tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71399077778956656042012-01-11T20:08:32.025-05:00Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.comBlogger431100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-40113271115097057722009-04-24T18:07:00.003-04:002009-04-24T18:13:10.845-04:00

I haven't been posting because I've been struggling, and I haven't wanted to get into it too much on this blog. As I explained to my daughter - my body is better now, all healed and strong, but now it's time for healing my heart and making it just as strong. This whole thing took so much out of me, more than I realized until recently, and I am aching. This has been exacerbated by people suddenly

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-74126646585602466722009-03-07T22:20:00.002-05:002009-03-07T22:24:05.078-05:00

Tonight I am feeling sad for an EndoSister. She posted on a forum I frequent; she had a hysterectomy less than a year ago, after fighting endo for years and years - but the endometriosis is back.And if that weren't bad enough, she's dealing with friends and family who doubt her, who think she was cured by her hysterectomy. This has to stop. Empowerment, awareness, education - and fight for a cure.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-56375359506753403912009-03-04T20:12:00.003-05:002009-03-04T20:25:59.773-05:00

Support is so important when you have endometriosis! Talking with others who understand all too well what this disease is like can be enormously comforting - and empowering. One of the support sites I recommend is WeAreEndo.org.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-60092885204301636102009-03-03T18:42:00.002-05:002009-03-03T18:47:02.298-05:00

This press release from Endometriosis UK says it all:ENDOMETRIOSIS: SURVEY SHOWS TEENS AND YOUNG WOMEN TOLD TO 'GRIN AND BEAR IT '

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-87362897217580082652009-03-02T18:08:00.002-05:002009-03-02T18:18:54.224-05:00

I just recently came across this story and am very impressed... Diana Wallis, the Vice President of the European Parliament, is running in the London Marathon in April - and she's running for the World Endometriosis Research Foundation! Diana is an endometriosis survivor herself and is determined to raise awareness of the disease. You can follow her training progress at her marathon blog.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-9612323310770479142009-03-02T11:11:00.001-05:002009-03-02T11:13:00.555-05:00

Today is Yellow Shirt Day! I'm wearing my yellow shirt for endometriosis awareness.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-2824606797885103402009-03-01T11:09:00.003-05:002009-03-01T12:00:22.008-05:00

During Endometriosis Awareness Month, it's helpful to get accurate facts out there about the disease and to dispel the common myths about endo. The myth I'd like to tackle today is this - that hysterectomy cures endometriosis. Obviously, this is a topic of particular relevance for me. You see it on the message boards and email lists - women saying, "My doctor says I need to have a hysterectomy

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-12221450669612781492009-03-01T08:31:00.004-05:002009-03-01T11:00:02.469-05:00

Welcome to Endometriosis Awareness Month! The fabulous Endochick has put forth a great idea - MARCH BLOGGING MADNESS FOR ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESSEndometriosis survivors across the web are going to blogging, twittering and talking about endometriosis all month long to raise awareness. I'll start off the month by recommending a website - endometriosis.org. This site is a global one and has a wealth

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-85717395980311775492009-02-28T12:47:00.004-05:002009-03-01T11:01:07.910-05:00

February is always the cruelest month for me, so I can't say I'm sorry that today's the last day! I have asthma and during the last gasps of winter I always end up with bronchitis. I was hoping that this year I'd escape it, but with my resistance down after my surgery I suppose it was inevitable. But I'm excited to get blogging - because tomorrow is March 1st, and March is National Endometriosis

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-1373360780521986392009-02-21T10:53:00.003-05:002009-02-21T10:54:25.997-05:00

Just wanted to post quickly to say that I am doing fine - other than being ill. The flu turned into bronchitis. Recuperating. Will post when better. Thanks. :)

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-70777572098352048942009-02-15T09:55:00.002-05:002009-02-15T09:59:14.644-05:00

As is completely natural after going through a very traumatic fall and a major operation, I am struggling right now emotionally. I've gotten past the immediate physical recovery, more or less, and now it's time for the emotional aspect. I am choosing my company very carefully. I am making great efforts to choose my words carefully. But I do think it's important to acknowledge this for anyone

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-80600020951769869692009-02-10T16:47:00.003-05:002009-02-10T17:16:54.547-05:00

