which_chick | (no subject)

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I have pictures! Well, okay, one picture. But that's better than no pictures. AND it's in color, so yay.

Couple of notes here. The upper bloody lump bit is a myoma, the medical people's word for a fibroid tumor. Somebody's hand is holding it up there with the clampy thing. According to the ultrasound report, the diameter of the thing was about 3". Basically, the doc did a myomectomy (cutting out the lumpy bit) and THEN a hysterectomy (cutting out the uterus bit) so's to not need a bigger hole. Given that the existing hole is about six and a half inches long, I'm all for not needing a bigger hole. The lower bloody lump bit is my ex-uterus, which contains other myomas that are not readily visible due to being buried in the muscle tissue. (The ultrasound report discussed these, is how I know.) Generally, the perspective for the picture is from my feet looking upwards, kinda. I was most impressed with the amount of metal involved in spreading the hole wide enough to work in.

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It doesn't look like what I imagined.

I'm glad it's all taken care of though. Did they say exactly how many cysts there were?

You know, that picture is kind of artsy, what with the black and all in teh background.

The ultrasound reported three fibroidy areas of measureable size "each likely comprised of multiple myomas". An actual count is apparently a little tough to come by when they grow into each other. :)

Cooool. I've always been of the "ew! Can I touch it?" camp, so I'm kind of curious; was the myoma squishy or more solid? Do you know?

And how are you doing, now? Is the scar healing? *hugs and tea*

I wasn't awake for that part, but myomas are solid masses of tissue, so my vote goes for solid over squishy.

I'm doing pretty well, really. The improvements are incremental, but continuous. I can get up and sit down without thinking about it now. I can walk at about 3/4 normal speed. I can roll over in bed without gritting my teeth. I'm not on any pain medication anymore, not even OTC stuff.

The scar is healing nicely. It's still got the dippy-ass pieces of tape on it, though they're looking kind of tattered these days. (They will allegedly fall off in their own time. I'm trying to be patient, there.) I've got no swelling, no redness, no suspicious oozing, none of that. I would take pictures, but I think all ya'll have seen quite enough of my pubic hair in the existing picture and with the tape covering up the incision, there isn't much to see anyway.

I'm glad the doctor finally got you a picture. I think that myomectomy thing (i.e. removing the whole shebang in stages) is pretty standard, otherwise they have to seriously open you up.

So is there a reason why they couldn't just do the myomectomy and leave the uterus? I'm sure there is (my guess is that the fibroid would just grow back), but did you discuss it at all?

I probably could have persuaded the doc to do a myomectomy so that I could continue to bleed every month (yay?) and (maybe) have children (which I have never, ever, ever wanted) and see if I was in the lucky 1-in-4 myomectomy patients who return for more surgery later to deal with their recurring fibroids. Given my general feelings on the matter, however, I did not figure it was worth my time to do pursue that option.

Very reasonable decision then.

This icon is for you

Bwahahaha! Bad uterus, bad!

Well, that was interesting, but I think if I ever need anything surgically removed I will opt for the no-picture option :) Yeah, so I'm a wimp.

It definitely did look differently than I imagined. I'm feeling all Aliens over here (I am avoiding the Alien movies until after childbirth, just in case I should unexpectedly find the parallels too compelling).

My view was that the picture option didn't cost any more *and* was more entertaining than not having pictures.

regardless of what people say, childbirth is *not* like Aliens.

Still and all, while the hormones are having their wicked way with you (which will be for months AFTER childbirth), I do not recommend any movies with people being attacked *or* (especially) children in danger.

*sheesh*,

not_your_real, didn't they give you an explanatory pamphlet? The baby does not rear up out of your ribcage and splatter blood everywhere while killing you. It's not at all like Alien. We saw a movie in health class, is how I know. (Honestly, the movie wasn't what I'd call reassuring because I am unaware of any value of reassuring that maps one-to-one on fucking disgusting, but it was decidedly unAlien like.)

Yeah, I saw the movie in Health Class too. 8th Grade.

It wasn't anything like that. It was like a Groucho Marx movie. The one...

No, I'll write that up for my LJ sometime.

Suffise it to say that while it was the HARDEST work I have Ever done (bar none), it wasn't the most awful thing I've ever experienced.

Wow, that was really damn cool! And it looked a lot like what I thought it would look like.

Holy...

I'm glad you're ok.

Wow.

I'm glad I'm okay, too. Honestly, no matter how icky the picture looks, fibroids aren't generally life-threatening. They're kind of gross, but hardly ever deadly -- they're noncancerous, they don't metastasize, and in many women, they don't cause any symptoms.

The clampy thing is just called a clamp, while the metal spreaders are generally called "retractors", for a good reason.

Wow, what an awesome myoma!! Must be competition size - I hope I get pics of my uterus. Rumor has it that it was quite large and disgusting. Gwangi probably has a recipe for such a thing that includes lots of hot spices (I do NOT want the recipe, Zach!)

Other than the wonderful pain from tissues being seperated and stitched and stapled back together, do you feel lighter? I said that I did, but my less-than-cheerful family said it's just the Vicodin..........

Congrats on ridding yourself of the thing <3

btw - childbirth is NOTHING like Aliens, but the next 18 years plus can be like being trapped in an old vincent Price horror flick. =P

Hey, glad you're back in the land of the living! I hope you're feeling okay -- maybe Vicodin is more fun than Percocet. I don't feel lighter but the scale claims I weigh ten pounds less. (Part of that is likely because of my run-in with the flu and the fact that I have been eating lightly.)

Wow! That's a big 'un.

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