Currently I feel like this elephant is sitting on my shoulders!!!
Surgery went great yesterday, better than I could have hoped for. My Doctor was able to remove all the scar tissue from my D&C back in January and cleared out some endometriosis in the process. My follow-up appointment isn't until after Labor Day since my Doctor is on vacation. I guess he deserves a vacation, right?
Let's talk about the surgery. This was my first laparoscopy and hysteroscopy and I was very nervous. I arrived at the hospital and they took me back to get changed. First I had to pee in a cup to make sure I WASN'T pregnant. I almost laughed at the woman. I was going through all of this because I COULDN'T get pregnant. Oh well, I knew they were just doing their jobs. I changed into an attractive surgical gown and put on my socks and hair cap. I was hooked up to an IV then the anesthesiologist walked in.
Now, this was not my first surgery. I've gone under anesthesia twice now and usually the anesthesiologist comes in, says three words, and they have you sign on the dotted line. That was not the case yesterday. A young, very attractive man walked into my room to introduce himself. He started smiling and I found myself blushing. I tried to fix my hair cap and cover my embarrassing yellow socks. Why did I not wear makeup, ug! He walked me through everything, saw that I was nervous and tried to make me laugh and distract me. When it was time to go down to the surgical room, he wheeled my bed down and the last thing I remember was reaching out to him and commenting on how beautiful I thought the wall color was, then everything went dark.
When I woke up I was told the great news, then I felt my stomach. There were two cuts, one in my belly button and the other right below my panty line. I felt extremely bloated and the nurse explained that they pumped me full of air so I would be like that for at least a few days. She also warned me that if I felt like I was having a heart attack, that was completely normal, it was just the air inside of me moving around. Now I don't know what a heart attack feels like, but the pain I had was tremendous.
Last night was tough. Every time I tried to lay down the air bubbles would move around under my ribs and chest and the pressure would wake me up. It actually felt better to stand up and walk around. I've already gone on three walks today around the neighborhood. Hopefully tomorrow will be better. The scars sting today, but I think it's because the good meds have all warn off. The worst part of this surgery has to be the trapped air. I keep telling Tony it fells like an elephant is sitting on my shoulders.
Things I've learned:
- Wear lose fitting clothes. I ended up borrowing my dad's draw string sweatpants since most of mine are still in storage.
- Walk as much as possible, then walk some more. It has really helped relieve some of the pressure in my shoulders, chest, and stomach.
- Put a heating pad on your shoulders or warm up a towel in the dryer. This also helps to relieve some of the pressure.
- Take your meds. You may feel ok right after the surgery, but once the good stuff wears off the pain will begin.
- Finally, if you get a really really good looking anesthesiologist, remember not to tell your hubby. Sorry babe.
Overall I'm in good spirits. My uterus is clear and now it's time for her to put on her big girl panties and provide a hospitable environment to grow our baby or babies!