The Big Day

I wanted to wait to write about my hysterectomy until some time had passed so I had the clearest memories of those days, but I didn't intend to wait 2 months. I started to feel so great that I almost totally forgot I'd had surgery. I also wanted to put this into detail in case someone stumbles upon it, looking for information before their own surgery. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ My husband had so much going at work around the same time as my surgery so I panicked and begged my sister to come stay with us for a few days. I drove 2 hours to pick her up in Denver. It was so nice to have that time to myself. I'd been so busy trying to make sure everything was ready for my downtime that I hadn't had any time to just be relaxed. It was such a beautiful drive. The day before surgery was my sister's first full day in town and also the day I had to do what is called "bowel prep" or as my sister and I called it, "shit storm '12". I still wanted to show her around town and do whatever we wouldn't be able to do the rest of her stay. I was on a clear liquid diet only. I was pretty grumpy. At lunch time, I had to start the awfulness of the prep. My throat refused to drink the 16 ounce clear fluid. It seriously just closed up and would not allow it through! It was like salt water and it just sat there in my mouth. Everyone kept telling me this was the worst part of the ordeal and now I know why. The rest of my day was spent in my bathroom... The week of surgery, my friend's son came down with foot & mouth disease. She was originally our sitter for the operation. My sister has Multiple Sclerosis and I was unsure what would happen to her if we came in contact with any funky illnesses so we had to make a Plan B. Scott would be staying home with the kids and Kelly would be coming with me. This was good for me because I'm a worry wart and so is my husband. I was comforted know he would be taking care of the kids and they'd all be in their comfort zone. I downloaded season 2 of Downton Abbey onto my Kindle Fire for Kelly to watch during her wait. The morning of surgery, I was cranky from not eating for the past 30 hours or so and I had a pounding headache. Luckily the hour-long drive flew by and so did the waiting in the surgery center waiting area. Once in the back, they outfitted me with a gown that the nurse pumped warm air in to and then she put these things over my legs that looked like bubble wrap that prevented blood clots. I don't think I've ever answered so many questions in my life. I'm sure it was annoying for them also because Kelly & I are incapable of being serious together. We were so obnoxious. I made sure at every opportunity to make it clear I expected to wake up with a new vagina, flat stomach and perky boobs. One out of three ain't bad. They couldn't give me that anesthesia fast enough. I recall shouting, "Whoa, I'm so high!" and then it was lights out. My procedures were scheduled to be: Total Hysterectomy, Sacral colpopexy, cystocele & rectocele repair and removal of some ovarian cysts. This was to take 2 hours or so. I came to 5 hours later in the same spot I was in before surgery. I was dressed somehow, eating jell-o and looking at photos of my internal organs. I really thought I was dreaming. I heard my surgeon tell a nurse that I had extensive endometriosis and the operation went on all afternoon instead of the 2 hours. I started to panic because I knew my sister was waiting all that time! They let her back to see me within those first few minutes. They tried to make me eat toast but because I'd been given anti-nausea meds, it just sat there in my mouth. I was really out of it but I couldn't miss the giant bag of my pee sitting there in the bed. I knew I'd be catheterized but why was it still here?? Kelly was driving us home about 20 minutes later. The weird thing was that I'd only driven that way from this hospital one time, using a GPS. According to her, I told her step by step instructions on how to get to my house with no mistakes. I was really foggy but I remember her breaking down too. It was very scary for her when things went way long and no one was getting her information. We shared a room until we were leaving the nest and she was afraid she was about to have to make scary decisions for me. I will forever feel horrible about that. It wasn't until the next day, Friday the 20th, that I knew what really happened. I had a foley catheter - a huge bag with a tube running into my urethra. My shoulder was hurting so bad. I had 5 holes on my tummy and stitched in a way to make them all look like new belly buttons. The anesthesia and gas pumped into me was causing chest pains. My throat was really sore from the tube that went down it. And I had stitches in my perineum, unexpectedly. For the Da Vinci surgery, I was inverted at a 45° angle for 4-5 hours. My surgeon went in to remove the uterus. It was full of Adenomyosis and fibroids and way enlarged. And fused to my bladder. While detaching the two, I lost a chunk of bladder, so I get stuck with the catheter for a whole week! There was extensive scar tissue and also tons of endometriosis implants. I never even knew I had that but now it explains so much. Both ovaries had large cysts that were removed, while saving the ovaries. Hallelujah! She also repaired the bladder, rectum and vagina that had all been shoved down by the weight of the uterus all this time. She told my sister that my kids really tore things up in there. I was surprised that I wasn't in horrible pain for all that was done to me. I guess it is a testament to the amount of pain I've tolerated daily for the last few years. By day 3, I felt fairly well and was taking care of myself. Which is good because it was time for Kelly to go back to Atlanta and I'd be home alone all day while Scott drove her to the airport. I tried to nap but I had so much energy that I couldn't. I went from Tramadol at night to just Motrin. Things were going really well but hormonal surges were convincing me that it was all horrible. There was much crying and it was usually directed at my poor husband. Like clockwork, I'd get a hot flash and a mood swing each night at 8pm for the first couple weeks. But I was otherwise great. The catheter came out after a week and despite my fears, I was peeing just fine. So fine that I could make it through the night without going to the potty! Stitches in my belly came out at 10 days and everything there looked fine as well. At 6 weeks, I had an internal exam and was cleared to return to EVERYTHING. I am not a huggy person but even at 6 weeks, I felt such an immense improvement in my health that I just wanted to squeeze Dr. C so hard. I was practically skipping when I left her office. When I first started down this path, a hysterecomy was so scary to me. I'm only 31 years old and I've always thought of myself as such a strong woman. To be told a huge part of your womanly identity is majorly flawed is crushing. I'm glad I had the support system around me that I did and was able to see the bright side. I have a fancy new hoo-ha and no more kids are going to screw it up! I'll never have to ever plan around a period again either.