A definition of minor surgery

My husband told me that minor surgery is surgery that's happening to anyone but you. So I'm undergoing minor surgery to everyone else (a big freakin' deal to me) in two weeks. Dr. Mitchell-Leef believes I have endometriosis, and the only way to confirm this diagnosis is through a laparoscopy. If the good doctor finds something, she will laser it out.

My sister had similar surgery about a year ago. Her doctor said it was the worst case of endometriosis she'd ever seen. And this was after giving birth to two babies (my sister, not the doctor.) OK, maybe I should back up a bit.

About one-third of female infertility is caused by endometriosis. According to the handy-dandy pamphlet my doctor gave me during my visit:

"In endometriosis, tissue similar to the endometrium is found in other areas of the body and acts like tissue in the uterus. It most often appears in places within the pelvis, including the

-ovaries

-fallopian tubes

-bowel

-bladder

-rectum

Endometrial tissue outside the uterus responds to monthly changes in hormones the same way it does inside the uterus. It also breaks down and bleeds. This bleeding can cause pain, especially during your period. The breakdown and bleeding of this tissue each month can cause scar tissue, called adhesions. Sometimes adhesions can bind organs together."

I had a vaginal ultrasound at during my doctor's visit (it's as fun as it sounds) and the pictures didn't show anything thing too scary. After the ultrasound, I was handed the pictures to bring back to my doctor in the next room. I have seen ultrasound pictures before, and they've always had a little fetus in them. You see the spine, the nose, and whether the baby's a boy or a girl. My ultrasound picture just looked so EMPTY.

But enough with the self-pity. I am relieved that my doctor diagnosed me with something, so that we at least now have a starting point to fixing this problem.