Recovery Progress Reports for Hysterectomy dates May 07-May 13,2012

Jackabee- you, your dad, & your grandmother are in my thoughts & prayers. May you all have peace in your hearts.

Apilo- you SOOO should be a "Sunshine Sister"!!!! You would be an incredible asset to a new post-op group! Whenever I post a reply to someone who recently had their surgery I ask if they have found their post-op thread. I then go on to tell them how lucky I feel to have you ladies as my surgery sisters

Im really ready for school to start up, but the problem is that it doesnt until Aug 29th here- yuck. I hate that I am wishing my 6yo's summer away, but I am so tired & frustrated. When she had a physical last week I got a name of someone to schedule some time with for some help with dealing with her behavior. The great part is 1) insurance will cover lots, & 2) he will eventually want to see my mom also! Consistency is something that has been lacking- Gramma just wants to always "give in".
Also, with school starting back up I am really planning on making some time ti take care of me. I will have a 2nd "cryo-ablation of my left illeoinguinal nerve" on Aug 10th, so I am counting on the left sided pain being gone or at least incredibly improved. (Had it done back in March but the I dont think I fully "appreciated" the relief it provided bc of the continued cramping & bleeding issues at that time.) Right now I just find myself so tired, hurting, depressed, & frustrated.
On an up note- I have a call into someone about applying for a substitute school nurse position for the upcoming school year! . Since my DD was born in Oct '05 I have only worked as a nurse for 6 months because of how I've felt and all the physical & psychological issues around the pain. I am on disability, but am really excited about taking this step. The plus of the sub position is that if its a "bad day" physically for me I can just not accept the day. The nurse at my DD's school begged me to apply early last spring. Im really hoping I wont have the bad days (that are pretty constant right now) much at all & I can apply for other positions. I know I will need to spend some time getting myself healthy & stronger again (wow, I sound so old when I read that).
The kitties in the house have been keeping me on my toes. There was a big fight between dd's 3yo female cat & Mams cat last week. Bad enough that I ended up covering up a whole paper towel w blood from the 3yo cat's leg (it was all over the kitchen floor too). Thankfully she let me hold pressure on it & that stopped the bleeding. Last night they got at it again & Mama cat ended up with a tiny wound on her nose. One would think they would stay away from each other, OR suck-it-up & get along. I started letting the kittens have "free roam" of my bedroom 1 week ago & that seems to be a big hit. They are getting much stronger & quite brave. But, cant seem to figure out using the litter box- a big prob since the bedroom is carpeted. I THINK I have gotten them to use puppy pads, so have 1 of those in the litter box now. The big issue that I discovered late today (tues) is that I think Mama cat has "roundworms". Yuck!!! I had a fecal test done when she 1st came to us over 6wks ago & it was negative for any parasites. Tues she got sick on the kitchen floor & I got curious about what I saw. After a google search I was nauseated & mad. I have to call the vet in the am to see if I need to bring her in or if theycan just give me the meds. Now I will need to treat ALL the cats- the 2 original ones, Mama, & her 2 kittens. Im thinking its not going to be fun. Was kinda hoping to talk my mom into funding a little trip for us to go to a kids amusement park, but dont think that can happen now. (Its abt 3hrs away & I cant handle all the driving & the park all in 1 day . If I have to give the cats meds I cant go- I wont put any of my friends through that kind of "torture"- medicating my cats.)
Ok, Sorry about the rambling post! Thank you for listening again though! I hope you all have had a good start to the week. Happy August! Are any of you watching the Olympics? I enjoy the gymnastics the most.
Random question- have you all seen the thread for "you know you've had a hyster when..."? If not, you should check it out. Its under "friends without faces". Very funny, & I bet you all could add some great ones too.
Well, I should try to get some sleep. Vet's office said I need to call at 7:45 to get the 9:40 appt that was available- yes, I asked if they could just sched us in since it was almost closing time when I called. They told me "no, that is only a 'same day appt' time slot"- soooo dumb.
Have a great day sisters! Keep up the amazing work you all are doing- I look forward to joining in that "good news" stuff too soon.

jackabee, I continue to pray for your Grandmother as well as you and your family. I know these situations can be very difficult. I understand your parents about them wanting you to remember the happy moments with your Grandma. I am the same way, I prefer to remember people as they were during those times. It is not always easy, but in time it will become a bit easier. I pray that your Grandmother has peace, both now and when the time comes for her to go home. May God give you and your family strength and comfort.

