keep the cysts to a minimum, but I guess that's not working, huh?
Fortunately, no blood in the belly and good bloodflow to both ovaries, so no signs of torsion there. They paged and talked to my doc to give him the results and I have a follow-up scheduled in a few weeks. They gave me more meds, tried to convince me of the benefits of a hysterectomy, and sent me on my merry way. I came home and slept for a few hours, courtesy of all the pain meds they'd given me and now I'm up again feeling slightly better but very miffed. I can't believe they were seriously trying to talk me into "taking it all out!" I'm only 28 years old, and haven't been able to have children yet! Seriously?!?!?!
I'm glad my doctor isn't cut-happy, like those doctors. We've talked about a hysterectomy before, but only as a last-ditch effort, and definitely NOT anytime soon. He's very hopeful that we'll be able to get pregnant at least once, even if it does take IVF. He's just not a fan of doing something that radical in someone as young as myself, unless it is of absolute necessity and there are no other options. I'm sure we'll talk about it some more in a few weeks, but I'm glad he's got such a conservative attitude when it comes to cutting stuff out. To be completely honest though, I wouldn't mind parting with my right ovary... this little stinker has caused me more pain and trouble to last me 3 lifetimes... *sigh* Well, pain-meds are calling... I'm starting to ache pretty bad again. :(
I'm so glad my doc took my appendix out with my Lap because as soon as I said "lower right quadrant pain and nausea" the nurses and doctors started going into appendicitis mode, talking about abdominal CT's and white blood cell counts. Once they were satisfied that I wasn't about to die of appendicitis, we got me prepped for an u/s and they put in a line for blood and meds. I'd already taken Percocet and Phenegran at home for the pain and nausea but was still doubled over, so they gave me some Toradol. The u/s tech asked me if we were doing IVF this cycle, which was confusing to me in my drugged up state, so I said, "no" and left it at that. Later on the doctor came in to discuss the results of what they had found, and that question finally made sense. Apparently my ovaries (particularly my right, go figure) were covered in so many cysts that it looked like I was being stimmed for IVF. I thought that was hillarious, since I'm on BC pills to keep the cysts to a minimum, but I guess that's not working, huh?
Fortunately, no blood in the belly and good bloodflow to both ovaries, so no signs of torsion there. They paged and talked to my doc to give him the results and I have a follow-up scheduled in a few weeks. They gave me more meds, tried to convince me of the benefits of a hysterectomy, and sent me on my merry way. I came home and slept for a few hours, courtesy of all the pain meds they'd given me and now I'm up again feeling slightly better but very miffed. I can't believe they were seriously trying to talk me into "taking it all out!" I'm only 28 years old, and haven't been able to have children yet! Seriously?!?!?!
I'm glad my doctor isn't cut-happy, like those doctors. We've talked about a hysterectomy before, but only as a last-ditch effort, and definitely NOT anytime soon. He's very hopeful that we'll be able to get pregnant at least once, even if it does take IVF. He's just not a fan of doing something that radical in someone as young as myself, unless it is of absolute necessity and there are no other options. I'm sure we'll talk about it some more in a few weeks, but I'm glad he's got such a conservative attitude when it comes to cutting stuff out. To be completely honest though, I wouldn't mind parting with my right ovary... this little stinker has caused me more pain and trouble to last me 3 lifetimes... *sigh* Well, pain-meds are calling... I'm starting to ache pretty bad again. :(
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Rethinking this Mirena thing....
Since my last post the pain has continued to increase in frequency as well as intensity and duration. My migraines are still being held at bay (thank goodness for that at least!) but man, the pain is killing me. This is all starting to feel uncomfortably too familiar. It hasn't been 2 years since my lap and here I am again feeling very much like I was months before I had it. I feel myself slipping with regards to energy and how much I have to give to my everyday responsibilities... With work, school, hubby, and church callings I'm beginning to feel much like Bilbo Baggins, "like not enough butter spread over too much bread."
The plan was to get the Mirena next month, but I wonder now if that will even be worth it when my pain (especially with regards to my bladder and bowel movements) has increased this much in just a span of a month and 1/2. I know the Mirena helps with not letting the Endo progress as well as with the bleeding, but will it even touch my other symptoms? Why put myself through a painful insertion and 6 months of crazy bleeding when it may not even help? Does that make sense or am I just panicking?
I think I need to have a good talk with my doc and explore other options. I know this sounds insane, but I want to have another Lap. I figure if we go in and do some more work on those adhesions and endometriomas, perhaps I can have the Mirena placed during the surgery and we can start from a better place... I'm not sure if this is possible or if my doc will even go for it, but I don't really know what else to do/try/think.
On another note, I've taken up yoga and am working on cutting out wheat from my diet. I've increased my flaxseed intake and am thinking of adding fish to my diet. (I was allergic to it most of my childhood and just never learned to like it.) I know this won't make all the pain go away, but at least its a start, right?... I hope?
