So I'm having a tough time with the latest news and the new plan of action I am facing. I am about to go under the knife AGAIN - this will be the 8th time since 1996. But before I begin to discuss what I'm doing I'll do a short recap of what brought me to 8.
Way back in 96 (I must have only been 15 at the time -lol -I wish) I had a grape fruit sized cyst on my right ovary that need to be removed - thankfully it was done laparoscopically. While the doctor was in there they noticed my appendix was inflamed so they removed it as well. Everything went a lot better then the doctor had prepared me for. At the young age of 22 I had given my surgeon permission to give me a partial hysterectomy but thankfully it wasn't needed.
1999 - I had a small fragmented disc and had back surgery to remove it. Everything went well with no lasting damage.
2001 - Emergency c-section to deliver Caitlin
2003 - Planned c-section to deliver Mikayla
2006 started having issues again with my cysts and now a new problem - fibroids.
December 2008 - Surgery to repair a small hernia I received in Kick Boxing class - but once inside it was discovered that I had what's called a Massive Lumbar Hernia and the small one I went in for had repaired itself.. Massive Lumbar Hernia's are very rare and my surgeon and 2 others had never seen it before in person. They were excited about it - me not so much. My surgeon put it this way when describing what I had. You could take your fist and put it through me - right below the ribs without touching intestines. The intestines were off to one side of my body. He said "You were put together wrong". Gee thanks! :) I actually really like my surgeon - I better since I've let him cut me open 3 times!
July 2009 - Back in to see the surgeon - this time gall bladder removal. Lab result- Chronically inflamed and over-active.
Sept. 2010- Back in for the third time with this surgeon to have scar tissue removed that was pulling my stomach and liver together. This is pretty painful if you haven't had it! At that time my surgeon took a little look and a few photos of my uterus and again in his words after surgery "your uterus is huge!" He also saw a new cyst and possible endometriosis. He told me to talk with my OB and that most likely I'll need a hysterectomy. This was not the first time I've heard this. But I didn't want to - I was tired of doctors, hospitals, needles etc... and I had finally started to feel well enough to train and complete a 1/2 marathon this last June and now I'm even retraining for another 1/2 marathon but in barefoot running shoes - that's another story.
Well during this time of training I had been struggling with a enlarged uterus, fibroids and cysts but in my mind the pain was manageable and nothing was going to stop me from running my 1/2. Well this month my body decided to throw me a new one and I just can't deal with it anymore. So I saw my new and fabulous OB and I am scheduling a hysterectomy. They will remove everything but the left ovary - - - hopefully. Not sure of the date yet but it will be soon. Because of my history and being put together wrong I will have the old school surgery - a small incision in the same area of my c-sections. Sigh....
So that's where I'm at - I'm more fearful of this one - it's a major surgery and I've been told the pain will be greater then the others. But the silver lining is that the problem with cysts and other issues that have been following me around for years is just about over - the pain will be gone - I won't look pregnant anymore when I'm not and I'll be able to completely get on with my life without pain.
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