For the record, Tuesday was the first day I didn't take any ibuprofen.
My left incision continues to be the limiting factor of my recovery. The bruise is huge so I know it will take time to go away. The colors seem to be changing from dark purple to light purple and green, so I think that's a good sign. When I walk, it's that left incision that causes discomfort and makes me walk slower and a bit hunched over, with my left hand supporting the incision area.
All that's fine, but last night I noticed a small, firm lump at the left incision site. I don't know if it was something new, or if I had previously assumed it was just part of the bruise-related swelling, but last night it felt separate from the bruise.
First thing this morning I called the GYN surgeon's office and described both the bruise and the bump. The same nurse who called me last week gave me a call back. She said because it's Friday and we're going into the weekend, it would probably be good to "get eyes on it", so she scheduled me in for an appointment later this morning. I was so thankful and relieved because I definitely wanted someone to look at the bruise and feel the lump. Also, luckily, the doctor happened to be in the office today, so the nurse said the doctor could even take a look herself.
After checking in, I met the nurse, who was just as friendly in person and really had a vibe of wanting to help. There was also a second nurse, who I assume was a student. The friendly nurse had me lie down on the examining table, and she looked at the bruise and bump. Most surprisingly, she also commented on "this other bruise" on my pubic bone. (Sorry for the TMI.) I had not even noticed this bruise! I couldn't tell them when it appeared. It doesn't hurt, and I guess I just didn't look down there.
She asked me a lot of questions to make sure there were no other complications, and then she left to get the doctor.
The most important thing is that the doctor used the words "not worried". I'm a big worry-wart, so I latched onto those words for reassurance.
While the doctor was examining the bruise and feeling the bump, the nurse removed the Steri-Strips on both the left and right incisions. (The bellybutton only had the dressing that I removed before showering on Saturday, no Steri-Strips.)
First, the doctor said that she's not surprised that the left incision area is bruised because that incision was bigger (about 1 cm instead of 0.5 cm), and it sounded like that side took more of a beating. (My words, not hers.) She did seem surprised that the bruise was so large; end-to-end it's about as long as my hand.
She was perplexed about the bruise on the pubic bone, though. She said no part of the surgery extended down that far, so she didn't know why that area would get bruised. She speculated that maybe some internal blood flowed from the big bruise downward, but there was no other bruising in between that might have supported that theory. The nurse used a skin marker to outline the edge of this bruise. I should keep an eye on it, and call the office again if it gets bigger.
The doctor asked if I bruise easily, and I said I don't know, but maybe, because I do remember bruising when I got a biopsy, and it's not frequent, but also not unusual, for me to bruise up when I get my blood drawn. She guessed that maybe if I bruise easily, even the smallest trauma could cause one. In any case, there's not much that can be done about the bruises, just let them heal on their own, which can take a couple weeks.
Regarding the lump, the doctor seemed very confident that it's scar tissue. She said it may take a couple months to go away, though many sites online suggest scar tissue might never go away. I asked if I should massage the site, and she said it can help, but it's not something I should do until later, after the incision is fully healed.
They also advised me to ice the left incision, I think to help reduce the swelling. For the same reason, the student nurse suggested I start taking ibuprofen again; even if I don't need it for pain, it's also an anti-inflammatory drug, so it can help reduce the swelling around the bruise.
At this point, it seemed like the next course of action is just to monitor the bump and bruises, and call back if they seem to be getting worse, like if they become bigger or more painful, or if I get any signs of infection, like a fever. I said I might be taking a trip this summer, and I'm worried that I'll be out of the state when something goes terribly wrong. This is when the doctor said she's "not worried", and said recovery will just take some time.
The two nurses said I just need to be patient and let my body heal. I should listen to my body and not overdo it. It's frustrating because of the "laparoscopic surgery is easy" narrative, but my nurse pointed out that it's still surgery, so I should keep in mind 6-8 weeks as the full, back-to-normal recovery timeframe.
No comments:
Post a Comment