I'm still here... Surgical story. (LONG)

mrsbark711 · August 2014

Hello ladies! I fell off the face of the earth again. Hopefully someone remembers me.

I haven't been up to much. Just working and TTC.

Our consultation with the RE was July 8th. He is amazing and is definitely my Man Crush Monday

He has to be the best doctor I have ever visited. He spent so much time with us during that first appointment. Mainly just talking and ensuring that all our questions were answered.

Well during that appointment his nurse performed a vaginal ultrasound which was painful (as always) and he refused to go any further with the exam so he didn't have to "torture" me. He recommended surgery. A laparoscopic / hysteroscopy to be exact. So we scheduled it, and I was put on birth control for that cycle.

I had my surgery on August 4th. I get my results tomorrow, but here is what I know and my experience.

My husband, mother, and I arrived at the hospital at 6:00 AM last Monday. I was super nervous, because this was my first real surgical experience (I have had a cyst on my face removed as an infant and my wisdom teeth extracted).

Anyway, the staff was amazing. The Nurse Anesthesiologist inserted my IV and used a numbing agent prior to doing inserting it. This blew my mind before. I have never had my IV site numbed prior to insertion. I don't really think that it hurts that much, but it was a nice experience.

Soon I was wheeled back to the OR. I remember the trip back, and even helping get myself onto the table, but that is it. They put the oxygen mask on and asked me to breathe, and that was the end of that.

I woke up in the first recovery room to the sound of the nurses talking about gel manicures. Lol. The nurse asked me my pain level and I said that it was a "6", she gave me Fentanyl in my IV. Then I said "well I feel like I should cry but can't". They then took me to another recovery area and brought my mom and husband back into the room, along with a friend who stopped by to surprise me.

The new nurse gave me some graham crackers and sprite. Asked me my pain level and I said "6". More Fentanyl was given via my IV. I started to go a tad bit crazy. DH was being unsympathetic and I was cussing at him. I was having SEVERE uterine cramping. I asked the nurse if I could take back the "6" because my pain was a "valid 10". They then gave me Percocet by mouth. My DH was telling me how it wasn't "that bad", and I lost it. I told my mom to "shut him the F*** up or get him the F*** out!" and then I said "I'm sorry". This was a pattern. I would go crazy, then apologize, and repeat. The nurse then came in and gave me morphine IV. I fell asleep briefly and then all was well.

Turns out that the Doc removed two areas of adhesions that were send for biopsy for possible endometriosis, BUT here is the kicker... he removed my hyme. Yep after all these years that pesky thing was still in there. How you ask? I have no idea, perhaps Doc will tell me at my follow-up appointment tomorrow. It explains so much though... my inability to wear a tampon, my pain during intercourse, my pain during paps and exams, and my pain during ultrasounds. However, my question is what is wrong with all the doctors that I have seen in the past? Why did they not investigate my pain? Can you not notice a hymen during an exam? They all knew I was sexually active! Ugh.

Anyway... recovery has been okay. I spent all of Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday in bed. Then I worked 13 1/3 hour shifts Thursday through Sunday (645 AM - 850 PM). I wore sweatpants the whole time and people said "you don't look like you feel well". Let's face it I looked like crap.

Today, one week later, I feel one million times better. I did sleep until noon though, probably catching up on the lost sleep from the past four days. I cannot wait to hear what the doctor has to say tomorrow, and to start TTC again.

I'll try to be more active on here as well. You ladies are so supportive!

So my question to you ladies is... has anyone else experienced the wonders of the HYMEN OF STEEL?

jencity9 · August 2014

Welcome back! Glad to hear your surgery went well. I have never heard of removing a hymen though!!

mrsbark711 · August 2014

I mean I have been "active" since 2006. It blows my mind that it was still in there. DH named it "The Terminator" and a dear friend named it "Clark Kent". The latter is fitting. #HymenOfSteel

mrsbark711 · August 2014

It was Toradol in the OR. 3 Fentanyl in recovery. One Percocet by mouth. And finally Morphine via IV.

Lots of cussing, I'm sorries, and crying.

mrsbark711 · August 2014

On my Post-Op notes it said

Pre-Op Diagnosis: Dyspareunia & Dysmenorrhea

Post-Op Diagnosis: Hymenal Stenosis & Possible Minimal Endometriosis (Pending Biopsy)

lebradford · August 2014

Wow, that sounds intense. I'm sorry your husband wasn't very empathetic! You should consider kicking him (gently) in the shins.... I'm glad you like your doctor though. Good luck.

BunnyBerry · August 2014

I'm so sorry for what you've been through this summer!

Ouch, painful...please don't take this the wrong way, but Madonna came into my head, "Like a Virgin"...but I am so sorry, and mad at your previous doctors for not looking into what the issue was.

