Second Week after Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Ovarian Cancer

Two weeks down! I still have a long way to fully recover, but I can move around the house, put laundry away, and I am no longer anxious (that's a big plus!). I think I was seriously exhausted last week. Having a full hysterectomy, or any major surgery, when you are in your seventies is quite wearing.  Especially, when I also had a twelve hour round trip by car to get to the hospital and home again which was made more tiring by my four spinal injuries. All this was on top of four rounds of Chemo, having cancer and ascites (abdomen swelling with liquid; I had three months ago). I don't think that it is surprising that I was exhausted.

At the week and a half point, I suddenly felt different. I don't know if hormones changed, exhaustion ebbed, or I'd eliminated a lot of the anesthetic, but I felt calm. In fact, all I wanted to do was sleep. My drainage stopped, I struggled with getting down food, especially protein, and my bowels slowed.

The next day, I went in to have my surgery drain removed. I feel much more comfortable having it out, but it was quite painful for just a few seconds while they removed it. The removal was a bit of shock to my system and I was very tender, so I took a tylenol and watched old sitcoms the rest of the day.

Two days later, I went in for my two week checkup with my cancer doctor. She said that we could schedule my next chemo from four to six weeks after my surgery. I told her how I was doing and said that I was an old lady who had just had major surgery and was having trouble even eating and certainly would not feel like chemo in just two more weeks. She agreed, so we decided to wait the full six weeks after surgery before doing chemo again. (This is why I won't have to have chemo until November 17th. Yea! I think I will be up to it in another four weeks.)

My doctor also told me that since I have the BRCA gene mutation, I will need to be put on a pill after I finish chemo to keep me from developing cancer. I will need to have regular frequent breast checks and colonoscopies. There are three types of this medication, so she expects that we can find one that does not make me ill. We will also have to monitor my blood levels while I am on this medication. I will be most at risk for developing breast or colon cancer, but at least I can't have ovarian cancer again!  

This doctor appointment was two days ago and I am now feeling a little better. We decided that the gas I experienced last week was probably a lot from my introducing foods into my diet before my body was ready for them. Since I had been told that I would have gas from the carbon dioxide from surgery, I hadn't realized that my insides weren't handling what I was eating. I have  gone back to a light diet which, with my allergies, means juices, applesauce, squash, sweet potato, and, today, eggs. This time, I will not add foods such as meat until my body is ready. I am also taking some nausea pills which seem to be helping.

Well, this week I've learned to be very slow and careful with putting foods back in my diet after surgery. I also never want to travel for surgery again, but since my surgeon is moving her practice down here, I hope I never have to, or ever need surgery, again. Though I'm not excited about having to take anti-cancer pills the rest of my life, I am glad that they have such medication. I'm also grateful to have two excellent doctors watching over me and for  such a loving husband. I'm especially thankful for the Lord's helping me through these challenging experiences, watching over my life, and for His love. 

Photos are of pumpkins my two young grandchildren painted for us. Being with family makes all I've been through worth it.