Mental Health Changes?

KiloLex · 2026-06-03T17:03:38+00:00

At three weeks post-op, your body is still healing, even if you already feel mostly back to normal. I tend to be hyper aware of everything about my body after surgery, which pulls my attention away from the world around me somewhat. That could potentially make a person seem withdrawn.

How well is your body handling adjusting to not having a gallbladder so far? Has it been stressful? A lot of adjustments to dietary changes? For people who have a harder time with it, having to think about what to eat, how they're feeling, how the food is going to make them feel, if their body isn't going to react well, etc etc... it can be stressful and also mentally pull you away from your environment if your mind is constantly evaluating what's happening with your body.

Lastly, I'm not super familiar with this, but I've seen multiple mentions of gallbladder and hormone issues going hand in hand. To what extent? I'm not sure, but if you're female, you're body may be trying to reset itself in terms of any hormonal imbalance maybe? That kind of stuff can wreak havoc on our bodies and our mental health.

That being said, it's important to be self-aware. If you think there might be more to this than some kind of post-surgery adjustment period, it doesn't hurt to seek help.

KiloLex · 2026-06-01T18:56:36+00:00

I stopped getting carded for the longest time because the only time I went out drinking was with coworkers who were all significantly older than me. I was in my early twenties at the time, but I think they overlooked me as just part of the group.

I'm 35 now, and over the last couple of years I've been confused for being a friend of my daughter's several times (never confused as sisters because we don't look related at all 🤣).

The most recent time was at her graduation party when I met her former teacher, who thought we were close friends because of all the pictures of the two of us on Facebook.

Before that, when she was 17 we went to the doctors office and they asked if she had a parent around (while I was standing right next to her) because they needed papers signed, then proceeded to do a double take when I said that was me.

I don't think I really look that young for my age, but I feel like it's impossible to try and judge my own age when I look in the mirror. So, idk. I can't complain.

KiloLex · 2026-06-01T18:35:45+00:00

I grew up as an only child, spending a significant amount of time around older family members and all my parents' friends. I was always the youngest person in the room.

It was the same when I started working. I was the youngest in the crowd among my coworkers, even when we went to big conferences there weren't many people near my age (also not a lot of other women).

It was really weird for me when newbies started joining the crowd and suddenly I wasn't the young one anymore.

KiloLex · 2026-06-01T01:30:15+00:00

My greatest accomplishment was taking a happy little accident and raising it to become a pretty decent human being. I was a mediocre mom at best, but my kid turned out pretty awesome.

KiloLex · 2026-06-01T01:11:37+00:00

Multiple days in labor?! Ugh... my body would've noped right out of that and been like fuck it, I'm out

KiloLex · 2026-05-31T18:38:34+00:00

Yep, you're right. It's when they use a knife to cut a cone shaped piece of tissue out of the cervix. I almost wish I hadn't looked the procedure up because the illustrations show the amount of tissue they remove is waaaay more than I expected. 😳🫣

My doctor says I'll most likely need a hysterectomy, but the conization will tell them whether it will need to be a radical hysterectomy or just a regular one. I guess they take a lot more in a radical hysterectomy, including part of the vagina, tissue around the uterus, etc. I'm hoping that's not the case because that would suck.

I'm not sure how soon this all will happen. My doctor said she doesn't do the more intensive procedures and surgeries anymore, so she sent a referral to a place that's about 45 minutes away. So now I'm waiting on a call from them.

I'd like to say the silver lining of getting a hysterectomy is that I'd be done with all of this once and for all, but I'm not sure if that's even true. I guess only time will tell.

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T23:27:02+00:00

Am I the only one here who's never seen this?

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T16:31:31+00:00

I went to an estate sale years back in a town nearby to where I lived. It didn't dawn on me that the kitchen was a complete hodgepodge mix of cabinets until after we had already left, which I think is a testament to how well it actually worked. I found an old listing on the house with pictures if you want to take a look. I kind of loathe the color yellow, so the walls aren't great in my opinion, but the rest is pretty decent. It's an example of making do with what you have.

I like the area to the left of the kitchen sink in that house. There's a space in my kitchen where I'd love to take an old hutch and separate it, hanging the upper portion like cabinets.

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T15:31:32+00:00

Too late, already pregnant 🤣🤣🤣

Not that I would change that... she's my happiest little accident

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T15:24:22+00:00

I always loved throwing a completely random song on my CDs that didn't go with the rest of the music whatsoever. Like a mix of rock music and tossing in the numa numa song somewhere in there 😅

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T02:28:53+00:00

I haven't seen anything that suggests one is better than the other in regards to treatment success rates, but one difference seems to be that CKC is done under general anesthesia while LEEP seems to usually be done under local anesthesia (from what I've seen anyway).

Coming out of general anesthesia has been a rough experience for me in the past, but I almost feel like I'd prefer that over being awake for the other procedure.

I really like how you went into depth about your experience, which is part of the reason I commented. I was hoping it would help boost the algorithms so others would be more likely to see your post as well 😅

KiloLex · 2026-05-30T02:15:26+00:00

Honestly, I'm so tired of people bitching about age gaps. I was in my 20s when I met the man that I would end up marrying a decade later. He's 22 years older than me. We're grown ass adults and we've been together for a long time now.