I just had the same surgery (the lap and hys, not the stenotic hymen surgery!) and also surgery for a stenotic cervix last week. I can't believe you went back to working long hours so soon. I couldn't go in to work today, 6 days later, because just getting ready made me so dizzy and sick still. Got to suck it up tomorrow. But I hope you get some chance to recover and rest more.

Numbing sounds great...never had such an issue before but the IV they put in for some reason hurt like the dickens and took forever, and there were multiple bloody cotton balls she cleaned up after, that was not confidence boosting!!

It's great that they gave you the pain meds you needed. When I woke, the nausea was overwhelming and they told me I had to choose between pain and nausea, so I took the pain, unfortunately.

Good luck at your follow-up for the results! I hope if it was endo, then it makes a big difference for you, because my RE says that makes a huge difference TTC by removing the toxic inflammatory pelvic environment (they found and removed Stage 1 endo for me).

But it's fantastic that they have (hopefully) solved your pain with intercourse! That sounds life-changing. I'm hoping this takes away my debilitating menstrual pain and the pain with intercourse that comes and goes. Even if we never get pregnant, I will find this surgery well worth it if it helps in those areas.

jencity9 · August 2014

A lot of people don't realize this but a hymen is actually like a scrunci looking part on the inside of the body that is part of the opening and stretches to let things in... It's not something that people ever lose and you can't tell if someone is a virgin or not by looking. It's actually pretty interesting how it actually works and what we are taught about it, LOL.

mrsbark711 · August 2014

@Lebradford He's been through several surgeries in his 26 years of life. I think in his own weird way he was trying to be supportive. He became super helpful once the cuss words started. Lol

mrsbark711 · August 2014

@BunnyBerry I am anxious to have non-painful baby dancing.

I just hope I don't think too much about the possibility of pain and psych myself out!

mrsbark711 · August 2014

jencity9 said:

A lot of people don't realize this but a hymen is actually like a scrunci looking part on the inside of the body that is part of the opening and stretches to let things in... It's not something that people ever lose and you can't tell if someone is a virgin or not by looking. It's actually pretty interesting how it actually works and what we are taught about it, LOL.

I did so much research after this ordeal. Some women are born with an imperforate hymen. It's like a thin sheet over the vagina. Nothing gets in or out and it often isn't find until they begin their menses. It all backs up leading to Endo. Crazy.

In reality the hymen should stretch. It sometimes tears and bleeds. Apparently mine didn't stretch. I never bled, but I just thought I was different.

When you think of stenosis of the arteries it is a hardening. So I just figure that it was super tough. My friend said I was a "cock blocker" literally. It's amazing what you can discuss with your friends when many of them are nurses!

theholmanherd · August 2014

I'm sorry for all the pain, but it sounds like it went well overall. I can't believe they didn't realize about your hymen before! How weird! Although, @jencity9‌, I would be curious about what you are talking about. I hope this helps you, Mrs Bark! And I remember you

mrsbark711 · August 2014

Well I am off every Monday/Tues/Wednesday and I didn't want to miss anymore work so that I could keep my creative schedule.

They threatened to put me back on 8hr shifts if I missed any more days (that was back in May). So in order to keep my schedule for school purposes I strategically scheduled my surgery. The nurse said that I should have been able to return on Thursday, and I did.

It was no walk in the park though. I am a nurse, and I bend over a lot getting meds out of the med cart. Friday night was super rough.

mrsbark711 · August 2014

Thanks ladies! Today is the day! Follow up is at 11:30 and I cannot wait!

Champs28 · August 2014

Wow I've never heard of that before! I'm glad you're feeling better after surgery! It's a tough recovery but at least it's over

)

Pintobean39 · August 2014

I'm feeling so left out, I think my hymen was made of paper mâché because I never felt it break, tear, stretch, or whatever it does.

I'm glad you are doing better and have a good RE. Let me say that was a lot of pain meds. I bet you slept for a long time.

Every time I wake up from surgery I cry, when I had surgery on my head I started crying like I always do and the nurse asked me if I had anxiety problems. Pissed me off I think my exact words were "fuck no, they just cut a fucking hole in my head and that shit hurts" he then gave me demoral sp? And dilaudid I think, Then they gave me Benadryl because I had a reaction, then they gave me phenegran and Percocet. My idiot husband gave me my phone and I started facebooking. NOT GOOD!!!

TTCBabyJ · August 2014

Welcome back! I'm glad your feeling better. That is such an interesting story about your hymen, it's almost like your still a 'virgin.' I just stalked your blog and notice you are from STL. I went to Saint Louis University, I loved living in STL while going to college.

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I'm still here... Surgical story. (LONG)

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