That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! | My Adenomyosis, Hysterectomy and Recovery Journey

"I can't show you adenomyosis. That's the interesting thing. She's like, 'Even though it doesn't show up on the camera, that doesn't mean you didn't have it. It showed up on at least a few of these scans it looked like, so we're never going to rule that out.' I'm still an adenomyosis warrior." — Emily, 15 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: I got the official OK to drive again! Yay! This is the episode all about my two-week follow up appointment, including what was found on my scans from the hysterectomy. It's nice to be getting back into the swing of podcast editing for my clients again! (Lookling for a podcast editor? Reach out - emily@epodcastproductions.com) As I write these show notes now, I'm realizing this is the beginning of my letting go of worrying too much about what the scale says and focusing more on how I feel and how my clothes fit. I've been leaning into Intuitive Eating (with some Intermittent Fasting, as well) ever since. The little bit of blood I saw was perfectly normal and most likely just my stitches, as it turns out. I got to see actual pictures of my endometriosis and a cyst. Adenomyosis was camera-shy, apparently, but my doctor said that doesn't mean it wasn't there. But for now, I'm celebrating! I haven't needed the heating pad as much since my hysterectomy two weeks ago. As I write these show notes and get ready to publish this episode a few months later, I an still say this surgery gave me my life back! Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram & Threads for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"I love making my business as efficient as possible. It feels so good. I've had to because I've had to basically build my life around Adenomyosis." — Emily, 13 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: It's CEO Date time, which is the term coined by Racheal Cook from theceocollective.com for the weekly meeting to go over what needs to get done for my business and my family for the week ahead. This is one of the first time I DON'T have to plan for my period or ovulation or PMS! This blows my mind! I do still have to take into account that I'm in Recovery Mode and I can't jump into whatever I want, though. But I am excited about all the things I can do soon enough! For now, I'm doing a lot of creative work from the couch, which keeps me from being on my feet for too long while I'm recovering. One of the struggles of ADHD is having a wonky memory, and calendar dates are notorious for going in one ear and going out the other, which is why having a weekly check-in with myself and my calendar is so necessary for me. Having the schedule my life around Adenomyosis has added to that chaos. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram & Threads for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"I don't know, my schedule was always flexible to deal with when I had to be in bed for, I don't know, and flares and PMS, and ovulation, whatever was ailing me that day. But now there's this opportunity of stuff, of travel, of things that I wasn't doing before, not just because of a pandemic. I mean, now there's actually the availability for me to travel again." — Emily, 12 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: My incision pain's gone down and I'm just taking ibuprofen for that, yay! I got my walking treadmill, and I'm so excited for it! I'm starting to get restless being in recovery with everyone also in the house with me. I'm looking forward to some alone time driving as soon as I'm cleared for a nice long drive. Today would have been Day 6 of my period, but thank goodness that's no longer something to worry about. The Slay the Spire Twitch Streamer my husband watches, Jorbs: https://www.twitch.tv/jorbs I'm already feeling the relief from the hysterectomy as I comfortably sat on a barstool for dinner! I didn't realize how my tolerance for bar stools had gone down so much just from my painful uterus! I'm already considering going to conferences again, now that I'm not held hostage by my body's pain schedule! Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, It's okay if we didn't hit our goals every single month. We're probably not going to hit it next month when we're not having a regular amount of income come in. And that's okay because we planned for it. We gave ourselves a cushion. We were able to create that space that we needed to heal our bodies, to be able to come back. I have every hope and intention of stronger, better, faster. I'm going into a song. I know it." — Emily, 9 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: I'm counting the "glimmers" – the little sparkles of hope and appreciation I experience throughout the day as I recover. I'm excited to be getting ready for a family dinner. I'm getting into light chores around the house, and it's really helpful to have a wonderful husband who has made my recovery a top priority. There are some classic rock recommendations and maybe even a party theme idea! And maybe some excentric walking … or perhaps dancing! I'm also so excited to