Cookies and Dr appointment

So the healing continues. I am feeling better everyday. I even left the house!!!! On Tuesday I had the doctors appointment, and Keith and I had planned to go out to lunch after that. But I was tired after the Dr's appt, so we came home and napped. After the nap, we did go out to lunch... then back home for a nap. Then I wanted to go out again, so we went and filled my Rx and did a bit of shopping, then to the grocery store, then home for another nap. I guess naps are needed. And I may have overdone it on Tuesday, but it was nice to be out. Even nicer to come home and nap :)

I went to my 2 week after surgery checkup. It went well, the Doctor liked how the incisions looked. I got the pathology reports, and everything came back benign Yay! My appendix did test positive for Endometriosis, which is what they expected, and was the reason they took it out. But tested negative for everything else Yay! all good news.

I knew my surgery was long. Six hours. But I guess I didn't really grasp that that was uncommon, until I had this appointment on Tuesday. I guess I did have a lot done all at once.

Last night, I made cookies, they turned out good. I have been a cookie cheater for a couple of years. I buy the nestle break and bake cookie batter, so the only thing I do is preheat the oven, and cook them. But last night I made cookies from scratch. it was fun! Thankfully Keith was there to help (it is still tough to bend down, my belly is tender) So Keith got to take the cookies out of the oven for me.

Now I have all these cookies.... yum! and they do taste better than the ready to bake cookie batter. They went perfect with my coffee this morning. Yup, I had cookies and coffee for breakfast :) I know not the 'healthy diet' I am supposed to be on... oh well, life is too short not to enjoy cookies now and again :) I am even thinking of making some peanut butter cookies next... mmm.

Beautiful day

I went for a walk this morning, and I have to share... it is beautiful outside! and my flowers look and smell great! Here is a photo of one of my flower pots in the front of the house. These are the same flowers I thought I had lost a few months back when we had those few cold nights. I had to cover the flowers with a towel at night, to protect them from the frost... I thought I had lost them ,but look... wow, they look better than before! God does good work!

The birds have been singing all morning, it is the perfect day to spend outside! I have been enjoying the sights and sounds from the nicely shaded patio. It is a bit too hot to sit in the sun... I am grateful for the shade! I hope you are all enjoying your day! Happy Monday!

Reality

The reality is I am bloated... swollen.. bruised... sore... and I hurt... but I feel good! Crazy huh!

On Tuesday, the 15th, I underwent surgery, it was pretty cool. They did a robotic assisted lapraroscopic myomectomy. In easy terms that means they used a robotic machine to remove the non cancerous fibroid tumors I had growing in and around my uterus. I had 5 good size growths that were removed, 3 were fibroids, and the other two were endometrial cysts. Surgery lasted 6 hours. As one of my surgeons told me afterwards, I gave them all a workout :) That made me giggle. They were able to keep the incisions down to just the 5 small holes for the robotic arms. That should help my healing time, no big cut to heal :) yay! (the cup is half full... I have to see the good in all this). Just knowing that the growths are gone is such an emotional relief! I feel good, even though physically I am having a hard time getting around, but that will get better with time.

They successfully removed the growths, cleaned up all my endometriosis spots and they removed my appendix. It's a lot to have done, but the hope is I will no longer be in pain... for a while. The truth is these can all decide to grow back, but the hope is they don't... for a while. I am hoping for a long while, but we can just wait and see. I am most upset with myself for not addressing my issues sooner. I kept thinking the pain was normal. Doesn't everyone have really heavy periods? apparently not. It is not normal to have to plan life around your period... it is not normal to miss out on things in life just because it is 'that time of the month'. I wish I had listened to my body sooner, the truth is the past year has been a rough one... filled with lots of pain. I don't know about you, but I don't like pain. Physical pain leads to emotional pain... and it just seems to spiral from there. My hope is that I know better next time. It is ok to ask for help, it is ok to ask questions that might seem stupid... they aren't. There really are not any stupid questions. my advice to you... ask. just ask.

I am lucky to have so many folks in my life. Thank you! thank you all for the thoughts, the prayers, the cards, flowers, and fruit! I am so blessed!! thank you all.

Keith has again been my rock in all this. getting up and down is tough, he has been my muscle, literally, when I can't use any of my abdominal muscles. It is really hard to sit up in bed or even get in and out of bed without using your abdominal muscles. and he is there to lift me when I need to be lifted. I am grateful for all those pull ups and such he has been doing, he has strong arms! :) I am truly blessed!