Today marks the one – year anniversary of my three pound tumor removal. If you’re new around here, or if you just want to take a stroll down memory lane, click here, and here, and here, and of course here to read about Fred’s Twitter fame.
Anyway, I won’t include actual pics of ‘ol Fred here, but they’re in the posts I’ve linked to above. Yes, including the infamous “tumor in a bucket” pic.
Getting that nasty thing removed was the best thing I’ve ever done for my health. I’ve felt better over this last year than I can ever remember feeling.
Going through a pregnancy with a giant tumor was pretty anxiety inducing. In the very beginning, my family doctor told me I would be very high risk and would likely miscarry. Way to be positive, doc (for the record, I no longer go to that office). I spent a lot of sleepless nights worrying over my sweet little peanut. I couldn’t bring myself to share anything baby related on social media for fear that I’d lose him.
I found a wonderful (and infinitely more positive) doctor. She made us aware of risks, but in a way that was far less terrifying. I got to have an awful lot of ultrasounds, mostly because my little stinker would hid behind the tumor and the doc would have trouble finding his heartbeat. I always felt better after those appointments.
People tell me all the time that I “got the easy way out” because I had a C-section. Nothing about it was easy. A nurse at the hospital was kind enough to inform me that they were reserving a few bags of blood for me because, “you’re probably gonna need it.” Having a giant, blood sucking tumor just hanging out in your uterus makes your chances of hemorrhage go way up. I was almost convinced I would bleed to death before ever getting to see my baby.
The day my sweet boy was born, I cried a little from relief. He was here, he was safe and healthy. He was beautiful, with a head full of hair and eyes that seemed to see more than a brand new baby should. It was over.
And six months later, it was really over. Fred was removed, sent to be examined and then disposed of (so far as I know). I’m still a little bitter that I didn’t get to keep him. Women are having teddy bears made out of their placentas and I don’t get to keep my three pound tumor?! Bullshit.
Left: The day before surgery Middle: The morning after. Right: Today
I had my annual poke n’ prod a couple of weeks ago, and my doctor has declared me to be tumor free, which was awesome news since the little mnfers tend to grow back. The longer I can keep from sprouting siblings for Fred, the longer I can put off a more drastic treatment…Namely, a hysterectomy. I don’t know that I want more kids, but I know I don’t want to so firmly shut that door just yet.
So happy birthday Fred, wherever you are. I can’t say that I miss you but I do think of you often.
John
Like the last pic-you have a very nice figure Ash!
ashleemae
Thank you! I can’t stop looking at the before picture… Ugh, good riddance, Fred!
John
If you ever bring the O’ster over here for the waterpark you will have to wear that bikini.
ashleemae
It’s actually the only bathing suit I have at the moment!
John
You are welcome to come over here. There is a zero entry pool and water jets and an very tiny (1′) tall slide for him. I’m not working right now :(.
ashleemae
We might! He loves the water. Sorry to hear you aren’t working… I know a lot of people that are getting laid off or ‘downsized’ right now.
John
Was doing Sales for Beyond.com. Their targets were unrealistic and I resigned a few weeks prior to them canning me anyway. All the people that I started with as a group are gone-either fired or resigned. Yea while I am not working if you want to bring him over it’s a great facility!
ashleemae
Sounds familiar!
John
Yea-we alternated months where they wanted 11 or 12k. Our average sale was in the upper 100’s and perhaps 1 in 6 to 1 in 8 of my presentations actually sold. On that basis a 5-6k month was good so you do the math. The incumbents Monster, Career Builder, Indeed, Simply hired were killing us. No one had heard of us vs them. Also there are a lot of free services like Zip Recruiter too.
John
Just came through C’vill news-hot off the press: Doubling Indiana Work Force
Montgomery County is in line for more than 300 new jobs as New York-based Penguin Random House LLC consolidates part of its U.S. distribution and fulfillment operations in Crawfordsville. The publisher is making a multi-million dollar investment to expand and renovate an existing facility. Penguin says the move will double annual book shipments and employment in the state. The work is expected to be complete in October. Read More
ashleemae
I heard about that! I hope some of the people I know that have been struggling to find work end up being part of the 300!
Karen
Hi Ashlee! If you don’t mind me asking, why didn’t they remove the tumor when they were in there for the C-section? Hope that’s not too personal of a question. Just curious! :)
ashleemae
Not at all! The risk of excessive bleeding was way too high. Not to be gross, but there’s an awful lot of blood collecting in that area during a normal pregnancy. Add in a big ‘ol tumor and you have a recipe for diaaster. Trust me, I asked the same thing and got shot down! :)