MONTH #7

More good news, i'm on month #7 and I have had no reoccurences/no problems...when i reach the one year mark i will
have to CELEBRATE!!!

Month #5 and NO RECURRENCE!

I am so happy to report that in 5 months, i have not had any problems with my bartholin cyst/absess. i'm going to make a leap and say that i may not ever get that horrible, wretched bump ever again!!! i feel free now and i am so glad. after the surgery, i would feel a sensation in the area when i was aroused and it would hurt during sex, but now it's healed up well and i hardly ever think about it!

so, for those women who are going through this now. be encouraged, there is hope. these things do go away!!!

Week#4 Word Catheter

Ok, so I thought that I was looking forward to having the Word Catheter removed. I read online that many of the journals recommend that women keep the catheters in between 4-6 weeks. Of course, I was only at the three week mark and I thought to myself that it would be better not to have it taken out.

I went in to see the doctor and she greeted me and said let's get ready to take this out. She examined me and saw that there is no swelling. I informed her that based on previous scientific research it would be best if it stayed in for an additional week or so. Her reply was yeah, ok, that's true. "Since you feel comfortable with it, let's keep it in for longer". Ok, now, let me just say this. Why is it that she didn't initially tell me that it was better to keep it in longer. Had I not said anything once again she would have gone ahead and taken it out. These doctors are so freakin' incompetent!!!

So yeah, I am still going strong with the Word Catheter in. I hope that it will be gone soon. I know I was hoping and praying that it would stay in..at least at the beginning of this. Now I'm wanting it to come out because I'm tired of it! I say that and at the same time, I know that it'll pay off in the long run, so it's worth it...

Week # 3 Word Catheter

I'm so sorry about my absence for all this time. I've been spending this time recuperating from the procedure. But, guess what?! Tomorrow, I go in to have this Word Catheter removed. Apparently, it's been in for the full period without giving me any problems. I am so excited, because I know that this means that I have significantly lower chance of having a reocurrrence.

So what more is there to say? I'm feeling pretty optimistic about my doctor's apointment...daresay I that I'm even looking forward to seeing the good doctor for what I hope will be the last time. Of course, I'm still planning on sending my caustic letter to her informing her about the tortuous pain that I experienced at her squeezing fingers.

Wish me luck as I go in tomorrow. There's no way that the removal could hurt more than the insertion....right?

Recovery Day #5 and #6

Well I didn't write anything yesterday and I'm just getting around to writing today's entry at 10:30pm. Welll, let me see what can I say? Yesterday went well - I was able to work the entire day. I remembered to bring my butt pillow to work and that was nice. I finally had to meet with the people who had been asking to see me, so that was rough. Overall, at the end of the time, I was feeling fine.

then there was today ....

So today was the day that I was suppose to start taking the pill that would clear up the yeast infection that I got as a result of the antibiotics. Thank goodness for this little pink pill. So, I take the pill this morning and go on my merry way to work this morning. Well, when I arrive at work I immediately start feeling dizzy, light-headed, nauseated... all of the side effects of the pill that I had taken were occuring. I could not even manage to stay at work even half a day before I decided that it would be best for me to go home. Now, I think that perhaps I should have eaten something with the pill, but I didn't and that may explain the pain that I was feeling... I don't know.

So I came home early and immediately took a piping hot Sitz bath. In fact, my husband heated me some water on the stove just so that it would be hot enough. My last few Sitz baths felt warm, so we wanted to make sure that this one would be hot....IT WAS HOT! It felt great. So I feel better now, but I'm probably not gong in to work tomorrow. By the looks of things, I probably shouldn't have gone in to work so soon after the procedure. I should have given my body a few extra days. Oh well, live and learn.

Tomorrow will be a new day.

Recovery Day #4

Today is my first day back to work since I had the procedure done. When I get to the office, before I actually make it to my desk, I am stopped by my boss and co-worker (two of the few people who know why I was out).... They ask me about the details of the experience and well...I told them all of the gory details. I recount the whole ordeal for them, their eyes squint, they breathe deeply, and grab their crotches, as I lead them through every excrutiating moment. They are physically responding as though they have literally gone through the same pain. They are incredibly sympathetic and they also have horror stories to share with me about a daughter or a friend - stories related to ovaries, bumps, and cysts. You name it, we talk about it. So actually the first 1 hour of my day I spend sharing this experience with them and hearing them tell me how pitiful I look and how sorry they feel for poor me. They all give me the "Poor girl" look when they see me sliding slowly around the office ..I can't walk too fast or else, you guessed it...PAIN!

I notice pretty early on that this will be an uncomfortable day. I forget my butt cushion pillow at home and, of course, the bottom of my office chair is like a board of sand paper. ARGGHH!! There are piles of files, papers, telephone messages, and emails all over my desk that I need to respond to. I start feeling overwhelmed. Even still, I dig in and I'm able to accomplish quite a bit before I leave for the day. I do good though, I take it easy all day. I don't meet with any appointments though several people are waiting to see me. No way am I going to sit and listen to other people's problems when I have a much more pressing problem of my own.

You know, I leave work early today - I have a dental appointment. From one office chair to another. The dentist said my teeth are in good shape...at least something is going right in my life. So, it's 4pm and I'm back in bed relaxing. My husband isn't home...I hope he's at the grocery store getting us dinner because I'm starving. Oh, come to think of it, it's time for me to take my LAST antibiotic pill!!!

Today, coincidentally, guess what I got in the mail? You'll never guess. I received a note from the she-devil gynecologist who did the surgery. Let me tell you verbatim what the card says "Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide your obstetric and gynecologic needs. We look forward to serving you in the future. We are delighted to have you as a patient".

I should send a reply that says: "No, I insist let me thank you for providing me with the most excrutiatingly painful experience of a lifetime. Thank you for poking and proding me until I started crying hysterically and freaked my husband out. Thank you for terrorizing my vagina and being part of the life-altering decision that we've made to NEVER have children. "

I'm so glad it's over... at least until I go back to have the Word Catheter removed.

Recovery Day #3

Today I woke up feeling pretty good. I had one of my Sitz baths and headed to the doctor's office at 9:30am so that she could check me out. Good news.. I should be able to return to work tomorrow. Well, I guess that's good news...I kinda got use to hanging out at home and being waited on hand and foot :). I know my husband's excited that he gets his life back.

So, basically when I went in today, she just wanted to see if all the swelling had gone down and check whether or not there was any redness. I had no redness and no swelling, only soreness...YES!!l Even before she started the examination, she noticed that I physically looked 100% better. I wasn't giving her the evil eye or anything, I was actually smiling. I'm thrilled! Oh yeah, but let me tell you something else interesting happened while I was there:

When the nurse first escorted me to the room, she asked me if it was ok if a male intern came in to watch. I replied an emphatic "No". (I've never been comfortable with male physicians and I definitely didn't want some strange guy looking in my vagina today). The nurse was understanding and left the room to get the doctor. Anyhow, the doctor returns thankfully without the intern and as I said, she checked me out and I got a great report. As we are leaving the room, we literally run into the male intern. This guy is so CREEPY! I mean he is the epitome of the creepy, pedophilic-looking doctor that women are afriad of or at least that I was afraid of. He looks extremely nervous, abnormally pale, sweaty, huge, thick glasses AND he is fiddling around with his fingers in a way that is kind of ...I don't know inappropriate. I am totally grossed out and walk past him quickly. I know, I know. I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but even my husband said that, as a man, he would be wary of this guy examinining him. Totally creeped me out and confirmed my committment to female doctors.....though some of them can be creepy too:).