What a roller-coaster ride this week has been.
It all started when my Mama said I should probably see an OB-Gyne for my tummy. She had myoma before and had her uterus removed along with it. I've actually noticed my stomach getting bigger but I was in denial, blaming my love for sugary treats and rice and telling myself I will just exercise more. Having my mom call me out on it was a wake-up call that I could not ignore it any longer, so I took half the day off work last Tuesday to go to my first OB-Gyne appointment since I turned 30.
Hello, St. Luke's Medical Center. We meet again.
Side note: since I was there already, I figured I should also have my moles checked by a dermatologist. Because when a stranger at the mall tells you to have your moles checked if you don't want to suffer the same fate as his wife did, you go and have your moles checked. Good news: my mole at my right shoulder is completely harmless while my mole on my right leg turns out to be not a mole but a skin nodule that can be removed topically.
Back to my OB-Gyne story. The doctor performed a Pap smear on me and also ordered me to have a trans-vaginal ultrasound. Yes, both procedures were as painful as they sounded. I was comforted by the fact that I didn't have to shell out more than P10,000 for the two lab tests and the doctor's consultation fee because they were covered by our company health card. Thank you, ARC PR.
One of my character flaws is that I think too much. As expected, I spent the next couple of days agonizing over the results and dreading the worst.
When Friday finally rolled around, I used my lunch-break to go back to St. Luke's for the results.
Good news, I don't have cancer. Bad news, I have myoma.
I have four of them.
Four nasty, needless, useless nuisances.
Two of them are quite large while the other two are smaller, but all of them are located inside the muscles of my uterus.
The doctor's recommendation is for me to have a Laparoscopic myomectomy, a minimally invasive procedure where the surgeon accesses and removes fibroids through several small abdominal incisions. But that would cost me upwards of P300,000(!!!) so it's not an option I can just choose anytime soon, aside from the fact I wouldn't really want any apparatus messing with my reproductive system before I'm ready to get pregnant and give birth.
Her other solution is to have a Caesarean section but personally that would be even worse because aside from injecting anesthesia on my spinal cord and cutting my abdomen open to get to my uterus (I get weak in the knees just typing that down), it would take me about two months to recover from the operation. It would also take longer before my body can recover enough to be able to get pregnant and give birth.
I cried in front of the doctor, cried in my Uber on the way back to the office, cried to my officemates, cried on the way home, cried to my Mom, and cried while messaging my boyfriend and close friends.
I was so scared that I won't be able to have a baby.
I mean, I'm not ready to have a baby
now but, you know, it's nice to know that I can when my partner and I decide we're ready.
I was so scared and worried and my tears wouldn't stop coming.
It was exhausting.
My boyfriend maintained a clear and rational head through all this and proposed that we see his aunt who's also an OB-Gyne for a second opinion.
Our Saturday, usually spent on a movie- or shopping-date, was spent falling in line at the hospital, waiting for our turn so her aunt doctor can see me.
After checking my lab results and asking me the necessary questions for her diagnosis, she asked that my boyfriend go in before she discuss my condition and her recommendations since she said he will just bug her about it. It was sweet. :)
Dr. Mangubat was able to clearly explain everything to us and patiently answered all our questions about my condition. She explained that a woman may develop myoma not necessarily because of her diet nor her lifestyle; it's just something that decides to pop up without any known specific causes. The good thing is I was able to have it detected early. The best part? She assured me I can still have a baby.
She enumerated all options available for me given my current state. It was a complete relief to hear her say I didn't need to have any apparatus anywhere near my uterus as she doesn't see the need to operate on me, seeing as how I don't suffer the other symptoms that require immediate surgery. What a complete joy to breathe a sigh of relief after holding my breath the rest of the week.
I'll start medication when my next cycle starts, and I'm crossing my fingers and praying to God that all goes well.
I need to stop eating a lot of my favorite foods (like
ube, dried fruits, and soya, among
others) but that's a minor inconvenience I'm willing to go through if it means it can help shrink these four nuisances.
My enemy now is the
TRO against birth control in the Philippines, but I guess we'll cross the bridge when we get there.
Through all these, I am thankful for my family and friends and my boyfriend and his family. What are the odds that I would have this condition
and then have a boyfriend whose aunt can help? We are connected by an invisible thread, and I am so thankful this intangible string of fate led us to where we were supposed to be.
I can enumerate the many instances that prove we were destined to meet, but that's another story for another day. In the meantime, I hope you can pray with me for my quick recovery. I also hope you can sign
this petition to lift the TRO. I am looking forward to getting better and healthier and, God willing, being a great Mom to my future kid/s. Thank you for reading. ♥
