After a long summer, struggling with fear, cramps,
bleeding, hormone pills and endless doctor visits I am finally on the road to
freedom. When my doctor got me a
referral to a gynecologist, they were amazing.
I came in unsure of what to expect – and left two hours later with
reassurances that my lining was significantly reduced, that it was likely not
any form of cancer of hyperplasia and with an appointment for meeting the
surgeon and a scheduled ablasion the week before school started. I was soooooo impressed. After meeting with the surgeon, she
requested that I get the follow-up for the essure that I had never gotten 4
years ago when I had the essure implanted.
I have to say that was a yucky experience, they basically fill your
uterus with a dye, and yes you are awake, and they x-ray to see if the dye
stays in the uterus or if it goes up into the tubes. Well the good news is that the essure is working properly, my
spring-loaded uterus is just right.
Possibly the funniest experience - or the most awful
experience of my whole crazy summer happened the night before the procedure -
it was 'Meet the Teacher night". I had run out of the progesterone pills
and decided not to get anymore since the surgery was scheduled for Thursday. I
had already started bleeding pretty heavily by Tuesday so I thought I was
prepared, but in addition to the bleeding I began to have hot flashes in the
past two weeks. Sweat literally pouring off my face during these hot flashes,
at least living in Phoenix in the summer, it doesn't seem as out of the norm as
it might in other places. Anyhow, I am wearing off-white pants (yes it does
seem a tactical error in hindsight) and right in the middle of my second
presentation I can feel that I am bleeding heavily. I have in a super tampon (changed right before the evening
started) and a large pad, but I can tell I am in big trouble. I am trying to stay calm and finish talking
with this full room of parents when I begin to experience a hot flash
also. Yes I am standing there bleeding,
sweating, and trying so hard to be welcoming to the 50 or so people standing in
my classroom. I am so thankful when
this session is almost over and I spot another staff member so I ask if she can
stay in my room while I run to the restroom, and it’s a good thing I did, but
of course I get some blood on my pants L so I try to pull down my shirt – which is
tight and doesn’t pull down very far, but somehow I manage to make it work and finish
my night. This one experience seems to sum up my entire summer – chaos and
challenges, but I refuse to let them interfere with my plans.
I
was surprisingly nervous for the actual procedure, Peter drove me there and he
was nervous too, which I am sure added to my tension. The thing I feared the most was the damn
IV. They were a little concerned
because my blood pressure was elevated, but it went way down once the stupid IV
was in. After that I don’t remember
much, I went out like a light and woke up with mild cramps and a prescription
for some Tylenol with codeine for the weekend.
I have made a point to take it easy.
I do have some discharge, but after the extensive bleeding I had this summer
it seems so mild. The first day my
uterus felt so heavy and full – like there was a 20lb brick inside my body, but
it is already starting to feel more normal.
I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful man like Peter. He has been so caring and attentive, giving
me my pills and bringing me drinks.
Considering how grumpy and out of sorts I have been this summer – he has
been through so much, and he has been amazing.
I am finally hopefully that after a few weeks my life will return to
somewhat normal, without doctor visits, without procedures where people look
into or put things into my uterus, and where I don’t have to take those awful
hormone pills. They did not agree with
my system at all. AND the extreme bonus that I might not have any more periods at all J