find songs that I enjoy singing and adding to my karaoke playlist! And getting back into singing would do wonders for my mental health, for sure. It's also nice to take this time to step back from my career and see how I want it to progress going forward. I'm lucky I work from home and was able to get back to work quickly from the couch most days. I've since been able to take on another job to supplement my income I make in podcast editing and production, which is one of the reasons there are longer gaps between seasons. Not having to worry about taking so much time off for Adenomyosis and Endometriosis pain and discomfort helps tremendously! I'm so excited for my walking treadmill to come! This will help me with my walking goals and recovery so much! Note from Future-Emily: I still love my walking treadmill and use it regularly :) Totally worth it, if you can find the space and enjoy treadmill walking. I mention the brand Walking Pad, but the one I got is actually Urevo brand walking treadmill, and I use walking sticks with it to help keep my balance. But they also have walking treadmills available with bars to hold onto. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"The person hosting the event asked me, Why should somebody start a podcast? My answer was to help. To help. If your voice, if your brain, if your story, especially, can help somebody else, If you can make people laugh, if you can give somebody knowledge that they didn't have before, if you can keep someone company in the loneliest moments of their lives, which was how I found podcasts, if you're an introvert and you want to try playing an extrovert's game for a while in order to help yourself, if you're helping an organization you care very much about, if you're helping spread awareness, if you're helping on some level, that is when you should start a podcast." — Emily, 8 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: We're talking about the "chaotic neutral" to "lawful evil" aspects of hysterectomy recovery, including hormonal changes (is that moi I smell??). The incision pain is there, but it barely registers compared to before. I can tell exactly when the Tylenol or ibuprofen wears off and it's time for another dose. One nice thing is I can finally feel the adult-use fun effects of weed, which I used before this really more for pain and anxiety from endometriosis and adenomyosis. Laundry is actually, dare I say it, fun? It's been fun trying out a new podcast and trying out podcasting techniques I might be a little rusty at (I say this as I was recording the episodes, but now that it's more than a year later, hoo, did I talk and talk! I can already tell how much this podcast and sharing my story has helped others. Thank you to everyone who's written in! If you've submitted the form to come on the podcast, I hope to get to reach out soon (but life is lifing, at the moment! Sorry!) Imagine if I had started doing needlepoint and embroidery instead of podcasting during this experience? I wonder if I'd still be at it. Maybe another time. I miss picking up my cat! I'm surprised I haven't, to be honest. But somehow I forgot about my lifting restriction when it came to a laundry basket. Ooops! (I'm fine.) My incisions so far look like little slits with a smidge of bruising around them. They're itchy as the glue comes off, and I'm hoping the scars (if any) will blend in with my existing stretch marks, lol. The last anomaly I'll mention is needed to cut slits in my oversized underwear for more comfort, specifically in the hip/upper thigh area. Note from Future-Emily: The scars blend in and are barely noticeable now! I've never been a big bikini fan for myself, but if I were, I wouldn't have any hold ups about hysterectomy scars ;) Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"Four things I've noticed since my hysterectomy. One, I wake up with no more pain or the feeling of a 2-3 pound bowling ball between my hips anymore. Two, I go about my day with only minimal pain from my incisions, and that pain significantly decreases with every day. Three, I go to bed with no pain and without the feeling of a 15 pound bowling ball between my hips, the bowling ball got bigger and heavier as the day wore on. Four, this face more often. When I say this face, it's the emoji with the smile, with some tears on the bottom of its eyes. It's super cute." — Emily, 7 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: I woke up this morning in pain from having a full bladder. On top of that, there was a family bathroom emergency with the one bathroom in the house, which meant I needed to clean the toilet/bathroom before being able to urinate so I could relieve the pain. The Angry-Emily came out because of all of it, which unfortunately was not how I wanted to start my day. Luckily once I was able to use the bathroom, get some tea and enjoy the morning sunshine, I was feeling a bit better. I've been using this podcast as a replacement for my morning journaling practice lately. There's such a fear of going back to waking up with pain every morning and this reminds me of those horror movies where the monster comes back from the dead, you know? But