Recovery: Week 10 (Sep 21–28)

This week I started physical therapy and learned that my pelvic muscles are really tight and I'm not very good at doing kegels. My first appointment on the 26th was with MaryJane. She thinks that my symptoms (urinary urgency and frequency) and the lingering discomfort during sex aren't anything that can't be fixed, which is very good news! Considering my endometriosis was extensive around my bladder and had grown into my pelvic floor, I definitely think it caused issues with my muscles and urinary system. It probably needs some retraining now that the disease is gone, and I think now is the perfect time to start.

Recovery: Week 9 (Sep 14–21)

This week I hit my 2 month post-op milestone! The first weeks dragged on, but these last weeks have flown by. To make things interesting this week is full of a lot of new things. I recently purchased a bunch of stuff to try out, and am starting some new things. Here's what I'm up to:

Physical Therapy
I will be starting with a pelvic floor physical therapist (who also specializes in women's health) next week. As far as my surgery recovery goes, I'm hoping this can stop additional adhesions and scar tissue from forming, keep my abdomen flexible and soft, help with general healing, and reduce the remaining discomfort I have during intercourse. However, the reason I was referred was actually to treat my bladder issues. I think any improvement I see will positively impact all these areas. Updates will come in the following weeks.

Recovery: Week 8 (Sep 7–14)

I need to put in another plug for triphala. Seriously the greatest thing ever. Triphala, magnesium, and 64 oz of water a day have saved me and still, 8 weeks post surgery, my bowels are still moving properly. I'm amazed and thrilled (if one can be thrilled about that sort of stuff).

Most of the time I don't even think about my stomach at all and I completely forget that I had surgery. I have zero trouble with eating a normal portion size, nothing hurts (unless I push pretty hard on my incisions), and I'm really glad I had the surgery even though it's been rough. Literally my only complaint is my dumb vaginal bleeding. This week it's been a little more than the past 2 weeks, it's all old blood (so brown and black) and I'm passing a tiny bit of tissue and some small blood clots that look like tar. I'm starting to wonder if this is actually the return of my period instead of spotting. Only time will tell...

Recovery: Week 7 (Aug 31–Sep 7)

I think I will have less and less to update on my pain and symptoms from surgery from here on out, so my weekly updates will mostly be on scarring, showing my before and after photos of bloating (I'm waiting to take a 2 and 3 month after photo), sex, how my period and cycle are (once they return), and on my bladder issues.

Recovery: Week 6 (Aug 24–31)

This week wasn't particularly eventful in terms of recovery, though I'm still seeing improvements. I'm feeling good overall and noticing the lingering soreness around my incisions getting less and less. I have no problem wearing my old clothes and can fit into them all again (the swelling made some items too tight, but the swelling is definitely going down), and I'm feeling more of a desire to get back into exercise.

Recovery: Week 5 (Aug 17–24)

This week I had some big things happen. I finally started wearing more of my normal wardrobe and made it a full week wearing my LDS garments again. I think putting them back on has helped me heal a little faster, first because of the blessings associated with them, but second because they're tighter, they compress my stomach and have helped push out extra fluid. They aren't always comfortable and I readjust them frequently (especially after eating), but I'm able to wear them again!

Recovery: Week 4 (Aug 10–17)

This week I started feeling even better and more like my old self. At my post-op appointment (at my 3 week mark) I learned that I could take the glue off my incisions if it was loose enough to come off easily and if I could remove it by pulling it in the same direction as the incision (not against it). So now two incisions are bare now and definitely less itchy. I think the glue was creating irritation and now I can rub vitamin E oil on them which has been soothing.

Recovery: Week 3 (Aug 3–10)

By the end of week 3 my itching was minimal (tolerable without any antihistamines) and I started feeling much better overall. I had more energy and felt like the surgery was finally worthwhile. I initially thought I was healing really slowly, but I got my full surgical report and pathology back and learned my surgery was much more complex than I thought. That’s given me a lot more patience with my body and gratitude it’s been healing and not getting infected!

