Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve written a blog post. So, sit back, get some popcorn, and get ready for a long story about the reasons behind that.
First off, I was crazy busy this summer. I had a lot of yard work and projects I was doing, plus my mom and I went on a mini-vacation. I also had a new cat, Taffy, and I had to keep her entertained.
But then, I was very ill.
It all really started six years ago, when I skipped a period. That was the first in a long list of symptoms that eventually led to me having a total hysterectomy.
It took me six years to find a doctor who would listen to me. Who didn’t say I was too young for problems with my female organs, that I was too young for menopause. They all ignored my list of symptoms and my family history. The worst of all was the female doctor who said I just need more fiber. What an ass. (I only mention that she was female, as it shocked me that a female wouldn’t understand what I was going through.)
My symptoms included:
— Random periods. I used to have 28-day cycles. I could predict my period within a day, which meant that I could plan vacations in advance. The randomness made that impossible. I would have my period, then have it again two weeks later. Or I would just skip one.
— Constant dull pain mixed in with sharp pains, in my back and in my front. Totally random. The worst spot was where my left ovary is. (See reason below)
— Mood swings. I’m talking PMS-style mood, but at any freaking time.
— Hot flashes! I didn’t have many, but boy howdy, those suck.
— Bloated all the time. I would eat a sandwich, and you’d think I ate a Thanksgiving meal the way my tummy puffed out. It was absolutely awful. Even though I wouldn’t eat anything past 7 p.m., I would still be bloated when I went to bed at night, and I couldn’t sleep.
— The first day of my period was brutal. Before this all started, having my period was nothing. I would get one cramp on the day before, as a “hey, here it comes,” and that was it. After all this started, I got horrible cramps. But I would also feel this insane fatigue. I couldn’t function. I would say 90 percent of the time I had to call into sick for work the past six years was because of this. I couldn’t drive to even get to work.
— I didn’t just have fatigue on day one. Over the last year, and especially starting in the summer, the fatigue was ALL THE TIME. I was basically waking up, eating, working or lying around if it was the weekend, and sleeping.
— Random vertigo. I had it for about three months earlier this year.
— And the symptom that was the trigger for finally getting something done: I had a period in August/September that was almost a month long. I had a regular period at the beginning of the month, then a crazy, long, scary one just 10 days later.
The last symptom was new, but how can any doctor anywhere hear about all these symptoms and go “Oh gee, you need more fiber.”
That last symptom was so terrifying, I went to the hospital. I was just nonstop bleeding. I am not going to go into detail, but I will say that a family member almost died, and it started with these symptoms, so I was worried. Ended up being at the hospital for nine hours, and I saw a doctor for about 30 seconds. (This was because the hospital was full of morons who chose not to get vaccinated against COVID. I saw a woman there with an obviously very broken foot not get seen until her son screamed at staff because his mom was going into shock after sitting there for longer than I had been, which was about six hours at that time.)
Finally, in September, I found a doctor who didn’t dismiss me. He performed an ultrasound and other tests. He didn’t talk down to me. In fact, he explained things to me like an adult, showed me illustrations and told me what was wrong with me. I actually learned stuff.
So, to all those doctors out there who dismissed my symptoms, here is the list of problems:
— Enlarged uterus (twice the size as normal!)
— A lot of fibroids. Like, A LOT
— Cysts! Including a large one on a corpus luteum, which is related to hormones
— Endometriosis
— Andenomyosis, a condition in which endometrial tissue exists within and grows into the uterine wall
— Damaged left ovary
Before he found all this (except the andenomyosis, which he suspected but couldn’t be confirmed until after surgery), he suggested hormones. Then he found all this, and said I definitely need surgery. He gave me the choice of a total or partial hysterectomy, and he politely and respectfully explained each one. He asked me if I planned on having children. I said no, and that was that on that question, which was so great.
So, I didn’t want any of these nonsense organs anymore, and I chose the total hysterectomy. If I had the partial, it would mean I wouldn’t have to take estrogen. The total means I have to have estrogen, which is fine by me. I will take putting an estrogen patch on me once a week over anything and everything related to those nuisance organs.
