It's Been A While

Well this blog has been somewhat neglected as I thought my fibroid days were long gone.  And luckily after enlisting the services of a personal trainer for 6 months my abs actually started to look like a normal human beings again. So the op was in Dec 2009 and to get back to full fitness was a big challenge.  

To me I thought 5 years would be a good window to hopefully meet someone, have a kid and not have to face the fibroid thing again.  But the odds are worse in black women so now in 2013 my stomach is starting to have that familiar rotund look, I am starting to feel very very shattered and my periods are getting heavy again. :(. I know they are back and have a blood test next week and am in the process of being set up for a scan to see what is going on in there.

Once confirmed, I guess it's the conundrum of take pills to mask the symptoms as the fibroids continue to grow or go through the pain of another op.  I guess removing them when they are relatively small as opposed to when they have grown would be better but having to think about what to do next is scary. Anyway, for now I won't worry but wait for a diagnosis then face the conundrum when I have to.  It's my body, I am single but would like to have the option of having a child but not have periods that are a nightmare and a swollen stomach. 

The Big Day - The Wait Begins

6 months after my consultation, check in time has arrived for my abdominal myomectomy.  Had to stop eating and drinking the night before and check in was at 7am on the morning of Dec 1.  I had to finish packing and and then hoped into a cab to get me to the hospital at that ungodly hour. 

First stop was to report into admissions reception - everyone having ops in the hospital was there so it was certainly a random bunch.  I am fiercely independent so was alone - looking around everyone else it suddenly dawned on me that I was the only lone soldier. Maybe I should have had someone with me. 


Anyway lots of waiting around was the name of the day.  About an hour or so later my name was called and I was taken to another waiting area for my to the pre op assessment area.  Lots of waiting around then I met my consultant for the first time (my consultation 6 months before was with a lesser mortal).   

The funniest thing has to be the fan club of junior docs who surround consultants. It's like have he had his own harem of giggling young chicks around him (the docs were mainly female and rather young). The consultant looked at my abdomen and felt around a bit - he said that my fibroids had grown loads in the 6 months since my ultrasound and initial consultation.  They were no portruding above my belly button - I knew it was getting worse as none of my clothes fitted and that was both top and bottom plus even my bras were starting to feel uncomfortable as the fibroids were growing upwards.


He said that they were going to take out 4 large fibroids.  He explained the risks of haemorrhaging and I made a wise crack which he didn't seem to like to much - I can't help that I use humour to mask my nervousness and fear. 


Anyway, he left and the gaggle of junior docs took some blood (actually more acurately poked around my hand for ages to try and find a vein - an act I would become very accustomed to in the coming week). 


Then it was off to the kind of waiting ward where I was questioned by a nurse.  It was quite funny as she too was Nigerian and as well as the normal questions she was giving me advice to travel to Nigeria and hurry up and find a nice Nigerian husband as I wasn;t getting any younger. Not sure if those wise words are part of the overall nurses conduct but I took it in the spirit it was meant.  

Anyway,I was then left in a cubicle.  Fully clothed for a few hours just waiting then I was asked to take off my clothes and put on one of those fetching hospital gown with the open backs.  As it was 10 or 11 now I had a nap as it had been a long old morning.  


I was still hanging around until about 3pm by which time I was bored, tired, hungry and thirsty.  That was one long old wait.  A nurse came to collect walk me down to operating theatre where the 'fun' really begins.

Preparing for the Big Day

As a hospital inpatient virgin, I was a bit flummoxed about what I needed to do before heading into hospital for an abdominal myomectomy. Work, life, what happens if things go wrong - so much to think about and such little time. 

Home - well this was me setting up home entertainment (tv, dvd, hifi) in my room for those days post op when I'm not too mobile. Obviously this was a bit of a challenge and I've still not quite managed to get my Freeview to work but hey. Also, had to get in some frozen food and other bits so that I wouldn't starve whilst recupuratting.

Work, saying to my boss for the umpteenth time I'm having a major op and will be off for around a month or so.  It sinked in on my last week when all my plans had a big gap in December. So then it turned into handover notes time and getting things into a nice state where I could hand them over to freelancers etc. It was funny talking to colleagues about heading into hospital - had comments such as " I'd trade places with you anytime to have a month off work - could do with that at the 'mo".  Did point out that major surgery wasn't a walk in the park and a high level of pain and discomfort would also be part of the package so quite the picnic they'd assumed.



The main thing for me was worrying I guess - would I be ok?  Would all the fibroids be removed?  Would I still be able to have kids? Would I still be ok to be operated on as my period was due when I was being operated on?  So many questions and my appt with the consultant happened 6 mths prior to my my op so there wasn't really anywhere to turn.  I have to admit that I did a lot of online fact finding and people's blogs about their myomectomy experiences were a god send.  Some stuff I had to take with a pinch of salt and one thing that stood out was the fact that everyone was different in terms of how they reacted to the op. 


In the end to settle the what happens as I'll be on  my period question was settled when I rang the ward where I'd be and spoke to the sister.  She also helped reassure some of my general neurotic fears so that was good.  And thank god I could take tranexamic acid tablets before my op (outside the nil by mouth time) so at least I'd be able to leave the house 2 days prior to my op.  Without them another 2 days of my life would have been ruled out as my periods were just crazy.