Countdown to Surgery

Let the countdown begin. I have been cleared by my cardiologist to go forwards with my March 11th surgery. I also received news from the genetic counselor my results came back negative for all the known cancer markers to be tested. So on both accounts a lot of relief.


Now the reality is setting in, I am going to be having surgery in a little over a week. I am nervous, its surgery anyone would be. But I am blessed to have the insight of some wonderful women who have already gone through this. I hope I will feel "amazing" as they stated.


I know there are controversial studies that state a large percentage of woman who have hysterectomies may not have really needed them. If I was in my early 20s and not already had children I would be definitely pushing for other medical treatment. But having those wonderful, beautify and big babies is one of the reasons I am the issues I am having.


I am ok with this, it doesn't make me any less of a woman. I am just wanting the pain to stop. Over the past few years I thought pain was connected to my lap band, I am thinking no maybe not. In a few months if the adnominal pain continues I will pursue removing my band again.

Health...It Matters

I have been needing to make a post for a while. Maybe part of my just didn't want to accept everything that has transpired in the last few months. This is post is going to be full of TMI so if you are squeamish about body subjects (including female health) best stop reading now. So I will start off with the highlighted bullets of the health lottery I really didn't want to ever win:

• Weight Gain
• Band Removal
• Hysterectomy
• Genetic Cancer Testing
• Heart Attack

Being banded in December of 2011 I thought I have been fairly successful, being just a few pounds shy of 300 I was down to 222-230 and maintained the weight for well over a year when my schedule got crazier and I was not as dedicated to good food choices or exercise. But a few months ago that suddenly changed. I started to gain weight steadily and honestly I had contributed it to not using the band as the proper tool it is meant to be.

Now over the the past 2 years I have had abdominal swelling and pain, so bad I had my gall balder removed. The pain and swelling comes and goes and a few times I ended up going to the ER. In November I went to my bariatric surgeon since I felt it was something to do with my band so I went to my surgeon, and it appears the port has started to herniate through the muscles but he could not see what was causing it and why I was so swollen. Immediate band removal was the suggestion. 

Though I was willing to have my band removed I am still obese and clearly there are concerns so I have thought of other weight loss surgeries and honestly the only one I feel would be an option is the gastric sleeve, but I will have a 6 month wait after the band is removed due to insurance. So my Lap Band removal surgery was scheduled for January 21st. Meanwhile the surgeon gave me a prescription for pain medicine.

December was time for my "yearly" female exam. After discussing some issues I was having with my cycle (like needing a blood transfusion every month) and my exam she had me schedule an endometrial ultrasound. Which resulted in finding out I have en enlarged uterus  over 500 grams ( it should only be about 60 grams) Fibroides, cysts an possible adenomyosis. I was asked to come back for a edrometrial biopsy. 

So how to treat? Well hormones were a no go since they could cause weight gain (see the issue) so  the discussion was IUD, uterine artery embolization, endometrial ablation or hysterectomy. Up to the point of getting the biopsy the doctor and I were heavily leaning towards the IUD and if it didn't work I would have a hysterectomy. But that changed. The biopsy was horrible, the fibroids so large that the local would not take and my uterus was out of the spectrum for a IUD. A hysterectomy was agreed. 

Since my doctor knew about the lap band removal surgery she suggested to see if the two surgeries could be scheduled at the same time since they were both laparoscopic. 

So I spoke to my bariatic surgeon and he agreed that would be the best thing to try and schedule so my surgery for the band removal was postponed in hopes that the two surgeons would be able to perform the surgeries at the same hospital. Just so happened there was one hospital both did surgeries at.

The surgeon performing the hysterectomy is not my regular OB, I had to schedule an initial appointment with him. Though he agreed I needed the hysterectomy there was a concern with the the number of relatives that have had cancer on both sides of my family. He requested I have genetic testing done to ensure I didn't have genetic markers for ovarian cancer, if I did it would be a full hysterectomy, now the thought of the hysterectomy does not scare me, the thought of going through menopause at the age of 43 does! 

I went to the genetic counselor and the results should be reported with in the next week.

Unfortunately the surgeons could not coordinate the surgeries on the same day at the same hospital. At first I was going to go through with the band removal but upon hearing I will be out from work for at least two weeks with the hysterectomy. So the hysterectomy is scheduled for March 11th.

No in between all these surgeon appointments I went to see my primary doctor due to blood work showing my glucose was very high on two labs  I had done (first in November the second in January). Unfortunately I am pre-diabetic  again. And my vitamin D levels were at 13 (supposed to be around 30).

In the middle of dealing with all the pain and bloating I struggled with fatigue for months. So I very willing am back on metaphor um for my blood sugar and prescription vitamin D. I have also changed eating habits (with the hubbies help).

Getting ready for surgery I was given lab orders and noted I had to have an EKG. I have not seen a cardiologist in 4 1/2 years. The one I had seen before was in no other polite way to say it, an asshole. I had no desire to deal with his office. But I have had a heart condition since I was 14 so really I should be seeing a cardiologist on a regular basis.

I found a different cardiologist, happens to be right across the hall from my primary doctor. So I had my EKG done and after talking to him for while he suggested I come in for an echo cardiogram and and a cardiac stress test since it had been over 4 years since I had them done. I should have picked up on him asking at least 4 times "so your not having any symptoms like you were 4 years ago?" I kept telling him "No". I  also thought it was great that his friendly staff got me scheduled for an echo in 4 days and on stand bye for the stress test.

Again due to requirements for surgery I had to see my primary doctor 2 days later. He happened the results from my EKG. "So you had a bad EKG huh?" I just looked at him clueless "It appears you had a small heart attack recently" 

I was stunned. I mean how could I respond to that. I informed him that I had an echo and stress test scheduled and he just gave me that look "I would hope so".  

I am not angry by any means at the cardiologist, I am sure that is one of the thing we would discuss after my stress test. Why worry me until then when I don't have symptoms and I am taking the needed medications now? It also explains why he stated that after the stress test he would determine if he would release me for surgery.

So for me know it is a waiting game. Waiting for the results of my genetic testing. Waiting on results for the stress test and finally just waiting to see if I will actually have surgery. 

As I said earlier, the health lottery, wish I was actually lucky in the financial lottery.