Riderunner and Jackabee that is a great idea about the walking stick. I wil need to get one soon.

Ace, sorry things have been tough lately. I too love having my daughter around, but understand about wanting school to start. For me it is so I can finally get my routine back. I think it would be a great idea to go back to work as a sub. It will help to have something new in your life to focus on, and since there isn't any pressure for you to be there when you are not up to it, it seems like the perfect fit. I pray your procedure will go well and you will feel much better, both physically and emotionally. Sorry to hear about kitties, hopefully all will be clear soon. I have considered being a Sunshine Sister, but I am just not sure if I can post every day. That is my only concern at this time.


I have been busy with online classes lately. The classes have really been great and I have been glued to my computer. Last night I was up till 2:00 a.m. watching the videos. This morning I paid for it I am extremely tired and rather emotional today. It didn't help that a lot of the topics in the classes were very emotional as well. It was rather hectic today, and I felt really drained and down for a few hours this evening, but I was able to snap out of it, and made a decision to join an charitable organization of photographers that donate their time for special needs. I have considered joining for some time, but I was not emotionally prepared. I will tell you more about it at a later time. I want to do this as a way of giving back and thanking God for getting me through this, without invasive cancer.

Well, I just realized it is already 1:20 a.m., must get to sleep. Wishing everyone a great night!

Drive by posting... Met with my trainer last night at the gym. I've lost 3 inches from my stomach and 2 inches from my hips. Yay!!!!

Way to go Jackabee!!!!!! That is wonderful! Congratulations!

Jackabee, I knew if anyone was going to it most certainly would be you Yay!!!

Ace, I forgot to mention, for me working doing something I love has given me additional energy. (I was up before pups today at 6:00 a.m.) I think it should do the same for you. Do you start the same day as your daughter? Is it at your daughter's school? I am still trying to get pups on a schedule, so I can do more work. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty for not spending as much time with them, but I try to make sure I take breaks and give them the love they deserve. My daughter and I have been working on planning a charity photography event that will benefit both shelters where the pups were adopted. she came up with the name "Pups and Pals". We are asking that they bring a bag of food, to donate to the shelters. We are trying to promote pet adoptions. We hope to do a photo shoot today to get sample images for the event. Although sometimes they can drive me crazy, it only lasts for a short while, and the love we receive from pups, makes up for it. It will definitely help to get my business going again. it has been rough not being able to work and missing out on jobs. I am still considering becoming a Sunshine Sister. I need to give back what I have received.

Riderunner, you are brave getting on the trampoline. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Make sure you are still taking care of yourself. My Sciatica is a bot better, and I found some PT exercises on Youtube, which help a bit. (When I actually do them. Usually my pain reminds me).

Soya,

Hope you are also doing well.

Well, back to work. Have a great day!


I hope the rest of you are doing well. Have a great day!

Ace, I decided to become a "Sunshine Sister" I let Kathy know I could start in 2 weeks, to get myself organized.

OK girls, I'm not sure what is going on, but these last couple of days I have been out-of-wack again. I don't know if it's hormones or not, but I have been extremely emotional, and even angry (which is a very rare emotion for me), and I now understand the doom and gloom that was mentioned. Usually I find things to distract myself and feel better. Even when starting to write this post I started to feel a little better. I had a Dr. appt. today, but was told by the nurse that an e-mail was sent to me cancelling my appt. and requesting lab tests. They are checking my liver which was elevated previously, and my Thyroid, which affects a couple of family members. The tests are being run for fatigue, not my emotional state. My H offered to take puppy away for a while today, and now I miss her. I'm really glad he did though, because I think I need some sleep. Oh well, just venting for now. Hopefully this will pass soon as I don't think I would make a very good Sunshine Sister in a couple of weeks. Hay, I just realized today is my 10 weeks.

Hope everyone is doing well!

