Appointment with surgeon tomorrow

[OldFatChick]

I was in the hospital a couple of weeks ago for uncontrollable nausea and vomiting.  To make a long story short, they did a couple of CT Scans and found a hiatal hernia (I already knew about it because of another issue I had with my esophagus), sludge in my gallbladder and a 4 CM cyst on my left ovary.  What are the odds of getting the surgeon to take care of all three problems at once?  I cannot afford to take off work three times for three separate surgeries, and if I can get it all done at the same time it seems like one recovery beats three. I also have undifferentiated connective tissue disease, Sjogren's Syndrome and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, so I have plenty of medical issues to deal with, already.

[OldFatChick]

I am so sorry to hear about your job.  That bites!  I have been told by the owners that I will have a job there until I die or can no longer work. It helps that we were acquainted through the boss's archery club before I went to work for them.  I am the webmaster for the shop and the archery club, I am the membership director for the archery club, as well. I am also basically the club secretary, because I purchase he targets, coordinate with the parks department for repairs and maintenance of the range, as well as handle requests for info from prospective members.  When I was out for a week, boss's wife told me he was sitting on the sofa with his head in his hands wondering what he was going to do without me. They know exactly what they are in store for with little miss airhead. I just dread coming back to face the disaster that will take place in my absence.

[MarieMichele]

I also had a crzy busy job and no time to prep people for my absence. In fact, when then board of directors mandated budget cuts, I was laid off 4 weeks after returning from medical leave. They managed without me. Focus more on YOU because the reality is that employers don't give a damn.  I am still out of work 11 months later.

[OldFatChick]

I'm having surgery on the 25th.  I wish I had scheduled it it sooner, now I have all this time to think about it.  The flip side of that is I have time to teach the people at work how to manage my job while I am out.  NOT looking forward to what I'll find after 4-8 weeks of being gone.  Sigh. The other girl in our office is 23, single, a full time student and can't manage to get to work on time more than twice a week.  She spends most of her time at work between myspace, online shopping and studying and homework.  We have been really slow for the last year, but in the last two weeks our workload has increased tenfold.  The purchase orders are flooding in like a freaking tidal wave and I can barely keep up with it all, myself and I've been doing it for 8 years. I have no doubts that the office will be a disaster zone when I get back.  I'm trying to get as much done as I can before I leave, but the way those orders are coming, in someone is going to have to be on top of scheduling.  It has been me for many years now and I have been doing virtually all of the purchasing for about 6 years, as well.  I am also the IT department, customer service, webmaster and facilities management. The boss is freaking out, not only because of the time I'll be gone, but he's terrified something is going to happen and I won't ever be back.  It's a little funny, to tell the truth, because when we were so slow last year they were constantly asking me to justify the 24 hours a week I was working and the pay rate I was getting. (Which they set, by the way.)

Well, just look at me running on and on.  I guess I'm a little stressed.  OK, I'm done for now.

[MarieMichele]

When is your surgery date?  I'll make a point to send up some prayers for you.  That is a lot of work, but it is best to have it all done at once.  I am thinking you will need 8 weeks off now.

[TrudieC]

Will be thinking about you.  Do let us know how you're doing once you're able.  

[OldFatChick]

I went to see the gyno yesterday who is doing the ovary portion of the surgery.  He wants to take both ovaries, just to be on the safe side.  They are now talking about an incision from my breast bone to below my navel.  I'm thinking that cannot be fun. The nurses were floored by all of the problems I am having at the same time.  And that is just the surgical part.  Once I tell them about the auto-immune part they get bug-eyed, lol.  I tell them I am trying to hog all the diseases myself to keep anyone else from getting any.  They are truly amazed that I have retained my sense of humor.  I tell them it is the one thing they can surgically remove. With this surgery, my missing organ count is:

Appendix
Uterus
Gallbladder
Two ovaries

Plus part of my hip bone (actually that one is not missing, it relocated to my neck).  

I tried to talk OB/GYN into doing a horizontal cut and throwing in a tummy tuck, but I don't think he's going for it.  I explained to him that I am keeping several doctors in new cars and I should get SOMETHING out of all this. Didn't do anything except make him laugh.  He did say it sounded like a good plan, so I'm still hoping, lol.  I hope this marathon surgery event will keep me out of emergency rooms and hospitals for a while. I am tired of doctors. I am tired of doctors' bills. You would think I could get a volume discount, right?

I don't know what they are going to do at work while I am out. OB/GYN said probably 4-6 weeks, depending on how big an incision they have to make.  The boss is freaking out over the two week time frame I already warned him about.  I don't know how to tell him 4-6 weeks.  He'll have a stroke! OB/GYN says he's going to attempt to cut the ovaries loose laparoscopically, and then fish them out through the big incision.  I was ok with that until he started talking about the possibility of nicking my intestines or my bladder.  I told him anything they mess up they have to fix for free. That ought to make them careful, lol.

[OldFatChick]

Yikes!!!  I cannot afford to be off work for 6 weeks! Not good.  Now I am really worried. I do not get sick days.  I already lost one week of work when I was in the hospital before. Crap!

[TrudieC]

I had a vertical incision like yours and was off work 6 weeks.  At 4 weeks I felt much better but still had a lot of fatigue after that.  I can't imagine going back to work at 2 weeks.  I wasn't even allowed to drive for 4 weeks.

[MarieMichele]

Only 2 weeks with that type of incision?  I think it may be necessary to freak out your boss even more.  This generally requires a minimum recovery of 6 weeks.

[OldFatChick]

The general surgeon is going to do the hiatal hernia repair and the gyno is going to remove the ovarian cyst.  The surgeries are scheduled for March 25th.  I saw the surgeon today and he agreed that doing it all at once was a good idea. They aren't doing laparoscopic surgery, it is going to be a vertical incision 4-5 inches long on my upper abdomen.  I will see the gyno tomorrow and will find out then whether he'll use the same incision.  I kind of doubt he will as they are not geographically near each other, lol.  But at least it will be all over with at once.  Surgeon is saying 3-5 days in the hospital and two weeks off work. My boss is going to freak.  I was just off a week when all this flared up a couple of weeks ago. He about had a stroke worrying what he was going to do without me there. I imagine he is really going to go nuts this time.  We have been slow for the last year and everything is just starting to kick into high gear again.  

[TrudieC]

I think you could have a good chance and perhaps your rheumatologist could help to bring it all together for you or at least provide strong support for it.  Surgery will likely wreak havoc on your auto-immune issues so one surgery is definitely best for you.  I had a general surgeon in along with my gyn for my surgery due to my previous bowel issues and surgeries.