I just wanted to take a moment to make some very clear. I'm pretty disturbed, because I received an email from someone who said about my hysterectomy, "It sounds like it was scary and not safe, and I am sorry you had to experience that."Nothing could be further from the truth. Let me be quite explicit here - this was the best decision I have made in a long, long time. It was carefully researched

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-69361154259003160652009-02-09T22:13:00.002-05:002009-02-09T22:31:06.095-05:00

This weekend I was asked this question - How does the recovery for a hysterectomy compare to the recovery for a c-section? It's not a bad question, actually. And since I've now had both, I'm able to compare the two. (Before I go any further, let me just note that I'm speaking only about my laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, or LSH. Hysterectomies may also be performed via an abdominal

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-53258504321029977352009-02-06T13:49:00.002-05:002009-02-06T13:55:45.837-05:00

At this point, the main symptom of my recovery process is a tendency to get over-tired. Amazing, isn't it?I went out last night for the first time in a long time. Prior to my surgery, I wasn't really in shape for going out. In fact, I would have loved to thrown a 'farewell to my psycho uterus' party before my hysterectomy, but I wasn't up for it even in the slightest. But last night, I met old

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-27412647773278756202009-02-04T20:38:00.002-05:002009-02-04T20:38:55.347-05:00

A beautiful post on BlogHer about hysterectomy, coming just when I really needed it:http://www.blogher.com/menstruation

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-87254932355150232102009-02-03T13:59:00.002-05:002009-02-03T14:07:02.030-05:00

It's hard to believe that at this time six weeks ago I was in the recovery room after my hysterectomy. Pain-wise, I'm doing very well - only a few twinges if I overdo. I'm still easily tired. We had a big event Saturday that completely wiped me out, and I spent all of Sunday on the couch exhausted. I'm even thinking of heading into the gym next week - nothing strenuous, just a slow walk on the

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-4402600653001226522009-02-01T19:46:00.002-05:002009-02-01T20:53:24.465-05:00

I remain flabbergasted by the people who do their best to pretend I haven't had major surgery or to ignore my health issues. Because, oh my god, it has to do with my womanly parts. To say I consider these people utterly pathetic would be too kind. No, I don't need you to hold my hand and sing kumbaya at a campfire. You don't have to say the word 'uterus' if you're truly that uptight and it freaks

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-34862442505346492562009-01-28T14:01:00.003-05:002009-01-28T14:11:52.284-05:00

After talking with some hystersisters about how I'm feeling five weeks post-op, I realized that I am apparently dealing with my ovary going into shock.Night sweats, insomnia, headaches, wild emotions and so on - super fun. Hanging in there.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-67447226534378554002009-01-26T12:18:00.002-05:002009-01-26T12:25:43.175-05:00

Four weeks and five days after my hysterectomy, the stitch on my left incision has finally fallen out. Yeah, I know, you're probably thinking, Big deal, so what?The incision on my left side was taking much longer to heal. When I was moving from the gurney to the comfy chair in the recovery area, I managed to rip the stitch on that side - so instead of having a little 5 cm incision, I have a 20 cm

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-11467715658324134012009-01-24T17:29:00.002-05:002009-01-24T17:31:00.793-05:00

I got pretty sick this week. Unfortunately, when your body is putting all its energy towards healing you are more vulnerable to all the lovely bugs that are floating around at this time of year. It was pretty much not a lot of fun. Feeling better, and will catch up on more posting in the days to come.

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-46853521594107265052009-01-20T20:39:00.004-05:002009-01-20T20:45:48.420-05:00

An article is being published in the New Journal of Medicine which has contains some pretty interesting findings - A U.S. researcher links endometriosis to abnormalities resulting from defects in the early embryo. click here to read the press release. I'm looking forward to obtaining a copy of the full article. The researcher, Dr. Serdar Bulun, has been studying endometriosis for the past

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-50335384833899900182009-01-19T08:53:00.002-05:002009-01-19T08:54:44.718-05:00

I'm an idiot - I finally realized why I'm feeling so punk. It's sitting, people. You never realize how much you take sitting for granted until it hurts to do so. I've been doing an awful lot of it lately, and thus my exhaustion and pain. So, this week, I'm resolving to lie down on the couch rather than sit. Hopefully that'll help!

