Loopy Laparoscopy

Blessed is how I am feeling right now. First of all, thanks to everyone for your encouraging words on my last post before surgery - you girls help to keep me going. I am very thankful for your support. I remember when I got into the post-op room after recovery, just telling Chad how thankful I am. I was terrified to go through with this surgery. Now it is crossed off of our check list. Now it is just another part of our infertility journey. This is probably going to be a long post because I really am trying to focus lately on documenting our experiences. Feel free to stop reading if you need to go get a snack or a drink of water! If you would like to just see how surgery went, jump down to the part in bold letters.

We left the house about 8:50 yesterday morning. We didn't have to be up to the hospital until 10:30 and we had an hour drive in front of us. Chad stopped at a store to get a couple of magazines for the waiting room. Once we were up in Grand Rapids, we were at a stoplight waiting to turn left and the lady in front of us backed into our car because she was trying to make room for a bus that was trying to turn. Long story short, we called the police and ended up getting it taken care of in a timely manner...everyone was fine, just a little paint on our car from hers and a few scratches. We ended up getting to the hospital at 10:36. No one seemed to care that we were 6 minutes late! :)

I just have to say that I am so impressed with the way we were treated at the hospital. We stopped at the information desk to get directions to the outpatient surgery unit and instead of just telling us where to go, a lady actually walked us all the way there! We sat in the waiting room probably 5 minutes and the first nurse came to get us. She brought us into a room where I had to get changed into my beautiful pastel colored hospital gown and then made me go pee in a cup for a pregnancy test. I ended up joking with my doctor later on right before surgery asking if the pregnancy test came back positive so I didn't have to go through with the surgery! By the way, the gray slippers with white striped grippers on both sides that they gave me were quite fashionable! They really know how to make a girl feel glamorous for surgery!

A short while later, another nurse came in to get me registered and double check history, etc. Someone else came in during that same time to get a blood sample for some test the doctor wanted done. Easy squeazy. It was 11:45 and the nurse told us if someone didn't come to get me in 35 minutes to press the red button (wow, the power!) 32 minutes later - almost got to press the red button - a nurse came to whisk me away! Off we went to the holding room for surgery. Another nurse came and put in my iv for fluids. My doctor came to see me at the point and checked to see how we were. I made him show me his hands to make sure they were steady! When we asked him how he was doing he said he wanted a Coke really bad but the free pop machine for doctors was Pepsi. I found this really funny b/c he said he wasn't willing to pay a $1 for the Coke that he really wanted! The anesthesiologist came in to meet me too. They both left and then two nurses came in to take me to the operating room. Of course, I gave my hubby a big smooch before going into surgery. One of the nurses had given me a relaxer at this point and boy was I feeling it!

Surgery room = holy cow technology! It seemed as though there were lights, cameras, televisions, more lights, everywhere! It was quite the scene! At this time I was a little loose from the relaxer so maybe this room wasn't really as cool as I thought it was! The nurses introduced me to a few more people in the room and I asked if I would see my doctor again before I went sleepy pie. They said no, but sure enough he came in just then and the last thing I remember was him rubbing my arm putting me to sleep! I thought that was very nice of him b/c he knows I am a worry wart. (Although I did an awesome job yesterday at keeping my cool - even my hubby said so! Apparently I wore my big girl panties yesterday!)

I woke up in the recovery room and remember being in a lot of pain. The nurse was right there giving me more meds. They said I was in the recovery room for an hour. They ended up putting oxygen tubes in my nose - man was I feeling sexy. I think that Glamour magazine ended up coming in and taking a picture of me in my hairnet, no makeup, tubes, and gown for the February cover. When they wheeled me back down to the post-op room, Chad met us in the hallway. He told me that I said to him: Well, you missed my one hour of loopiness! All I remember is winking at him when I first saw him. Boy was I glad to see those big, brown eyes of his.

Back in post-op room, the nurse brought me crackers and Sprite! It was about 3:30 by the time I got back to that room and I had not had anything to eat or drink all day. I gobbled that stuff right up! Chad made the phone calls and text messages to family and friends to let them know I was out of surgery and back from the recovery room. He then told me that he talked to our doctor about how surgery went.....

My doc ended up finding Stage 2 Endometriosis on some of the tissue behind my right ovary. Holy crap I can't believe they found something! Chad said that he was able to remove all of it. I have one incision 2 inches below my belly button and then an incision right in my belly button (that one kind of weirds me out!) He didn't say this was a magical answer or anything, but did say that a lot of times this can play a role in infertility. Then he told Chad that we should try naturally for the next few rounds to see if this was the cause. WHAT???? TRY NATURALLY???? What the hell is that? I think we might have forgotten how to do that! Just kidding.

About after an hour in that room they told me I could go home. A nurse guided my wobbly legs to the bathroom - I ran right into the door on my way there! Oops! It was then that I realized I had a big pad shoved between my legs in case there was any bleeding. Then the nurse gave me a fresh pair of hospital underwear. Wow, granny panties and a huge pad. I felt great! Thankfully, I had no bleeding at all. She called for a wheelchair and a guy came and wheeled me all the way to our car door. Now that is service! :)

I slept the entire hour home and most of the night. Today I gave in about 5:00 and went to fill my pain meds order. Whew, I am hurting today. I took 2 naps after probably being up and around too much. Pain meds = me feeling much better. :) For now, I am just trying to lounge around to allow myself time to heal. My incisions are glued shut and that should go away in about a week they said. My post-op appointment is set for January 27th. Until then, I am just going to make sure I don't insert anything into vagina (the discharge nurse literally told me that - you should not insert anything into your vagina until you see the doctor for the post op appointment) Thanks for that information! I am guessing this means tampons too, so when my period shows up I will have to go get some comfortable pads!

I am just so excited that the lap is over. I am so thankful that we have such a good doctor. He really has restored my hope. I am very grateful for my husband who has been by my side these past few days. I am one lucky girl.

We may still have a very long journey ahead of us and the realistic side of me is still sitting on my shoulder telling me to protect my emotions and feelings and not get too far ahead of myself, but today I am feeling confident and content with the results of the surgery. I kept repeating my mantra to myself yesterday - CALM AND STRONG - it worked. :)