Well, here I am, alive and doing well! Surgery was on September 21, 2016, and today is my 3-week surgiversary.
In a nutshell : my Endometriosis had returned, bringing with it a leaking cyst and a bunch of adhesions. Endo had also decided to now grow on my bowel (the outer layer of my sigmoid colon) and my ureter (the tube that carries stuff from kidneys to bladder – he had to detach my ureter, clean it up, and reattach it). AND it disappeared from my liver (doc couldn’t find any there this time). He was able to cut out all of my Endometriosis, except for a lesion that is on my diaphragm. He cut away all of my adhesions and put my organs back where they belong. I’ve still got both my ovaries and fallopian tubes. My uterus was stuck to my bowel, my ovaries and tubes were a rat’s nest, and my uterus was also stuck to the right side of my pelvic wall. It just sounds like such a mess…But, he did confirm that my bladder’s exterior AND interior were completely healthy and Endo-free.
For those who enjoy reading medical mumbo jumbo, an excerpt from my Op Report:
Here’s a little comparison chart of what was found (and done) in 2014 and 2016…as well as the difference in COSTS from the two surgeries. Don’t get me started on the inflated costs of medical care in the U.S…
This recovery was SO much easier than my 2014 surgery. I was far less bloated, hardly had any residual pain from the CO2 gas, and felt a lot better both physically and mentally. Don’t get me wrong; it was still hard (I’ll save that for another blog entry), but it truly was night and day, comparatively. And it’s still rough…I can only sit, stand, or walk for a small amount of time before having to switch it up a bit because of the pain that creeps in around my incisions and abdominal muscles. And I’m still severely restricted until early November on what I can do…and I’m sure I’ll be building up my strength and endurance for a while after that.
BUT : I haven’t had any recurrent Endo pain since my surgery (other than those associated with surgery). Wonderful news.
Below is a little .gif I put together so you could see the difference between 2014 & 2016 for the first nine days after surgery. When I asked my surgeon what he did differently from 2014, he let me know that he let out as much of the CO2 gas as he possibly could.
And here I am now (well, October 4, 2016):
If you’d like to see photographs of my insides and the teeny surgical tools 🙂
So, now that I’m all freed-up of 99.9% of my visible Endometriosis, the adhesions have been cut away, and my “anatomy has been restored,” as Dr. Kurtulus so eloquently wrote, what’s the plan? I’m giving up birth control pills since they didn’t do anything to keep my Endometriosis from returning (I hate the side effects so much). I’ve already had one period since surgery – it lasted a whopping 3 days and the pain was so minimal on Day One that it was handled with two Ibuprofen. I’m also monitoring my pain levels and diet daily (made easier via Google Slides). I’ll go back to see Dr. Kurtulus in April for my annual exam and pap. BUT if I notice any horrible return of pain before then, I’ll make an earlier appointment. And, at the advice of my physician, I’ll continue my efforts to “eat healthy, drink healthy, and exercise.”
I am so grateful to my gyno/surgeon, his staff, the hospital, the surgical team, my wonderful Man, my Mum, and my Rosie. And to all of you who sent me care packages, you’re awesome – they were used well. ❤
Here’s to hoping recurrence is a thing of the past…
Yours,
Lisa
And, if you made it all the way down to the bottom, yes…that is a poop with a corn in it. What better way to illustrate those are my guts? 😉
Bloomin' Uterus 
Haha! I thought that was poop! Too funny. I’m so glad you’re doing well. Interesting to see the financial side of things. That’s something our sisterhood might not talk about enough.
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Welcome back! Glad to see your positive atitute and know that things are progressing.
You are really an artist and have great sense of humor!
Take care ❤️
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I am SO glad your recovery has been better this time around!! It sounds like you have a wonderful doctor who did a very thorough job! Oh, and I totally hear ya on the whole birth control thing! The side effects are awful, and it did nothing for my endo either. Rest up and take it easy!
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Yay for an easier recovery! Hoping the endo-monster stays at bay this time! Hugs!
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Thrilled to know that you’re recovering well. I just love see how much robo-surg costs and then to see the lil bit we actually have to pay for it. Makes you appreciate insurance for once! Take it easy (seriously. Take it easy haha) and rest up!
