Oophorectomy

Fighting cancer and raising boys during a record-breaking heat summer, while trying to keep a house pristine in order to sell it, and trying to work around Stephen's insane work schedule......not my favorite.  I had so many plans for this summer, and then we decided to move, and instead of an enriching summer school for the boys, complete with cooking classes and field trips, we've upped screen time and throw in swimming to break it up.  

The boys and I were also able to sneak away for another week of vacation and surprising family with a visit.  Family is everything. 

And, then it was STRAIGHT back into our real world of fighting cancer and raising boys and hot days and attempts at a pristine house.  That week back, I met with Dr. Goble on Monday, saw Dr. Fleener on Tuesday, had an unrelated appointment on Wednesday, and pre-registered for surgery on Friday.  YES.....what would all of the fun of this summer be without surgery?!

I was originally scheduled to have my ovaries removed on July 31.  However, with all of the aforementioned activities{?} planned, I attempted to move up the date.  I hadn't heard anything, so Dr. Fleener contacted Dr. Jansky right then...during my appointment!  There was a VERY good reason why my case had fallen through the cracks, and it didn't matter because they could squeeze me in for the following Monday.  

Thank goodness for our support system to help out with childcare!  (Maybe they did a better job of providing an enriching array of activities.  Or, maybe they stuck with screen time.  By the time I got home, everyone was still alive, so who cares?)

Thankfully, I didn't have the first case of the days, which meant I could show up at a reasonable hour, you know, after the sun had risen.  The later-in-the-day surgery, DID mean I had to go longer without eating or drinking, but not too much.

  Stephen was able to be with me AND handpick anesthesia.  

Port accessed!  No worries about IVs!  

I took a few pills beforehand, and we were off!  

Apparently, those pills were all the pain meds I needed DURING SURGERY!  Afterwards, I was so out of it, I just wanted to sleep!  They (including Stephen) kept asking me if I was in pain or needed anything for pain, and I was just tired.  (I remember NONE of this.)  Since I wasn't hurting at all, I didn't even get any pain meds for at home.  Apparently, all I need is a good drug-induced nap every now and then, even when REMOVING MAJOR FEMALE ORGANS FROM MY BODY!  Who needs something for the pain?  

I really did feel fine.  In fact, I finally took my kids to the library to redeem their summer reading...THE NEXT DAY....to the complete shock and chagrin of my mother.  (Remember all else that we're dealing with this summer?  Laparoscopic surgery......I've dealt with worse.)

Speaking of worse, I still carry many of the physical scars to prove it.  Thankfully, Dr. Jansky used the biggest of those, just adding a new one to the existing line, along with accessing my fake belly-button and adding a new mark to the mix, but only the tiniest of openings.  These are the battle scars, four days after surgery.  Still bruised and stitched, but no pain.  

I'm hoping this newest treatment in my arsenal will ease the need for so much emphasis on the estrogen-blasting front. I'm done with babies.  My eggs were no good, anyway.  Plus, I'm pretty sure there's a 100% chance I don't have to worry about ovarian cancer, but leave it to my body to still find a way!