update part 02

So you'll remember me nattering on about the constant pain in my left side. Which we thought was a 'backed up' bowel. Well, as Renninson was going in there anyway, he said he'd have a look to see if he could sort that out. The main worry was that due to existing scar tissue, he wouldn't be able to see anything and we might have to resort to open surgery again. Noooo!

But luckily, he [report wording] "had a good view of the pelvis". Yay – I am so glad. Being filled up with air for no good reason would have been a tad peevish. It turned out to be an adhesion causing a 'loaded left colon, adherent across the anterior pelvis and to the right pelvic side wall'.

Here's a picture of the bowel being pushed against the wall of my pelvis by a revolting looking adhesion. Looks rather throttled – Renninson said it was causing what amounts to a kink in my bowel, plus it was stuck to the pelvic wall.

Here it is after the adhesion has been cut away. No wonder it hurt so much.

The rest of the report went so: "Normal peritoneum across rest of abdomen" [this is a GOOD thing!]. And this is the interesting bit: "Small bowel loop adherent to RIGHT pelvic side wall at the site of the Abnormality on the Scan. No peritoneal abnormality below adhesions." So the Abnormality was also caused by an adhesion! Ha!! And double ha!

This is that bit. The Suspicious Object.

So he divided all the adhesions, mobilised the bowel and freed the small loop from the right wall of my pelvis. Then he took a peritoneal biopsy from the site of the Abnormality. Which we shall hear about in a few weeks when I have my oncologists appointment.

Apparently I have dissolvable stitches and GLUE holding me together at the moment. Hmm. No-one actually told me when I can take the dressings off.

Interestingly, as I was leaving I was told by the ward nurse that I could have a shower as the dressings are waterproof. They don't look very waterproof to me, and as that same nurse told me I would bleed heavily for two weeks due to the blue dye they inserted into my uterus…well, I don't actually have much faith in her at all. I don't HAVE a uterus!

And good job I knew about the blue dye BEFORE I went in [thanks www] or I would have had a heart attack when I went to the toilet after the surgery. So today I managed a bath without getting my dressings wet, as I was covered in iodine and blood. Yuck! Too delirious to risk it last night, and it took ages as I was worried about falling unconscious in the water - but I feel much better now.

This same nurse was a right grump, and as I had been there longer than her, was more tired than her, had just had surgery and wanted some sensible answers, she's quite lucky I didn't batter her with a bedpan.

But at the end of the day, what a brilliant result. Once the biopsy confirms that it isn't cancer at all, then we will seriously celebrate.

I don't think I've ever been so stressed as the last few weeks. So glad THAT'S over. Now just to heal up and oh, Friday I have a mammogram! Hahaha – never ends…