Paradox and Inspiration 131: Last Minute Interventions

Two weeks ago, I had a large fibroid in my uterus removed by laparoscopy. Much to my relief, I am now up and about.

In the past 9 years, open surgery was the only option given to me by my gynaecologist due to the fibroid size – scanned as 8cm in diameter. Yet, a second opinion from another gynaecologist gave me only 50% chance of doing a laparoscopy provided I took a special medicine for some time to shrink the fibroids beforehand. As much as I resented the idea of a 5 to 6 weeks recovery from an open surgery and putting up with the pain, the uncertainty of a successful keyhole surgery led me to my eventual choice – open surgery.

Just two weeks before the scheduled open surgery, my sister unexpectedly passed me the contact of an expert in minimally invasion surgery. However, after having my appointment date messed up by the counter staff and making a wasted trip, and reading to greater length that only small fibroids can be removed by laparoscopy on the internet, I talked myself out of the idea of seeking further advice. Having reached the end of my tether and feeling completely resigned to an open surgery, I decided to forget about the new appointment date.

Guided by some bizarre coincidence, I ended up at the dentist in the morning of the appointed day and then having the dentist somehow led to share with me that her friend’s fibroid which was as big as 10cm was removed by keyhole surgery. That was nothing close to what I had been drummed into believing all the time! Never did I know that large fibroids could be removed that way! Bowled over by the hope of avoiding the big surgery came, I showed up for the appointment that afternoon, without any prior planning. Unbelievably as it turned out, the doctor confidently said the surgery could be done for the 8cm fibroid and I immediately scheduled for it to happen the following week.

Many amazing things occurred, but nothing topped being told by the doctor after the surgery that the fibroid turned out to be joined with another big fibroid and its size was more than double - 19cm by 18cm!

Thank God for all the last minute interventions!