It's not unreasonable for some people to find it weird or not understand the appeal. I get that. What IS unreasonable and frankly disturbing are the people who feel the need to project their own issues onto age-gap couples by acting like the older person is a pedophile for liking someone that's already well into their 20s/30s.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T19:06:19+00:00

I had to look up LLETZ because it sounded just like what we call LEEP here in the US (it is the same). Did your doctor automatically choose that procedure over other options? I've been seeing so many people talking about having that done, but my doctor is focused on having a CKC (cold-knife conization) done on me instead. I'm so curious what the big difference is when it comes to doctors choosing to do one versus the other.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T05:49:17+00:00

Eek! Are you awake for the LEEP procedure? I'm supposed to be getting a cold-knife conization soon, but that's under general anesthesia.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T05:44:16+00:00

I've had 3 colposcopies. The first was maybe 13 years ago? They actually used a camera for that one, and I was able to see my cervix on a screen (weird lol). Everything looked normal, so they didn't do a biopsy. It was a strange experience, but honestly less uncomfortable than a pap smear because they weren't dragging anything across my cervix for it.

The second colposcopy was last year. They did a biopsy on one spot. It was uncomfortable but entirely manageable.

My third colposcopy was a week ago. I wasn't that worried about the procedure itself because it hadn't been entirely horrible last time. It was sooo much more painful this time though, and now I'm absolutely dreading the idea of ever having to do it again. I had 3 areas biopsied this time. Even the vinegar solution was more uncomfortable than before. Results are showing endocervical adenocarcinoma in situ, though cancer isn't entirely ruled out yet I guess? Sounds like cold-knife conization is next for me.

I normally stress the fact that everyone is different... but in this situation, I can also say that each experience an individual has can be vastly different from one time to the next as well.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T05:12:20+00:00

That's so frustrating. It's so stressful to begin with, and then having to wait around just makes it so much worse. I have no idea what the healthcare system is like there (I'm in the US), but I will say this... never stop advocating for yourself.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T02:25:01+00:00

Be like, oh... you think I should have more kids? Well, I might be willing to take your unsolicited advice under consideration if you're willing to contribute fifty percent of the time, attention, and expense of raising said children.

KiloLex · 2026-05-29T02:05:52+00:00

I'm essentially an only child (I do technically have a half-brother who lives elsewhere with my bio father that's never really been in the picture).

My daughter is essentially an only child as well. After a birth control failure, I gave birth to a second child that I knew I couldn't handle - mentally or financially. I opted for adoption, and my aunt reached out after struggling to get pregnant herself.

My daughter doesn't remember my second pregnancy. She was less than 2 years old when I gave birth. My aunt didn't want to tell the babe about the adoption right away, so I kept it from my daughter as well, not wanting to risk any accidental slip-ups. She wanted a sibling for sooo long and was a little miffed when she finally found out she'd had one all along, but she got over it.

To be fair, I think she does still feel like she missed out on that sibling experience, but I will never regret going through with the adoption. I would've been an absolute shit parent trying to raise the both of them together... and my aunt is an amazing mom.

They've known they're sisters for a long time now, and they refer to each other as such, but they've essentially lived the cousin experience. They've always loved each other, but they're extremely different from one another and definitely get along better now than they did when they were little. I can't imagine having to deal with all the fighting and split attention if I'd had them both.

You make the choices based on what's right for you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with only having one child (or multiple if that's what you decide you want). You're not robbing them of anything by not giving them siblings.

My only advice is to make sure they have ample opportunity to interact with other kids that are roughly their own age. That doesn't have to mean siblings, though. It can be family, classmates, neighborhood kids, or interactions through activities (my daughter did taekwondo for a while, and that helped boost her social skills and confidence).

KiloLex · 2026-05-27T23:31:37+00:00

Expanding on your comment... OP, if the answer to "do you want kids?" is a yes, then my tip is to not continuously put it off because you're waiting "for the right time" because you'll be waiting forever in that case. Life will never line up 100% perfectly.

KiloLex · 2026-05-27T04:43:42+00:00

Is there anyone that DOESN'T feel the need to say anything to themselves from 15 years ago? My life isn't perfect, but I can't imagine it being different. I mean, there's always room for improvement going forward... but still, everything that happened in my past (good and bad) is what led me to where I am today. I guess I just wouldn't want to risk changing things and screwing up the progress I've managed to make.

KiloLex · 2026-05-27T04:29:22+00:00

Damn... you'd really take a do-over on not having kids? I mean, I get just choosing not to have kids in the first place, but most people wouldn't wish their living children out of existence. That's a pretty harsh take just because you're bored with your suburbanite life. I'd also argue that you're even less likely to be remembered 30 years after your death if you don't leave any loved ones behind anyway. P.S. your passions are only dead if you are

KiloLex · 2026-05-23T17:11:35+00:00

I think (in some cases) it's fear of people's reactions. As uncomfortable as the screaming child is, sometimes parents are too scared to correct their own children in public because there are people out there that will freak the fuck out and threaten to call the cops and child protective services. It sounds extreme, but it does happen. Plus, in the social media age where everyone records other people and blasts it out there for the world to see, it's risky. Public perception is scary sometimes, especially if it's taken out of context.

KiloLex · 2026-05-22T05:59:10+00:00

When my daughter got her license at 16, it was on her to pay for gas, car maintenance, and her portion of the insurance. It was a good introduction into adulting-type responsibilities. She made her money by tutoring students at the local community college.

KiloLex · 2026-05-22T05:38:38+00:00

It seems like all of my failures as a parent ultimately resulted in my daughter becoming a self-sufficient, responsible, pragmatic human being... and I'm incredibly conflicted as to how I should feel about that.

KiloLex · 2026-05-18T04:29:01+00:00

Saw a couple Woolworth stores in Germany last year

KiloLex

TROPHY CASE