I've Been Spayed

Once I made the decision, it was easy to schedule the surgery. I chose the traditional method rather than the laparoscopic, because the procedure was a shorter duration, and I had already decided whom I wanted as my surgeon. 

The hospital and staff treated me well from the moment I was admitted. The prep part went smoothly, and I was under sedation quickly and easily. Then I woke up. I chatted and joked with the nurse, who was administering morphine to keep my pain levels manageable. Pain was okay with the meds, as long as I didn't laugh or breathe too deeply. I had no sense of time, so I'm not sure how long I stayed in the recovery room. At some point, I was transferred to the room in which I'd stay the next two nights. I didn't like the moving part, especially when the gurney went over thresholds. I'm not going to sugar coat it, it hurt like hell, with a side of barbed wire. The gentleman who was stuck with transporting me felt awful for torturing me, and gave me time after crossing each of the nine threshold to breath through the pain.

My nurses were outstanding.  I was up and walking in no time, and they were with me every step of the way. I was given lots of advice before surgery, and I want to share the hints and tricks that worked best for me. The best advice was to suck it up, and stretch out. Don't give in to clutching a pillow to your tummy. When it's time to walk, stand up straight and breathe through the pain.  I took the "suck it up" advice, and I know the intensity and duration of pain was greatly reduced because of it. Essentially, it's like ripping off a band aid. You can go slowly, and prolong the pain, or you can rip it off and get it over with. I chose the latter.

Things I enjoyed doing before surgery were unpleasant for a while after surgery. Laughing, taking deep, cleansing breaths, going from laying down to sitting to standing, and vice versa. Each day, the pain lessened and it wasn't long before I was driving. I am not ashamed to sat how painful navigating speed bumps were. Yes, I drove slowly and cautiously in general, and I crawled over speed bumps in particular. I loved being mobile, but I was careful to follow another piece of advice: don't do too much too quickly. I was (mostly) pretty careful about not overdoing it.

I was struck with a stark reality about 1/2 through my recovery: there's an empty spot in my body cavity. I felt all sorts of things, depression, fear, and incomplete, for a while. I was expecting it, so I knew what these feeling were when they crashed over me. I was worried for a while that I wouldn't be able to enjoy an active sex life as I had before. I was afraid that I had mutilated my body and would no long experience orgasm as I once did. I can assure you, that fear is groundless. My missing parts and pieces do not in any way reduce my sexual appetite or the ability to experience pleasure.

There are a lot of articles and information out on the interwebs, but I'm not going to link to any of them, as I didn't find the concerns they raised either true or helpful. My hysterectomy experience went well, and I achieved the desired results: I no longer have uterine pain from fibroids.

I take a daily estrogen supplement, and I am free of menopausal symptoms. All in all, I consider my hysterectomy a success.

It's Been Scheduled

I saw my OB/GYN last week, who took a few tests which came back normal, and today the office called to scheduled my hysterectomy. Yay! We're yanking the unnecessary organs out in early February.

Short update, life is hectic with the holidays. I plan to post more after the new year.

Wishing everyone a lovely holiday season, and a joyous and prosperous new year!

Double Roller Coasters

In women, the steroid hormone progesterone is produced mostly by ovaries and adrenal glands. Progesterone directly affects how women's reproductive system, nervous system, cardiovascular system, and skeletal system, function.

Apparently, your blood glucose levels rise about a week or so before ovulation and then drop back to your "normal" at the onset of mercenary. That's so not fair! Not only does the luteal phase interfere with my quality and duration of sleep, it messes with my blood sugar levels, too. Welcome to the  Progesterone Phenomenon.

"We are all aware of the analogy about one's diabetes control being like riding a roller-coaster. The goal is to turn the roller-coaster into a go-cart running on a flat track. We want to eliminate the extreme ups and downs and keep things on an even keel. But a woman with diabetes gets to ride an additional roller-coaster at the same time; the extra ups and downs are caused by her menstrual cycle." Insulin Pumpers and Mary Jean Renstrom.

Yet, this lively roller coaster isn't limited to women of child-bearing years. Both perimenopausal and postmenopausal women who have diabetes may be challenged. For example, the hormonal roller coaster ride that is part of perimenopause can affect blood glucose levels.

I've said it before, and I'm saying it again: Being a woman ain't for the faint of heart!

Here's another thing to watch out for. You see, some symptoms of perimenopause are the same as or easily confused with the symptoms of high or low blood glucose levels. Yeah, well, I wish I had known that about 10 years ago! Instead, my symptoms were brushed aside with "you're too young to be going through menopause." Great! If a doctor ruled that out, then why didn't he look for another reason for hot flashes, night sweats, and muscle weakiness? It's not as if I wasn't bitching bringing these concerns up during my visits.

For me, controlling premenstrual, perimenopausal, and insulin resistance, symptoms starts by focusing on eating slow release carbohydrates and small, frequent meals.

Related Links

• The Actions of Progesterone
• Controlling Blood Sugar
• Menopause What to Expect, How to Cope
• Riding Two Roller Coasters