Pre-operation consult

Today's appointment went fairly well! Dr. M is very competent and after speaking with him and his very nice assistant (the same one who I had difficulty getting a hold of to make this appointment - yes I forgave her) I decided to make the switch. Dr. M will now by my primary OB-GYN. The assistant told me that my previous doctor, Dr. B, is getting close to retirement and doesn't appear to be as eager to perform new techniques and surgeries. She's apparently "comfortable" where she is, and that's the reason why I was getting referred out. The assistant told me that Dr.M "loves" doing "laps" which I think is short for laparascopic exams (where they take a microscope and look around in your belly --- but i'm not getting one of these). Anyways, she made it sound like Dr. M is the slightly younger (no gray hairs yet) eager doctor while Dr. B is the older (lotsa gray, infact mostly gray), closer to retirement doctor. That's what I see from my point of view as well.

Dr. M told me all about the surgery I am getting - it's called a hysteroscopic myomectomy (the same kinda surgery I've been reading about and assuming I'm going to get). In fact there are links to watch the actual surgery on youtube. Craziness!!! (here it is for all you interested viewers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOJRTTgLFqk)

Anyways, he explained the surgical procedure and its risks. He was very reassuring in the risks (even stating that these have never happened to him -- and knocking on wood that they continue to NOT happen). He said there is a chance of uterine preferation (in otherwords, they poke a whole in your uterine wall) and a chance of fluid overload. They use fluid to inflate the uterus to navigate better, and sometimes, very rarely, the fluid gets absorbed into your lungs. To avoid this they monitor the amount of fluid they put into my uterus and automatically stop when they hit a liter. He continuously said that for my type of fibroid - a submucosal - and its size -- he continues to say it's very small - he doesn't anticipate any complications. I've also been reading that this type of surgery is the least invasive. He also stated that this type of surgery is fairly common and routine (indicating, I think, that he's done the surgery a number of times). So, I guess in the scheme of things, of all the types of fibroids to have, this one is the best one to have. I pray that I dont have any more after this.

We also discussed how I'm still spotting now and feeling some slight pressure in the ute area. He stated that this is all from the darn fibroid. He was a little interested to learn that I still had daily spotting from the fibroid since my period.

I also asked him about the fact that my cycle seems to still be out of whack, and he said that it's common after a miscarriage for your cycle to take months to get back to normal. He did not believe that the fibroid was contributing to the unusual cycle. He also stated that since I do not appear to have any problems getting pregnant (Thank you Lord) that he is not very concerned about cycle lengths. He said in my case, we want to focus on getting the uterine cavity back to its original (normal) shape, and focus on my ability to carry a child to term. (I'm all with you there doc.)

I asked about the possibility of the fibroid growing back, and he wasn't too concerned. He said it could grow back, so we want to recheck for it in a year or two, but since I'm planning to get pregnant next year, he said we wont need to check right away.

I also asked about scarring from the D&C or from this surgery. He said that when he did the HSG he didn't see any scarring (and that one can normally tell from an HSG if there is scarring). He also stated that if he sees any scarring when doing the surgery, he'll "clean it up." Thanks doc!

As for recovery, he said I'll experience some cramping after the surgery, but it should be ok in a day or 2. He also stated that I should be able to resume normal activities within a day or 2, including workouts. He said I should resume activites based on how I feel. Of course, I'll have to stay on "pelvic rest" for two weeks. I then will see him for my post-operation consult on January 5.

And the most important thing: I can resume TTC in 2 months - he said by February!!! He wanted to be sure we gave my uterus a chance to heal. Soooooo here's to a happy, and re-productive February! Hooray!!