Walnut Brownie's TAH/BSO 7/6/05

I have always had severe periods, though regular.. bad cramps, etc. Nothing that would have made me go to such an extream as a TAH.. April 1st of '04 I started having severe right sided pain... where I would picture my right ovary to be. Here started the parade going to this doctor and that, test after test. There were so many things going on they were having a hard time deciding on what to do for me. a year and a half I had a diagnosis.. My uterus was the size of a 20 week pregnancy, fibroids inside and out, adeno, surgical hernia from the exploratory lap done last July, and now they were saying I needed a bowel resecion.. the smigmoid colon appeard narrow and compressed.. where the right was enlarged.. due to the stool backing up there to wait to pass.. etc. I prepared for the surgery date... The most important things I did were to clear my heart.. ask all that would to pray for me, and to prepare my house for a comfortable and uneventful recovery. I made myself remain positive..
Morning of surgery... I arrived at the castle at 6 a.m. Surgery was schedualed for 7:30... and I was to have an hour of I.V. anti biotics due to the empending bowel resection, etc. All went smoothly.. I was calm, supported my D.H. They made a bracelet saying no staples.. due to my nickle allergy, inserted 2 I.V.s sucessfully.. per request of the A man. I had my list of things I went over with him untill I was comfortable there, etc. I was wheeled into the o.r. at 7:30... spoke briefly to my doctors.. this room was large.. a lot bigger than I had been in in the past.. white, clean, with a lot of over head lights. They let me remain there with my gown covering me, while my doctor rubbed my arm, reassuing me. I started talking to God and thing happy thoughts.. next thing I knew I woke in recovery! Operation took 4 hours. I felt crampy pain at first.. then it started going up a little. Nothing to freak out about.. never got above a 7 and they were right there with me trying this and that to get it down.. Morphine pca and a Demerol booster did the trick for me. Teo nurses over me were saying " honey, you are going to love your tummy " ( I had a mini tuck after loosing a lot of weight 2 years ago ) and another saying " you didn't have to have the bowel resection! " Praise God! Okay, to my room now to be greeted by my sweet husband and mom and step dad.. I still had the NG tube.. why no one knew.. was hooked to the wall , had the pca pump for pain, worked like a charm, and the catheter... never felt it.. and I was happy I didn't have to get up right then. I had a belly binder on, and it was wonderful such support.. I was so much more mobile than in the past becasue of that. By the 24 hour mark I was discontinued the pca, the cath was out and also the NG tube.. I was walking the floor. All went will, the percosetts agreeed with me and life was good.. it was over with... and not nearly as bad as I had feared. Recovery at home has been good, too. A few hot flashes, etc. I can sleep, and get around really well. Insicion is about 9 inches, hip to hip, and fading.. no weeping, etc. looks so good.. healing really well. My doctor said do nothing till my 5 week check up.. that will be the hardest part, but so far I have been doing good.. I don't want to mess this up. The reson I dind't need the bowel resection? The fibroids and adhesions on the back side of the uterus had gron into and was strangling the colon. after cutting all of that away, it was fine.. so they left it!
Thank you to all at this site for the support and prayers.
Love,
Nancy