Goin Under the Knife

Some of you have been aware of our personal struggles lately... I've tried to decide for a while whether to have surgery or not. Well today, I went through with it...

Five years ago, I was diagnosed with Level IV Endometriosis, had surgery, and was given Lupron treatments for a year which put me through a false state of menopause. Since then, I've been on birth control to manage things. I was told I may not have children, and that I'd have a hysterectomy before I was thirty. I received this news when I was 21 and not even married. Since that time, I've had occassional pain, but things were a lot better. The only real cure for endometriosis is pregnancy. Well for the past two years, Mike and I have been wanting to have children, and it just hasn't been happening. I've been having crazy amounts of pain interrupting my daily life. I've bled for 60 days at a time, stopped for 2 days, and began again. Things were not good. But the only thing worse than being in pain all the time is going through surgery. I HATED surgery. I really, really didn't want to go there again... I prayed for months about what we were to do, without getting a strong, vivid answer. Finally, I decided to take action and then pray about my action. I got up the guts, called and scheduled surgery while crying on the phone, and then prayed for confirmation. It was the right choice, but it has caused me so much anxiety knowing it was coming.

The doctor warned us of all of the worse case scenarios, and how there might be some insurance battles because we've had some fertility tests done which could tip off the insurance companies that this is a fertility issue instead of the health issue. But Mike and I attended the temple, I got a blessing, and we prayed a lot. We've had a lot of people praying for us too. I went in at 5:30 this morning for surgery, and I'm glad that I did.

Things went really well. The doctor did not find a lot. My endometriosis is now at a Level I. He got rid of the endometriosis that had grown and the scar tissue from my last surgery. He said that the Lupron treatments I went through really must have worked, which makes the MISERABLE treatments worth it. He doesn't know why I've been having so much pain or why I've been bleeding so much, but we'll see if it gets better after the surgery. I have another appointment in two weeks in which we'll discuss our next steps... Clomid and possible artificial insemination. I'm not worried about those things now. I'm just wanting to heal. The pain has been a lot worse this surgery than the last. I think it's the belly button incision. It's not my fave. But meds are good, and they don't keep the pain away but they take off the edge. I feel very blesssed that everything went well and that my endometriosis is not too bad. Instead of thinking that my chances of having kids are over, I'm starting to think I could still have a family. Who knows what my future holds. I'm grateful for my blessings!

I have my mom here helping, and my little sis is on her way. I love my family and how supportive they are. My hubby has been waiting on me hand and foot. I love him so so much. He even bought me some pretty flowers. :) Thanks to everyone sending phone calls, texts, meals, and love my way!! Life is good.