I was lying in the hospital bed when the nurse gave me a concerned look and hesitantly asked, “Umm, did you have a chipped tooth before you went into surgery?”
I should have played it up a little, but with the intense back pain I was experiencing, I could barely focus. “Yes, I did,” I replied. (I’ve had this chipped front tooth since I was ten years old.)
The pain medication wasn’t helping much. After my gallbladder surgery, they moved me to another area to be monitored. The pain was so overwhelming that they offered to keep me overnight, but all I wanted was to be in the comfort of my own home and my own bed.
Once home, I followed everything I had researched about post-surgery recovery. I made sure to get up and walk around periodically, propped myself up with pillows, and implemented every tip and trick I had learned. I took things slow, carefully easing my digestion with bone broth and applesauce in the beginning.
Despite my best efforts, anxiety crept in. The relentless back pain made me fear it would be permanent. The thought of another potential surgery weighed heavily on me, amplifying my regret. Every negative story I had read, every warning from people who told me not to go through with the surgery, played over and over in my mind, pulling me into a dark hole of fear. But, thank God, after three days of nonstop pain, it finally eased. The relief was indescribable.
Recovery took time. My doctor mentioned it could take up to a year for my body to fully heal internally. Slowly, I reintroduced foods, making sure to take digestive enzymes to support my body in the absence of my gallbladder.
Unfortunately, my endometriosis has flared up again. The issue that had been resolved after my first endometriosis surgery has returned. I had hoped that removing my gallbladder might alleviate some of my symptoms, but it hasn’t. My physiotherapist recommended visceral massage to help with the endometriosis side of things. This specialized technique focuses on massaging the organs and can help break up scar tissue, improve digestion, enhance blood flow, and provide many other healing benefits.
On top of that, I attended a virtual endometriosis conference, which was both eye-opening and informative. The more I learned, the more I realized that endometriosis is an even bigger monster than I had ever imagined. But with knowledge comes power, and I am determined to continue finding ways to manage my health and navigate this journey.
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