Good News & Thank Yous!

Before I say anything else : thank you, thank you, thank you for your prayers and well-wishes!

The surgery went as well as I ever could have hoped for! I have finally 'officially' been diagnosed with endometriosis (might sound kind of weird to be excited about that, but it's great to finally have a definite answer) and the adhesions that they found were all removed. Great news! My doctor also said that due to the location of the adhesions, none of my other organs appear to be negatively affected yet. Amazing news! We are thrilled with both of these outcomes and I'm convinced it was the prayers, good vibes, and positivity from all the amazing people around me. Including those of you who follow along here! Thank you!

So, now what happens?

Thrilled as I was to have finally been properly diagnosed, the problem with endometriosis is that there isn't a cure. 

Removing the adhesions is a temporary solution, but my body will continue to create that tissue and endometriosis will continue to grow outside of my uterus. We also don't know if the adhesions were the cause of my pain, so we'll just have to wait for a few months and see if my pain is improving. Some women end up getting laparoscopies every few years to have their endometriosis continually removed.

According to my doctor, some women come in to the hospital with extreme pain and only one tiny speck of endometriosis. Other times, women come in to have a totally unrelated procedure, and once they're opened up, doctor's find a mess of endometriosis everywhere, but the woman had never felt any symptoms. That's part of this that I don't really understand. But I'm feeling optimistic about everything and hoping to be able to slow the growth of the endo by continuing to eat gluten-free, amping up my health in general, and starting the hormones that they'll be giving me in a few more weeks once I heal.

In a nutshell, the surgery was a success. Everything we could have wanted from the surgery, we got.
Now, it's just waiting and trying things out again. But at least now I have a clean slate and we know exactly what's wrong. No more guessing! It's an immense relief.

Currently, just focusing on recovering.

I've had my wonderful mom taking care of me, that sweet boyfriend of mine doting on me, and my cute little pup, Toby, has been pretty protective too. Every day, I get less crampy and sore. Today is the first day that it hasn't hurt to laugh, which greatly widens my TV program selection. (I didn't realize how many comedies I watch until it hurt to laugh)

The night before my surgery, I was surprised with this gorgeous quilt. Apparently, a local church heard about my situation and they have a ministry that makes these prayer-quilts, so they created one for me! My mom then brought the quilt to the pre-school that I work at, so my coworkers and some of my students could tie knots on it. When a knot is tied, a prayer is said. So every knot is a reminder that I'm "covered in prayer." Such a beautiful idea! I brought it to the hospital and it provided an amazing sense of comfort. It's so thoughtful and super special to me. I love it!

In other news, my dad actually ended up needing surgery this week too. (Prayers for my dear mother : Our nurse and caretaker, extraordinaire) He had two ruptured disks in his back. So he and I have big plans to hobble around and practice walking together haha. Oh boy.. Life sure is exciting over here at the O'Connell home.

I could say (and will continue to say) thank you a thousand times for the incredible encouragement that you've all given me. After the surgery, my mom was reading me all the kind words from people on Facebook and here on the blog. It was the first thing I heard when I woke up and it just started me off on the complete right foot for recovery. I'm feeling optimistic for the future, proud of my scars and what I've gotten through so far, and thankful beyond belief for this beautiful life I've got. 

It feels so good to start fresh.