Third time's a Charm?

Cripes, I hope so!

Thanks to some lingering pain that couldn't be explained, despite eight months of doctor's office visits, I had my third surgery of the year today. It was "exploratory" and I was nervous about doing it, hoping that perhaps my kinesiologist could treat the symptoms. I debated on canceling it altogether, but decided on Thanksgiving that I would go ahead and have it done.

I met my insurance deductible after my first surgery in February, so really, it was kinda like a BOGO. (Okay, not really, but it was a considering factor.) My gynecologist did the surgery laparoscopically, so it was an outpatient procedure - also a considering factor. And, as pain came back at different times closer to the surgery date, I decided I needed to go through with it.

I'm glad I did.

The surgeon first did a vaginal cuff repair when he found excess scar tissue that was also causing problems. Then, with the laparoscope, he went inside and discovered that the exterior wall of my vagina had fused to my bowels in several spots during the healing process. He said that's not totally uncommon, as the body adapts to whatever it's nearest to, but it was uncommon for it to cause so much ongoing pain. He clipped them apart and cauterized both sets of tissue, so hopefully this has fixed the problem. He said my left ovary looks good (though to me, it looks cystic. I guess time will tell).

This surgery was much quicker than the other two and, so far, I'm recovering much better than I did before. It took six weeks to recover from my oophorectomy in February and while I pushed myself harder with my hysterectomy in May, I have had continual problems from reproductive, sexual and hormonal issues all the way to indirect issues like high blood pressure (most likely from being in constant pain), SI joint pain and intense depression from the constant state of feeling "broken." To say it's been one hell of a year is an understatement.

Already, though, I'm able to stand for short periods of time to go to the bathroom, make myself a sandwich and refill my water glass. With the first two surgeries, it was almost a week before I could get up from a laying position, but I've been getting myself up since the first hour I was home. I'm crampy, of course and it will take at least a month for the vaginal cuff repairs to fully heal, but I feel better today than I've felt in the last eight months.

Thank you to those who have been praying and sending me kind words. Your support, wishes and encouragement are very much appreciated.