Surgery For Manette

So, just a quick (okay, not-so-quick) note to tell everyone that I am off to have outpatient surgery tomorrow. The doctors recently found some polyps on my ovaries. This might explain the odd chin-hair growth (embarrassing to mention, but to overcome embarrassement one must be honest and vocal) and the pain in my inner areas during intercourse and the pain during my cycles. I am one of those lucky and blessed ladies who have the ultimate joy of experiencing, besides the monthy flow of the red sea, the dramatic pain that can sometimes come with the tide. In fact, the pain can get severe enough at times that I vomit or must stay in bed with a heating pad.

My mom tends to think that I have a low tollerance for pain (which I probably do on most occasions), so I take the pain I experience with a grain of salt... And a couple of Advil and a nice tall glass of Iced Tea (Long Island, of course). Okay, I'm teasing about the Iced Tea part, though I will have a drink now and then (although I tend not to drink when I'm taking medications. I am somewhat responsible).

Anyway, back to my appointment with a knife tomorrow. The doctors are performing a Hysteroscopy where they will explore my interior girlie parts to check out what is going on. While they are in there, they will remove the two or three polyps that they've found recently. I am suposed to be the first one in the operating room tomorrow and am due for surgery at 8:00am, though I must report by 7:00.

I must say that I am extremely grateful for the luxury of an early start... This means that I will only have to suffer without food until around lunch time! This is excessively important to me because (as my family knows) I love my food and thoroughly enjoy eating. To have to avoid food from 11:00pm tonight until late tomorrow morning, if I'm lucky, will be a hideous crime against my stomach and taste buds. I only hope they will be forgiving!!! ;)

So, I saw the anesthesiologist yesterday morning and told her about my last experience with being "knocked out". Back in April 1991 (Easter Sunday) I began spotting. I was approximately 12 weeks pregnant at the time (though my OB said I was 14 weeks). That Monday morning I phoned my doctor who set an appointment to check me out. Sadly, Baby did not have a heartbeat. Choosing to have a DNC instead of enduring the pain for possibly up to two weeks I was sent across the street to the hospital where my doctor would do the operation later that afternoon. Let's just say that the surgery did not wait that long...

I ended up having a massive amount of blood flow from my body in just the 10 minutes it took to get across the street (literally). I remember laying down on a couch and reaching for the nearest person to walk by me and whispering "help me". My younger sister was with me at the time (she was just 19 years old). I was so out of it that I have no clue where she was or what happened next. All I can recall is the feeling of lightheadedness and then waking up nauseous in a hospital room. I began vomitting and my poor sister was crying. (She went through a tremendous amount of emotional turmoil for me and I will always remember that with love.) By that time my mom was there, too. She left work and raced back to the hospital (my sister must have called her). The nurses gave me a spinal tap and some other medications. Oddly enough, I never felt the spinal tap. Not a single pinch, though my sister sure felt it (she was crying like it really hurt her)! ;)

The next thing I knew I was waking up in this dark place. There was a bright light at my feet and sitting in that light was a figure dressed all in blue bent down peering between my knees. I couldn't see anyone else in the room with us. But, it didn't matter because I must have drifted off again. I came to once more in that same dark, cold room. I peered to my left and saw the blue clothed man walking near me. As the figure moved past me, I reached out and grabbed his arm and said, "Thank you." I had wanted to thank him for taking away the pain, but to this day I'm not sure if he understood that.

As I explained all of this to my anesthesiologist I was finally allowed some peace. She told me that I was most likely only lightly sedated. I am thankful for that explanation because I sure would hate to be one of those unlucky people whose minds are fully aware of all that is happening to them though their bodies are "asleep."

Wish me luck, say your prayers... Whatever... I'll take it all (can you tell I'm nervous)! ;)