For those who aren't squeamish...

Last Wednesday I had my long-awaited surgery to figure out what the heck is wrong with my girly-parts (uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes). The doctor had treated me for PID and thought I had endometriosis. Well we did a laparoscopy and found out I don't have endometriosis, but I had about 30 cysts on my ovaries. Apparently I have PCOS, which is an endocrine disorder, and one of the side effects is that I don't ovulate, which makes my eggs become cysts (some of you will remember that it was a total freak ovulation that got me pregnant with Peyton). They had no idea I had this because about 95% of women with PCOS are overweight, which makes PCOS manifest itself. I have a rarer type of it, which I am actually grateful for. I'm also grateful to finally know what it is that has been affecting me so badly for the past 22 months. It feels so good to finally have some answers. As far as treating it goes, you can only treat the symptoms- most of which I don't have. I have to do some blood work to find out if I'm insulin resistant (another symptom- it will eventually cause Diabetes). If I am we'll treat that with medication, if not I just need to be tested about every 3 years to make sure it doesn't ever develop. The other symptom we'll be treating are the cysts, which means we'll have to get me ovulating. Eventually after I have baby #2 (not any time in the immediate future) I will have to go on estrogen withdrawal treatments so that I won't have as bad of symptoms as I had this time. My doctor also had to cut out some of my vaginal tissue by my episiotomy and re-stitch me, as my old doctor sewed me up in such a way that my tissue was bunching, and causing me serious pain. So I have 3 incisions on my belly and another episiotomy. I'm in pain from the laporoscopy and bleeding from the D&C. I had all the trauma of a c-section and vaginal delivery without a baby to show for it. I feel totally gypped! Besides all that, my recovery is going well. The side effects from the anesthesia and CO2 were the worst part of the whole thing, and those went away within a few days (grogginess, headache, gas pains in my shoulders, nausea, sore throat from intubation). I was so lucky to have my supportive network of family and friends who brought me dinners and watched Peyton for me when I was out of it. My mom was able to come out 5 days after my surgery, and she was a big help too. Plus I had a blast with her. Now I just am very sore, and my episiotomy hurts really bad, but besides that I'm doing very well. All things considered, I've had a great recovery, and I'm so lucky to have a helpful husband and a sweet little girl who has been on her best behavior for me. She likes kissing my stitches on my tummy better. She tells me (and anyone else who is around when she remembers that I have stitches) "mommy owies" and she will get my heating pad for me if I ask her to. Any time I have it she will hug on me or sit on my lap and say "mommy hot". It's really cute. A big thanks to everyone who helped me out while I was an invalid!!