joyful options? maybe...

Dr. LyBarger knew for sure that he would definitely have to remove my ovary. That was a given. He told me that if he saw that the tumor was cancerous he could have to do a full hysterectomy or stage my right ovary if I wanted to have another child. Regardless, I'd have to have the procedure eventually.

My immediate thought to the hysterectomy and removal of my ovaries was that I would wake up in menopause. I know that menopause and the lack of estrogen in one's body advances the aging process. I was most afraid for my skin. Ever since I worked at Worlds of Fun throughout college, I have taken good care of my skin. I started using anti-wrinkle cream when I was twenty. I knew that my sun exposure could damage my skin. I started working there the year my aunt Julie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Knowing that breast cancer runs in my family, I wanted to minimize my chances of getting any kind of cancer as much as I could.

Dr. LyBarger told me that not everyone has the same process after I told him how badly a friend of mine aged after her hysterectomy. She's 44 and looks 55. He told me that I would probably react differently because I'm not overweight and I have never smoked. He did tell me that the bigger concern is osteoporosis. Estrogen helps women's bones stay strong. I am not taking calcium supplements in addition to eating more calcium-rich foods. Probably should have started that earlier in life, oh well. I'm doing it now, that's what matters.

So he asked me, do you wanna do the surgery on Friday?

What an overwhelming question! I told him that I couldn't make that decision without my husband there because it definitely affects more than me. He understood, took my phone number, and said he'd call me on Thanksgiving.

I called my husband with the news and his immediate response was, do it now. I knew I didn't want more children, so we decided on full hysterectomy if he needed to do it.

So, Dr. LyBarger kept his word and called me Thursday afternoon and scheduled surgery - and from what I could tell, he did this while driving

Seriously, this doctor is something else.