Ovarian Cancer surgery went well

We arrived at St Mark's hospital in Salt Lake for my cancer surgery. The week before I had a CT scan and the day before my surgery I talked to the pre-op nurse, and had blood tests and an electrocardiogram done. All of which showed that I was healthy enough for surgery. The pre-op nurse was especially helpful. She took the time (3 hours!) to discuss all my allergies and other health problems and was there the next morning at 6 am when we arrived for surgery. She told the other nurses what they could use on me and what they couldn't. What a help and blessing that was!

Next, I went to the waiting area by the surgery room where I talked to my anesthesiologist.  From there I was taken to the operating room. As I was wheeled in, my anesthesiologist asked me how I was feeling. I said that I was a little nervous. She replied that she'd that care of that and came over to me and touched my IV. That was the last thing I remember until later that afternoon when I was in my hospital room. 

My husband tells me that after I came in from the recovery room, I talked to him a little, but that I mainly napped. I don't remember any of it until a couple of hours later when I was fully awake. At that time I tried to drink and eat a little, but it made me feel sick to my stomach. I kept praying and soon it was all right. Later, I was able to get some juice and applesauce down.

A short time later, I was told that since I was bleeding heavily, I would have to have surgery again to stop the bleeding. I was taken back down to the surgery prep area where they began to prepare me again for surgery. After a few minutes, a person came in and announced that since my blood levels were good, I didn't need to have another surgery, and I was returned to my room. 

That night the hospital staff decided that my husband could remain with me in my room since he was so helpful caring for me. I had been given carbon dioxide to fill my abdominal area during the surgery so they could see and do the surgery. In the middle of the night when I began to feel gas pains from the carbon dioxide gas, he helped me walk the halls so I could feel better. Having my husband who loves me nearby was a great comfort and helped me heal.

Early the next morning, my surgeon came to my room and explained that she had removed my ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and the bottom part of the omentum (fat layer that covers the abdominal area) which still had some cancer on them. They did "debunking" or looking for, doing biopsies for, and removing all visible cancer. In July before chemo treatment, all the organs in my abdomen, intestines, and other abdominal tissues were covered with small cancer cells (stage IIIC ovarian cancer). When the surgeon looked inside of me during the surgery, all the covering of cancer cells was gone. The chemo had destroyed them all. She said that it was amazing how well I had responded to the chemo treatments and that the few microscopic cancer cells that are left should be destroyed by my last two chemo treatments making me cancer free. She announced that "it was a miracle". I think so too!

She also said that my eating such a healthy diet had helped. She said that my diet full of fruits and vegetables was an anti-inflammatory diet which helped get my cancer in control. Most of all, she said that my positive attitude had helped to heal me. I told her that I tried to keep focused on the promise that I had been given that I was being given a chance to heal. I tried to block out all data which told me I would die and keep having faith in my promise of healing. She said that was the type of patient she liked to work with and that these patients usually did not have the cancer come back.  

Then the surgeon told me that I could go home whenever I wanted. I decided to take some tylenol to help me make the five hour ride home. Aside from the gas pains, I've had little pain and had a good ride home. Now it is two days after surgery, and I am feeling pretty well today with little pain. I also feel relieved to have the surgery over and so blessed that it went so well. 

photo of my husband and me taken a couple of days after surgery