Reset

Finally after months of recovering from my last surgery, getting back in to the groove of work, walking, doing chores around the house (heck, I cleaned the chicken coop finally), I get to hit the reset button and start all over again.  Sigh.

I knew this day was coming, and I am actually anxious about it. Not in an anxiety way, but in a lack of patience, thank God I’m one step closer to being done way.  So tomorrow I drive back up to Spokane to check in to Sacred Heart hospital for the next step in this journey I never even got a passport for.

As mentioned in earlier blogs I have been diagnosed with the BRCA1 gene mutation. Breast, ovarian and colon cancer run in my family.  So rather than waiting around for the next cancer to crop up on me, my medical team (how weird to think I have a medical team when 8 months ago I had never been in surgery, on medication, etc), has decided (with my consent) to take an aggressive approach.  Hence the removal of the tatas (both, not just the one with cancer) and now the removal of all my girl parts.  So tomorrow I head back over the state line to have a bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (say that 5 times fast!). Essentially I am having a full hysterectomy with ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus and cervix all going away.  The things that are making me nervous are a) the pain; b) the influence on my already over the top menopause symptoms; c) the pain and d) the pathology report.  But I would rather have them out and dissected then in ready to catch the next round of cancer.

Fortunately my amazing caregiver (aka Bumpy, aka the husband), is ready for this next round.  Although I keep telling him my doctor has told me it will be 6 weeks before I can lift anything greater than 5 pounds, he thinks I’ll be recovered in a matter of days (I’m thinking I will win this argument, again). The surgeon and I talked about 3 different methods for conducting the surgery, and after some contemplation, and great explanation by her, we have decided to do a lower abdominal entry.  This way I don’t end up with 4 more scars on my already scarred body, nor does she mess up the pretty belly button Dr. Wheeler made for me. 🙂 So she will use the existing suture line like a zipper, open me back up and yank the goods out.  All in the name of cancer prevention.

But after this big surgery and a couple days hanging out in the hospital not watching RuPaul’s drag show (still have nightmares about that), I should only have one major surgery left – and that is already scheduled. So a light can be seen right now, just hope nothing steps in the way.  Once I get the final nip and tuck done, I can start back up with PT (my range of motion is not all that great), and focus on recovery and recouping all of my used up sick and annual leave.

So we will chat with you on the flip side. Oh one last note – my surgery check in time isn’t until 1:30 PM.  That means I can’t eat or drink after midnight tonight (and considering I’m in bed by 9 or 10 you’re looking at 16 hours). I will be seriously hangry by the time the anesthesiologist knocks me out.  I’m guessing best case scenario they start my surgery at 3PM, that is if she isn’t running behind, or any of the other support staff aren’t running behind. But don’t worry, for the last 4 days I’ve been eating and drinking in anticipation of this so I should be good, lol.

I don’t say it enough, but thank you all for being such a great support system!