So, he set the date. Sept. 24. However, due to the large number of absolute selfish wankers who decided to not get a free and safe vaccine against COVID, my surgery was considered “elective,” and therefore it was not approved at the time. Seriously, get vaccinated. Yes, you can still get COVID, but it will help prevent the seriousness of it. There is a much, much higher chance of not being hospitalized. And hey, if you don’t trust the vaccine, and Big Pharma, or whatever conspiracy nonsense you’re spouting this week, then if you get COVID, don’t go to the hospital. I mean, it’s full of Big Pharma meds and all those big, bad medical experts who you don’t trust for some really outlandish reason. I had to suffer even longer than necessary because of you ghouls. (I am not including folks who can’t be vaccinated for legit reasons.)
Anyway, the number of morons being treated for COVID finally went down, and I was able to have surgery on Nov. 15, after two more long, painful periods.
I honestly didn’t believe it was going to happen, and I wouldn’t believe it until after surgery was done. I kept expecting a phone call that it was delayed again. Even when I was at the hospital on the morning of surgery, I was still thinking they’d find some reason to not have the surgery.
But it happened. I got the surgery. Surgery is super weird, because they put the sleeping drugs in you, then the next second, it’s over. I was awake, and by god, the amount of excruciating pain I was in. I was in more pain that I’ve ever been in. I don’t know if I woke up too early or what, but I was still a little out of it. I couldn’t even open my eyes but for a second or two to see that I was in a room with other people. All I could manage was to repeat “pain” over and over, with a lot of horrifying moaning sounds.
I am so glad my family couldn’t hear any of that, because it was just awful. Someone at some point gave me something in my IV, and the pain slowly subsided somewhat. The first day/night in the hospital was not great. I actually had a bit of a scare that night, when my blood pressure and pulse went haywire. Even the doctor came in after hours to check on me. They got everything under control, and everything was fine after that.
I stayed for two nights, and my awesome brother actually stayed too. He totally didn’t have to do that, but he did because he’s the best. He’ll kill me for saying this, though: He snored. Boy oh boy, did he snore. And he’s a heavy sleeper. So all my shouting his name and throwing a pillow at him didn’t wake him up. Thankfully, the second night I figured out that I could play the sound of a box fan on my phone and put it against my ear and drown out the snoring.
My brother did get me food, including a massive delicious cookie and some goodies after the hospital gave me a meal that had oranges and orange juice. (I’m allergic, and it was noted on the receipt that came with the meal. And no, I didn’t order it.)
I had the surgery on Monday and went home Wednesday. The first week was rough. After I got my staples out that next Tuesday, I was doing much better. I thought that I would be able to write in my blog during this time, but it turns out I couldn’t sit in a regular chair. I tried typing on my phone, but that was aggravating and slow. So, I’m doing much better now, as I’m typing at my desk and sitting in a normal chair.
I was off work for a month, and I’m starting back up tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to it, as strange as that sounds, as I really do love my job, but I also want to feel useful again and I am BORED. There is only so much Netflix and YouTube I can watch, video games I can play and Reddit I can browse before I go nutso.
So, anyway, that’s why I haven’t posted anything in a while. Hopefully, I will post again soon.
I will add a little note here. One of my favorite singers, Mike Nesmith, died. Yes, he was a member of the Monkees, and that’s how I was introduced to him. But, by god, he was so much more than that. If you have time, read about him here. The man was the catalyst for MTV.
I will miss him, but I hope at least one of you out there takes a moment to listen to the above song or anything else sung by him. Here’s another:
OK, I can’t resist:
The video below was from the Monkees 2016 album. Now, I’m not usually a big fan of albums by groups that are way past the peak of their career. But this album (Good Times), to me, sounded like they recorded it in the ’60s. (As opposed to albums they recorded in the ’80s and ’90s, which were fine, but sounded more like they were trying to copy the sounds of the times.) Unfortunately, Davy Jones had passed before this album was made, but they do have a song on the album he sang back in the day.
And this one, which has the best video ever made for any Monkees fan:
I’ll stop now. I could link everything he ever did, hahaha. I hope you enjoyed!
Frazzled Daisy 