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September 20, 2007

My Journey With Endometriosis (Part 4): The Surgery

I can't believe how distracted I was about everything leading up to day of the surgery. With all the paperwork to fill out, calls about insurance coverage, pre-operative blood work, and rearranging my schedule, I was a total air head. People would ask me simple questions and it would take me twice as long as normal to answer. I caught myself day dreaming a lot. I wasn't nervous about the procedure, just distracted by it and trying to gather as much information as possible. After all, the last time I was put under anesthesia was 1970!

I slept well the night before the surgery. I had to be at the surgery center at 6:15 in the morning. They took me to the back, had me empty my bladder, disrobe and lie on a gurney bed. After they put in the IV (slightly painful and annoying once it was in there), they let my husband come back and join me. I got a couple of pills with a small bit of water (I wasn't allowed any food or drink after midnight), one for nausea, one for anxiety.

The anesthesiologist came to talk to me and walked me through everything they would be doing before and after the procedure. They had me hooked up to an IV fluid that contained a bunch of electrolytes. When it came time to put me under, they would switch the fluid to an anesthesia. Twenty minutes before I would come out of anesthesia they would give me an intramuscular shot so I wouldn't wake up in pain and that would last until dinnertime. A shot of Demerol in my IV and they were ready to send me home. I was surprised that I was bleeding and would need a feminine pad for several days. I knew nothing of what happened to me in the operating room.

From what I've read I can give a brief synopsis of the surgery. They cut two small incisions in the abdomen, one at the navel, one near the pelvic bone, through which they insert two long narrow probes. A third probe is inserted into the cervix of the uterus in order to move the organ around during surgery. They inflate the abdomen with carbon dioxide gas so they have easier access to exploration and room to manipulate the structures. When they find endometrial lesions, they burn them off with a laser. When they are done, they deflate as much gas as possible, sew you up, and send you on your way.

This week I will be blogging about my experience with endometriosis. I will be sharing information about what endometriosis is, its symptoms, treatment options and my personal experience with the disease.

tags: massage massagetherapy wellness massage therapy bodywork health endometriosis

Posted by linda at September 20, 2007 12:06 AM