In my previous blog, I talked about the main reason why I decided to have TAHBSO (Total Abdominal Hysterectomy with Bilateral Salpingo-Oophorectomy). You can read it here: Endometriosis and Pelvic Infections and Abscesses: Why I Decided to Have TAHBSO.
In this blog, I will tell you about my TAHBSO experience.
I was admitted to the hospital on December 18, 2019 because my TAHBSO was scheduled for the very next day, December 19. Before getting myself admitted to the hospital, I already went through all the needed laboratory tests. I also checked with a heart doctor, and if I remember correctly, I even had lung x-ray. That night, I was given a laxative, and I was told not to eat or drink anything after 12 midnight.
The very next day, December 19, I was wheeled to the operating room at around 7:30AM. I was given a sleeping pill so that I'd just sleep through the surgery. I thought the surgery was going to end in three hours but I was wrong. There were complications in my surgery that it lasted for SEVEN HOURS.
When my OB-GYN opened me up for the surgery, she told me that she could not "get through" my intestines because they were all "glued" together. In fact, she used the term "cemented together". One of the consequences of previous surgeries and endometriosis is pelvic adhesions. In my case, the adhesions were so severe that another doctor who specializes in gastrointestinal surgery had to be called to assist in my surgery. It took the gastro surgeon 4 and a half hours to separate my intestines.
In fact, I woke up in the middle of my surgery because, I think, the effects of the sleeping pill wore off. I could actually feel that my insides were being moved around though I did not feel any pain. I could hear the doctors talking, and I had this urge to get up (I don't know why). There was a hollow feeling in my stomach that I felt I had to vomit. My anesthesiologist put me back to sleep. This is the creepiest experience I ever have in all my surgeries (I have a total of five surgeries in my life so far). During the surgery, my impacted appendix was also removed.
I was wheeled out of the operating room at around 3:30PM. I stayed in the recovery room for two hours and was sent back to my hospital room at around 6:00PM.
I thought I would be discharged in 4 days but I stayed in the hospital until December 25, Christmas Day. I was discharged in the afternoon with a lot of prescribed medicine for my pain and stomach discomfort.
Since it was December 25, my maternal family had a little get together at my brother's house. I decided to go to the get together since I could already walk around a bit. I thought everything was going to be okay. But I was wrong. My body took a turn for the worst!
More in my next blog.
REFERENCES:
UNC Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. (2021). Pelvic Adhesions (Scar Tissue). UNC School of Medicine. Retrieved from https://www.med.unc.edu/obgyn/migs/our-services/what-kinds-of-problems-do-the-doctors-in-this-group-treat/pelvic-adhesions-scar-tissue/
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