LOL & LOL

[Guest guest]

Ahoy, Listmates!

In recent days (I'm now about 7 weeks post-myo) I've been dedicating a

disproportionate amount of my time to. . . " LOL " ( " Life Outside List " )-- and

not ANY time at all-- to the MUCH more important " LOL " ( " Ladies of the

List " )!!!!!

But......I have seen the error of my ways! I intend to make every effort to

correct my unhealthy lifestyle imbalance!

Returning to work, to exercising and even to going back to my little

volunteer job on weekends in the past few weeks..... speaks well for my

myomectomy recovery, doesn't it?

But this " getting -my- life- back -after- surgery " thing--well, it really

cuts into my NUFF list time. Damn!!!!!!!

I'm thinkin' I might just have to go on sabbatical or request a hiatus

now.... in order to keep up with the list! Ha!!!! I'm sure that particular

request for " time off " will go over really big--right after having had 7

weeks off -- convalescing!

Overall, I am doing well. However, I find that I have somewhat of an energy

crisis. I have a finite amount of physical and mental energy each day, and

after that, I'm just.....totally zonked.

I still need to build up my stamina--mentally AND physically.

Good news on the fitness front. I'm a former competitive swimmer, and

swimming remains one of my chief forms of exercise. As soon as I hit the six

week point post-myo, I was back in the pool. And happy as a clam, er...a

fish....whatever..

Glad to say, after my six or so weeks off, I have had no problems getting

back doing all strokes. No sense of pulling around the incision area. No

pain or achey sensation while swimming.

Except for one thing......the endurance problem---I don't have much.

Secondly, under normal circumstances, I can still do a mean butterfly stroke,

even at the ripe old age of 46! And yes, just to show off, I just had to

try doing a lap or so of the very rigorous butterfly..... my very first day

back in the pool...........well, ladies........fahgetaboutit!!!!!! No ab

strength! Uchhh! A disaster!

Oh, well....something for me to work on in the weeks to come!! How much time

do I have before the next Olympic trials? Didn't Mark Spitz attempt a

comeback in his 40's?!!!!!

Then--after my pool work-out, I had a nice little " NUFF-like Women Bonding

Session " in the locker room. A fellow lap-swimming woman greeted me, while

we were both shampooing our hair under the showers. As a pool " regular " ,

like me, she had noticed my extended absence, and asked me where I'd been

for so long. I told her about my myomectomy.

Fact is, I'd been DYING to approach this woman about the subject of uterine

fibroids for the longest time. You see, she is in her late 40's, somewhat

overweight, yes...but with a belly that clearly is about the size of a

9-month pregnancy--or even larger. She ain't pregnant. I just KNEW this

woman had fibroids. Who on this list wouldn't know? But how do you broach the

subject with a fellow fibroidian? Well, the opportunity finally presented

itself when I returned to the pool from having my myo.

I just spoke, with no inhibitions, about my own surgery, about my uterine

fibroids. I could see her jaw drop, her mouth open, her eyes widen.

" I can't believe you're telling me this! This is an answer from God! "

Wow.

A very long discussion ensued during which time I learned this woman had been

under the care one of my former G.O.Ds (Gyno of Doom). The great thing about

this woman, is, even in her basic ignorance about fibroids, she's really

feisty. She had no problem talking back (EMPHATICALLY) to this G.O.D. who

has told her for years, hysterectomy was the only answer for fibroids. She

simply said " NO! " And even said: " Doctor, if you have nothing more to propose

besides hysterectomy, the subject of my uterus is hereby closed! "

Good for her!!!

Interestingly, this woman has a HUGE, a truly gigantic belly, but no other

symptoms!!!!.....Her worst complaint is finding clothes that fit, and having

to answer strangers comments about her " pregnancy. "

She does, however also have diabetes.

Anyway, I told her about this very list, but, unfortunately, she's not

computer literate, or didn't seem interested in an on-line support group.

Not missing a beat, I then suggested she get a copy of Carla's book. Very

funny scene in the locker room where a number of naked women, showering

women, towel-wrapped women, terry-turbaned women were swarming around.....

I didn't have any paper, so I yelled over the roar of hair dryers and

showers: " Get yourself a copy of the book, SEX, LIES AND UTERINE

FIBROIDS!!! "

" Oh, Good! That's easy to remember; " SEX, LIES AND...uhhh ...wwhhhhat? " she

asked.

" . . . UTERINE FIBROIDS " I yelled louder, my voice reverberating throughout

the entire locker room, and probably throughout the whole facility.

" NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE BOOK " SEX, LIES AND RABBIS " (which is another

ACTUAL similarly titled book!!) I added, trying to be a wisenheimer--but not

being funny to anyone but myself.

" HUH????!! WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT THE RABBIS? "

This woman didn't even bother to dry her hair, she was so excited to have

this information about Carla's book.

She just dashed out, wet hair and all--I suspect she went to a book store or

library-- repeating the name of Carla's book to herself--like a mantra.

" SEX, LIES, AND UTERINE FIBROIDS!!!! " " SEX, LIES, AND UTERINE FIBROIDS!!!! "

Yelling as loudly as we both were, another lap-swimming " regular " heard us

and jumped into the fibroidal discussion. This new participant in the

conversation is a retired nurse! This woman had a lot of other " gg-esque "

qualities " (even has two sons, one of whom is disabled!) Like gg, she had a

lot of interesting gyno stories, from a nurse's perspective. We spent a lot

of time talking about what really happens in the OR.....

We even got to the point that we were actually comparing " battle scars! "

Turns out this woman has a vertical scar.... from of all things........a

tubal ligation. This was clearly pre-laparoscopic days.

As I was about to leave-- what a coincidence--- in walks yet another swimming

" regular " woman who had been away from the pool for a while.

" Where have you been for so long? " I heard one of the woman ask the new

arrival to the locker room

" Ahhhh, I was with my Mom. . . . who had to have a hysterectomy--for uterine

cancer! "

Needless to say, I soooo wanted to stay and hear the full story (My CME, you

know, Continuing Medical Education!), but it will have to wait. Until my next

swimming session when I reunite with our newly formed support group for " Pool

People's Pelvic Problems "

Carpe Diem!

Seizing the Day, seizing the opportunity to talk about fibroids, and seizing

as much sleep as I can these days,

Roma, returning....