Uterus fibroid

Well....

I have to go in for a D&C next week because of a fibroid. It's 7cc X 8cc X 10cc. The size of a stack of 10 dimes, so I guess like a grape.

I've been totally asymptomatic, as far as pain, discomfort or even awareness I had one.

Saw my reg Dr. a couple of months ago and told her how after 15 months of no period, I started getting them again. 2 spaced out by 30 days....very light.

She said if I got another one to tell her, because that could be a sign of uterine cancer.

Well, I got a similar light period after another 30 days, so she send me to a gyno.

I'll admit, I was a bit put off by this dr.

She asked me what brought me in today, I told her, and without blinking an eye she says "I need to take a biopsy of your uterus, then I'll do a D&C. Do you want to do the biopsy right now, or schedule it for another day?"

This seldom happens to me, but it was a total case of "information overload, does not compute"

After blinking, saying What? Today? and thinking (are you f'ing kidding) I said, really stupidly "uh....does a biopsy hurt"

"Yes, it does" she says

Even more stupidly I ask "Will I cry"

she says "I don't know. Maybe."

then she drops on me "Or, would you rather skip that and just go for the D&C?"

Mind you, I haven't dropped my pants for her yet.

After I said a few more inane things, becoming increasing alarmed at the prospect of someone sticking something sharp up my whooha, she said I could get a transvaginal ultrasound first, because there's a slight chance the lining of my uterus is very thin, and my getting my period is unrelated to a needing a D&C type thing.

Ok....cake or death.

Cake please.

I'd prefer the transvaginal sonogram if you don't mind, which I've had before and doesn't hurt, and is just weird. It's like someone puts a gear stick in you, and then keeps shifting through all speeds, reverse and neutral for awhile. Kinda like taking your uterus and ovaries out for a spin.

Anyway.

I get called yesterday about the results, and even though I'm not thrilled, I think it is a good thing to go ahead and do, because it will give the dr a chance to look around in the uterus to see if everything is really fine.

My BIG FEAR?

Getting put under.

I've never had anestesia before, and I hear those stories, and personally know someone who had the experience of not being completely under, but not being able to move, and you feel everything they are doing.

What is is getting put under and waking up like?

Honestly, the thought of what they are going to do grosses me out, so I just don't think about it.


So, how's your day?

Oh yikes, Chai!

Yeah, I get the cake or death thing.

Dang.

I don't think I've had complete anesthesia ever. Oh, when I was a kid and had my tonsils out -- no memory of that though.

E.G. has, for an emergency appendectomy, and he was totally fine.

(Just had a karmic thought -- didn't you just say a little while ago that you've never been in the hospital? You didn't knock on wood, did you? And I'll bet you didn't throw any salt over your shoulder. Tsk.)

I know people who have been through this and while it wasn't, like, fun, it went smoothly and there were no horror stories.

Good luck...

Thanks.

I go to see her on the 17th first in the office, so I'll have a chance to ask more questions.

Hospital?

Naw, this is out-patient. In and out in one morning.

In a way though, I'm thinking it will be a good thing to experience getting knocked out. Then, in the future, if I ever have to have a "real" surgury, I'll know what to expect.

What got me most was the abruptness of her news.

When I could think more clearly, I said to her "Please understand, I've never been pregant, had an IUD or anything invasive like this. It's just the idea of probing into that area and going past my cervix is something totally foreign to me.

Yeah, that's it. My cervix is like a road block saying "Do Not Enter" Honestly? It grosses me out thinking there's an opening in it. I prefer to think of my cervix as a bump that feels like the tip of my nose, that lives in my vagina.

Actually, I prefer not to think about my cervix at all. We've never even been properly introduced, and keep out of each others business.

Yikes is right Chai. I have been through a myomectomy. They had to put me under. For the most part I don't remember anything. I fell asleep quite quickly after they gave me a shot and remember waking up a bit groggy. It was hard to open my eyes at first but they let me rest a little longer and gave me some pain meds before taking me to my room.

For me the worst part was getting up out of bed the day or so after the surgery and trying to move around. You never really know how much you use your stomach muscles until something like this happens.