Recovery: Week 2 (Jul 27–Aug 3)

This week was a little better, but I didn’t see any significant improvements. Showering and getting ready in the morning was still a challenge since I couldn’t sit or stand for longer than about 20 minutes without completely exhausting my abs. Unless I was reclining it felt like the morning after ab day at the gym (in addition to the soreness I had from surgery). I kept trying to go a little longer to build my strength back since I had to go back to work, and starting to eat meals at the table again helped.

The Ride Home & Week 1 (Jul 20–27)

I was able to sleep most of the way home, and was fairly comfortable since the seat reclined and I had a pillow between me and the seat belt. Once we got home I didn’t eat much (if anything) and napped and relaxed on the couch the rest of the day, getting up mostly to use the bathroom and take my medication.

Sleeping in bed required me to roll blankets up and tuck them on each side of me so I couldn’t move. I’m a side sleeper, but rolling over or stretching caused a lot of pain and woke me up, and sleeping flat on my back all night left me with a sore back. I was able to get better sleep on the couch since I couldn’t roll around a lot, but was able to fully support my back with pillows and blankets, plus it was easier to get in and out of than my bed.

Part 5: Waking Up & the Hospital

Every time I’ve gone under anesthesia has been a different experience, but I’m usually completely out of it for the rest of the day. My first experience left me really nauseated, so as a precaution they gave me a nausea patch behind my ear and put some anti-nausea meds in my IV before I woke up. This time, however, I was surprisingly coherent and not at all queasy. I knew exactly what had happened, where I was, and what time it was (thanks to a massive digital clock across from my hospital bed), but I didn’t want to open my eyes because my vision was so blurry and I was pretty groggy. My throat was raw from the breathing tube they’d placed during surgery, and I could feel the sharp pain of my surgical site.

Part 4: The Excision Surgery (July 20)

The name of the surgery I had is a mouthful. It is called robotic-assisted excision of endometriosis with cystoscopy and hydrodistension of the bladder. In short, I had a laparoscopy (camera in my abdomen and pelvis) to officially diagnose the endometriosis, a giant robot to help Dr. Arrington cut out all the disease (as opposed to burning it out with a laser), a camera put through my urethra into my bladder to check for lesions and bleeding inside (cystoscopy), and then my bladder was filled with a solution (hydrodistention) as part of a test to determine if I have interstitial cystitis (a painful bladder condition). For a more detailed description about excision see my Treatment Options page.

Part 3: Preparing for Surgery (June & July)

Initial Consultation (Jun 26)
Before getting in to see Dr. Arrington, his staff sent me several forms to fill out and bring with me to my appointment. They informed me his services were considered out-of-network since insurance companies don’t consider his treatment necessary. Ablation (which is covered by insurance) is what other OBGYNs do. They burn the surface lesions out with a laser, but this prevents them from seeing how deep the lesions go (so they can’t ensure they get all the endo out), and they can’t really treat disease around vital organs without damaging them, so ablation ensures you’ll need surgery every year or so. Excision on the other hand cuts out the root of the disease and may only require one surgery (maybe two) in your life. I hoped my out-of-network benefits would help, but I was willing to pay to get relief.

Part 2: The Tests

A new doctor
I decided to see a family doctor first, considering my bad luck with OBGYNs. Since my primary care physician (PCP) had retired, I was going to see someone new and hoped a fresh mind would benefit me. I had been assigned to see a specific doctor who had taken on my PCP’s patients, but he was booked out, so I just took the next available appointment with whoever was open. That doctor was Dr. Dawson.

Part 1: My Early Years (A History of Symptoms)

Surprise!
I got my period during recess on St. Patrick’s Day. I was wearing white shorts and was only 11, but a well-timed bathroom break and a wad of toilet paper saved me from a lot of potential embarrassment. My mom hadn’t yet given me the puberty talk, and my friends still thought deodorant, training bras, and breaking out with “acme” were embarrassingly taboo, so if it wasn’t for the Maturation Program at school, I probably would’ve thought I was seriously ill. I was first out of all the girls to reach this milestone.