Abby Kimball is one busy lady. Besides having two kids of her own, she provides in-home daycare to 10 families with 12 kids, so taking time off is a challenging task.

“When I take a day off, it doesn’t just affect me and my family. It also affects all the families I care for,” she explained.

When Abby needed both a hysterectomy and a hernia repair, gynecologist Dr. Jaimie Deraney and general surgeon Dr. Brett Glawe from Perham Health teamed up to perform both surgeries at the same time, saving Abby from having to close her daycare twice temporarily.

It all started in 2008 when Abby had terrible pelvic pain and heavy periods. She went to Dr. Deraney, who suspected she had endometriosis, a painful condition where tissue grows outside the uterus. Over time, the tissue can build up and cause problems. So he performed a diagnostic laparoscopy that confirmed it.

Dr. Deraney treated the endometriosis, and Abby lived pain-free for a long time.

After her second child’s birth, the pain returned stronger than ever. “I was in more pain than not, and it wasn’t getting any better,” she remembered.

She made an appointment with Dr. Deraney to see if she was having endometriosis flare-ups.

“The endometriosis was still present, causing her a lot of pain. At this point, we decided to try some medication options before surgery,” explained Dr. Deraney.

The medication worked for a while, but the pain worsened, and she was always uncomfortable. Finally, Dr. Deraney recommended a partial hysterectomy which removes only the uterus. Abby was okay with this option as she was done having kids.

At about the same time, she noticed a slight bulge around her belly button, and it felt like something was moving around. She made an appointment with family medicine physician Dr. Anuj Mogla who diagnosed a hernia and referred her to surgeon Dr. Brett Glawe.

Abby had never met Dr. Glawe before, but she knew he grew up here and heard he was a good surgeon.

“He was super informative, used words I could understand, and explained everything. I felt very comfortable with him,” Abby said.

“Abby had an umbilical hernia which is when part of the intestine bulges through an opening in the muscles around the belly button. The hernia probably happened during her pregnancy, and surgery would repair it,” Dr. Glawe explained.

Knowing that she also needed surgery for her hysterectomy and her work schedule was tight, she asked him if he could do the hernia surgery simultaneously. The dual surgeries would save Abby from having to go under anesthesia twice, endure two recoveries, and close her daycare twice, which would be hard on her families.

Dr. Glawe and Dr. Deraney have operated on patients together in the past. When discussing Abby’s case, they felt she was a good candidate for dual surgery because they were both operating on her abdomen. Doing so would allow them to use the same incisions saving Abby from having extra incisions to take care of after surgery. “Whenever we can, we like to combine surgeries. It saves the patient from having to go under anesthesia twice, and they only have one recovery,” explained Dr. Deraney.

“It took a bit of collaboration to get a date between my schedule and theirs. However, the surgery nurse was fantastic. She made it easy for me to line it up, allowing me ample time to prepare my daycare families for when I would be off,” she said gratefully.

Both surgeries went well, and Abby spent two weeks recovering at home. “I followed what they told me. I iced, took my meds when I was supposed to, and didn’t do any lifting,” remembered Abby.

They even coordinated her post-op appointment, so she only had to do one.

Her experience at Perham

“My surgery experience was great. I felt like the doctors collaborated well together. They told me what I needed to know and what to expect. I felt safe. Even after I went home, the nurses called to see how I was doing for the next few days.”

“I’ve lived here my whole life, and Perham Health is where I go for all my healthcare. I’ve had outstanding care at both the clinic and the hospital. The staff is always helpful.”

Abby’s advice to others considering two surgeries

“Do it!” advised Abby. Going under anesthesia once is much safer, and you only have to go through the pain and recovery one time instead of two.”

Abby is back in full swing at her daycare, and she is grateful to Dr. Deraney and Dr. Glawe for making it happen.

 Jaimie Deraney, MD         Brett Glawe, MD

 Obstetrics & Gynecology                    General Surgery