this is not the kidney stone you're looking for...

[boogieshoes]

So, I have no idea how fast news spreads among my friends and chosen-family, but I wanted to set down an update/ heads-up for everyone.  Monday, I went home with what I thought was a kidney stone... it had all the right symptoms, right down the line.  I laid down for a few hours, but when the pain got worse, not better, I went to my local urgent care clinic, who took X-rays, and then sent me off to get CT scans...

As I was coming home Monday, I got a call from the original doc I saw in the urgent care clinic - 'it's not a kidney stone.  it's an unexpected mass.'

Needless to say, this was a shock.  I swear to you, my first thought was, 'What happened to the kidney stone?  It was supposed to be a kidney stone!'

They made an appointment for me with a general surgeon, who sent me to my OBGYN.  (Which was the right call, this just wasn't his area.)  Saw the OBGYN today.

The dx is: giant uterine fibroid.  And by 'giant', I mean from belly button level almost to hip socket joint level'.  Seriously, I was looking at this thing and going 'I bet that weighs 5 pounds!'  Even the OB said she'd never seen one that big.  Basically, it's an alien baby.

This is actually very good news, from my point of view, especially after vague, alarming pronouncements made earlier in the week.  For 1) uterine fibroids are treatable with a range of options, the most severe of which (hysterectomy) has a very low risk to the patient, although I suppose recovery isn't that much fun.  2) unlike PCOS, it doesn't really mess with endocrine system issues, and thus introduces yet another spinning plate in the line of plates spinning on sticks...

Most importantly, IT'S NOT CANCER.  Cancer is a scary beast, and even the best outcomes aren't grand in the risk-reward category.  And also, FUCK CANCER.

I'm going back next Thursday for an ultrasound to allow for better definition of the fibroid mass, and doc and I will talk treatment options.  If I can figure out where to host the image(s), I'll even post pix of the CT scans.

I don't want anyone to worry, ok?  Things are good, or at least, workable.

Just, you know, with a alien baby in attendance...

-boogieshoes...
 

Comments

[farad]

ACK! I am very behind on things, but this does explain your prompts. I do hope that it's going well; I have several friends who have had these, and most of them have chosen the hysterectomy option and did quite well with it. I hope you're not in pain!

Please do keep us updated.

[boogieshoes]

Thanks, Farad. I'm not in pain, really. Of course, after I visited the OB last week and told her my periods were regular, I had an off-cycle bleed that was nearly as bad as a regular period. I'm so done with periods, uh, period, let alone any off-cycle stuff that I'm fairly certain I'm going to go the hysterectomy route myself.

Still not motivated to have children, so the fact of subsequent non-pregnancy is not exactly a deterrent. And if I do decide to have kids at some point, adoption is a thing. TBH, that's (wanting kids) is kind of unlikely - I like being the crazy aunt, but I don't have the right temperament for parenting.

But yeah, like most of my prompts, 'this is going on in my life, and someone better than me should write a story!'

(also, also, I'm re-watching the mag7 series, and the whole 'Buck isn't dead' speech from SafeCracker just made me facepalm again - eesh!)

I will keep everyone updated, I promise. I may have to take some time off work, but I've got good insurance, so that shouldn't really be an issue, either.

*hugs* Thanks again. :)

-boogie