Boy it's been a long time since I have posted here. Time does fly when you are having fun (and not feeling sick or in pain). I pretty much spent the last month or so enjoying being with my kids, homeschooling, going to the beach, relaxing by the pool, swimming with my kids, going to birthday parties, and overall just enjoying being mostly pain free.
Other than the occasional Fibromyalgia flare up, the only pain I had was the nagging pain caused by my ovarian cysts. Over the last few months we have been closely monitoring them by ultrasound and I have been taking supplements to help shrink them. The largest one at almost 7cm ruptured and healed only to be replaced by another 6cm one a month later. That one was on my right ovary along with a smaller 2 cm one. On my left ovary there was a small 1 cm one. Two weeks ago I saw my OB and we decided it was best to remove my right ovary because the 6cm cyst was actually INSIDE my fallopian tube, or at least was left of it from my previous removal of my uterus in 2010. And it was started to cause me real uncomfortable pain and pressure. Laparascopic surgery was scheduled for Monday June 20th. While I was waiting to go into the OR, my OB and I decided at the very last minute to go ahead and also remove the left ovary. We both figured that because I already had a small cyst on the left side, I had a pretty high chance of having another surgery in a year or so to remove that one anyways, so best to get it all removed at the same time to avoid the risk of another surgery. So now all of my reproductive organs are gone. I have 4 new 1 inch sized incisions across my belly to add to the hip to hip scar and the three other 1 inch sized scars from my previous surgeries. And I get to wear a small 2 inch clear hormonal patch until I actually go into menopause. This was the first time (remember I have had 7 major abdominal surgeries before this) that I wasn't scared going into the surgery. I actually felt peaceful about it. I just kept meditating on the Doxology "Praise God from Whom all blessings flow, praise Him all creatures here below, praise Him above ye Heavenly host, praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost". As soon I started repeating these words from God, I truly felt a warm peace enter my heart and then the rest of my body. But I am still human so I did have some worries: 1) the care of my children and husband during my recovery 2) how my body would adjust to not having my ovaries to trigger hormone production and getting used to bio identical hormones and 3) having to take opiates for pain control after surgery and if I would go through withdrawals again when I stopped taking them. I knew I would have to take Hydromorphone through a pump into my IV while I stayed in the hospital. I also knew that I would be prescribed Percocet, my arch nemesis from my previous withdrawals, for at home pain control. I totally thought that because I was having a laparascopic surgery, I would have some pain for a couple of days and then be over it. That was how it was during my previous laparascopic surgeries. This one through me for a loop! Hardly any pain immediately after surgery. Day 2 I had to push the button for my IV pain meds about 8 times. Day 3 I was at home and ended up taking 5 Percocet to keep the pain at bay. Today was Day 4 and I finally feel like my post surgery pain is 95% gone. But like all my post surgery recoveries, as soon as my physical pain is gone the Fibromyalgia pain comes full force. So I took 1 Percocet this morning for post surgery pain, and then 2 percocet the rest of the day for Fibromyalgia pain. My plan for tomorrow is to not take any Percocet and just deal with whatever Fibro pain comes my way. I CANNOT get hooked on Percocet again! I will increase my natural pain supplements, try to walk a few minutes on the treadmill, sit out in the warm sun, and cry my eyes out if I have to...but I don't want to take anymore Percocet. So keep me in your prayers the next few days.
