In the Beginning...

In the beginning, there was a man and a woman who fell madly in love with each other despite the fact that he was joining the Army and she didn't know the difference between a gun and a combat boot.  The two madly in love people decided to get married and spent their first year and a half of marriage a few states away from their families and the familiar.  After months of wedded bliss (mixed in with dirty ACU's spread across the floor, many nights apart, and the adoption of a crazily spoiled retriever), the happy couple decided to try and have a baby.  The catch? The woman had two uteruses and didn't have any idea how to accommodate that issue, (or is it even an issue?), while trying to get pregnant.

I am sure many women who have been diagnosed with UD have had similar stories.  Growing up, I always assumed I would get easily pregnant like my mom, my aunt, my grandmothers. No one thinks they will have a hard time getting pregnant, and I can assure you, no one ever tells you that you could possibly have two uteruses in your normal 5th grade sex ed class.

My doctor has assured me that UD shouldn't hinder my getting pregnant, and so we are just going to try like a "normal" couple would for the next few months and see what happens!  Fingers crossed.

Back in the Saddle Again, Part 2

It has been two months since my longitudinal vaginal septum was removed and everything "down there" is completely healed and feels fabulous. And now that my Army man is home, my sex life is back in business! :)  

Again, sex still felt "different" than it had before once my husband and I were reunited after another few weeks apart.  But now that we are back to a normal sex life, I finally feel like myself again. 

There aren't any uncomfortable positions like there used to be and I am still able to thoroughly enjoy myself and my husband's intimate time.

And now the UD journey continues, because the hubs and I are in the initial stages of baby talk.  Let's see which one of my uteruses gets to be the lucky baby holder!

Back in the Saddle Again

I have always enjoyed sex with my husband.  As a newlywed and with a sexy Army man all to myself, not much could turn me off from hopping into bed. Even when I had the vaginal septum (before I knew that's what it was), sex was only occasionally uncomfortable and something that I enjoyed in it's entirety. Then I had "lady surgery" in early December and that aspect of my life changed slightly.

To be completely honest and open with all of you out there in the world wide web, I was terrified to have sex again after having my vaginal septum removed. I may have put on a brave face to the outside world, but the idea of something poking around an area that had been cut up with a scalpel and still could have possible stitches was not my idea of a good time.  

About 5 weeks after the surgery, I just wanted to get it over with...bite the bullet...get back in the saddle again. So, I seduced my unsuspecting husband (not a hard thing for the poor man who had been in forced celibacy for the past five weeks) and had sex with my new, upgraded vagina.

Again, I'll be honest---wasn't the best sex I've ever had, but that was entirely based on the fact that I couldn't get the facts out of my head and enjoy the moment. It also just feels different, something the docs don't tell you after you get a septum removal. Not bad different---just different.

My husband had to leave for Army training a few days later and has been gone for the past three weeks. We get to be reunited in two days and I am definitely looking forward to Round 2!

Overachiever

A few posts back I mentioned that I have often been referred to as an "overachiever"...my Dad even mentioned that particular attribute when I was diagnosed with UD.  Apparently, that theme continues in my life.

I had been feeling a lot of pain after surgery.  I was concerned, because out of all the information I had read about septum removals (not that there is a lot of info out there!), everyone had said the pain was minimal and the recovery period was swift.  I, however, was feeling worse and worse each day, despite all of the heavy pain medication I was taking.  I finally went to visit my doctor a week after surgery and a few hours later found out that not only did I have healing stitches in my vagina (although they were healing nicely!), I had a bladder infection that had reached my kidneys.  Since I had never had a UTI, I hadn't realized those were the symptoms I had been experiencing on top of my post-surgery recovery.  I definitely do not recommend anyone else doing those two things at once!

Thankfully, I am finally healing up and made it through a whole day yesterday with no pain medication!  I am now officially 15 days out from surgery, and have just a few more weeks for my post-op appointment...it can't come soon enough!  My poor husband better prepare himself, because I am already feeling antsy...4-6 weeks is a long time for newlyweds! :)

Madame Cranky

This past week has been rough.  I hadn't imagined I would be skipping through a field of daisies with a bouquet anytime soon (not that it would have been a possibility since it is winter), but I didn't think I would be practically bedridden because I am having so much discomfort.  And something they don't mention during all of those pre-op meetings?  How nauseated and constipated you will be because of the pain meds.  So then you don't take the pain meds, and you aren't bloated and can eat, but the pain is out of control.  By 2:00 every day, I usually have a good cry reminiscent of a preschooler who needs a nap, a snack, and just slammed their finger in a door.  My good husband just puts an arm out around this time so I can snuggle in as he continues to play on the Ipad and tries to ignore his crazy, two uterused wife.

Tomorrow will be one week since the septum was removed and I am highly aware that I still have stitches in my vagina.  Who can say they have had THAT life experience?  It is also a good excuse when you don't want to do your dinner dishes or make the bed (not that I have had to use it often---hubs is a good man nurse)..."Sorry, I can't do that.  I currently have stitches in my lady bits."  That shuts people right up.  

I am wondering if I can use this diagnosis to my benefit in the future...gotta look at the silver lining, right? "Can't cook dinner tonight.  I have two uteruses and they are weighing me down."  That could come in handy.

Blergh

It has been just over 48 hours since surgery and I am currently thankful for pain medication, anti-nausea meds, and a comfortable bed to sleep in.

The whole surgery day was very surreal and I only remember bits and pieces of it...everything else my husband informed me of afterwards.

I checked in for surgery 0600 this past Monday.  I had to repeat my name, birth date, and the phrase "vaginal septum removal" about 1,000 times.  They put the IV in (always the worst part) and rolled me into surgery by 0730 and the vaginal septum that had unknowingly been a part of my body for the past 27 years was successfully removed. Can't say I will miss it.

The few hours after surgery in the recovery room are the biggest blur.  I remember asking for my husband. When I got that request, I apparently asked to go home a dozen times to anyone who talked to me.  The pain meds worked wonders and I was home by lunchtime and tucked into the bed I had been yearning for.

And now I am two days into the recovery period and it is a bit more painful than I had mentally prepared for. It hurts to sit straight because it puts a lot of pressure on that particular area, however, that is a good excuse to lie around all day and no one can tell you otherwise.

4-6 weeks the stitches will be gone and my body may seem a little less foreign, perhaps?  What is next on this mysterious UD road I never planned to travel on?  The adventure continues...

Surgery Eve

Weeks ago, I assumed I had one working, normal uterus.  This evening, I prepare to get my partial vaginal septum removed tomorrow morning.  Definitely not something that I had on my bucket list.

I have never had surgery before.  Rather than watching the mid-season finale of "Walking Dead," I am browsing the internet for UD surgery stories.  Again, not something that I had wanted to do on a December evening like tonight.

Plus, there is the added addition of wondering what life will be like POST-surgery.  Will it be painful afterwards? Will my sex life be the same/better/worse/different/weird? Will I have to have further surgery? (Apparently this type of septum may need two separate surgeries to be completely removed)  This rare abnormality just leaves me with lots of questions and few answers.

I will just keep praying tonight for a clean surgery, speedy recovery, and try and focus on snuggling my husband and the zombies.