Ta-da!

Hello everyone-it's Allison here! Just enjoying a little soup right now, and wanted to update everyone on what I know so far.

How the day went:
The morning started at the hopsital this morning at 8. They got me back pretty quickly and started the pre-op process. I was really nervous, and had to go back for the pre-op stuff by myself. I wasn't exactly excited about that. I got back there and in the beautiful hospital gown and sassy slipper socks, and tried to settle myself before the nurse came in. The pre-op nurse ended up being someone I knew! Now, that is pretty rare around here in Charlotte. That immediately brought a smile to my face. She was actually a sponsor to someone in the RCIA class I went through last year to convert to Catholicism. I told her that she was sent just for me today! So, anyway, I answered the interrogation of questions-allergies, history, signed consent about the procedure, yada yada.

Next, the anaesthesiologist came in to talk. He wrote an order for some anxiety relieving meds before the initial anaesthesia push. We talked for a bit, and in comes another nurse to start my IV. Okay, I hate when they have to do IV's. But, I was pleasantly surprised. They numbed the area, and I didn't feel a thing!!! It took her about five minutes moving the needle around in my arm too to get to the vein, so thank goodness for that little invention there! With that came some anti-reflux meds. Hoooray!

The Dr. came by too during all of this, and the surgery ended getting pushed up about 30 minutes. They finally let Wes, mom and nanny back, and then gave me the anxiety medication. She said I'd be to sleep in like 2 minutes, but, noooo. Didn't happen. But, it was VERY calming...oh, I loved it! We hung out just for a few minutes, and then the nurse anaesthetists came in to take me away. It was time! They were so very nice as well-there was a guy and a girl-the guy was training. From this point, I don't really remember much. I know they pushed some more of the anxiety meds in to get me sleepy, and, then, I woke up in the recovery room (don't remember the tube or any of that fun stuff-sweet!).

Apparently I talked with the Dr., but, I don't remember that. He knew I wouldn't, and he is going to give me a call himself tomorrow. Of course he came out to talk to the family, and they got the scoop. I am not sure how long I was in the first recovery. When I finally started coming to, the nurses in there were discussing wedding details. So, we all just started chatting about dresses and cakes and stuff. Lol-you know I liked that. They finally started taking the heart monitor stuff off and the BP cuff, and then I was off to recovery#2. Wes, Mom and Nanny came back then, and all the world seemed right again. We all started chatting, and I got the details from them about everything. They thought I knew it all since I "talked" to the Dr. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight. Hehe.

What I know so far:
Laparoscopy as planned-no big incisions. For a laparoscopy, they puff up your abdomen with CO2 to move all the organs and such around so they could get to the good stuff. Whoa, still feeling that stuff. They said I might for a day or two. He drained the cysts off my ovaries-all gone for now! Also, he discovered some pretty nasty endometriosis. Not exactly what I wanted to hear. But, he cleaned it all up as best he could, and checked out my fallopian tubes-all is a-okay with those! He showed the fam pics of all the stuff. DUDE, I want to see. He said the endo was pretty bad, and that I also had a bit of an infection from it. He said he didn't think what I had before was actually C-diff like the GI thought, but he was glad that I had been on the antibiotics, because that probably helped clear some stuff out for the surgery. I'm on antibiotics again now-for another 7 days.

So, that's about all I know right now. I am anxious to talk with him tomorrow and get the word and plan for how to proceed. I am not sure how they will begin to treat the endo. I guess it depends on how bad it is/was. I think there are different stages in the disease. I've been reading a good bit about it lately, because he had told me he thought the cysts were endometriomas, which, are caused by endometriosis. From what I know, basically, tissue from the uterus doesn't expel itself as it should through menstruation, and it implants in other places, like in cysts or in the fallopian tubes (which, I know that's a bad place because that increases infertility) and all along the uterian wall, etc, etc. I know though that fertility could be an issue now. But, I'm not worried. God has a plan for us, and, we'll find out soon what that plan is and welcome it with wide open arms :) You never know. I know several girls with endo who are actually pregnant now!

Thank you all for all the prayers. Keep them coming as I continue to heal and move on with treatments. I'll let you know tomorrow if there is any more information from the Dr. I'm feeling pretty good right now. A little sore, obviously. Mostly I feel puffy though, and that CO2 is kinda icky-it hurts up through my chest when I breathe and radiates up into my shoulders. That will absorb over time though. Where the tube was has made my throat pretty sore and scratchy, and I can't seem to get enough water. I just have two little holes, one in my belly button, and one much lower in my pelvic area. Gotta keep a watch on all incisions and swelling and such. Hopefully it'll be an easy recovery.