Things I didn't sign up for...

I had my surgery on Friday. Hysteroscopic Polypectomy.

We got to the hospital at 6:00am and signed some paperwork. It's a little unnerving to read that one of the side effects of General Anesthesia is waking up during the procedure and failure to come out of it. Still, I signed my permission...

I told the anestheisologist that my last surgical procedure came with a lot of vomiting, so she gave me a medicine that was supposed to curtail the nausea. Then she shot something into my IV that made me wonderfully light-headed...They wheeled me into the operating room and had me get onto the table. She injected something else into my IV and the next thing I knew, a very kind male voice was telling me to wake up.

As soon as I was coherent enough to tell him I had to pee, they wheeled me into another room to continue waking up. They gave me toast and popsicles and after a half hour of trying to keep it all down, I threw up anyway. The nurse decided I'd gotten my color back and could go home.

I slept all afternoon.

Fortunately, Jen had made us her famous Brown Sugar Chili, which was fantastic. I called my parents and let them know I was okay.

I slept most of Saturday, and just happened to pick up my cell phone when my friend Gail stopped by with dinner and a cake-wreck. We had planned to go to the book signing, but I couldn't make it.

Sunday, I went to church, which was great, but tiring. I started a period since I'd been off the pill for two days.

I went to work this morning, and was fine until about 1:30, when I had a lot of pain and some clotting. I called the clinic and they informed me they'd had some difficulty during the procedure and that a bit of pain and clotting was to be expected.

Fantastic.

The "best" part is that due to the surgery, only pads for the next two weeks. Hopefully it won't be two weeks...I shudder at the thought.

I took some vicodin when I got home and slept this afternoon and am heading to bed soon. I'll see how I feel in the morning, and may work from home tomorrow.

The Advantages of PCOS

When I think of all the money we've wasted on The Pill and other forms of birth control...

Before I go have this surgery at the end of the month, my doctor wants me to take the Pill to "calm things down a bit." I don't know what "things" are being calmed down, because being on the Pill makes me crazy - I'm irritable, want to sleep all the time, frequent headaches...I'm becoming Bruce Banner!



The sooner we get off the pill, the better.

Oh, and as far as I know, that's the only advantage of PCOS...

Babies

I'm having one of those summers. You know the kind...the one where all of your friends are getting engaged or married, and you aren't even dating? Awesome...

Well, now all our friends are having babies.

The difference, now, is that I'm excited for them, without any pity party for myself.

Why is this time different?

There are a number of reasons, but I have to credit a friend of mine, Jen, who's daughter battled leukemia at the age of three. Someone complained about dealing with their son's chronic sinus infections and how frustrated they were. Of course, they felt bad for complaining with Jen in the room, but she smiled and said that the leukemia was her family's story. We cannot compare stories because every story is different.

What a blessing perspective is!

One by one our friends would announce their pregnancies and I'd (probably imagine I would) see the slightly guilty looks briefly flicked in my direction. There would be a slight twinge, but then I would remember Jen's words. That's their story. Ours is different. And that's OK.

I was at a baby shower for a friend, Amy, who has won her battle with infertility. After ten years and four mid-term miscarriages, she finally carried a baby to 37 weeks. Her name is Elizabeth, and she is adorable. Amy and I caught up for a little bit during the party, and she and I discussed the realities of PCOS and infertility. The bitter humor and the harsh realities...

We lamented the struggle and rejoiced at the new little life she has finally brought into the world. She asked me if I wanted to hold the baby or if it was too hard.

I had to laugh.

I remember when my cousin and his wife had their first son two years ago, I held the newborn at the hospital. I had the amused thought that they must be watching to make sure I didn't tuck him under my arm like a football and bolt out the door!

And for the record, I held the baby. And I had no problem handing her back. Of course, she had just spit up down my shirt and filled her diaper simultaneously...