Warning: Long and fairly personal post ahead.
In a previous post, I alluded to some health issues/hospital stay. I had been under the impression that the worst was behind me and all I have left to do is recover and live normally, yadda yadda yadda.
Since I am bothering to go into detail about my mishap, I will let you know that my surgery was to take care of a cyst on my left ovary. The cyst was approximately 12 x 8 x 5 cm, the size of a baby's head, stretched across my abdomen. Surgeries are typically done for cysts that are 5 cm, so I had a big ol' boy in there. My ovary had been twisted and turned around multiple times, and it was brought up that I may have had to lose my left ovary, but I didn't.
I should not have had a cyst in the first place, since I am on "the pill" and I am not supposed to ovulate. This was a concern that I brought up to both doctors I saw. Only one actually took it seriously.
On Monday, I went to my surgery follow-up with a doctor from the hospital where I had my surgery. Not the actual surgeon or not even anyone who had actually seen me that night, but some effeminate man (no complaints, thems my people) who asked me a few simple questions and sent me on my way. No looking at my incisions, no ultrasounds, nothing. The conversation boiled down to: "Do you hurt anymore?" "No." "You're fine."
This did not sit well with me, so I made an appointment for a second opinion with my regular gynecologist. He was concerned (as he should have been) that I had developed a cyst in the first place, so he sent me for an ultrasound. It is still there. 8 cm of mass that may require me to have another, more intrusive, surgery.
I want to have children so badly someday. I burst into tears in the examination room when my doctor said that losing my ovary was definitely possible, if they couldn't reconstruct it. I'm aware that there are two ovaries for a reason, but I don't want conception to be a struggle for me.
I have an appointment in 3 weeks to check the cyst again to see if it has changed. If it goes like last time, I will actually know within a week if it is still interfering with my ovaries enough to cause the severe pain I had. My parents and I are fairly certain I will need surgery again.
With this last surgery, I was able to go back to class that Tuesday (I had the surgery on a Saturday night) and completely free of any discomfort by the next weekend. If I am to have surgery again, it will be more invasive and not nearly as easy of a recovery.
Please send your best vibes, prayers, etc. out there for me, whether I need the surgery or not. This has been a very stressful and frustrating process for me and my family.
1 comments:
Oh Bell, I know how scary this is. I will say that I went through a slightly similar emotional roller coaster when I was first diagnosed with diabetes. They told me that conceiving wouldn't be difficult, but carrying a baby to term sure as heck would be. As a 19 year old, I wasn't ready to have kids anytime soon, but I hated that the likelihood was threatened. Also, I've told you about my friend Heather, and that they removed her ovary. Well, they also told her that she "probably couldn't have kids, or that it would be really hard to" and now I have a godson! It's hard not to worry about this stuff, I know. I'm sending out major good vibes!
Post a Comment