December 4th liberation day.

I had a 5am arrival time with 7:15 start time. I didn’t get down to the OR until 7:40. My mom told me someone came to her around 8:40 to let her know they had just started. Prior to going down to the or. My veins decided they didn’t want to show up to the party. After 3 nurses attempt, they got a phlebotomist who even struggled and eventually got it with one of the needles they used for babies.

While all this was happening my surgeon, anesthesiologist and his team came in at different points to go over what surgery was happening. I was having a total abdominal hysterectomy with salpingectomy with cystoscopy. I used that time to ask my surgeon about what position he would have me in especially with me having fibroids. He said he would have me in the Lithotomy position. Surgery was scheduled for 2 hours. Actual time was 3 and a half hours. During the procedure he noted in my surgical report that my bladder was attached to my uterus and part of my upper vagina and that my fibroids had attached itself to my colon.

I was shocked reading all of that. That’s why my pain kept getting worse and I had to constantly take pain meds to function. This morning before discharge my doctor told me he pulled everything together inside so I won’t run the risk of having hemorrhoids. I’m so grateful for him because even with the bladder and colon issue nothing was damaged when the cystoscopy was performed.

I might be in pain now but it was worth it. I can’t imagine if I waited longer to have this surgery what other organs would have adhered it self. I remember up until a week or so ago my surgeon suggested going into surgical menopause to shrink my fibroids/uterus to be able to have a minimally invasive surgery. I said I understood but didn’t want to wait because I felt like my pain wouldn’t go away