Personal Update and Daughter’s Surgery

This post is to update readers on some personal issues, and, most particularly, on the status of my daughter’s recently-completed surgery. My adult daughter has been afflicted with a severe case of endometriosis throughout her teen and adult years. This condition can cause major and crippling pain in a number of women. My daughter had a major case of this condition, which was undiagnosed and untreated for years as some doctors were unaware that this condition can strike younger women. It was finally diagnosed via a medical test. Since then, she has been treated with prescription drugs and two surgeries, both of which found endometriosis to remove as well as bowel adhesions and various cysts to remove as those complications accompany the disease. After some initial short-term recovery after each surgery, the pain returned with a vengeance and she was no longer able to work. As a result, she had to move in with me so her needs could be met.

Her condition steadily worsened, and she was referred to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Four days ago, she had a third surgery for endometriosis. This surgery lasted 2 hours and 40 minutes (much longer than previous surgeries). The surgery found plenty of endometriosis to remove and they also removed additional adhesions. The laparoscopic surgery was done with four incisions which are now slowly healing. She had to recover sufficiently in a hotel in Rochester so her body could handle the car trip back to Sioux Falls. We returned safely and she has begun the slow recovery process.

During the surgery and postoperative phase, sleep cycles and eating schedules are, of course, disrupted. She is in much pain, and a condition developed that caused her to have to go to a local ER last night at the recommendation of the Mayo Clinic’s doctor’s office. Thankfully, tests eliminated the very negative post-surgical possibilities. Her appetite is OK, but she is very weak and needs to lean on me to go up and downstairs, etc. She is strong and she will get through this as she has endured many years of severe pain (a condition I can relate to). Given the fact that she was not taken seriously by the medical establishment during her teen years, the Mayo Clinic surgeon said (and I hope I have this as close to verbatim as possible), “If anyone ever doubts your medical condition and pain again, have them call me at my office.”

I would ask readers who are inclined to do so to pray for my daughter’s recovery–that it will go swiftly and without complications, and that she will be able to return to a job again soon. Please also pray for my healing as well. I’ve been in chronic pain for many years, as long-time readers realize. As a positive update, the pain in my neck and upper back area has greatly lessened. However, the pain in my lower back and down my legs is still constant and sometimes strong. The tinnitus (a constant ringing in the ears) is still a problem as well.

During my daughter’s recovery, I will be understandably focused on her needs and time demands, and I will have less time available for computer efforts. This may result in some short hiatuses in my blogging routine, but I’ll resume posting new items as soon as possible if an interruption occurs.