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-44939667464103241562009-01-18T12:41:00.003-05:002009-01-18T13:01:54.744-05:00

By the time Saturday rolled around, I was exhausted and in a lot of pain. It is frustrating to me that the most simple, basic routine of the weekdays prior took so much out of me. It is what it is - but it is frustrating. Things that are good for the soul when recuperating - friends. A good friend came up to visit and we just spent the afternoon and evening talking, and hanging out, and it was

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-21615224085463433822009-01-15T14:56:00.002-05:002009-01-15T15:07:35.897-05:00

I've been struggling to put together a post after my post-op appointment yesterday. Everything went fine, and I was cleared in that I don't have to go back again. Stitches look good, everything's healing nicely. I'm to use my own good judgment about exercise and activity in general. I can swim or take a bath now. I didn't get the pathology report or pictures that I was hoping for, so that was

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-15865463143621247412009-01-12T20:53:00.003-05:002009-01-12T21:01:06.710-05:00

Today, I totally overdid it. I'm both proud of and chagrined by my walk this morning. I went to the local mall and walked around this morning, early, while all the mallwalkers were cruising along. I swear, an 80 year old woman lapped me at least twice. This, for me, is frustrating. I've promised my husband I will not set foot in the gym until my surgeon gives me the green light - which will be at

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-7518118573564060462009-01-12T13:46:00.002-05:002009-01-12T13:48:27.004-05:00

Who knew that there was such a day? But my blogging friends inform me that, yes, there is - so come on, don't be shy! No one likes posting in a vacuum... so say hi. If you have any questions, go ahead and ask them. Anything I'm not addressing? Speak up. I'm glad you're here!

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-3893748086835275972009-01-12T13:42:00.000-05:002009-01-12T13:43:00.849-05:00

It wasn’t long ago that having a hysterectomy automatically meant the removal of the cervix and the ovaries. It was, quite frankly, easier for surgeons to simply remove everything while they were in there and so that’s what they did as a rule. Current research, however, has provided evidence that the ovaries play an important role in women’s overall health. Studies have indicated that

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-78551770471792068662009-01-10T10:37:00.002-05:002009-01-10T10:41:36.439-05:00

A lot has happened in the past few days. On Thursday, I left the house by myself and drove for the first time since my surgery. It was just a quick errand, but provided exactly the psychological boost that I needed. On Friday, I woke up and went about my morning without once feeling significant pain. I curled up in my desk chair to read my email. I moved easily. I have turned a corner. Of course,

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-62947537510706851442009-01-07T20:01:00.002-05:002009-01-07T20:07:48.867-05:00

As I find interesting or helpful articles, I'll note them here on this blog. This article is from Reuters Health, and is titled "Patient satisfaction high with cervix-sparing laparoscopic hysterectomy."

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-85272617428768385732009-01-07T13:23:00.002-05:002009-01-07T13:33:05.653-05:00

Every day I feel a little better. Today I am smoked because I had a very full day yesterday. My daughter had an appointment in the city. My father-in-law, bless him, came over and drove us there and back - while I'm cleared to drive by my doctor, I don't feel comfortable doing so yet, at least not for a long trip like yesterday's. There's a lot of snow and ice, and I worry about my reaction time

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-60588537450940834112009-01-04T16:39:00.003-05:002009-01-04T16:56:24.433-05:00

Thought I would share a tip - there is a product out there called the Bella Band or the Tummy Tube (depending on who's making it). Basically, it's a tube of thick nylon which you can wear around your waist. It's designed for maternity wear, but I have found it fabulous. The Bella Band serves two purposes - it helps you fit into clothes, and it covers your belly. While recovering from surgery,

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-80103325328306607402009-01-04T10:47:00.002-05:002009-01-04T10:57:49.071-05:00

So today is a not so hot day. Physically, I'm doing ok - still pretty sore, still having to pay close attention to what I'm doing and so on. I spent all of yesterday downstairs sitting on the sofa, and believe it or not, sitting on the sofa can be exhausting and painful. I overdid it, should've taken a break or a nap or something. Reading about the experiences of others can be helpful, but it's

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-49514652797416478272009-01-02T13:30:00.001-05:002009-01-02T13:30:37.845-05:00

So - let’s talk about hysterectomy, on the basic level. A lot of people aren’t sure exactly what a hysterectomy is or what it involves. A hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus. Plain and simple. But there are lots of choices to be made with hysterectomy, and that’s where all those pesky and confusing details come in. You may have heard the terms partial, total and radical. But what’s

