The Day Before Surgery

In about 24 hours’ time, I will be coming out of the PACU  (Post Anaesthesia Care Unit).  I had my pre-op check-up today (I think that was trans-vaginal ultrasound #5 in 2.5 weeks, yow!) and looks like that pesky tissue is still lurking and causing grief.

Begone, tissue! Bugger off, pain!

I’ve lost another couple of pounds, but my blood pressure, temperature, neck glands, heart, and lungs all passed the test. Dilation and Curettage, here I come!

It was a bit scary signing the consent forms.  Even though the risks are tiny, I was a bit nervous as I scribbled my signature. I had to agree to being given a blood transfusion (risk of transmitting HIV or Hepatitis: 1 in 500,000-2,000,000 chance) if necessary; that I understood there was a 1 in 5,000 chance of my uterus being perforated (wah!); and that if I haemorrhaged, I might require an emergency hysterectomy. Gulp.

I was assured that these risks are minimal.  I really trust this team of doctors, so I’m not too worried. It really is something, though, to casually sign off on even the tiniest of possibilities that you could lose your ability to conceive. Permanently.

So, tomorrow morning DH will drive me back to the hospital. I check in at 8.30 and the D&C is scheduled for 10.30. (Times are Pacific Daylight Time — 7 hours behind GMT for those of you who care about that sort of precision.)

I’ll tweet for as long as I can, i.e. until the nurses make me hand my iPhone over to DH. If you don’t already follow me on Twitter and/or want to see those tweets, I’m under @OnFecundThought.

Wish me luck!!

♥

P.S. I came home to find that UK organisation The Miscarriage Association has linked to this blog from their discussion forum and Facebook page. I’m truly honoured.  Visitor traffic to my lil’ corner of the web has dramatically spiked since, so welcome to all my hundreds of new visitors! Feel free to share your experience if you would like to :)

If you’re not already familiar with the current Miscarriage Association campaign, do check it out. It’s given lots of people, including me, the courage to speak out about our experience of miscarriage. It’s a lonely experience, and we women and our partners must stick together. Yet, miscarriage is a subject no one wants to talk about. Granted, it’s not a topic for polite dinner conversation, but does that mean it should be swept under the proverbial rug, never to be discussed? No, I do not believe so.

This ex-pat Brit is very happy to spread the word about the Miscarriage Association, its helpful leaflets on all aspects of miscarriage, and their important campaign. Thank you!