Another story and another laugh.......

Mile 12 of my 1/2 Marathon

My cheering squad!!

This past October was an awesome month. I accomplished something I never dreamed I would ever do. I ran the Detroit ½ Marathon and I came in under my goal time. It was a time for me to run and to not think of any of the treatments we have gone through during the past 2 years.  I crossed that finish line with tears of joy streaming down my face. Crossing the finish line meant letting go of some of the emotional baggage that I had carried over time. I let go of my guilt and I traded it in for determination and confidence. I let go of my depression and traded it in for empathy and a voice for others.  About a week after my race I was still on the “runners high” and I strutted into my fertility appointment with my head held high. I had gone in for a routine ultrasound and I walked out with a scheduled immediate surgery that following week.

I needed to undergo laparoscopic surgery, because I have lots of cysts around my ovaries and my hormone shots are food for those cysts.  It is a negative and a positive all in one.  The positive is the hormone shots create follicles, which would make it easier for us to conceive. The negative is that my cysts feed on my hormone medication. So every month that I am on the shots is another month my cysts get larger and larger; hence the need for the surgery.

My cysts had almost tripled in size and one was completely blocking my right ovary (a little problem when trying to conceive). I remember walking out of the doctor’s office in tears. It was one of the few appointments that I had gone by myself and told Chad to not worry about it, because it was so routine. I drove all the way back home from Grand Rapids with tears streaming down my face. I was not so much upset because of the cysts I was upset because I had to go through this surgery and now I would have to rest a month and not try to get pregnant.  And let me tell you when the doctors told us we would have to rest a month (we heard that a lot) it was like 5 years to us.  It was the longest 30 days of our lives!!!

Even though this surgery was routine and super common I still had my fears. I had my fears that they would get in there and find even more things wrong with me. I had a fear that when removing and draining the cysts they would leave permanent scare damage on my insides.  I have HORRIBLE anxiety of being put under!!!!  And of course my surgery was scheduled for the worst possible time of year. It was on the day of Kaylee’s Halloween party at school and the week before Chad’s play that he directs at his high school.   The guilt, shame, and depression started to creep back.  I called my parents to let them know what was going on and without hesitation my dad said he would be there for my surgery.  I didn’t even have to ask. When I told him he didn’t have to he said, “Christina do not argue with your dad. You are still daddy’s little girl. I am coming…….” I love that man so much!!! :)

The morning of the surgery our wonderful Aunt and Uncle came down to be with Kaylee and away we went to Grand Rapids for surgery.  As we were driving my nerves were getting higher and higher.  Have I mentioned I hate the feeling of being put under????  We checked in, I put on my lovely hospital gown, and away we went.  This is where I appreciated my dad being there not just for me, but for Chad as well.  As soon as they came around with the needles that is when Chad started getting nervous.  He started pacing and before I knew it Chad was pacing and my dad was pacing and I was just chilling watching Judge Judy, ha!! 

They wheeled me to the room right before surgery. This is the point when all the different staff members come up to me and start introducing themselves.  The funny thing was is that each of them would always ask me what surgery I was having today (I am sure they do this for liability reasons).  My doctor comes in and explains the procedure and he hugs me and he tries to calm Chad down (who is now looking pale as a ghost). Then a few nurses come in and do the same. Then the anesthesiologist comes in introduces himself to me and tries to make small chat with me.  I let him know that I get SUPER nervous about being put under.  He then asks me what surgery I am having today….and this is when I decide to have a little fun.  I looked up at him and I said, “I am not sure what Dr. Young told you, but I am in for a tummy tuck, some lipo, and a boob job.!!” He thought is was super funny, Chad was still pale as a ghost and laughing, and my dad just sat there and rolled his eyes and chuckled.  My doctor heard me and came over and jokingly yelled at me.  Hey, I can only try, right?

My surgery went very well and the doctor was able to drain a lot of my cysts. I cannot say thank you enough to my dad for driving 12 hours each way just to sit with both Chad and I during that day.  Chad told me numerous times after my surgery how happy he was to have dad there with him. I also have to say thank you to our Uncle Joe and Aunt Janet for taking our place at Kaylee’s Halloween party and for taking care of us that first day when I came home.  Also, I would like to thank all my friends for bringing dinners over to my house that following week. We could not do this journey without the support of all of our family and friends.  It is so nice when we can count on the ones we love the most to be there for us.  We truly are very blessed!!