Hi girlies!

I'm back! And better than ever (almost).

So as many of you know I had my laparoscopy on Monday. I've need a little more time to recover than I initially thought as I didn't realise just how much was going to be done and how much rest I would need. I also didn't realise how well the bowel prep works. I am still having great ease going to the toilet. So I'll start with telling you what I was supposed to be having done.

I had spoken to Mr Chappate about excising the endo so there wouldn't be any pain after surgery and I would be endo free and so we agreed this would be the main procedure. I also wanted to check my fertility and he said that and easy way to check was to have a dye test which will be put through my fallopian tubes to check that my eggs can come through with ease. He also said he was going to check my diaphragm to see if the endo had spread there as I was having chest pain. When I arrived this was all clarified and I signed the consent form.

No before I tell you exactly what happened and what the results are, I just want to mention how absolutely faultless the whole process was. I walked in and was taken to my private room straight away and asked immediately what food I would like when I woke up. This has never been done before and usually I had to wait for the next mealtime and had whatever they had spare. This time I got a choice. I got myself changed and had around six nurses in the two days I was there all caring for me. It sounds like a alot but I all got to know them and become friendly with them. They even all came to see me when I was going home. I had amazing care. In my local hospital you wait around fifteen minutes for someone to respond to your buzzer, they were in my room within 15 seconds. I never felt like a burden on them as they always had a smile on their faces and were always happy to help. Even if some of it was gruesome. I cannot praise them enough for what they did and how good everyone was. The kitchen staff came to see me twice a day and always asked how I was. The on site medical officer was a great help and  was very sympathetic. Both the surgeon and anaesthetist came to see me within half an hour of admission. Just fantastic.

Anyway, I signed the consent form to say I'm happy to have a laparoscopy, dye test and to have a rummage around. Because I have adenomyosis as well, he wanted to put the coil in but I wasn't happy with that so I just asked for the other bits to be done. I asked if he could do something for the adeno but said that the one thing he can do would leave me unable to conceive so I left it. I also said that anything that needs taking out, just take it unless its my reproductive system. So on extras, he put laparotomy in case there was any extensive work to do.

I went down to surgery and was in the anaesthetic room by 10:30am. I didn't realise quite how long I had been and just remember waking up and 2pm. It took me ages to wake up and I felt quite sick but that soon went away. I don't remember going down to my room but my fiance told me afterwards that I looked like I was dead as I was really pale and because I'd been 3 1/2 hours, he thought something had happened to me. My parents told me later that he had to stay outside for a short while as he was quite upset at how ill I looked. Later that day, the surgeon came to see me and explained that he did the lap and the excision and dye but there was a little extra he had to do. I already knew that as I had 4 incisions unlike my previous one. He opened me up and had a look around and there was nothing on my diaphragm so that was ok. He did find that my appendix was covered and so had to remove it. I also had lots of endo all over my peritoneum and so had to have TPPE. That is where the whole of the peritoneum wall is removed and then burned to take the endo away and stop it from bleeding.

The area around the uterus, bladder and rectum is the peritoneum, all the way up to the stomach cavity. All of the lining was taken away from here as it was covered by endometriosis.

So, I had Total Pelvic Peritoneal Excision and an appendectomy which is quite extensive surgery but that's not all. So far its been good news that the endo has been taken away but, I still have adenomyosis and also the result of the dye test is that my right tube is completely blocked, although he feels like this is only temporary and that it shouldn't affect fertility.

I did ask about fertility and he said that he can't tell by looking at me and I will have to start trying before anyone can determine my chances but I'm not to leave it too late and that if I want good chances that it wouldn't be a bad idea to start trying now. I wouldn't mind that but if he isn't 100% certain then I'm not in such a rush and will probably leave it until I am settled in a job after uni. He did say that the ideal time to start would be around 20-25 and not much later. At the end of the day, the later I start trying, the later I found out whether there is a problem, the later I start treatment, the later I start IVF or whatever. If I started sooner rather than later, then I'm not going into my thirties or fourties thinking that things will be fine and it being too late to try and treatment.

In regards to my adeno, he said that until I want to sue the coil or have a hysterectomy, I will need to either keep having prostap or use the patches that I have used for a while that work very well or be pregnant. Although this seems drastic, it is the only thing I can do to help keep the endo at bay and keep the adeno from being too painful.

As for recovery, I am doing ok. I started walking the day after surgery although it was extremely painful. I did a little too much and so have been given orders to rest up and let people do things for me. The pain from my appendix being removed and the TPPE is controlled well with a concoction of painkillers, but not fully as there is still the odd twinge. My gas pains, on the other hand, are making it very difficult to recover. I can barely get two hours of sleep before I wake up hurting, if I move after sitting then I can barely breathe with the pain and when I sit or walk, my shoulders are extremely achy. If the gas pains went then I would be able to deal with the rest of it. I am drinking flat coke until it comes out of my ears, I am taking Wind-eze and peppermint capsules to help but so far, there has been no ease to the pain. If anyone has anymore ideas then please let me know.

For now, I think that is all I have to say. If there is anything else then I will post it and let you know. As usual, thank you for reading and I hope that you are all as pain free as possible.

Leya xoxo

So next week is my lap. I have it on Monday and although I am totally relaxed about it, there are still a few nerves there. I seem to want to call up my specialists secretary to ask her random questions that don't even need asking. I packed two weeks ago ready for Monday and I am totally over-prepared.

I had my bloods done today and for the first time it didn't hurt. I think its because I didn't dwell on it, I just went without thinking about it and then I had them done. That's how I've been throughout this whole process. I don't know whether it's all because I don't believe it's not real yet or whether I'm just chilled about it all but I don't feel stressed or nervous about anything as, like I say, I'm fully prepared yet I still feel like I'm nervous and for no reason at all.

I've not been thinking about the whole conceiving aspect of things for a while now. I've been side tracked I think with such a busy month and a lot of things happening. I feel like I need to prepare for my holiday next month, going to my friends birthday party, visiting a few universities, starting my next course, starting the gym, all whilst trying to recover from the surgery so I don't think I've really considered it. I have absolutely no idea what I would do if he said that it would be good to start trying now. I guess I feel like I need to be more prepared for it, like having a job, having my own place, having a constant income. It's just not top of my list yet.

I am thinking of asking for either uterine artery embolization or endometrial ablation as I've been having increased symptoms of the adenomyosis. I have been having so much pain during sex that it takes at least 15-20 minutes for me to stop hurting so I can enjoy it which is getting to me as we should be like every other young couple and be able to do it whenever and wherever we want! I've also been needing the toilet every 2-3 hours and am desperate when I wake up, which isn't normal for me as I usually only need a wee once or twice a day. I don't know whether this was because of the prostap or the adeno but I have also had migraines frequently which is causing problems as I can't concentrate properly. I've also noticed palpitations but never recognised that as a symptom because I though it was normal but apparently as the condition worsens and reaches the later more severe time, it can cause palpitations because of the change in hormones.

Now, I've used Evra contraceptive patches for a while as some of you might know, and it usually helps with my periods a lot. I usually only get a very light bleed for a few days, max of 4 days and I don't get any pain. This week, I have had pain, not as bad as it can be but enough for me to notice. I've also been on since Saturday which is 3 days and it shows no signs of slowing down yet, as I am quite heavy still. I don't know whether that is to do with the prostap messing my hormones up or whether it is the adeno making it harder for the patches to work against it.

I think that's enough rambling for one night and so I wish you all a happy summer and until next time, take care!! :) I will hopefully update you all after my lap but it may not be straight away.

Thanks for reading :)

Leya xoxo