The Surgery

It seems like, once I turned 30, my body was like "okay, that's it! I'm done!"
Basically, I fell apart.
Well, not ALL of me, but my.....woman....bits.

I was officially diagnosed with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism in January or February 2014. Because it wasn't being treated, I wasn't ovulating and I was having a period for weeks to months at a time. I took medicine to fix it.

Or so I thought.

In January 2019, I was having cramps so bad, they were crippling almost. I went to the ER and was diagnosed as having a fibroid. I dealt with it for a few months, then went to the gynecologist. The first one I went to basically told me I was too fat to treat because I was likely going to have to have surgery. They recommended I go elsewhere, so I did.

This one got the job done. They did an endometrial biopsy and it came back negative for cancer but positive for hyperplasia, which basically means my lining was super thick. They referred me to an oncologist because while hyperplasia didn't MEAN that I had cancer, it could turn in to it.

So I go to the oncologist and we determine the best course of action is a total hysterectomy but leaving my ovaries. We scheduled it for March 10 because I had a cruise and didn't want to have to stay on the sidelines.

March 10 comes and I have my surgery. I go home 2 days later and take it easy. My husband and our 3 kids were absolutely, 100% AH-MAZING. They did everything and wouldn't let me lift a finger.

On March 23, I went for my 2 week post op check up. It was then that I found out that I'd had early stage endometrial cancer. They assured me they got it all during surgery so I wouldn't need chemo. I simply had to come back every 3 months for two year, then every 6 months for 3 years for screenings, until I was 5 years cancer free.

I'm not a cancer survivor. I didn't have to fight for my life like so many other people did. I don't have to go through the struggles that so many people do. I literally didn't know I had it until it was already gone.

So I find myself struggling with how to feel about it. I'm grateful it's gone, don't get me wrong. But how I do explain it to people? How do I identify myself when I go to the doctor and they ask if I've had cancer? It's a conundrum for sure.

For now, I'm enjoying the fact that I am now 6 weeks out from my surgery and I've been cleared to return to my normal activities.

And I get to rub in my teenage daughter's face that, while she still gets a monthly visit, I no longer do. I should find something to do with the $20 I'll be saving every month.