Starting to feel normal again

I am eleven days post op and I am finally starting to feel normal again. I was ready for the physical pain and tenderness after the surgery and I was ready to be on the couch for awhile while I healed. I was NOT ready for how mentally exhausted I would be. I had great plans of reading and crocheting while recovering on the couch and that didn't happen even one day! I tried to read, really I did, but I was so tired that the words blurred and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. I tried several times but it was the same each time, so I resolved just to lay on my "daytime bed" and watch endless hours of "Murder She Wrote" DVD's from the library. There were days that I felt good enough to get up and walk to the garden and back or sit on my swing on the front porch, but for a good week, I was exhausted!

My energy, both physical and mental, is coming back slowly. I had my followup appointment yesterday and everything is healing great and I am doing well, praise the Lord. I am still restricted on my activities for a little while but I can be up and around as much as I feel like. I just can't lift anything, reach for anything, or do most of my housework for at least ten more days. The normal heavy lifting, bathing, etc restrictions will apply for another four weeks or so. (Don't worry I am taking showers, just not baths)

I feel today has been my best day so far. I actually walked down the driveway and back - it is .2 miles one way, so it was almost 1/2 a mile! Now, I did go really slow and I know that really isn't that far but it is a big accomplishment for me right now. The best thing about today is that I am mentally feeling better. I haven't felt like doing much of anything and I am starting to get my motivation back, my umpf to get things done. I have a feeling that God took my mental motivation away while I was healing so that I wouldn't over do it. I totally believe that. Now that I am recovering nicely and able to get around, I am anxious to get a few things done each day. I won't push it, trust me, I want to heal properly. I'm talking more about cleaning off my desk, making some yogurt, making my menu plan for when my "blessings of meals" from my friends stops, things like that.

I'm off to read a few blogs and hopefully get some inspiring healthy meal or snack ideas, then to make my menu.

Blessings to you all,
Rashel

It's Hard to Just Rest

I am now four days post op from a major surgery and my days consist of laying on the couch all day watching DVDs, reading, searching the web or playing on my phone. At times the thought of having to do nothing all day would sound very appealing and I would jump at the chance, but when it is everyday for several days, it is harder than I thought. I battle the feeling that I am being lazy, although I know in my heart I am not. This is what I need to do right now to heal properly and no one expects more of me right now. So, I am trying to just enjoy this down time and finish reading some books and even some blogs I enjoy. I hope to get up the energy and focus to work on some crochet projects in the next few days but quite honestly my pain medicines make it hard to focus on much of anything that requires a lot of thought, even reading is hard sometimes. I am easing up on my medicines a little at a time, as I can handle it, so maybe before long I'll be back to normal in that sense.

I am so thankful I went ahead with the surgery instead of trying to manage things "naturally". It turns out I had some conditions that could not have been treated that way and I never would have gotten the pain to go away. Due to scarring in my uterus, blood was backing up into my fallopian tubes as well as being trapped in my uterus which caused both my uterus and my tubes to become enlarged and very painful. So, I am extremely blessed that I followed the Lord's leading and went ahead with the surgery. I knew from the way He opened the doors and made everything work out perfectly time wise and from the peace that He gave me that it was what He wanted me to do. Thank you Lord!

I'll post again when I can or when I have more to share!

Blessings,
Rashel

Surgery wasn't quite what I had planned

I wasn't going to post about this but decided maybe I can help someone else or someone else can encourage me, so I will share. I prefer this to be for women only, so if you are not of the female gender, please don't read any further. There really isn't anything that will interest you in this post.

I have had problems with ovarian cysts for quite some time, but usually only one time during the month along with my cycle, sometimes not even every month. Since it wasn't severe and only monthly, I just tolerated it because I am against putting hormones in my body unneccesarily and birth control pills were the first medical treatment. So my doctor was fine with the watching game and we kept an eye on them. The first of this year I started having severe pains with my cysts but still only occasionally so I just continued to watch them. Then a couple months or so ago, my pains became more often and they were not in any sort of pattern at all, very unpredictable. I sought the help of an herbalist and quite honestly because the pains were different and more frequent I wasn't sure they were even related to my cysts. She treated me for a few things, (not cysts) and I decided to try the herbs and work on my diet to see if those things helped. I thought at first it did, but then my pains came back. Well, to shorten the story a bit, my pains gradually got to the point they were every day. The pains were pelvic, radiated into my thighs and into my lower back. I was drinking red rasberry tea and taking evening of primrose oil but I also had to take ibuprofen way more than I liked. When the pain became constant, never going away, I decided I had to do something. So I made an appointment with my doctor, but he was on vacation so I saw the nurse practioner. She gave me pain meds and scheduled me for an ultrasound the next day. Praise the Lord for the quickness of that! The ultrasound was on a Friday and the doctor called me Monday to give me the results and schedule an appointment to come back in. By this time the pain was so bad I was taking the prescribed pain medicine plus ibuprofen in between doses and Monday and Tuesday I pretty much stayed on the couch or in bed all day. The ultrasound showed an enlarged uterus, uterine fibroids, endometrial polyp and ovarian cysts. In between my bouts of being knocked out by the pain killers, I was researching all I could on my conditions and the treatments - from medical to natural.
Wednesday was my appointment with my doctor. We discussed my test results and my options and given my history, what we thought was the best treatment. We decided on a partial hysterectomy, I will keep my ovaries, although he will clean them up and remove the cysts. The plan is for laprascopic assisted vaginal hysterectomy tomorrow. Yes, that quick. He had a spot open and I wanted this over with, now! It also works out because this is my husbands long weekend off, which means he will be able to be with me without having to take extra days off.
Now I have to tell you that two days ago, I did not want a hysterectomy. I really wanted to heal myself naturally, or at least try to. However after much prayer, I am at total peace with this decision - I was at total peace the moment I made the decision in the doctor's office. I honestly believe this is what the Lord would have me do. He worked out all the details and the timing and gave me complete peace about it. I know many would opt for trying natural remedies first and believe me I did try for a month or so and I had the desire to do more, until I had to live with the pain. It pretty much put a stop to my life, I couldn't do anything the last week and I was constantly taking my medicines just to be able to tolerate the pain. I can't live like that and I won't make my family live with me like that. So, I'm having surgery tomorrow.
When I can, I will post how it went and how I am healing, all those sorts of things. But for now, I appreciate any prayers or any encouraging comments.
I really wasn't going to share this but then I decided if it would help someone else in any way, then I should. Other symptoms I am having are constipation and frequent urination. My uterus is pushing on my bowels and my bladder as well. I was even to the point at times I would not eat because eating intensified the pain. It seems because my uterus is pushing on my bowels, that when my bowels would move with digestion, it increased the pain. I just wanted to share in case someone else has any of those symptoms, it might be worth getting checked out.

Blessings to you all,
Rashel