The last week of recovery has been incredibly hard. Not only did I have to deal with the pain of the reabsorption of the blood in my abdomen, but – after – I had to deal with the pain of the blood that clotted up and decided to strike up a protest, a sit-in, on other, vital internal organs (like my rectum). Guys, there is no longer a sacred moment left during this journey, especially when your husband secretly stands outside of the bathroom so he can pick your passed-out body off the floor when you’re trying to go but the pain has you seeing bright white light.
There, I said it and I refuse to be ashamed.
Everybody poops, dang it.
Last week I had two follow up appointments at MCRM. Both were on time and both were informative. I got another prescription for pain meds and a good rah-rah about hanging in there, and then I went back again today because new, less bothersome but still pesky, symptoms have cropped up as I’ve become more and more active.
Today is the first day I’ve made it this far without some form of pain medication. It’s a sweet victory in my book, and one I’m proud of.
Dr. Ahlering wants to see me once a week for a few weeks, just to make sure progress is happening, and it’s nice to know they are invested in making sure I stay comfortable and completely prepared for a November transfer. That means I start birth control pills tomorrow, and I’m just about as excited to start them now as I was the first time I got on them (no matter the fact that I didn’t really need them, right?).
After my ultrasound and blood draw the doctor requested a urine sample, but – just my luck – I’d gone potty minutes before finding out. Anyway, that led to a few hours stay at MCRM on my Tuesday afternoon, but that’s truly why I wanted to write this post.
To the staff:
As an outsider, we don’t truly get to see what your day entails when we are whisked into our rooms and sent on our way. We suspect our coordinators and the doctors are real busy, but – sometimes – when panic or doubt creeps in and we want immediate reassurance, we question whether or not you guys are just hanging out in that real cool lunch room you have.
Today my questions of whether or not you were busy all day were clearly answered. Yes, you’re dang busy. My coordinator and her office-mate were constantly answering emails, re-organizing paperwork, taking calls, and grabbing their patients as they came in or left their appointments. Lindsay, my girl, didn’t even sit through her entire lunch and eat in peace. Not only was I there to keep her company (while refilling my bladder) but she was trying to keep her ship afloat, writing responses between bites, answering questions I threw at her on the fly.
I want you to know I now realize that place wouldn’t run without each of you. The ladies up front keeping track of who needs to go where, who is on what line, and who needs a follow up appointment (I know you do more but I don’t want to make this too lengthy). To the ladies in back who manage the tests all day, whether blood draws, semen or urine samples: your job is not glamorous, but it’s soooooooo necessary and I appreciate how much you try to make the stick of the needle comfortable. To marketing, patient specialists, financing, and everyone else whose job is totally difficult because of the constant demand at the office, I saw you, too.
The truth is, I don’t really know who all does what, because it was very clear you guys do your best to work as a team, picking up the slack when someone else is slammed. And I know you do that because you want to help each of us build the families we’ve been dreaming of.
So thank you.
Thank you for your countless stressful hours. Thank you for your warm smiles even when we’re having a rough day. We couldn’t chase what we want if you each didn’t show up and step up each day.
After today’s 2-hour observation, I know all of what I’ve said to be true.
PGS results are pouring in this week and I’m hopeful we’ll get our batch by Friday. This is a big, big moment in our journey, one that helps us truly solidify the next step. I’m keeping everyone who is waiting in my feel-goods and sending each of you the love and patience it takes to get through some (a lot) of this.
We’ve got this, definitely, but don’t forget that we wouldn’t be near this far without the team behind us. They have our backs even when we don’t realize it.
For previous episodes of, “Yeah ME, too” click here.
About Lindsay Fischer & Her Books
Lindsay Fischer was once a high school English teacher with dreams stretching far outside the classroom. Lindsay has faced numerous turmoils and pitfalls in her life and today’s revolve around the dream of becoming a loving mother. Lindsay’s two books, The House on Sunset and The Two Week Wait Challenge: A Sassy Girl’s Guide to Surviving the TWW both provide self-help advice for how others can battle through as has Lindsay.
]]>