The future looks bright...

The surgery went well. The day before surgery, well, that is another story. (I hope this is coherent.)

I felt good about removing the tube all along, until Dr. Griffin called me on Wednesday. He had consulted with Dr. Crickard after finally seeing all the films from the HSG and then called me to share Dr. Crickard's insights. Dr. Crickard felt we should leave the tube alone. I was angry that Dr. Crickard would even have an opinion regarding my case seeing as though I feel his practice made several "mistakes" regarding my treatment plan through the years. I also was angry that this put doubt in my head. I talked to my closest friends (I couldn't get in touch with my husband) and quickly realized I had to be aggressive and remain determined that we remove that tube. My gut kept telling me I was making the right decision. I shared my thoughts with Dr. G, who really seemed to understand where I was coming from. I also asked him if he could, with 100% certainty, confirm that this tube was not leaking fluid that could have caused our IVF to fail. He said he couldn't. At that moment, it was reaffirmed I was making the right decision, and I think he realized it too. He asked if it would be OK if he called one of his old colleagues, Dr. Queenan in Rochester, for another opinion. He felt the more opinions, the better. Of course I didn't mind. I was especially relieved when Dr. Queenan's opinion was to remove the tube. My case isn't a textbook case; I cannot be categorized. Given my history, Dr. Queenan felt removing the tube would give us the best chance moving forward. Dr. G agreed, and the plan to move forward was still in place.

In the end, I'm so glad I stood my ground and was adamant that we go in and visualize that tube. I told Dr. G that if it made him feel better or more confident, I would let him make a game day decision once he got in there. We agreed that if the tube looked perfect and the dye spilled through, he would leave it. (Neither of us were expecting this, just to be clear. We both anticipated a worse looking tube than what was seen in October.) If it looked the least bit suspect, he would remove it. Dr. G told my husband afterwards that when he got in there, he saw a twisted, dilated, distorted tube filled with fluid and diverticulae pockets. No doubt, it had to go. Dr. G also said he feels confident to say that the "chemical" pregnancy in September 2011 was actually a third ectopic in this tube.  How many people can say that lightning struck them not once, not twice, but THREE times?!

I was taken back into surgery early and it took a little longer than anticipated. I was also in recovery a little longer due to some difficulty breathing while coming out of the anesthesia. After several hours we were finally released and I arrived home late Thursday evening.

Thursday night and Friday were rough as I had bad pain in my right shoulder from the gas they use to inflate the abdomen with. The belly button incision site also remains painful. I'm most comfortable when lying flat (aside from the heartburn lying flat causes). I showered this morning and feel much better.  I slept through the night last night, and have been awake all morning so far. (I do feel a nap coming soon though...)

I'm anxious to meet with Dr. G the first week of January to see the pictures myself. I also am anxious to hopefully finalize a plan to move forward with IVF. Buffalo does a payment plan, so I'm hoping I can convince my husband to move forward sooner than later. I also plan to contact my insurance company. I know they don't cover anything related to IVF, but given that IVF is medically necessary for us now that I have no tubes, I want to know if that changes anything. Probably not, but it can't hurt to ask.

I feel optimistic. The future looks bright...I feel like we are closer to our baby than we have ever been!