The Verdict

And the verdict is:

Adenomyosis.

The only known treatment:

Hysterectomy. 

The most asked question by loved ones and friends:

How are you doing with this?

The answer for now:

Ok. I've had a week to process that it was a possibility and I had my ugly and angry cry. I suspect I will again.

The follow-up that no one should ever say to me again:

It's a good thing you all didn't want to have kids; it makes it easier.

No. No, it does not. It's a loss of choice. It's final. It's decided for me. You don't get to say that to me when you still have your choice.

Surgery is scheduled for May 19. Until then, I'm working on eating right, getting those workouts for the daily challenge in, and just focusing on my overall health. Do what I can, because I get to.

Declare It Day 2016

After reading "Rising Strong" and starting (and since finishing) "Year of Yes", I knew I needed to think a bit more about what my goals really are for the year. Only one of them is even semi-fitness related, and there's no measurement attached to it. 

On purpose.

I didn't want this year to be about measuring fitness goals so much as getting back to myself. Being what I know I can be. Reminding myself that I am worth the effort, worth accepting, worth fighting for. 

New Challenges

In light of everything that's been going on, I've decided to take on a 31 day challenge to try to jump start getting back into working out.

I'm using an app called Active from PopSugar. They have a few different challenges, so I decided to start with the 31 day challenge. All of the workouts are 5-20 minutes. They're a mix of strength training, cardio, and yoga. The workouts start out "easy" and increase in intensity as the days go on. There are 2 built in rest days per week, which is nice.

Today's workout was a 10 minute ab/arm workout - all on the ground. Easy enough to get back into it, hard enough to remind me that I haven't been doing much.

Hopefully I can keep up with this! I'll have to do tomorrow & Sunday's workouts at the Brave, so I'm really hoping this motivates me to start getting active.

Another Cyst/Mass Update

I got the MRI radiology report yesterday. What my doctor told me ("Everything looks normal, there's no cyst. Go to your primary care to see if you have GI issues going on.") and what I read were two very different things.

The report had two "impressions" on it:

1) No concerning solid right ovarian mass identified. There is a partially collapsed corpus luteum and a small hemorrhagic cyst within the right ovary. The ovaries also have an appearance which may be seen with polycystic ovary syndrome.

2) Findings consistent with mild adenomyosis.

In the rest of the report, the hemorrhagic cyst is likely the same one as was on the sonogram. They can simulate a solid mass, so it wouldn't surprise me if it's the same one.

On the left side, there was free fluid in the cul-de-sac (which apparently is consistent with a cyst that has ruptured). Also of note, the left ovary was double the size it was during the ultrasound a month earlier. There were no cysts/masses found on the left side, but that's not too surprising.

Adenomyosis is a condition in which epotopic tissue is found in the muscle wall of the uterus. The only known full cure for this is hysterectomy. There are a couple of other treatments that could lessen the effects of the adenomyosis, but they may or may not work.

I'm wrapping my head around a lot of things right now. Looking forward to my second opinion next Monday.