Sit still.
Rest.
Relax.
These instructions, although quite appealing, are rarely ever heeded in "Lisa World". With my full-time job as a communications manager for a home health agency, coupled with my full-time mom and wife duties, I simply do not know how to take time to - as the old cliche goes - stop and smell the roses.
It seems there is always something to be done. Never mind the never-ending flow of soiled clothes and dirty dishes, we are also talking about vacuuming, taking out the trash and recycling, changing the cat litter, carrying things upstairs, bringing different things downstairs, going food shopping, putting food away, cooking dinner, making lunch, and driving my 16-year old daughter Melissa here, there, and everywhere.
It took a major life-changing event for me to force myself to sit.... and stay put!
It took major surgery.
Following a series of misdiagnoses and failed treatments by more physicians than one can imagine, I found a urogynecologist (a surgeon who specializes in urology and gynecology) who correctly identified my problems. The discovery of this wonderful doctor gave cause for celebration in my household, for I could now, finally, attribute my pain to an actual, very real condition - uterine and pelvic organ prolapse.
Thanks to a number of non-surgical interventions over the past four years, the pain subsided.
For a while.
But it came back.
In all of its sinister glory.
Although the prospect of major surgery did not send me jumping for joy, after careful consideration, my husband Bob and I decided it would be the best option.
Repair the prolapse - relieve the pain. (Hopefully)
Today, I am five days post-op, and..... I. Do. Not. Like. Sitting. Still.
However, if I am going to recover, I know I must.
The laundry? The dishes? My wonderful Melissa will rise to the occasion.
Getting me everything I need and showing me more love than I think I deserve? My husband Bob, who has truly earned the title of greatest man alive.
What's more, each day I am greeting by the thoughtful well wishes of family and friends who have sent cards, food, and flowers to help me feel just a wee bit better.
So I will read. I will watch TV. I will blog. I will sleep. Anything that requires minimal movement, if that's what I have to do to get back on my feet on the full road to recovery.
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| What do you mean I have to stay in bed and REST!? |
If you like my stories please tell me in the comments section below.
You poor baby!!! Please take it easy, I have had more problems because I refuse to let nature takes it's course and I push myself, which just leads me to more issues and more time to rest! Sending love!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI will follow your words of wisdom Kathy! Thanks so much!
DeleteFeel better Lisa!
ReplyDeleteIt is so hard to just let ourselves recover when we are down. The second we feel better we think we need to get up and DO everything. Good for you (and your husband) for letting you take the time you need to heal. I hope it heals quickly and that the pain is completely gone!
ReplyDeleteForce yourself to take it easy! And by the way, you deserve some rest :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Cindy - I'm hoping to use the time to catch up on blog reading and writing!
DeleteI hope all is well and you feel better soon. It's not easy going over surgery and spring back into the daily chores.
ReplyDeleteThank you Barbara!
DeleteYou sound like me! I hope that you will find something enjoyable to do during this time to make the time pass more quickly, and that you get better soon!
ReplyDeleteI hope to catch up on reading good blogs!
DeleteI'm hoping you finally rest, but most importantly, emotionally rest, with all of that static in your mind, urging you to do things, all the time.
ReplyDeleteI understand that.
The thingthat sat with me, was the misdiagnoses. I've had that, and it sort of frustrates me, in my situations, when doctors don't refer you to a specialist, or they are not thorough. I'm glad you got the right answers, and that you will now have some healing. So that when you become a busy bee, again, you will at least be at one hundred percent :-)
Rhonda I could write pages and pages of what I went through with all of the misdiagnoses. So many doctor's didn't take me seriously. I hope that you, too, get he help you need.
DeleteFeel better soon. It's very difficult when you have to just stay down and rest. When I had my hysterectomy, I couldn't do anything for six weeks. It was forever to me. I remember it well. I hope you repair very well and very quickly.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are doing well now after your hysterectomy Kathleen!
DeleteHope that you get better soon. I know how difficult it is to be still and take a rest when one has been so used to being so busy.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your well wishes!
DeleteHi Lisa, I hope your feeling better. I am a friend of Chris Deans. I recently started following your blog. I'm so sorry your going thru all of this but I am so glad you got the correct diagnosis and surgery. Chris was explaining your situation to me and I can relate. I have Crohns disease. I've had it for 23 yrs now. Back in the late 90's I had a very weird situation that started rearing its ugly head. I was diagnosed with a "Fistula". I had no clue what the hell that was! I was a young Mother of two that had just moved to Oregon from California and had my second son and then here comes Crohns and Fistulas! What the heck? I had stool and puss leaking from my vaginal canal! O M G ! How embarrasing I thought. Now my Hubby and I have been married for 26 yrs now. He was such a trooper. He was right by my side the whole way..... and still is. I had 2 repairs back then that did not take. I even had a temp ostomy. Here we are all these years later and now I have 3 full on fistulas! I have recently been told "There is nothing more we can do for you"! Ummmmmm WHAT? Soooo I have to live with chronic stool leakage, chronic infection, chronic yeast infections and urinary tract infections? Not to mention ..... NO SEX LIFE .... what-so-ever ??? I just cannot accept that! So your post is giving me hope that a "Uro Gyno" might be able to help me. I didn't even know they existed! I've been going to "Colon rectal surgeons". Now why haven't my docs .... Gyno or Gastro ever told me about the Uro Gyno? Well I am the kinda girl that will get this done! So I THANK YOU for sharing your story and giving me a bit of hope that I can get the buggers fixed! Again ..... I am so sorry that it took awhile to get your diagnosis and I hope your feeling much better really soon. Take Care Lisa ..... talk with you soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Debbi - I too went to a colorectal surgeon. He performed surgery on me 6 years ago, but only on the rectal area. However, he was the one who finally referred me to the urogynecologist. I am familiar with a fistula because when I was trying to figure out what was wrong with me I googled my symptoms and that was one of the things that came up. I didn't have a fistula but I read about. I recommend you google urogynecologists in your area and see someone rightaway. There has to be an option for you, there is no reason that you should suffer. Good luck to you and let me know how you make out!
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