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-63959946445759103602009-01-01T12:34:00.002-05:002009-01-01T12:38:46.743-05:00

This morning I woke up feeling like I'd overdone it working out the previous day.It's mind-boggling - just over a week ago I had major surgery!I'm continuing to take it as easy as possible, knowing that the gentler I am with myself for the first two weeks, the better for my recovery overall. And I can say with absolute certainty that I feel worlds better than I did prior to my hysterectomy. This

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-12609082985019133162008-12-31T19:44:00.003-05:002008-12-31T19:47:43.948-05:00

As I'm starting to feel better, I'm pulling together some more substantive posts. I think that the progress reports will be helpful to anyone in similar straits, but there's more ground I'd like to cover. I'm wishing you all a bright, shiny New Year. I, for one, am filled with anticipation and hope for 2009. It's a new beginning for me - bring it on!

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-71031825277879294342008-12-31T09:59:00.002-05:002008-12-31T10:09:25.455-05:00

I slept solidly last night and woke up this morning feeling pretty darn good. Hooray!

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-2193929915142010762008-12-30T18:57:00.002-05:002008-12-30T19:19:36.467-05:00

Today was a big day... I put on shoes for the first time in a week, got into the car and went to the mall. Yes, it was my first big outing. Please note that no matter how deep the discounts, clothes shopping one week after your hysterectomy is not a good idea. You may think that your belly's swelling has gone down significantly - and then you try on a jersey that fits very well except for this

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-67077113806501645182008-12-29T13:32:00.003-05:002008-12-29T13:38:34.954-05:00

Real progress! This morning I woke up in significantly less pain. In fact, this was the first time I haven't woken up in the middle of the night needing more pain medication - I more or less slept through. And today I have stepped down on my pain medication. I've been taking my vicodin steadily since the hysterectomy; any time I thought about backing down a little I was quickly dissuaded. But I

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-15212103348016627182008-12-28T09:09:00.002-05:002008-12-28T09:19:27.446-05:00

Let's see... day three was all about frustration and weepiness. My hormones were apparently going a little nutso, and by the afternoon just about everything made me cry. I'm not a big fan of damp, weepy females so this was not a good place to be. Fortunately, day four brought greatness - I woke up feeling about 50 times better than I had been. Apparently my surgeon wasn't kidding when he advised,

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-20112271476345531302008-12-25T19:14:00.002-05:002008-12-25T19:44:13.417-05:00

This has been a very full day. I didn't over-do things today, but I came as close as you can get. The good news... my belly is not nearly as swollen. Yesterday I looked to be in the second trimester; today it's just a slightly swollen potbelly. Not bad at all. I took off my bandages today, and discovered that the left side incision hurts so much because it's way bigger than the others and has

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-81202845820523379882008-12-24T19:01:00.002-05:002008-12-24T19:42:57.571-05:00

First, let me just say that any posts I make in the immediate future will be very brief - because I'm taking a lot of painkillers and feel a little loopy!My LSH and RSO went smoothly yesterday. Everyone was incredibly nice at the hospital, and took excellent care of me. I apparently screamed at a nurse in recovery when she was trying to give a pillow; I was horrified when she told me that, but

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-42946248798946631012008-12-21T14:26:00.003-05:002008-12-21T14:52:55.105-05:00

So I'm now about 36 hours away from my surgery. I'm having a laparoscopic supracervical hysterectomy, or LSH, with a possible right salpingo-oophorectomy, or RSO. I'm thrilled to be having this done laparoscopically, as the recovery will be much easier than with a traditional incision. It's overwhelming, all the different options when it comes to hysterectomy. At this point, I've obviously done

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7139907777895665604.post-40133167391604636052008-12-20T19:01:00.000-05:002008-12-20T19:31:18.118-05:00

Inspired by the author of the fabulous "One Girl, No Uterus" I am creating my own blog about my upcoming hysterectomy. Why? Because the time leading up to this surgery has been a pretty lonely one in some ways. It hasn't been easy to find women to talk to who are in my situation and in my age group. I've found myself scanning message boards, Twitter feeds, blogs and websites for anyone in a

Ali - Scituate Daily Photonoreply@blogger.com0