Health Update: Post Procedure

My procedure was on Friday morning, so I thought I would post a quick update about how everything went! As y’all know, I had been feeling pretty down about all the pain I had been experiencing, so I didn’t even care that I had to wake up at 4 a.m. Everything in pre-op went really well, except that my chart randomly said I had a hysterectomy, which was super unpleasant. Thankfully, my nurse was able to get it fixed for me!

The actual procedure was super quick. All the preparations actually took much longer than the procedure itself. I woke up feeling wonderful. Seriously, Propofol is so much better than general anesthesia (when I told Chris that, he was quick to remind me that was the drug that killed Michael Jackson). I started feeling nauseous about an hour after the procedure but felt much better after a short nap.

The best part was that I instantly felt no pain after the procedure. It has been like night and day, y’all, and I have been elated. It’s the first time I haven’t experienced some kind of pain since February. On Saturday morning, I was invited to a friend’s birthday celebration at Top Golf. I was planning on going as long as I got over the effects from anesthesia, but I didn’t think I could actually play. I woke up feeling amazing, and I could swing a golf club! Not well, mind you, but I was able to play. I can’t even begin to describe how great it felt this weekend to do things I haven’t been able to do for months. I played Top Golf, spent hours at a park with friends, and made it to a church service.

What’s next?
I’m obviously not out of the woods yet. The plan right now is to have a renal scan (to check if my kidneys are functioning correctly) in a month and go from there. I am also meeting with an endometriosis specialist in October to come up with a better treatment plan.

Unless something crazy happens, I am planning for this to be my last major health update post. Thank you so much for all of your support, ladies! It truly means so much to me.

Lake Michigan Circle Tour: Arcadia Inspiration Point Scenic Overlook

One of my favorite things about road trips is all the little stops you can make on the way to your destination. Inspiration Point was one of the shortest stops we made as we drove from Grand Haven to Traverse City, but it’s memorable because of the stunning views of Lake Michigan.

Inspiration Point is the highest point on the west shore of Lake Michigan, so you can really see the beauty of the lake and the surrounding scenery. I loved that the overlook had a deck with a staircase, so I could get the best view possible.

Isn’t the color of the water just amazing? Even though we spent a full year in Chicago, I never got over how gorgeous the lake is.

I could have stood at Inspiration Point and admired it all day, but Chris was quick to remind me there was so much more left on our itinerary. Still, I’m so glad we were able to enjoy this gorgeous overlook!

Catch up on our Lake Michigan Circle Tour Road Trip:

Quick Thoughts

Seven-Day Itinerary from Chicago
South Haven Lighthouse
Big Red Lighthouse
Grand Haven, Michigan Food Adventures
Grand Haven Lighthouse and Boardwalk
Hiking to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Big Sable Point Lighthouse

It’s Procedure Day

Hey, friends! The day of my procedure is finally here, and I’m thrilled. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this everything has gone well, and I’m recovering. My procedure is set for 7 a.m., and I have to be there at 5 a.m.

I’m going to be honest with y’all: I’m going into the procedure a little disheartened. I was so hopeful before my surgery that once I had it, I could move forward, but now I’m having the worst pain I’ve ever had in my life. I have barely been able to work, and blogging has been hard. I’m exhausted all the time from dealing with the pain, especially this week when I am not allowed to take Advil for a week before a surgical procedure.

Don’t get me wrong. I still believe everything will be OK, and that someday this will all be a distant memory. It’s just hard when I thought that someday would be now. This is probably the most “Debbie Downer” post I’ve ever written, and I feel guilty about that since I’m always talking about positivity, but sometimes being positive is just plain hard. Hopefully I will be singing a different tune in a few days!

PS-I haven’t been able to respond to all of your wonderful comments, but I promise I appreciate them! I will work on responding as soon as I’m recovered from anesthesia.

Let’s Have a Coffee Date (Vol.2)

I have so many random things I want to share with y’all, so I figured it’s time for another coffee date. Let’s grab a cup of coffee (or a fruity tea because that’s what I’ve been drinking lately) and chat!

If we were having coffee together, I would tell you I am so excited Christopher’s vacation got approved. I don’t think either one of us has needed a vacation so badly in our lives. That includes last year during intern year. We are planning on doing a road trip to Nashville, Gatlinburg, and Asheville in October, and I seriously can’t wait.

I would tell you I am so ready for all things fall! I can’t stop browsing fall fashion online, and Texas weather has been teasing us with slightly cooler temperatures lately. It’s crazy that the first weekend of the State Fair of Texas is less than a month away!

I would mention that it’s been so strange (but wonderful) to have Christopher home more often these last few months. He comes home earlier than intern year, has no nights, and doesn’t have to work weekends until the beginning of October. His program eases them into nights and weekends (and his second and third year of radiology residency are known as extremely hard years with at least two months of nights each), and it has been nice to feel like a “normal” couple and go out on double dates on the weekends. He does have to study for two to three hours every night, but I don’t mind because it gives me time to blog!

I would hate to complain, but if you asked how I was doing, I would share it’s frustrating that my current pain is worse than what I felt before I had surgery. I seriously can’t wait until Friday and really hope the pain will go away once the stent is out.

I would ask if you play fantasy football and tell you I’m in two leagues this year: one with 20 teams, and one with 10 teams. I am drafting for both this week and am excited for this season to get started.

I would tell you I have had a great reading month in August and am so excited to share my latest reads blog post soon. Of course, I would also ask if you’ve read any good books lately because I love adding more reads to my list.

I'm also super glad this is a virtual coffee date because I went to get my hair cut on Tuesday, and it's the worst haircut I've ever gotten in my life. Let's just say the front is almost two inches longer than the back. I made an appointment at another salon to get it fixed, so I guess I will be wearing my hair in a ponytail until Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Now it’s your turn! What would you tell me?

The Best Weekend I’ve Had in a Long Time

It’s crazy to me that I’m writing a post about the best weekend I’ve had in a long time when everything we did almost didn’t happen. On Friday night I had some of the worst pain I’ve endured throughout this whole experience. I basically did not sleep. If our plans didn’t involve tickets purchased in advance, I probably would have cancelled, but I am so glad I didn’t.

My in-laws called us last week asking if we wanted to go to A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with them. Chris and I had never heard of the musical, but it looked funny, so we were eager to go. It was one of the funniest musicals I’ve ever seen. The plot was quirky but hilarious, and it’s been quite a while since I’ve laughed out loud that much. Plus, it was at the Winspear Opera House, which is one of my favorite venues in Dallas.

After the show, two of my childhood Russian friends came over. One of them doesn’t live in Texas, so it was great to catch up. Plus, they brought Sprinkles cupcakes, which I will never turn down!

On Sunday, Chris and I went out for sushi with our best friend from college, who moved to a Dallas suburb while we were living in Chicago. Chris and I love going out for sushi together but haven’t been able to go since we moved back to Texas. It was so fun to find out the latest news from him and to eat some delicious sushi.

One of the things I’ve learned throughout the last few months is sometimes, it’s better to power through. I used to be quick to cancel plans if I wasn’t feeling well, but if I did that these days, I would never go anywhere. There have been times when I’ve pushed myself over my limit, but even those times have been worth it. I can’t wait until Friday when I will hopefully get even more pain relief and won’t have to agree to plans when I’m in pain!

Linking up with Biana for Weekending