We made it to the TWELVE WEEK mark!!! to all of us!!!!
Have you ladies seen the info re: HysterSisters' birthday celebration going on right now? In case you havent- if you take a quiz (that all of us would likely sail through without lookjng anything up) & get a certain "score" you can get prizes, there is also a special "14th birthday badge" for free for taking part. There are hints with most questions re where to find the ans within the site. Also there is a spot to post a new thread to "sign a birthday card".
Apilo- sounds like you are 1 busy chickie- good for you! Im hoping you not feeling like yourself is "just" a result of being tired & a good sleep will be curative. I love the name for your charity photo shoot!!! What a wonderful idea. Have you done it before- if yes- how was the turnout? I was fortunate to receive a (not exactly "legal") digital copy of our (now) 3yo cat from one of the shelter volunteers. I should call to find out who took the photo- it was AMAZING! It truly captured her personality. I never printed it (because I dont want anyone to get in trouble), but I still have it on my email, somewhere.
Tonight I did "round 1" of the deworming treatment plan the vet & I came up with- "Revolution" on all 3 adult cats. Next week, after the kittens turn 6wks old, I give ea kitten a liquid dose. THEN, the week after next I give Mama cat a pill dose (since she was the one w
the parasites). Not as bad or as involved
as I thought it would be, but still kindof
a pain in the rear.
I'm in the process of a debate with myself. Trying to decide if I should call to schedule an appt for a physical. My surgeon only did what was necessary for pre-op stuff, & I havent had a full physical (other than female stuff) in over 7yrs I think. Im thinking abt it now because of how exhausted I am-ALWAYS, insomnia, & the biggest reason- I just keep sweating. No matter how cool I get it in my room at night I wake up SOAKED in sweat. Doesnt come on as a "hot flash" (I had horrible ones yrs ago on Lupron for endo), but its more like my body thermostat is set on "cook" all the time. Im even sweating through shirts while riding in air conditioned cars. Its just so weird. Im wondering if its my thyroid. Apilo- you said you needed thyroid testing done- are you having symptoms of some sort or is it bc of your family history? Any others in our group have experience with thyroid stuff? It'llbe weird telling my primary doc what my symptoms are since I dont know him all that much & once he hears abt pain meds Im on he could say "thats why you're tired". But, Ive been on this dose of meds for over a year & before that higher doses & stronger meds.
How are you all doing on getting back into your "normal" routines? What kimd of schedules do you have- work, but also fitting in exercise, etc? What kind of sleep routines? I have always been a person who needs a good SOLID 8+ hrs of sleep per day/night (I tend to still be a night owl after many years of working "12hr" night shifts. They actually tended to be 13+hrs- lol .) I know it would help me immensely if I could establish a better "schedule". I do think I am more tired since my hyster. I have 1 ovary, had the left 1 removed years ago, so I dont think any of this is hormonal. But, my gyn/surgeon always tells me I dont "do normal", so maybe I should ask abt checking my levels.
Have any of you been posting in the other forums? I try to post at least once/day. What forums do you "frequent" (if any) other than pre/post op? I try to watch the endo thread, & aching hearts among others.
Oh ya, forgot to tell you that my mom forgot about my birthday a couple weeks ago. She mentioned it quickly after my DD said something about it & said "we can maybe celebrate another day". Kinda bums me out that the "another day" hasnt happened yet. I feel kind of selfish feeling that way, but this isnt the first time she's let it go by. I'd love for her to just help my kiddo pick out a card for me- doesnt have to be anything big- just cards would be awesome. Anyway, I posted that thinking- when are "my sisters' " birthdays? I usually post via my phone, so I dont have any easy ways to peek if you all have the info in your "surveys" or bios.
Well, I think I should take a hint from all the other mammals in the house- every one of them are asleep. The kittens are each curled up laying head to back feet- think "yin & yang"-on the foot of my bed. Very sweet.
I hope you all have a great tonight & Happy Friday Sisters!!!

I was diagnosed with hypothyroid/Hashimoto's disease 2 years ago. Symptoms were extreme fatigue, depression, insomnia, anxiety, muscle weakness. I literally felt so bad I thought I was dying, and was so relieved to have a diagnosis. Ace, your symptoms of sweating and fatigue made me think of hyperactive thyroid. This actually can happen due to a surgery (or for other reasons, of course). My husband had a bout of hyper thyroid years ago after achilles tendon surgery. He experienced sweating, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, and weight loss. He was seeing an endocrinologist, but the thyroid issue resolved itself without treatment. For my hypo, I take levothyroxine daily, which regulates my levels. I would definitely ask for thyroid testing if you are experiencing any symptoms. Its one of those things that some doctors will automatically test for, but for some you have to say it right to them, "I wonder if these could be thyroid symptoms. Can you test me for that?" Hope this is helpful to some who are wondering about thyroid issues!