luckily, I think today was more because I needed to use the bathroom, not the pain returning. Phew! :) I talk a bit about the One Touch ADHD Hack and why it helps me save time and mental energy. Shout-out to my wonderful husband! He's so good at taking care of me and helping me recover (Future-Emily also thanks him for being so caring and understanding), plus he celebrates with me! For my recovering friends, get your morning sunshine and hydration! If you're drinking your tea in the sun while listening to this, it's almost like we're hanging out virtually! I posted to Threads about 4 differences I've already noticed since the hysterectomy. Threads Post here (link: https://www.threads.com/@emilypeckprokop/post/Cz2A7MNucYP?xmt=AQF0yj0k0TJdU_2NEzT9n5bfecjGHX8hLqOdqQsue0NZEw) Notes from Future-Emily: Hysterectomy-related update: I'm so glad those painful mornings are behind me! YAY!!!!! Non-hysterectomy-related update: I went from typing my morning pages, to podcasting my morning pages, back to what I was doing for the first few years of morning pages: handwriting in journals again! I can't recommend this enough for anyone with the noisy brain murmurings every morning like I have. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"In terms of how much money I've had to leave on the table because of my health, the times I've had to say 'No.' I can think of at least three speaking gigs right now that I have turned down because it would mean traveling during my period, and I didn't want anybody to see that side of me — that monster side of me." — Emily, 6 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: I'm waking up without pain! This is a brand new feeling for me, especially since my baseline for "waking up without pain" was actually much higher pre-hysterectomy. It's amazing the difference waking up without that instant realization of "oh, there's the pressure and pain, time to deal with it all day as it gets heavier and heavier!" I've also noticed how much warmer I am! Was all my warmth and heat going to my uterus? Wow! If you find your underwear is too tight after surgery or a little constricting, I found cutting slits in the sides where the side seams are helped. I bought some underwear a size larger to prepare for post-surgery, but I still wanted more breathability. Don't forget to treat yourself like a houseplant: you need plenty of water and sunlight daily. I'm glad there's online church that I went to the week before my surgery and can now attend comfortably while recovering. As part of our UU service, we share our joys and concerns and I'm looking forward to sharing my joy of feeling great post-surgery! Considering how much money I've left on the table because my period or my uterus made it hard for me to travel or do speaking gigs, the math is astonishing! Note from Future-Emily: I'm so glad I'm editing this months later because it's been long enough that I've forgotten how it feels already to wake up every day with as much pain as I used to! Oh! And I make mention of having a countertop dishwasher that helps when it comes to not wanting to bend over – we've since redone our kitchen and I now have a floor dishwasher, which I can bend over to load and unload with no problem! It's the small things, but as you can tell from this podcast, they're big deals to those who it matters to. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"Take care!" — Emily, 4 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: Super quick episode, but it's a big milestone for me! The title says it all :) Note from Future-Emily: This is now a regular thing! Yay! Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Tara Brach's Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"I would rather have a conversation with a really good long-time friend and just belly laughing at stories that we went through or inside jokes that we had. Those are the things that I will literally bust a gut laughing over. So of course, I'm not inviting all my friends over." — Emily, 3 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! ** In This Episode: It's Day 3 and I'm feeling significantly better again this morning! Once again, it's feeling like a giant ab workout. It feels like there's some organ shifting going on and I'm considering getting a compression binder. (I did end up getting it and I'm glad I did!) "So much room for activities!" - My organs since the hysterectomy, probably. I'm finding out what I thought would be comfortable to wear post-surgery vs. what I actually wanted to wear are very different. No to leggings, yes to empire waist dresses. Hell yes to Project Runway Season 16 Contestant Kentaro's Fake Leggings that I want for my oversized blanket hoodies! Today's tangent is talking about the thigh burns from tights, ooof! It's weird listening to me try to justify my Amazon purchases, to be honest. I haven't shopped there in months, as of this recording. Bezos has enough of my money. Maybe that's another upside of not having chronic pain is I don't mind going out and shopping for the things I need now. I'm also looking at getting a walking treadmill. I ended up getting a Urevo and still use it more than a year later :) Hannah Gadsby's "Douglas" is fantastic, especially her bits about autism. Standup comedy normally doesn't make me belly laugh, so I didn't worry too much about hurting my mid-section. But if you're looking for post-surgery entertainment, stay away from the stuff that'll have you grabbing your stomach even more! We talk a little about the importance of talking about our struggles and stories in order to normalize and take away the stigma of conditions that make it difficult to live a full and happy life. I'm glad I can get back to my vitamins and supplements, especially when I noticed the difference in my ADHD. Get your sunlight, friends! Vitamin D, especially in the colder, darker seasons, is hard to come by! Note from Future-Emily: Oh my goodness, I find this so funny how I was convinced I would feel like this for the rest of my life. The shifting organs thing lasted a while, but now that I'm a year out as I write this, everything seems to be set in place fine now :) Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Tara Brach's Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Newsletter! **

"So far, I'm still like I'm 100% on board with having my procedure. I'm going to stick with that until I have a reason not to, a real reason, not just a fear." — Emily, 2 Days Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: I've been reading articles about prolapse that I'm overthinking, ugh! Going to take one of my little walks while talking about it for a bit. I've decided not to worry or overthink about it too much. The only thing I need to focus on at the moment is healing and resting. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Vaginal Prolapse Information, Symptoms — Johns Hopkins Medicine Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Hysterectomy Information — Cleveland Clinic Hysterectomy Information — NHS.uk HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Tara Brach's Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast

"I've been open about adenomyosis in the past, and I say in the past because I noticed when I talked too much about it, it just felt like it was clouding my mind. It was the only thing my brain could focus on." — Emily, 1 Day Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: The results are in! LOL I just got an email to let me know I wasn't pregnant … AFTER the hysterectomy! We weren't concerned in the first place (yay, vasectomies!), but it's nice to have that extra confirmation. This may be the most non-stressed a pregnancy test has ever been for me. I even forgot I took it. Thank you so much for following me on this journey, dear listener! :) To the psychic who told me that she saw me with "a lot of bubbly children" – they won't be biological, I can tell you that much! But, luckily, I've since gotten much better information about where babies come from since that weird video shown to me in Christian school growing up! Eek! Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast

"I'm glad I read that advice of having a pillow to hug to my body, and especially if you have to cough or laugh or anything that involves your stomach muscles, it's really good to have that pressure there when you're doing it. " — Emily, 1 Day Since Uterus Eviction Day >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast In This Episode: I'm back! The surgery is over and I'm back to recording. And I'm ready to talk about it! So far I've had some trouble sleeping and spent the night processing the surgery and recovery pain and discomfort. I'm managing pain with a combination of ibuprofen and Tylenol every three hours. I also have Oxycodone, but both Mark and I discovered it causes mood changes like making me angry and snappy. I'm experiencing some trouble sleeping, but then again is that related to whatever "sleep" occurs during surgery? My focus is also all over the place. "All I have to do now is focus on recovery." YES! I have a sore throat from the breathing tube used during surgery. But what surprised me (and what I'm glad I was warned about beforehand) was the discomfort due to the gas used during the procedure. It gets trapped in the weirdest locations, like in the shoulders! Movement and gas relief medicine (simethicone) seem to help. I'm also using deep breathing to help move the gas through my body. The abdominal pain is very similar to an intense ab workout like after using the ab roller wheel of the '90s. I'm glad my doctor warned me of this so I knew what to expect. I've found holding a pillow to my stomach while coughing or laughing helps relieve some of the pain and pressure. Mark this as the day I, a world-class podcast editor, intentionally left a burp in a show I worked on. Simply because in this particular episode, that burp is pure relief. If my breathing gets a little heavy, it's because I'm currently taking one of my four daily 10-minute walks as advised by my doctor. Currently there's some gas pain and hip discomfort, especially when sleeping. But I've found found using pillows to support me helps, as well as some heat. But I definitely don't need to put the healing pad as high as I used to! Surprisingly, the incisions don't really hurt! I'm actually