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I came across your blog while trying to find more info about Lupron after I had my own surgery to treat my endometriosis. Its great to know that your surgery went well. Would you mind giving an update on how you’re feeling now (8 weeks after surgery)? are you fully healed and able to resume daily normal function? how many weeks did you need before you were able to return to work? Since you’ve decided to not take birth control pills, how have your monthly periods have been after the surgery? I just had a similar surgery done last October 19. I not only have Stage 4 endo, I also have extensive adhesions, I developed a scar tissue from my c-section (which the surgeon had to repair), and adenomyosis. My surgeon recommended I take Lupron as a suppressant (a one time dose to last 3 months) since I have diffuse adenomyosis. Our goal is to TTC as soon as possible but he advised on waiting at least 6 months of healing time and in the meantime take Lupron. But upon doing my own research and discussing my concerns of the side effects with my surgeon, we have both decided that Lupron is not my best option. He suggested 3 options: 1. do nothing while we wait for 6 months 2. take BC pills with progesterone or 3. take progesterone only BC. I am about to see him tomorrow and I would like to get some help on what questions I need to ask him in order to make the best decision. (sorry I’m new to this. I wasn’t sure if my comment went through the first time so resending this again)
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Hi mMara!
8 weeks after surgery I feel *almost* back to normal. I still have to take it easy since I’m rebuilding strength and endurance slowly, sex is still painful (but may be for several more months), and sometimes I get aches near the incision sites. But I’m relatively pain-free, especially of Endo pain. I returned to work after 2 weeks. My periods have been very different : bleed for 3-7 days, cramps are a 5 out of 10 for the first day, then mostly gone, bleeding is very light.
If you aren’t already, keep a pain diary every day. Also track your food and beverage intake, hoping to ID any triggers that may make your pain worse.
BC will be different for every woman. It may be a trial and error type of process. Take it easy, take notes, listen to your body, and make a decision that’s best for you.
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Wow, you got so much more information about your surgery than I got from mine. Thank you for spelling it all out, it was really interesting.
My surgeon did show me some photographs of my cysts and beleaguered ovaries taken during the operation – they were quite large, much bigger than the ultrasounds had indicated.
Like you, I also have one ovary and tube twisted backwards, stuck between the back of my uterus and my bowel with adhesions that are wrapped around my bowel. It pulls my uterus backwards and causes constipation, straining and pain with most of my BMs (in addition to the endometriosis and period pain).
Along with removing two cysts that were on that ovary, the surgeon tried to unstick everything on that side, but couldn’t separate things without injuring my bowel, so she had to leave that part of the big mess in place.
The other ovary had two cysts also, but was in its expected position in the pelvic area and could be freed of its entanglements (however momentary the overall effects of the surgery would turn out to be), so that was good.
I had terrible pain after my laparoscopy, more than everyone had made out that I should be expecting from it. The surgery was an outpatient thing where I was sent home after being in the recovery room for 2 hours, but I seriously could have benefitted from a night or two in the hospital. I really could barely function at home those first couple of days. (I had just had a 6-hour brain surgery 7 weeks previously, after which the neurosurgeon had told me that I was surprisingly tolerant to pain, and I was sent home quite early from that, after just 36 hours in the hospital, so I did have another surgical experience to compare the laparoscopy to.) My gynecologist said she got out all the gas she could, but I reckon that I could’ve doubled as an air balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade. 😉 Plus, for ten days after the laparoscopy, my skin had an allergic reaction to the antibacterial liquid that they had lavished over me from boobs to knees, and all that skin was red, weeping, ultra-sensitive, and itchy – I could hardly bear to feel a bedsheet on it, a towel, a t-shirt.
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Carmel, the Macy’s Day Parade Balloon-Belly. ❤ Oh, the visions! I'm sorry it was so rough. Sounds a lot like my first surgery. Gah. Just awful. I, too, break out with nasty little red bumpies on my skin from the wash. Not as awful as you, though – just annoyed flesh. Yours sounds…terrible!!!
Think you'll go in for another laparoscopy with another surgeon to try to tackle those sticky bits?
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