Revenge of the laparoscopy: part two

So way back on the 23rd of May I had a laparoscopy. This was to look into the chronic abdominal pain that I have been suffering for more than a year. I had already been x-rayed, MRI scanned, and had two exterior ultrasounds and a rather uncomfortable inner one, AND had a gastroscopy. So by this point you could say I was pretty committed to finding out what was going on in there.

Afterwards, I started to bloat up. All normal, part of the process, it will soon go down...so I was assured. This however, is not what happened. For three weeks, I continued to inflate. I could no longer wear any of my trousers, shorts or even skirts.

Out in Paphos, I decided to wear a bikini anyway. If anyone made a rude comment, I was just going to accuse them of committing a hate crime against a disabled person. I'm kind of sad that I still haven't had the opportunity to use the rant that I had planned.

I felt nauseous every day. As if I was full of food up to my neck. I just had to stop eating completely. In the end I had to turn to some strong laxative tea, having got nowhere with pharmacy recommended windease tablets, peppermint tea and fig juice.

It's now nearly one month after, and my stomach has gone down. It's still not as flat as it was, I think there's a new layer of fat on there, but at least it's not as tight as a newly-inflated football.

The real question is, did the removal of my endometriosis cure my pain? The short answer: no. I still have times where it feels like someone is stabbing me in the side with a rusty spoon. But I don't have all the fish-hook pulling pain, so there has been progress.

 I saw one of my doctors yesterday, and they were very pleased with how my scars are healing. Well ahead of schedule. Thank you aloe vera. Now I have to go for more blood tests, and give a few more samples....enough said.

Hope all my readers are enjoying your day, in sunshine or rain, good health or pain, we're all getting through life one day at a time.

Sun, sea, and absolutely no sex

For the next few weeks, you will notice a distinct lack of blogging. That's because I will be sunning myself in Cyprus.

This is no club 18-30 wild holiday though (more's the pity), this is a sophisticated family gathering.

Since I'll be hanging out with my parents, a few aunts, an uncle, and a grandmother, I'll have to dial back my rage-against-the-machine demeanour and generally behave myself.

The parents are hopeful that some sun and general lounging in the sun will help to restore me to health. I think there's certainly no harm in trying that approach.

In honour of this holiday, I have purchased several bikinis, and intend to spend my time swimming in the private pool, sunbathing, and sleeping, with the occasional forage for food. If necessarily, I will play the invalid card to ensure that food is brought to me by a helpful family member.

My laparoscopy scars have healed up nicely. I think that's in no small part thanks to my religious application of aloe vera gel. That stuff is miracle cream. Rub it on everything. Though even if they are still in evidence, who cares? Better to have a scar than endometriosis growing away inside. The most annoying thing has been the bloating. My stomach has been like a football, and is just starting to get back to its old self. Really they should give you an after-surgery corset to help you fit into your clothes.

Shortly after surgery...

I woke up in the brightly lit and busy recovery room. It was perhaps half an hour after my surgery had been completed.

I was in agony, and crying. A lovely nurse gave me tissues and water, encouraging me to let it all out. Even then, I was aware that the surgery must have gone without a hitch, and that was something to be pleased about. I had not woken up. I had not felt anything during, or if I did I had no memory of it. These were good things.

Mum was waiting for me in my room. I was transferred from operating bed to regular bed, via some lifting and sliding action, and from then on I was officially in recovery. The worst was over.

 The pain was probably the worst I have ever experienced. Considering I only had two small holes in me, I can only imagine how much worse it gets if you need something more serious done. But that's surgery for you. As much as you can sedate and anesthetize, your body is never going to be happy that someone's been poking it with a scalpel.

I had some good news. My surgeon came up with some pictures to show me my insides. She remarked on how lovely my pelvis was, and how good my organs look. (My organs always get a lot of compliments, the benefit of clean-living).

During the laparoscopy, some endometriosis had been uncovered growing outside my womb. It had now been burnt away, and this could very well be the cure for my crippling abdominal pains. In the meantime, I just had to hang in there and recover.

(This is not one of my pictures, but shows what I had. Alas, mine are in my files and I did not get to take them home for repeat viewing)

It would be great to think that in a few weeks I could be back to my regular, limping self, instead of this new extra pain version, but I will just have to wait and see. Right now, everything hurts, and I am ridiculously tired. I got up for breakfast at 7am, read for a bit, and the next thing I knew I was waking up at 2pm.

Preparing for surgery

On the 23rd May I will be having a diagnostic laparoscopy and a cystoscopy.

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 Laparoscopy is a surgery that uses a thin, lighted tube put through a cut (incision) in the belly to look at the abdominal organs or the female pelvic organs . Laparoscopy is used to find problems such as cysts, adhesions, fibroids , and infection. Tissue samples can be taken for biopsy through the tube (laparoscope).

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Cystoscopy is a procedure that allows your doctor to examine the lining of your bladder and the tube that carries urine out of your body (urethra). A hollow tube (cystoscope) equipped with a lens is inserted into your urethra and slowly advanced into your bladder.

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 I just had a rummage for any pictures to go with those descriptions, and I don't think there is actually one that I want to look at right now. Those few minutes of browsing have just scarred me. Surgical tools just look so damn horrific.

Today I had to go in for my assessment, to make sure I am a fit candidate and to avoid complications down the road.

All in all, I am still in good health, considering. My bloodwork is nice, my blood pressure remains perfect, resting pulse excellent. If it wasn't for the constant pain, I would be a truly excellent specimen. It's times like that I am grateful for all the chocolate I didn't eat, and all the exercise that I did. It's still paying dividends now.

 So all is well, and the surgery is set to go ahead. The only thing that is still freaking me out is the anesthetic. Being asleep whilst someone cuts me open is probably my deepest fear, a phobia if you will. One that I never thought I would actually face, or not until I was old and having my first hip replacement surgery.

I will do what I always do in such situations. Picture time skipping until the day after the surgery, when it's all over, and I'm telling everyone what a breeze it was, and people call me brave and give me sweets.