surprised at what hurts and what doesn't hurt so much. I'm trying hard not to overdo it on the physical activity, even though I feel like I could increase my walking pretty quickly. It's also difficult to stay in bed all day so I'm glad I have the excuse for the frequent walks. It's also nice that I already had my heating pads set up in locations around the house I frequently tend to hang out. My cats are adjusting to the changes in our routine. They know something's up, especially the larger one who likes to jump up onto the sink with my help most days. But since he's beyond the weight limit I'm supposed to lift, I haven't been able to help him or even explain to him why I can't. Poor Little Man! Comparing the post-surgery pain to "regular" Adenomyosis/Period pain, I would say it's a few notches up but in a different way. Don't worry. I'll discuss plenty of my post-surgery reactions in the coming episodes! Take care :) Note from Future-Emily: No notes :) Just kidding! I'm so happy to be back editing Season 3, especially since this is the start of a fantastic recovery and when I started to feel like I was getting my life back after years of dealing with the pain and discomfort caused by Adenomyosis. Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Monthly Newsletter! **

*NEW: Season 3, Episode 1 Preview Available HERE (Pay What You Can!)* "I think I'm more worried about this not being the end of my pain and discomfort. That is something that I have to acknowledge, and that is there. But you know what? Most people, most professionals, me personally, the person in charge of this body, we all think this is a good idea, and we're going to go with that." — Emily, UTERUS EVICTION DAY!!! >>> PREVIEW SEASON 3 & SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Monthly Newsletter! ** In This Episode: Eeeeeeeeek! Today's the day!!! I'm finding so many fun ways to distract myself from thinking about it, while simultaneously talking about how Adenomyosis has made my cats and I closer via our shared love of the heating pad. All the anxiety and overwhelm of everything has actually come together in a cacophony of white noise in my brain, which is eerily peaceful in this moment. One of the best things to wake up the day of surgery is the outpouring of support from friends. I woke up to a wonderful bunch of messages from friends. There's always that fear that someone will need something while I'm in surgery or within the next few weeks, and I won't be available. But, as far as I can tell, I've covered all my bases! Some people have an "Eviction Party" for the uterus, but I think my introverted and fed-up self just wanted to get it over and done with, sans pomp and circumstance. Still more fear of "what if this doesn't work?" (Future-Emily here to let you know that fear didn't leave me until the very last second, but I also just had to let go and hope for the best. I did everything I could.) LOL – Prepare to hear the voice of Mr. THNGO (new name pending, lol)! This is the first time he finds out I'm making a podcast about this whole experience! What a way to end the season! Note from Future-Emily: Seasons 3 & 4 (not-so) spoiler alert! Everything went great! Of course, I'm going to spoil that because I want you to get excited for Season 3 – and because this is real life, not some medical drama that needs to leave you with a cliffhanger at the end of the season. But I will be taking a break for a bit – I'll be honest, editing this season was rough! I'm taking a few weeks off, but will be back soon! Make sure you're following and subscribed to "That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out!" wherever you're listening to this so you'll get updated when to expect new episodes! Take care! See you in Season 3! Additional Links and Resources: Links not working in your podcast player app? Visit ThatsHystericalPodcast.com Adenomyosis - Symptoms — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis - Diagnosis + Treatment — Mayo Clinic Adenomyosis: A Significantly Neglected and Misunderstood Disorder - Book by Maria Yeager Adenomyosis Advice Association Facebook Group — Facebook Helpful Reddit r/hysterectomy Post To Read If You Have Pre-Op Anxiety — MamaO2D4 Link to Activity/Weeks After Surgery Chart from International Association for Premenstrual Disorders HysterSisters — Hysterectomy Support & Stories Tara Brach's Podcast and Radical Acceptance Book Adenomyosis at hysterectomy: prevalence, patient characteristics, clinical profile and histopatholgical finding — PubMed Adenomyosis: An update regarding its diagnosis and clinical features — PubMed Disclaimer: This podcast is based on personal experience and should not be taken as medical advice. Resources are provided for you to look into further and talk with your medical support team about. CLICK HERE FOR THE TRANSCRIPT ** Follow @ThatsHystericalPodcast on Instagram for Show Updates and News ** ** Share your Hysterectomy Story on That's Hysterical! Now, Get Out! ** >>> SUPPORT THE SHOW https://ko-fi.com/thatshystericalpodcast ** Stay in the loop with our latest episodes, upcoming topics, and exciting announcements — Sign Up for the Monthly Newsletter! **