Surgery

So, the surgery (technically called a Hysteroscopy) was Thursday morning at 8am and Gina was *just* well enough after being sick all day the day before (I mean REALLY sick) to bring me to surgery and stay with me during the surgery. She rallied. I mean really rallied. And I really needed her to. You know sometimes you call in a serious favor from your spouse?  This was one of those times and she rose to the challenge in a big way.

I think once we both got started with surgery prep that morning, it all became real what was going on. The diagnosis and planned surgery all happened so fast it only gave us time to handle logistics and details and not get too much into the actuality of it all. Probably a good thing.

Onward. We waited in the waiting room only a short time before they called me in. During that time, Gina and I peeked at my prep-medicine I was to bring that morning. It was Opium and Belladonna rectal suppository to relax me and my uterus (good times). As we broke out the little bottle, we were grateful for a nice little laugh. See pic below.

Nurses were amazing. Valium on top of the Opium and Belladonna had me incredibly relaxed but in now way prepared for how intense or painful the surgery would be.

We started the party off with four (count them FOUR) shots right on the surface of my cervix. Big need. Big, long needle. I’m not too needle squeamish. I used to let my flabbotomist friends practice on me. I’ve had more oral surgeries with big needles than I would like to remember. In fact, I just had big needles in my mouth only weeks ago (a35 year old gravel removed from my mouth, yet another story for another time). But the cervix and big long needs, just doesn’t seem right, does it?

I knew my body was shaped a bit funky inside, Dr. Heslea has told me many a times (why I always need a full bladder, help him get where he needs to go easier and less pain for me). But this surgery called for an empty bladder (much like the SIS) and when my OB got in there she said, “Oh, I see. It’s shaped like *this*-  (moves her hand up and down from between my legs) like a rollercoaster. After a bit more maneuvering, she’s in and I’m okay.

There’s a camera in there and I can see the inside of my uterus on the monitor. So cool! Where is that little bugger? Let’s get it and get out. There is it! It is a polyp (I was wrong again, not a clot). She cuts off the stalk with a bit of a metal tong (kinda looked like the mouth of alligator, only metal). Oh, what’s that? There’s more? Oh. Okay. Let’s get that. Wait, there’s more? And more. And more. It seemed like the entire lining was covered with very light, seaweed like mini-polyps. They are floaty and thing and almost impossible to grasp. Imagine pulling thin seaweed out of the ocean with a chop-sticks. That’s what it looked like. So she perserved until she got it all.

Unfortunately, this was not easy for me. The surgery was a bit longer than planned and the more she had to be in there, the more poking on my uterus I got. While my uterus was relaxed, I’ll remind you, it was not numbed.  I breathed and focused and thanked myself for all the centered, focused, meditative and “being in my body” practices I had done all my life because now I needed it all. Soon, I realized I wasn’t just being a wimp (which is sort of where my mind wanted to go- kinda minimizing the pain). In a sort of sudden fashion the nurses were getting my cold clothes, apple juice for sipping, rescue remedy being dropped under my tongue quickly, and checking my BP in an urgent sort of way. Words of encouragement were being said softly and I hung on them like a life raft. Breath. Breath.

I had refractory pain in my upper thigh that started slight and turned excruciating (and I write that word in the non-exaggerating way). Seriously, excruciating. I had the student OB hold my leg in the stirrups… I let it relax a bit but it was only getting worse. More kind, helpful words. Hang in there. We are almost done. Breath. Move your toes. Look at me, Regina. Look at me in the eye. Stay with me.

I was *this close* to telling them I needed them to knock me out when I tried to see if I could last just a bit longer. I did. And in a moment it was over. The pain in my leg continued but it was over.

It took another 30 minutes before I could actually walk out of the office. I tried a few times before that but was too dizzy and woozy. We made it to the car, made it home. Gina got us a yummy lunch I tried to enjoy the last bit of Opium and valium before I nodded off for 4 hours. We slept soundly all afternoon. When I woke up it was dark. I was feeling weak but good and happy it was over and out. Clean uterus, onward and upward.

Now, let’s do some laundry and pack because our flight to CA for our Conscious Embodiment training leaves first thing tomorrow morning.

Never a dull moment, is there?

Gina in waiting room pre-surgery

Visual help; in case one isn't certain where to find the rectum.