Sunday, October 9, 2011

Where do I begin.....

Things are really starting to get going in my world over here.

As I continue on my weekly treatments I also continue to notice I'm feeling much better in regards to my pain and activity level. I'm able to go days without significant pain, headaches or general aches and that's great! I really think everything I've been doing is starting to work together. I am now about to start my next phase of treatment which is acupuncture in conjunction with chiropractic adjustments. I start this coming Tuesday and am really excited. I'm really hoping this phase of my treatment will focus on my fatigue that is still a major problem.

HYSTERECTOMY.........scheduled for 11/8/11......this might come as a surprise to some however it's been on the back burner for some time. In December of 2010 my OB found a significant sized fibroid inside my uterus. While fibroids are common and generally a non issue mine is an issue. We agreed to watch it for a while to see if it would decrease in size and go away or not be a problem - well, that didn't happen. In fact, it's been a source of problems for me all year between spontaneous gushing of blood and loss of blood clots to irregular spotting and pretty regular bleeding issues. Nothing to the point of worry but definitely an issue when it comes to "quality of life".......in addition it has grown and produced other fibroids so we decided that removing my uterus would be the best way to remove the fibroid(s) for good and stop the frequent, irregular bleeding I experience. I'm not having more children so I'm done with that part of my body anyway. If all goes well, we will be leaving the ovaries in tact so I don't go immediately into menopause which is good - the emotional up and downs of that I'm not interested in right now - when my body is ready for that phase, it will go into it on it's own.

So the question that lingers in my head is how this surgery will effect my fibromyalgia - will it cause my pain to return? Will it send me into a flare? I'm a little concerned about it however I need this surgery, so I'm going to stay positive and hopeful that the only pain I will experience will be from the incision - the expected recovery is 4-6wks as it will be done through my abdomen going through my previous C-section incision. So while laying in bed for a week initially - I'm sure I'll have some residual hip pain from lack of movement initially.

So that's it for now - over the next 4 wks leading up to my surgery I have a lot to get done - I'll be getting acupuncture each week and I need to get the house cleaned, laundry caught up, my parties and work surrounding that all done and caught up. I would like to be able to go into this surgery knowing I don't have things lingering that I should of done....that will be waiting for me to do.......I would like to know that my family won't have any extra work to tend to and that I can just relax and recover without the added stress. So for the next 4 wks I'll be busy focusing on my house, my work and getting everything I seem to put off, DONE.........."There is always tomorrow" however for me, tomorrow isn't going to be an option after Nov 7th. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and recovery for a few weeks following that day.

So all in all I'm doing well - continuing to my mission to fix me in 2010 - my upcoming surgery is just another step towards the goal....2011 is going to be my year to come back from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and this surgery......in the end it will have been 16 months of searching.......trial and errors......treatments.......pills......supplements......experiments and finally in the end....I will overcome the holds of this condition - although I know I'll have to live with it the rest of my life - I know I will have it under control and will get my life back.........will live without debilitating pain and fatigue and will live out the rest of my life trying to help others who suffer...find their way to a pain free and medication/drug free life.....that is my plan anyway! I'm proof that you don't need to have a pharmacy in your cabinet to be rid of your pain........aches and other issues that come with Fibromyalgia. Of course some people might need all those things - but unless they have tried without them, they won't know. I've got a pretty good list of supplements that are working for me, and I'm sure they'll work for others as well.

Until next time - stay well, stay healthy and life your life!