Sunflower Diaries

Risks of surgery

Some of the main risks:

Bleeding 🩸

Clots – advice I was given is wear your stockings day and night until your mobility improves. After surgery, it feels like Bambi learning to walk. Your legs will unlikely be stable for a few weeks. Be patient and don’t push yourself.

Pain / discomfort at surgical site and muscle (managed with pain relief)

Wound infection.

Low or high blood pressure.

Post operative infections or viruses 🦠

Toilet troubles.

Nausea and vomiting – bland diet – bananas are great. I found Nairns GF oatcakes and crackers helpful for my mid afternoon nausea.

Mental health – anxiety issues. Meditation and gratitude practices help me here.

If something doesn’t seem right speak to a medical professional as soon as possible.

Latest Operation:

I felt very run down and thought I was battling a cold virus. I live with a four year old and it seemed a fair assessment.

Unfortunately it was taking a long time to clear (cough worsened, exhaustion). I was out for a short walk on Friday and was stopped in my tracks… severe abdominal pain. I thought 💭 go home and rest and I will recover. As I had possibly done too much (listening to my body) and needed some rest.

I rested all day Saturday and slept more than 12 hours at night. I woke up the next day feeling worse. I had crushing pain in my chest which when I coughed or walked upstairs worsened (and could not cough without choking),

As the day went on the pain worsened, and I was unable to walk without it catching my breath. The chest pain was non relenting. I was advised to phone out of hours and was given an emergency appointment.

I was lucky to get an out of hours appointment with the local hospital within a matter of hours, and given a strong course of antibiotics (so I could rest at home), but had I waited until the next day I would likely have been admitted to hospital for observation.

If you can’t move (extreme fatigue) or feel your recovery has stopped (at nearly four weeks post operation) then you need to consult a medical professional. Even if you have had a positive week/ feel on the road to recovery, things can change. Be gentle and patient with yourself.

Don’t bank on “it will pass”, it might not. I guess we sometimes think about waiting until it passes because we are told our symptoms are not severe or serious. Especially when faced with chronic health conditions. We are expected to manage it/ normalise the pain.

The truth is only you know your body.

I am an #endometriosiswarrior and an #adenomyosiswarrior💜. 

Let’s raise awareness and compassion for all women afflicted by these diseases. The struggles are real but I hope to bring you some #NewJoy by sharing my story. I challenge you to think of what makes you happy in life and keep being #strongwomen especially if you have entered a transition phase of your life. This is even more important as I watch my own daughter grow up and hope she does not suffer the same issues I faced. 

In summary, 

#believeinyourself❤️  #loveyourbody and #bekind 🤗😊❤️‍🩹 

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