I’ve been under the radar in July, and I’m ready to talk about it.
On June 25 I had a hysterectomy. Just as I feel compelled to share my childfree journey story with other women, this is another chapter I feel compelled to share.
Like many women in their forties, I suffered from fibroids. Every month I dreaded the week of my period because the bleeding was so heavy and often unpredictable. I had shared this with my general practitioner, but it was my hormone care providers (thank you, Solutions!) that finally ordered a transvaginal ultrasound to reveal fibroids. My mother also had them and I watched her suffer through her forties and fifties to the point where she had to have an emergency D&C at one point, needing a blood transfusion because of the severity of blood loss.
I was fortunate to get a consultation with an amazing female physician, Dr. Jennifer Fuson, who gave me multiple options, including an ablation and an IUD. Without hesitation, I opted for the hysterectomy. Yes, the finality of it all did trigger some past grief of never carrying a child, but I have known for a long time now that that is what the universe meant for me, and I was ready to move forward.
I am now six weeks post op and doing incredibly well. A few things I did before surgery that I made time to do:
The day before I had my surgery, I took a self-care day. I intentionally chose to be around people and do things that I knew would feed my soul and get me mentally prepared. And it worked! Here are a few things I did!:
- That morning, I did an infrared sauna. While I was in the sauna, I wrote a letter to my uterus. Yes, I named her Eunice. For so long, I hated on her. As I share in my childfree story, there were years we tried to get pregnant, and it just didn’t happen. Looking back, though, Eunice knew what she was doing. Writing a love letter to her was so healing for me. I wanted her to leave my body feeling loved.
- I took a private Pilates class at my Pilates studio (my 3rd place!) and stretched myself out. This helped me go into surgery feeling physically relaxed and aware of proper breathing.
- I had a blowout with my gal Kacey so that I could feel a little extra princess-ish in bed as I recovered. She also put in some fun hot pink feathers in my hair, too, because why not?
Recovery has not been easy, simply because the energy that I’m used to having wasn’t there, but I was prepared. What surprised me most was how clearly my body spoke up. Things I normally love, things that usually light me up, I found myself with zero desire to do them. No energy at all. My body was telling me no. A big fat no. Not a quiet no, a badass assertive one. And for once, I listened.
I’ve used this time to reflect. I’ve allowed my friends to care for me, to bring food, to send cards, to do all the things. I have a different perspective on energy now, and I will explore that even more (perhaps in a future blog post), because energy doesn’t mean “do, do, do.” It means choose where you give your energy to what it best serves you and others in the best way possible for you and for the world with you in it.
I have stood on stages and told rooms full of women that self-care is not a luxury; it’s a strategy. I have said it in workshops, I have said it in coaching sessions, I have said it so many times it almost became a tagline! And it is now my truth.
This recovery is what drove self-care home for me in a way no stage ever could. When your body forces you to stop, you learn quickly what was strategy and what was just noise. I’m grateful for modern medicine, an excellent surgical team, wonderful friends (literally THE BEST), and healing.
I’m also grateful that I have been realizing there is no such thing as too much self care. What a concept!
What are you doing to care for yourself today? You don’t have to be preparing for a surgery to love on yourself. Remember, self-care is a strategy, not a luxury.
Two days before my surgery, I thought David and I were going on a hot date. Little did I know he was scheming with my best friends. They threw a surprise goodbye party for Eunice. It was important to them to let me know how much they were on this journey with me. And the decor was so incredibly beautiful! Look at this fun cake! I felt so incredibly loved. It is my true wish for every woman to have friends as I have.s in St. Lucia was the Pitons!