It's Official

Several years ago, I bought two maternity shirts at an Old Navy sale.  I thought they were too cute to pass up, so I bought them in the hopes that I would get to wear them someday.  

Yesterday, I gave them to my adorably cute pregnant friend Abby.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to use those shirts, so giving them away was part of the healing process for me, I think.  I know that this surgery is what I need to do, but I don't anticipate that it will be easy.  Physically or emotionally.  I have accepted it, but I still feel sad about it.  I think some days will be better for me than others, and probably will be for a long time.  But life is always like that, right?

Well, as you already know, I had a feeling as to what my doctor was going to say about the results of my ultrasound, and I had those thoughts confirmed when he called me this morning.  We talked about what he saw and what we both thought about it.

Then I took the information he gave me and I did a little more research on my own.  Now, I don't want to get too graphic here, but what I learned was kind of shocking.  My largest fibroid has doubled in size over these last six years.  It has grown from 2 cm (approximately the size of a golf ball) to 4 to 4.5 cm now.  This is roughly the size of a fetus at 11 weeks.  Let me just add here that the normal size of a woman's uterus who has not had children is 8 cm.  8 cm!  Which means that this one fibroid I have is roughly half the size of my entire uterus!!! And I have at least eight in there, if not more!

When I read this, I instantly thought of the images from an episode of the Dr. Oz show that my Mom had me watch recently.  When I first told my Mom that I was going to schedule this surgery, she cried.  She really didn't want me to have to go through something so drastic and so final at such a young age.  Then after watching this episode, she called me and said, "It's no wonder you have been in so much pain!"  The images are kind of gross, but they show a normal uterus, and one with fibroid cysts.  When Mike and I watched it, he said, "Eww!  I wonder if that is what yours looks like!"  I think it just might.

Yeah...time to get that outta there!!!

 So, after talking with my doctor about what was going on and what he thought would be best for me, we scheduled the surgery for...

November 17th.

Luckily my hubby has a TON of vacation, so he will be taking several weeks off to help me out.  Love him!!!  He has been nothing but supportive of me in this whole situation and I really couldn't have made this decision without him.  Plus, I have SO many wonderful and loving friends that I know I can count on as well. You guys are the best!!  (And I know you probably all will anyway, but please send an extra prayer my way on that day=)

Because come November 17th,

"Ready or not, here I come!"