Tonight is going to be another Lortab night... *sigh*
The plan was to get the Mirena next month, but I wonder now if that will even be worth it when my pain (especially with regards to my bladder and bowel movements) has increased this much in just a span of a month and 1/2. I know the Mirena helps with not letting the Endo progress as well as with the bleeding, but will it even touch my other symptoms? Why put myself through a painful insertion and 6 months of crazy bleeding when it may not even help? Does that make sense or am I just panicking?
I think I need to have a good talk with my doc and explore other options. I know this sounds insane, but I want to have another Lap. I figure if we go in and do some more work on those adhesions and endometriomas, perhaps I can have the Mirena placed during the surgery and we can start from a better place... I'm not sure if this is possible or if my doc will even go for it, but I don't really know what else to do/try/think.
On another note, I've taken up yoga and am working on cutting out wheat from my diet. I've increased my flaxseed intake and am thinking of adding fish to my diet. (I was allergic to it most of my childhood and just never learned to like it.) I know this won't make all the pain go away, but at least its a start, right?... I hope?
Tonight is going to be another Lortab night... *sigh*
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Whoops, I sat on a knife!
Or not...more like my Endo giving my intestines a really hard time this week... *sigh* Ever since I started on this new "mini-pill" my head has felt a whole lot better (hooray for no daily migraines!) but a lot of my "old friends" (as I cynically call them) have resurfaced. Before I had my Lap I suffered from a lot of intestinal pains that I had a hard time convincing doctors of. The best way to explain the pain would be to compare it to what sitting on a knife might feel like. Sharp stabbing pain whenever I'd sit down too quickly, and especially during BM's. Horrible, tearing/pulling type pain. After my Lap I was told that my intestines (both small and large) were just covered in Endo and it was the primary location of most of my adhesions. Lovely! Finally an explanation for all that pain! Turns out it wasn't IBS and/or my imagination after all! Grrrr....
After my Lap those pains disappeared for a considerable amount of time. Recently they've started resurfacing, but this week has been just ridiculous! I've been in constant pain for about 5 days now. Ben says, "Have you gone to the bathroom today?" I just roll my eyes as I know I'm not dealing with constipation here... if I were to eat any more fiber I think I'd explode. :)
So this is exactly what I'd feared it would be... a simple trade off of pain. I can either deal with the migraines (which we've established isn't very safe for me at this point) or deal with the Endo pain because my meds aren't really suppressing it worth 2 beans! Along with my intestinal pains I've also been reacquainting myself with my other "old friends"- bladder pain and that randomly wandering side pain. Oh the joys... I've missed them so much! NOT...
This past AF was atrocious and I'm dreading my next one. My only consolation is the hope that when I get the Mirena inserted in May/June things just *might* start looking up. I've also been seriously contemplating doing that drastic diet overhaul that's supposed to be really effective at relieving Endo symptoms. I've been resisting that because giving up wheat, sugars, dairy, and red meat leave me with little to no palatable choices, as I am NOT a very big veggie eater. I may have to take it one food group at a time, but I'm reaching the point where I'm just about ready to do/try anything.
Anyone have some good recipes? :)
After my Lap those pains disappeared for a considerable amount of time. Recently they've started resurfacing, but this week has been just ridiculous! I've been in constant pain for about 5 days now. Ben says, "Have you gone to the bathroom today?" I just roll my eyes as I know I'm not dealing with constipation here... if I were to eat any more fiber I think I'd explode. :)
So this is exactly what I'd feared it would be... a simple trade off of pain. I can either deal with the migraines (which we've established isn't very safe for me at this point) or deal with the Endo pain because my meds aren't really suppressing it worth 2 beans! Along with my intestinal pains I've also been reacquainting myself with my other "old friends"- bladder pain and that randomly wandering side pain. Oh the joys... I've missed them so much! NOT...
This past AF was atrocious and I'm dreading my next one. My only consolation is the hope that when I get the Mirena inserted in May/June things just *might* start looking up. I've also been seriously contemplating doing that drastic diet overhaul that's supposed to be really effective at relieving Endo symptoms. I've been resisting that because giving up wheat, sugars, dairy, and red meat leave me with little to no palatable choices, as I am NOT a very big veggie eater. I may have to take it one food group at a time, but I'm reaching the point where I'm just about ready to do/try anything.
Anyone have some good recipes? :)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Take 3
So the migraines just haven't let up... They were the worst while I was on the Femcon, but after a month and 1/2 on Aygestin, I was still having problems with them. I called my doc and told him I was still having them about 2-3 times a week and he had me stop taking the Aygestin immediately. I am now on a progestin only (but very low dose) type of BC pill called "Jolivette." I did some reasearch and found that it's commonly used for Endo patients, so I guess we'll just see. I've been on it since Tuesday and while I haven't had any migraines (yet) I'm super bummed because... I'm bleeding again. *sigh* I really, really, REALLY loved that there was absolutely NO bleeding on the Aygestin. Other than the migraines, I was feeling absolutely GREAT; no cramps, no pains, nothing!!! If it weren't for those darn migraines, I could have been content to stay on those pills for the rest of my life just to keep the pain and bleeding away. Stupid migraines... grrr...
