Yes

Many have asked if I'm happy that I went through with the surgery and if I've noticed any changes yet...

To simply answer the question above without going into details, the answer would be yes.

While I was in the hospital they had the pain medication hooked up through my IV, I press the button and relief would be on it's way shortly. There was a time limit so I couldn't push the button a bunch of times but I could every X minutes if needed. Just because I had a lot of time on my hands, I imagined that my issues with hormones were being controlled or driven by someone else. Like I had an IV line hooked to a bag of hormones but I wasn't the one controlling the button. Nor did the button have a limit on it. Some days the button controller wouldn't push the button at all, other days the button pusher was like my toddler, hitting the button over and over and over until I snapped. Within a day or two of the surgery I honestly felt like that IV line of hormones had been removed. The out of control feeling is gone. I feel like I am in more control of my emotions, my life. It is really hard to explain but it feels like the sharp edge has been filed down, it's smoother, easier to cross.

Another immediate effect that the surgery had made me chuckle a bit and it may or may not be because I had my lovely lady parts removed but I'd like to think that it was. The week leading up to the surgery my breasts were tender. Not just a little bit but a LOT tender. I even went and bought new sports bras hoping that the doctors would let me wear one into and during surgery because they hurt so bad. Once out of surgery and coherent enough to think a bit I remember bumping my breasts with my arm and out of habit I flinched thinking that it was going to hurt. I realized that it didn't! They didn't hurt anymore, the tenderness and pain were gone, completely gone. They have not been tender or sore since the surgery either.

As time goes on, as I finish healing and my body adjusts I am sure that I will notice even more benefits of having the surgery. Okay and the idea of never having to visit the feminine products isle again is intoxicating!!

Other recovery tidbits and stuff that my brain has been mulling during recovery...

I have been given a stool softener/laxative to take if necessary to keep things moving so to speak. Luckily, with my lack of appetite and low fiber diet this really hasn't been an issue and I only had to take the nasty stuff the first day or two. It's like corn syrup consistency but tastes yucky. Anyway, there is a statement on the bottle that reads, "For oral or rectal administration." This statement really strikes me as odd and maybe even a bit disturbing. I just laugh at it instead.

I expected a lot more post operation bleeding. I don't know why I did, maybe it was the constant reminders from doctors and nurses that if I soaked a pad within an hour that I needed to see my doctor that did it. Needless to say, I have had little to no bleeding. I bled more, regularly, on a non-period day before surgery than I have the entire time following surgery.

I am healing and feeling better faster than I expected. I have done a good job of taking it easy, napping when tired, etc. and that may be a big part of it. I am walking well and coughing, sneezing and laughing no longer hurt. Any swelling I had is gone and am feeling normal down there. Don't get me wrong, I still feel like I've had surgery but it's not painful at all. I was hurting a lot longer after having my boys than I am now. Like I've said before, though, this is the time that I REALLY need to pay attention and not over do things. I do get a little achy at night but that's about it. I only took pain medications (mostly Tylenol) for the first three days, been off it ever since.

Remember me talking about how I could not get enough ice? My glasses of water were more like glasses of ice with a touch of water. I worked our ice maker harder than any ice maker should have to work. I noticed right away and Joel even noticed that my ice crunching has almost completely stopped. I will still chew on a piece or two if they are in my glass, I always have, but it's not glasses of ice all day long anymore. I even left some in a cup last night and that would NOT have happened before the surgery.

Temperature...before the surgery, and we are realizing it even more now, I was hot at night. I wouldn't say hot flash kind of hot but definitely warm. Joel and I were talking the night before last about how that has changed now. Over the last 6-12 months I have been a little heater in bed. Joel couldn't even snuggle up without getting too warm himself and when he did, it would just drive me to throw the covers off and move away. I also would sleep a lot with my feet/legs out of the covers, just too hot to keep them under there. Since the surgery, I've gone back to, what I would say are, my normal body temperatures. I don't wake up too hot or sweaty, Joel can snuggle up and my bare feet make Joel jump when I touch him with them. =) Even though I am running a bit on the cold side now, it has been nice.

Have any of you ever bought or used the ThermaCare Heat Wraps? These things rock! I'm glad I didn't buy/use them before my surgery because I would have spent a lot of money on them during my really bad cramping days. They have one specifically designed for menstrual cramp relief and they stay warm for up to 8 hours. This one actually has a sticky back that you can adhere to your undies. I've used a couple of these during my recovery and it was awesome. The constant warmth on my abdomen was comforting and relaxing. My three pack, on sale, was $5.99.

I know that I had/have more to share but can't think of them right now. I will keep a notepad and pen/pencil close today and tomorrow to make notes for the next post.