Did you forget that I’ve been sharing my journey to health since 2017? I don’t blame you because even I did! My last update was in 2019 and then the pandemic threw us all for a loop. Well, we have a lot to catch up on! So pour yourself a drink and read on because if you read about ALL of my issues in part 1 of this series… I finally got answers and it wasn’t all in my head!
Hernia, Cysts and Endometriosis
2017-2022 Catch up
As a quick recap, I was getting used to living with the shooting pains every time I sat and stood up. I was also told that my hernia was the reason my stomach always looked like I was 3 months pregnant (I look 12 months pregnant right now so I kinda wish I could go back to the size it was in 2022!!!) and I continued to live my life. We had no answers so I was trying to be healthy, work out and still enjoy a fun life. This continued into the pandemic. In early 2022 I told my doctor that I was getting new aches on the sides of my belly button and it was dismissed initially but then I had major pains the day of Apollo’s baptism in April 2022 and I dragged myself to the ER. It was there that I had a 1 hour Ultrasound that revealed “it wasn’t just in my head”- I had an 8 cm endometrioma cyst on my right ovary and that hernia I was told about shortly after Apollo was born in 2013, was still there. I was also told that they would like for me to have it all removed as soon as possible. Well, spoiler alert- it took 7 months!!! I went in for an MRI in June( no food or drinks were allowed 5 hours before the scan) where they did a dye test to see everything and that’s when I was passed along to a gynecologist. Luckily for me this happened to be the same doctor who delivered Apollo and so when the time came for my cyst removal surgery in November 2022, I felt like I was in great hands.
If you want a play by play, I’ve saved everything in my instastories highlight!
Below is what I shared before I went in for my surgery in November 2022.
View this post on Instagram
2022 Laparoscopic Ovarian Cyst Removal Surgery
It took quite some time to get my surgery scheduled but once we had a date, I definitely felt better… even though I was very nervous for the actual surgery. I had two c-sections but was never put out fully so I went into the anesthesia appointment with all my questions, concerns and fears. My hope was that I’d build a relationship with the anesthesiologist but as I found out-the person who does your intake a few weeks before surgery is not necessarily the person who will actually put you out! Not to worry, it all turned out great.
On the day of actual surgery, I was scrubbed and ready. Chris walked me over at 10:00 a.m. for my 12:15 p.m. scheduled surgery. I actually went in at 1:30 p.m. for surgery (emergency cases and deliveries take priority for obvious reasons). I came to my senses around 5 p.m. (anesthesia wore out) and the care team wanted to do some blood work to ensure all was okay before they called Chris to pick me up. The original care team signs off from their shift around 6:30 p.m. and passes me to a new team and I lay on the hospital bed observing the amazing work the nurses at St. Mikes do. I was truly amazed at how they shuffled between tasks, caring for individuals and juggling the limited recourses. At 9:00 p.m. I was reunited with my belongings and told to change but that’s when I notice some bleeding from the stitches area. They get me to pause and head back to another room to evaluate things. The doctor confirms that I need a CT scan and that I will not be going home because they need to monitor me overnight. YAY.. okay. Even by 11 p.m. I was not allowed to eat anything in case I needed additional surgery (it’s been 26 hours since my last meal, but who’s counting?). I attempted to sleep, burb, pee and fart overnight. 10 hours later (yes 36 hours of fasting) I was given some food and told that I was healing and things were progressing well. I went home that afternoon-the day after my surgery!
Long story short what transpired during my actual surgery was that they drained an entire wine bottle’s worth from the right ovarian cyst. That hernia they told me I had all these years – ya it wasn’t there. Gone. Poof! I had a very large diastasis recti instead. Also, they ran out of time so the fibroids were untouched but they did remove the fallopian tubes. The right ovary they were supposed to remove – was still in my body. They also confirmed that I had endometriosis.
From November 2022 to about February 2023, I felt a bit better. The cyst was gone but those other fibroid pains remained.
View this post on Instagram
2024 Update : More Cysts!
By February 2023 I was back at my family doctor’s office complaining of additional pains…on both sides. She knew she should listen to me and sent me for some ultra sounds which confirmed that the right ovary had a new cyst! I was referred back to the surgeon who operated on me but he was quick to pass me on to a surgeon who specializes in Endometriosis. The wait times were long and additional scans were required so it took a while for things to align.
It actually took multiple visits (4-6 months between visits) to convince this new surgeon that I really wanted a hysterectomy. You see… the scans eventually showed that I have two large cysts… one on each ovary!! I’ve always been about that balance life – right?
One thing I will mention is that I continue to live my life. My blood pressure has been high ever since the cysts first appeared in 2022 and I’ve been on medication and then this new surgeon put me on medication to help with the endometriosis pain (which helped with those shoot pains but not the pain around the cysts). Despite all this, I am so lucky that I continue to explore and spend time with friends and family. I am very grateful that the pain hasn’t been overwhelming (thanks to my high pain threshold).
Well the good news is that I FINALLY have a surgery date – yet again! November 28th 2024 is the big day and my pre-opp prep work will be done on November 21st. I feel like I am a bit calmer going in this time because I know what to expect- somewhat. We know that no two surgeries are alike. My hope is that they can perform the hysterectomy laparoscopically. My surgeon would like to remove the right ovary but keep the left one intact if she can. So I have my fingers crossed that all goes according to plan and hopefully this time around, I get to come home on the day of surgery (though in hindsight, it was comforting to be monitored 24-7 post surgery!).
I wanted to share this with you for a couple reasons :
- to remind you to advocate for yourselves. I have been asking for scans for the last few years and although the early scans weren’t cause for too much concern, the one in April2022 was. I’m glad I pushed for it without waiting to end up in the ER first. This is why I was so calm and crept to the ER whilst everyone at home was still asleep! In 2023 I knew exactly what was happening and was able to push for it.
- to share what the Pre-op was like. Although I’ve had two c-sections, I was still nervous about the anesthesia and being put out completely. I don’t like losing control (as you can tell by now) so my family doctor suggested that I request for a pre-op meeting to find out more details. I did it the last time and I’ll do it again!
- to ensure that those who don’t follow me over on Instagram is aware of what is happening behind the scenes. I’ve shared every appointment and update via stories but now that I finally have a date (hopefully no last minute cancellations) I wanted it on here too.
I promise to share an update next month narrating all the details about the prep work I’ve done prior to this surgery. I’ll also update you on how the surgery went!
