Up one

OK, it's Wednesday, and you know what that means. I didn't have the best week ever in terms of calories, so I wasn't really surprised that I was up one pound today. In fact, I was pleased because I was worrying that it might be more. After all, I ate 7 of the week's 21 meals out at restaurants, and it WASN'T Subway or Denny's. LOL! The one thing that probably prevented it from being more was the exercise.

So today I am 260.5. Not great, but after this past week, I'll take it.

This week I will be eating 4 meals out: 3 dinners and 1 lunch. Subway will be the lunch and Denny's will be tonight's dinner. Our usual Thursday night at Lakeside for free wine is coming up tomorrow, but I can usually control that one pretty well, too. That leaves just one buffet Sunday night here at Solivita to think about. The main thing is to keep exercising and remind myself that I CAN DO IT! I want very, very much to report another loss next Wednesday. Stay tuned.

Now to a completely different topic. I finally went to a GYN yesterday for that Pap smear we ladies are supposed to get every year. I haven't had one since April of 2010, two months before I found the breast lump. My radiation oncologist recommended this guy, and I liked him very much. He was thorough and he LISTENED. That's so nice. I was quite happy with the experience despite being super nervous all day waiting for that 2 p.m. appointment.

It wasn't entirely without some issues to consider. Part of what motivated me to pick up that phone and finally make the appointment was that I have been feeling "crampy" for about a month. I shouldn't have cramps anymore yet that is what it feels like, so it's just weird. It has made me start to worry about that vague connection between lobular breast cancer and higher rates of uterine cancer and ovarian cancers. Arimidex has also been linked to an increased risk of uterine cancer. Valentine's Day will be the one year mark for the Arimidex, and I've been having many of the other side effects associated with it. So I've been slightly worried. I told this new GYN all of my concerns. He was so supportive and willing to listen. I really appreciated that. He even commented that he could tell I was cramping when he performed the Pap smear and exam.

He immediately sent me for an ultrasound, both external and internal, and said to make another appointment right away to discuss the results. I will see him again tomorrow about that. His wife is an oncology GYN who does robotic hysterectomies on the da Vinci system, a very state-of-the art machine that has great results, less blood loss, faster recovery, etc. He wants me to make an appointment with her just to discuss the concerns that I have and go over what the actual risks vs. benefits are. He said she will be very knowledgeable about that.

After I go over the ultrasound results with him tomorrow, I will make that appointment. As he said, if the ultrasound shows something abnormal, then the conversation is moot. There WILL be a complete hysterectomy. If the ultrasound is normal, then I can have that discussion with his wife and come to my own decision about whether that surgery is something I want to do or not. I asked him if the surgery would be covered by CIGNA, and he said he saw no problem with that. I can always call CIGNA before making any decisions.

The other thing we talked about was the Solex midurethral sling. He asked if I leak urine since most older women who have had children do. I told that I most definitely do and have for decades. I use pads for it, and it's not that bad. It's stress incontinence. Years ago when I was having problems with the kidney stones, I discussed it with my urologist. He was of the opinion that it was age and obesity. Basically, he just said lose weight and learn to live with it.

Now this new gynecologist is saying they have a quick and easy fix and that I don't have to live with it. He gave me two pamphlets to read, and, of course, I have been doing lots of reading on the web. When I see him tomorrow, I'm supposed to tell him if I want to have this minimally invasive surgery done at the outpatient clinic. I left his office thinking it sounded like a miracle and a no-brainer to have done. Then I did the reading. NOPE. I don't think so. Despite how easy he makes it seem, there are a lot of risks and complications that come along with it. I'm leaning against that surgery. Living with pads hasn't been that bad a deal all these years. I think that until the stress incontinence gets worse, I'll just leave it alone.

If anyone reading this blog has any suggestions, first hand knowledge, or advice on midurethral slings or hysterectomies, I'd welcome your comments. I know it's a sensitive issue, so personal emails will be fine. You don't need to put it out on a public comment.

I will let you know the results of the ultrasound tomorrow night. My appointment is at 2 p.m., but I might not get back to the laptop until later in the evening. I will be on pins and needles waiting for those results.