I've Got 99 Problems...
But a uterus ain't one.
mine was never this happy
So I promised to post an update from the other side of my hysterectomy. My surgery was on September 9th. Today is March 31st. I really left you all hanging. I'm sure you've been on the edge of your seats.
I've been a tad distracted. First there was the recovery while getting Alex settled into a new school year. I started a part-time job (more on that later!). Then there are the million other things I have going on that got in the way. You know how it is.
When I go back and read my two TMI blog posts, I can't believe it happened at all. It already seems like a million years ago. I am 100% recovered and pain-free (alleluia!!), and honestly, I almost never think about the whole ordeal at all. It took me a full four weeks to feel like myself again, which in hindsight seems totally reasonable. Done and done.
I will say this, though: the first week of recovery was rough. I made a point to remember this fact for any future woman who may ask me what it was like.
Before my surgery, I spoke with several women who assured me that it was no big deal. "Pfft, it's nothing!", they breezily told me. "I was up and about in no time!" "I went back to work after a week!"
I'm here to tell you: they lied.
Yes, some of them had the DaVinci procedure which has a quicker recovery time, but I think they were feeling like I am now, six months after the fact: in my current state of mind, it was no big deal. But the brain forgets pain! And by Day 4 of my recovery I swung from feeling pathetic and lame because I kept thinking shouldn't I feel better by now? to wanting to find each one of those women and scream obscenities at them until they begged for my forgiveness.
Not really. Well, kinda.
Anyway, if you are reading this before having a hysterectomy, then know that in all likelihood, you will recovery relatively quickly and the whole thing will eventually seem like a bad dream. But also know that the first week will suck, and you will wonder what you did in a past life to deserve such a horrible fate.
(I'm a wee bit dramatic when it comes to pain.)
In all seriousness, I am actually grateful for the experience. Not grateful to have been in pain or to have to undergo major surgery. I'm not crazy. But the love and support I received was truly amazing. My family and friends really stepped up and got me through it. I am grateful that I had an opportunity to see and feel so much love from so many people.
At one point right before my surgery, a few women at church pulled me aside and whispered, "me too". They answered all my questions and tried to put me at ease. One woman put her hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye with such loving concern and said, "Honey, you're going to be okay. I promise." It took all my effort not to break down into a puddle on the floor.
It was like they were welcoming me into a sisterhood. It felt similar to when I got my first period. It reminded me of when I was pregnant. It was just like that first year of motherhood. All of those experiences felt so personal, like they were My Issues and My Problems, but there were always women in my life who let me know that my feelings were universal. Others had felt this way since the dawn of womankind. I wasn't alone. They pulled me aside and whispered "me too". What a gift.
But it wasn't all serious. One friend offered (threatened?) to get me a crochet uterus from Etsy. You know, since I seemed so upset about losing the original. When I told another friend I was worried about early menopause she sent this text:
(She even found one with blond hair and cool platform shoes.)
To those of you who read my posts at the time, thanks for following along with the saga, and for all the online support. I really meant a lot to me at the time, and it still does now.
So the suspense is over, dear readers. I'm fine. I hope to get back to regularly schedule programming.
It's good to be back :)
