Well technically this is post op #4. I don't really remember much about the first 2. They were also laparoscopic like this one. I was a lot (a lot) younger then. And I was much more confident then. Humility may be helping me this time.
I wasn't afraid. I think this laparoscopy being diagnostic in nature made me feel very at ease with it. As the nurse was administering my IV, the motion sensor sink turned on. I told the nurse, Kim, that I think I have a visitor. She thought so too. I'm pretty sure my Gramma was there at that moment. I'm not crazy, promise! I just felt really safe.
My surgeon came in at 10:00 running early for my scheduled 11:30 surgery and was as kind as always. He wondered if we would be removing an ovary today. I didn't think he was removing anything. He was okay to continue with that plan. We would do a cystoscopy which I was aware of, a bladder exam. He also decided to do a proctoscopy. Hmmm? I reminded him that I hadn't done a bowel prep, something that had bothered me from day one! He said it's okay. I also made him aware that I hadn't had a bowel movement since the previous Thursday, the day of my colonoscopy. This was day 7. He said it's okay. He's only going to look just inside, promise! Looking back I'm thankful for this time with him before the surgery. I had questions about recovery time that I hadn't asked before. He also mentioned that he would be able to do my hysterectomy in 2-3 weeks. When he saw the freaked-out look on my face, he said we can wait! It's not cancer so it can wait!
At approximately 12:30, I was wheeled away and kissed my mom goodbye at the kissing door (the last stop family is allowed). I felt like I was 12, but I didn't care. I had said goodbye to my husband a few minutes before. I woke up what felt like days later. I remembered the voice of Amy, the anesthesia nurse. My new friend Kiko was there checking my vitals and explaining what was happening as I "came to".
As I was waking up, Dr. Miller came to talk to me. I think I remember most of this conversation. He said that he was surprised at how good things looked. He flashed some pictures that he had in his hands. He feels that the next surgery will likely be robotic. There is some scar tissue between the uterus and colon but not nearly as bad as he would have expected 7 years later with the amount of pain I had. He had stretched my bladder. This should give me relief for a few months.
Once I had glasses on I
quickly realized that Kiko was Francisco from the Philippines. Kiko is a
typical nickname for Francisco. These are the things I remember from
post op.
I think my mom came to see me first. I really am not sure and I'll have to ask. She had my glasses, so that's my logic. Dr. Miller had come to them in the family waiting area to explain the results. She also noted that things aren't as bad as he expected. He feels he can do the hysterectomy robotically and may be able to leave an ovary and remove only part of the uterus. This will require some research on my part! He explained that he had found no endometriosis on my bladder and had asked a colleague to take a look. They decided to distend the bladder to stretch the nerves. This should give some relief to the bladder symptoms for 3 months. This has me wondering what happens after that? Do I have Interstitial Cystitis? Is there a recurring bladder issue that I should be concerned with?
I feel good. I have soreness at my incision site. I have only one incision and another spot that is sore, likely from the needle that inserted the gas. I am 3 days out. I'm tired, although I did not nap today. I slept most of the day yesterday and then 12 hours last night. I napped more yesterday than my 3 year old niece Izy. She was a trooper for not waking me up (she had adult supervision other than me). She wanted to see my byoo byoo (boo boo) several times. The day immediately after surgery I spent with my parents and I slept a lot. Hubby was back at work, saving days for the big one.
The gas under my diaphragm is still crackly when I breathe while sitting. Usually when I get up to walk I'm able to burp a little. Every little bit helps!
My post op appointment is not until September 3. Maybe I should have scheduled this before my surgery? I'm not sure I totally understood my responsibilities. Now I wait!
