Wake me up (when September ends)

So, it's been a few weeks! Sorry about that, I haven't forgotten this blog, it's just life keeps getting in the way.

It's been a heck of a year already. I lost my job, my health completely failed me, I became housebound, and I had surgery. And it's only August. 

My laparoscopy has proved to be successful, though it took a long time for the swelling to go down and the pain to completely subside. I still have nagging little pains from time to time, but at this point I'll just have to live with them. There are no further procedures or scans or medicines to try, and I'm not keen on uploading my consciousness into a computer.

My hips have been flaring up, demanding attention that should have been given to them instead of my stomach, and I've had a few sleepless nights due to the cramping pain in my legs. This is because the muscles that get strained due to my hip dysplasia then strain the muscles below, and it s a chain reaction. Needless to say, it's not pleasant. 

Things are looking up though. I've managed to get a great job lined up for September. It'll be hard to give up watching Judge Rinder and playing Golden Frontier on facebook, but it will be nice to spend my days around other people, and not have to talk to myself quite so much. 

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.