MYOMECTOMY!

Every once and a while a stranger begins to have this incredible impact on your life. That stranger brings you inspiration, faith, hope and causes you to pause in life and think about something bigger than you to do list. This is exactly the impact that Denis is having on me…..a stranger to me just a short time ago…..but with each of her posts creating a special bond, a special place in my heart, and a big impact on my life! I hope her personal story series is having the same wonderful impact on you!

Denise looks back to the day of her Myomectomy…

MYOMECTOMY! It has been 8 1/2 months since that momentous day in September. The day I could have died. Yet, the day my hope of having a baby was renewed. It was the day of my Myomectomy. Even now, a part of me cringes at the mere mention of that word. But another part of me says, “Thank you God. Thank you for giving me hope.”

“What’s the big deal?”, you might ask, “What could be so horrible, yet so hopeful, about one simple word?” Well, I will tell you. An abdominal myomectomy is a painful and intense surgery used to remove non-cancerous growths called fibroids from a woman’s uterus. See, in order to conceive my little Jaydon, I needed this surgery because there were fibroids blocking both of my fallopian tubes. Many women in my position, who no longer desire children, would opt for a hysterectomy, a surgery which removes a woman’s uterus and any chance she has of having a baby. However, the purpose of a myomectomy is to preserve the woman’s uterus and her chances of conceiving a child. Thank God for modern science providing the ability to preserve my uterus. But, for me, this surgery was more intense than for most.

The hospital staff put me under general anesthesia and everything went black. The surgeon, whom I will refer to by code name as Dr. Mike, thought there were only about 7 or 8 of these pesky fibroids to remove. But, once he got in there, he discovered there were 27 fibroids. I should point out that the number and size of the fibroids determine how pervasive the surgery will be. The sizes of my fibroids ranged from tiny to huge. My poor uterus! No wonder it was the size of a 16-week pregnancy. To find and remove these 27 fibroids, Dr. Mike made an incision in my bikini line, almost hip to hip (similar to the incision used for a C-section). He invaded my body with his tools and removed the fibroids, cutting them out the old fashioned-way, with a scalpel. Dr. Mike did his best to restructure my uterus to maximize my chances of getting pregnant.

Let’s not forget the emergency blood transfusion. Fibroids, by nature, tend to bleed. I lost way more blood than expected. I woke up to find that I had low blood pressure and the whole time I was in the hospital they had to keep a watch on it. In fact the day I was released, they had originally decided to hold me because my blood pressure was too low. Then there was the danger of nicking other organs, like my bladder. He didn’t nick my bladder, but God knows it felt like it. I was not comfortable urinating for at least 3 1/2 weeks after the surgery. Each time I went to the bathroom, I thought my insides were dropping out.

Once the surgery is done and they stitch you up, you are forced to get out of bed within 12 to 24 hours. I cannot express the pain. Your internal organs have been massacred! You’re doped up on drugs for the pain, and you have to walk around. It’s not fun at all!!!! I was out of work for a total of six weeks and still was not 100% ready to go back. But, I needed to get back to work as soon as I could. I would say it was another 3 or 4 weeks before I felt totally back to my old self again.

Six weeks after the surgery Dr. Mike performed a follow-up SIS to check my uterus and then a follow-up HSG to check my fallopian tubes and outer uterus. Praise God! Good News!!! The surgery worked. There was NO scar tissue and both my fallopian tubes were OPEN!! No blockage. The surgery was a raving success! I could try to conceive six weeks from the date of these tests!! I left there on cloud 9. My hope of conceiving was renewed. So, I guess a part of me doesn’t cringe at the word. MYOMECTOMY, as it will allow me to conceive my little Jaydon, I admit that I’m now happy to say, “Myomectomy.” I will shout it from the highest rooftop!!! And Yes, I will do it again in a heartbeat. My little Jaydon is worth it!!!!

Denise
“With God All Things Are Possible”