I guess I've reached the point where I have to pick and chose which pain I can (safely) live with better. After 4 months of non-stop migraines and visual distrubances, I think I'll deal with the bleeding and Endo pain for a while. In a few months I'll be trying the Mirena and hopefully that will work wonderfully and I won't have to pick and chose anymore. Until then, it's back to Endo as usual. :/
I guess I've reached the point where I have to pick and chose which pain I can (safely) live with better. After 4 months of non-stop migraines and visual distrubances, I think I'll deal with the bleeding and Endo pain for a while. In a few months I'll be trying the Mirena and hopefully that will work wonderfully and I won't have to pick and chose anymore. Until then, it's back to Endo as usual. :/
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
She's aliiiiiiiiiiiiiiive!!!!
Yep. That would be me... So sorry for worrying you Jeanne, I've been a bad blogger. Very, very bad. I haven't really even been keeping up with my email either (which doesn't help when people are trying to figure out why you've fallen off the face of the planet... again, sorry Jeanne!)
So, after we decided to quit TTC and I got put back on BCP's (which ugh, so NOT a good thing, but more on that later) I kind of went into a funk. After 3 years of doing nothing but obsessing over getting pregnant, I had a really hard time adjusting to doing nothing. As my last few posts reflect, I still wasn't feeling all that hot (constant nausea and pain) and emotionally I was just not holding it together very well. How did I deal? Well, I didn't... I just chose to try to ignore things... ignore the Endo, ignore how I felt, ignore pretty much everything and anything that had even the remotest connection to all this crap. Unfortunately, that meant ignoring this blog... again, I'm sorry.
I think I'm ready to come back now.
What have I been up to lately? Well, pretty much working my bum off. I'm starting a new job here in a few weeks and am currently training my replacement and trying to tie up all loose ends before making the switch. I'm going back to school this fall to finish up my RN, so I'm really excited about that too! We're planning on paying down our debt and then saving up for adoption. Maybe some day we'll attemp IVF... maybe we won't. For right now, we're closing the TTC chapter in our lives for my own health and sanity.
On the Endo front, BCP hasn't been all that fun. The pain has gone away for the most part, so that's great BUT everything else just really bites! I'd been bleeding pretty much non-stop since I started it about 2 months ago. I also started getting migraines more and more frequently and the severity was just out of control. They would last for days at a time, my worst lasted about 5 days... insane, I wanted to die! It brought the nausea back and I was back on Phenegran.
It finally occured to me that maybe it was the BCP's (duh!) so I called my doctor and as soon as he heard what had been happening, he told me to STOP taking them right away and put me back on Aygestin. This was about 1 week ago and so far that was hands down the best decision ever! The bleeding stopped pretty much over night (YAY!!!) and the migraines have been slowly getting better. I was told Aygestin can cause headaches, but we're hoping it will at least not be as severe as what I'd been experiencing before. I'm starting to feel a lot better, so I'm hoping this will be successful. I still plan on getting the Mirena IUD in a few months, so we'll see.
Hope you are all having a great (and pain free!) day! :)
So, after we decided to quit TTC and I got put back on BCP's (which ugh, so NOT a good thing, but more on that later) I kind of went into a funk. After 3 years of doing nothing but obsessing over getting pregnant, I had a really hard time adjusting to doing nothing. As my last few posts reflect, I still wasn't feeling all that hot (constant nausea and pain) and emotionally I was just not holding it together very well. How did I deal? Well, I didn't... I just chose to try to ignore things... ignore the Endo, ignore how I felt, ignore pretty much everything and anything that had even the remotest connection to all this crap. Unfortunately, that meant ignoring this blog... again, I'm sorry.
I think I'm ready to come back now.
What have I been up to lately? Well, pretty much working my bum off. I'm starting a new job here in a few weeks and am currently training my replacement and trying to tie up all loose ends before making the switch. I'm going back to school this fall to finish up my RN, so I'm really excited about that too! We're planning on paying down our debt and then saving up for adoption. Maybe some day we'll attemp IVF... maybe we won't. For right now, we're closing the TTC chapter in our lives for my own health and sanity.
On the Endo front, BCP hasn't been all that fun. The pain has gone away for the most part, so that's great BUT everything else just really bites! I'd been bleeding pretty much non-stop since I started it about 2 months ago. I also started getting migraines more and more frequently and the severity was just out of control. They would last for days at a time, my worst lasted about 5 days... insane, I wanted to die! It brought the nausea back and I was back on Phenegran.
It finally occured to me that maybe it was the BCP's (duh!) so I called my doctor and as soon as he heard what had been happening, he told me to STOP taking them right away and put me back on Aygestin. This was about 1 week ago and so far that was hands down the best decision ever! The bleeding stopped pretty much over night (YAY!!!) and the migraines have been slowly getting better. I was told Aygestin can cause headaches, but we're hoping it will at least not be as severe as what I'd been experiencing before. I'm starting to feel a lot better, so I'm hoping this will be successful. I still plan on getting the Mirena IUD in a few months, so we'll see.
Hope you are all having a great (and pain free!) day! :)
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