Have you ever had surgery? What for?

When I was 21 and a young military wife, I got pregnant with my son and it was a pregnancy that was spent in bed, that caused a few abnormal, post-delivery, pap smears. And for my prize, cryosurgery. They froze body parts to scrape stuff off that shouldn’t be there and was supposedly a reason I couldn’t get pregnant again.

After 2 babies, no more showed up, so 3 laparoscopies later to get rid (on paper) endometriosis. That was supposed to fix the baby problem too. It didn’t.

The doctor said I needed a hysterectomy and an oophorectomy. The insurance company said I was too young. I had to wait until I was 30. Meanwhile, life was painful and messy. Then they made me wait until I was 31, in case I wanted to change my mind. (Just shows the people didn’t really understand elective vs required procedures). If they were at my house with the crazy hormone swings, and the passing out when the small cysts ruptured, or when we had to leave church early with the baby’s blanket wrapped around my waist. Maybe the tears and the yelling about things that were small and silly, or the embarrassment when standing, would have changed their mind. Then it was done and the weird guilt that crops up in our hearts that plague our minds taunting me about not belong able to have any more children.

I have had a few others, thyroid and breast, removing tumors that were scary but benign. Then the breast again, another lump – the procedure aptly called a “lumpectomy”. Oh, and that gallbladder surgery, when the surgeon accidentally detached my liver. The outpatient procedure became a 10 day stay. My kids had to stay with family, my son was more than happy to drive them to school and to the hospital to come see me.

I try to stay out of those rooms, operating rooms that is, too cold, hard beds, lots of noise.

10/10 would not recommend.

0 stars.