I would definately recommend the ultra sound first to see what they find. It's painless even if it is a bit awkward. A D&C is not major surgery but you will probably have some killer cramps and bleeding after it's all over. I knew someone who had this done and she slept for full day after.

I had a D&C and an ablation last year. It was not too bad at all...of course my cervix and I are on intimate terms Chai...after three kids I actually miss my monthly then weekly OBGYN visits....and shoot - after labor....there are so many people in there looking at your hoohoo and sticking things up there looking around - you get quite blase' about the whole thing. I do know that everyone's experience with anasthesia varies. I was sore and a little crampy for a couple of days..but nothing major.

Good luck to you...hope it goes smoothly and without incident.

I had a resectoscopy (that's a laser thing, in my case not involving an abdominal incision) to excise a fibroid with uterine ablation with a local anaesthetic, not a general, back in the late eighties, but I don't know if our situations are comparable. I'm a general anaesthetic avoider, though I did have it once about five years ago.

Chai--

Hold your dominion.

Oh, I've had general anesthesia...let's see...at least 7 times. I've lost count.

You get kinda dizzy and sleepy, then the next thing you know, you wake up. Feels like you just went to sleep...you have absolutely no sense of time passing. One funny thing: when you wake up, your eyes and brain start working again before your voice does. The first time you try to say anything, it comes out all garbled. Oh, and sometimes your throat hurts a little. Bring cough drops.

Sometimes I've come out of anesthesia and been ready to eat immediately. Other times, I'm a little queasy. Regardless, you'll be disoriented for a little while. Enjoy that part while you can. Once you're fully awake, you'll probably want pain meds.

Any other questions?

Chai--

The worst part of a general anesthesia for me is that my mind wakes up well before my vocal cords. I want to know what is going on, but I can't articulate the questions.

This is a very frustrating experience. Granted, it is only 10-15minutes of high frustration, but maddening all the same.

Some recovery room nurses are much better than others about anticipating a patient's needs (usually a little cracked ice for thirst and a blanket for warmth).

I can still remember my first general anesthesia for my tonsils when I was a wee one. They fitted a mask over my nose and asked me to count backwards from ten. I counted down to one and then had to start forward. I resist anesthesia.

As one Control Freak to another....

No helpful advice, Chai, just sending good thoughts.

wow, thanks for all your support ladies.

I'm really totally ok with all this, except the getting knocked out part. In fact, I'm really not thinking about it, since it is what it is.

Also in sight of the fact so many here, men and women, have gone through really serious stuff, I really can't complain about such a little thing.

that doctor though...sheesh.

oh noddy, I laughed at when you said you made it all the way to zero, then having to start counting up.

will....not.....go...to....sleep.....must....resist.....

Everyone always says they never make it past 10, 9, 8....

yeah right.

Chai--

I promise you--gospel truth. The surgeon and the anesthesia man Had Words after I hit zero and I wasn't used to adults quarreling in front of me.

had the procedure done yesterday.

piece of cake.

Funny, they gave me some drug cocktail that was just supposed to relax me while I was taken down to the operating room, and set up, then they were supposed to knock me out.

The put the relaxer stuff in my IV, the next thing I know I'm back in the room where I started, with the nurse shaking me.

I missed the ride down the hall, being in the post op, and the ride back to the room.

I remember thinking "now what?"

I reached up and realized that cap they give you to wear on your head was gone, and said "Is it over?"

yep.

Unfortuanatley, when the doc came in to tell my husband, he'd stepped out of the room, since they said it'd take an hour, and she came in after only 20 minutes.

What I do know is that the nurse told him she didn't even remove the fibroid, because it was a submucocus (which I knew already) and "couldn't get at it" and the doctor had to discuss "the next step"

Well, the next step better be nothing, because I have to assume all she did was take a biopsy, which I have every confidence will be negative.

So glad to hear that Chai. I am sure it will be negative as well...and they can just let it be. Hoping you have to have no more procedures...pain in the ass they are!

Hey, glad it went so well!

Hope that's that.

Chai--

Now the waiting--and you'll be awake for the waiting.

Then--da-dah--the anticlimax.

Good to hear. And good thoughts for the biop.

Has the anti-climax arrived?

Oh Chai,

Just caught up on your uterus story. Sending you well wishes and hoping you're feeling much better!