Meet Fiona the Fibroid

I’ve been getting to know about my recent addition to my list of maladies.  I’m assuming what I have is actually a collection of fibroids.  Perhaps the collective noun should be a Fiona of Fibroids?  Fiona is a benign tumour in my uterus made up of muscle and fibrous tissue.  Fibroids are linked to oestrogen and tend to increase in size when oestrogen levels are high and are known to shrink when levels decrease.  Fiona is common – it is thought that around 40% of women develop fibroids at some point in their life.

The good news is that, depending on where Fiona the Fibroid is and how big she’s gotten, I may not need a hysterectomy.  There is a much less invasive treatment involving a local and a catheter in an artery that will cut off the blood supply to Fiona and she can just waste away.

Of course, I may not have a choice in the matter.  Fiona may be up to no good and could give me no end of pain until I beg for a hysterectomy.

It’s been 2 ½ weeks since my surgery and, as far as I can tell, the symptoms that made me want the surgery in the first place have not diminished.  I’m still tired all the time.  I’m in pain nearly every moment of every day – granted at the moment I’d call it a 2 out of 10 but the point is that the pain hasn’t diminished.  My pain increases after a bowel movement, urination or after fantastic sex.  I’m still bloated.  My first period after the surgery was painful but, as I was taking the massive painkillers that the hospital gave me, it didn’t seem as bad as before.  As far as I can see, there has been no great improvement in my health after my operation.

It’s only natural that I consequently feel a bit down.

At work I’ve been moving a lot more slowly than usual.  I’m taking my time with everything.  I’m remembering to not lift anything.  I’m more careful than usual going up and down the stairs.  I have to say that everyone in my office has been very gentle with me, they’re also still treating me with the same gregariousness that I’ve come to love.  They tease me but in a good way.  It makes me laugh and I know when they do it that they’re really saying “We missed you!”  It’s lovely to have great support both at work and at home.

I’ll find out more about Fiona on 17 April.

Foxy