A Personal Note

If we’re connected on Facebook, you may have already read the following. However, since I’ve been little absent these past couple of weeks, I wanted to share something that I’ve recently been going through now that I’m mostly on the other side of it. Two weeks ago tomorrow I had a total hysterectomy/oopherectomy/salpingectomy – which basically means they removed almost all the lady bits down under. I’ve never had any problems in those areas until the beginning of the summer and after various tests and procedures, it was determined I had a lot of pre-cancerous cells that were on the verge of becoming something really serious. As in, 25% of cases similar to mine progress to uterine cancer. So, out it all went. I didn’t share it as I was going through it because it’s such a personal area. However, I’ve spoken with a lot of friends and even strangers about their personal experiences, or of someone they knew, and every single woman I spoke with had positive things to say about the process and their outcomes – which made me feel so much better going into it. As someone who has been incredibly lucky health wise, I had no idea what to expect from a major surgical procedure and while I can’t say I enjoyed coming out of anesthesia (there was moaning, holding of my breath while fearing I would suffocate) the recovery has been much, much easier than I thought it might be.

The surgery was done laparoscopically which has made a world of difference in the recovery time. Rather than the usual estimated 4-6 weeks, they say 3-4 for lap surgery and while I’m feeling good, I do think it will take all of that time to feel 100%.  One thing I’ve learned from being self-employed is that when I’m sick or need recovery time, I take it seriously so that I’ll be back up and running as soon as possible.

I do want to thank my family and friends who took care of me on a 24/7 basis these last two weeks. My brother Don flew in from Colorado last week and just left yesterday.  It’s hard to accept help when one is used to doing for oneself, but it’s been an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience as well. I am truly, truly blessed.

In the end, I will have no worries ever about getting cancer in that area – another blessing. If you or someone you know is facing a similar situation and has questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Hearing from people who have been through it successfully made such a huge difference in my state of mind going into it and I’d like to offer the same comfort to others as well.

Naturally, I’ve been spending most of my time at home and I’m reminded yet again how important a comfortable and nurturing environment can be. I received another reminder of this from a new client whose husband sadly passed away recently. In an email, she wrote “I know how happy he was that I continually tried to make our home a warm and comfortable reflection of our life as a family.” 

I was struck by the beauty of this sentiment:  “A warm and comfortable reflection of our life as a family”. What more could we want from our homes? (Note: I cannot claim any responsibility for this client’s lovely home as I’ve only done a tiny amount of work for her.)

It’s really why I do what I do.