Surgery over! My surgery story...

My hysteroscopy was today - it started out really rough. I couldn't eat the entire day before, and I get BAD migraines when I don't eat. My migraine got so bad, i didn't sleep at all last night. I have a superior threshold for pain, and this was a 10/10 - no joke.

At 6:10am, we arrived at the Valley Ambulatory Center. Did some paperwork, they weighed me, took my stats. The nurses were so great. I met my anesthesiologist, and told him I had a horrible migraine, so he promised to give me some strong n@rcotics. I was REALLY faint from the headache and low blood sugar. I faint when dehydrated, so they laid me down. My blood pressure was 106/68, really low. I felt so miserable: starving, throbbing migraine, nausea, faintish.

They put the IV in my hand, and that was pretty freaking painful. They had to do it twice! They upped the IV drip. Becky left to go back to the waiting room, and they lead me to the operating table.

The table looked like something medieval. Big boots to strap your legs into, and they strap your arms out to the sides (like being on a cross). I got really nervous about getting the general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist gave me something to relax me, and the nurses them pinched my neck. (For some reason they need to do this when giving general) He told me he was then giving me a cocktail to help me sleep - I just looked up at the nurse. Within 5 seconds, I felt this very calm sleepiness. I blinked slowly once......then twice.....and that was it. I was worried for nothing! It wasn't scary at all - it felt nice. It was like staying up till 2am watching tv, and then finally laying your head down to sleep. that really good "I'm going to sleep now" feeling, that is similar to the "Milk after eating chocolate cake" feeling. :)

They allowed Becky to wait for me in the recovery room. It took me about 30 minutes to wake up. My eyes were totally blurry - apparently they put this gel over your eyes during surgery, so they can stay open. They rubbed most of it off. I felt REALLY lethargic - I couldn't move. I finally was able to nod. Becky said they had an oxygen mask on me, and took it off. I don't remember that part.

The best part was - my migraine was gone! They must have given me a horse narcotic, because that headache would have hospitalized most people. I felt so great. No headache, no nausea. Just very hungry! And groggy. it took about an hour from the time I woke up, to the time I could sit up and carry an easy conversation. It was nice having Becky there the whole time.

My doctor came by to tell me the news: I not only had 1 giant polyp, but she found 6 other "buds" that would have started growing in the next few months. She was glad I did the surgery, as I had a very hostile uterus environment with 6-7 polyps. The big one was 3 cm long, wow. I was relieved to hear it went well, and she caught those other ones. of course, the other part of me got scared. What if I am prone to chronic polyps??? She said it's possible, and that they could start growing back in a few months. She half-joked that it'll be best if I get pregnant in the near term. Hellz yeah!

Luckily, she feels I should be fine starting up again next cycle. So this time, since my polyps might come back - we're not effing around. It's going to be Fem@ra, HCG, ultrasounds and 2 IUIs. I'm hoping to switch to B's insurance for 2009, and they have a $20,000 lifetime fertility benefit. Only $10 copays! (except for IVF)

I think we might try another 6 months, then consider IVF. If we move to IVF, I will want another HSG and possible hysteroscopy again - just to clear everything out.

I HOPE HOPE HOPE this is what we needed to get pregnant. Damn, I had a giant polyp, 6 budding polyps, a donor with 3mm-5mm counts, etc. Next time I will have a cleaned-out uterus, a new donor, and a new doctor. and new drugs. :)

I was so happy to eat again today - we went to Chevys, and it was like heaven. Still recovering the next few days. feeling groggy, slow, crampy, bleeding like it's day 5 of my period, etc. And a wicked strep-like sore throat from the endotracheal tube. Good times.

We kept the hospital wristband, and hope to start a "Making Baby" journal. Someday our kid(s) will see what we endured in order to bring them into our lives. :)

Silver Lining Weekend

It's not so bad, you know? I've actually bucked up a bit this week, and am not as depressed as I was Sunday, when we got the news. We went back for a second ultrasound on Wednesday, with a new RE at the same facility. I'd seen this lady's photo on my RE's website, and thought she looked kinda kooky. I was nervous about her doing my ultrasound. (Yes, I may have inadvertently pre-judged her medical abilities based on a bad profile photo).

She showed me my ginormous cyst. Becky leaned forward, staring at the monitor. She couldn't believe how big it was. The RE said my cyst actually got bigger in 2 days. She was very calm, and communicative. I like communicative. She said NOT to worry about my cyst. She said it will get bigger for a few more days, but then rapidly decline. She said this has caused my body to continue producing estrogen, so I've been in a holding pattern of Day 4 of my cycle. She said once my estrogen drops, the rest of my lining will come out. She said my lining is still pretty full. This would explain why I keep intermittently bleeding.

She could not find the polyp, but said those are hard to see with a full lining. She said it's possible I don't have a polyp, and it was a bloodclot of sorts that eventually came out.

Her analysis: She thinks at most, we are sidelined for 2 months. (not 3) She said IF my cyst disappears rapidly, and I do not have a polyp, it's possible we could try next cycle! We were so relieved to hear this. She wants me to come back on Day 5 of my "real period" and get another ultrasound. If she sees a polyp-looking thing then, I will need another HSG, and then surgery. That will definitely sideline us for another month.

So please keep your fingers crossed for us. I am trying to be very positive. While we wait for the rest of my period to fall out (haha), we are having fun.

Becky decided we should be spontaneous this weekend. Within 2 hours, we booked a hotel, kayaking trip, and a wine-tasting bike ride in Sonoma! We head up tonight. There are so many breweries in Sonoma County. Tomorrow we will hitch the child-carrier to one of our bikes, and put the dog in it. We will bike 15-20 miles stopping at about 10 wineries. There are so many wineries, it's ridiculous. The photo in this blog is from the road we'll be on.

Sunday we are renting an inflatable kayak and floating down Russian River all day. We'll have the dog in his lifejacket (cute!), and a cooler of beer. :)

And in final good news, we found out I was overcharged for my RE visits. I have a $500 credit coming my way!

Sorry for the long post. I know I'm lagging lately in my posting, and promise to be better! Wanted to send y'all an update before we head up for wine country. I look forward to reading all your blogs. xx