6 Weeks after Ovarian Cancer Surgery

 

It feels good to finally be recovering from ovarian cancer surgery. It has been a challenging six weeks with reacting to the general anesthetic and having a month of an abdominal infection and three weeks of heavy doses of antibiotics. I have received many blessings during this time. The Lord is helping me to heal from the exhaustion I've felt and the anxiety caused by the anesthetic. In the past, I've had days of tears after having local anesthetics which has been difficult, but I've really needed the Lord's strength to hold together through this sense of panic. I could not have made it this last month without His help, and I am so grateful. 

I am also grateful that though the ultrasound showed a possibility of an infection pocket in my abdomen, just three days later, the CT scan indicated that I would not have to have more general anesthetic so I could be "opened up and cleaned out".  I feel that the Lord has been aware that I am too worn down at this time to endure this treatment and has blessed me with healing, so that I don't need to do it. 

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.

First Week after Laparoscopic Hysterectomy for Ovarian Cancer

I'm recovering very well after my surgery a week ago. There has been some things that I expected that didn't happen and other things that I hadn't expected that did happen. For one thing, I had expected a lot of pain from the incisions and uterus removal. Instead, I ache and am very tender, but there isn't the deep, sharp pain that I expected. 

I had been warned that there would be gas pains from the carbon dioxide they used to inflate my abdomen for the surgery, but I hadn't realized that they could continue for days. Many people (81%) only have gas pains for three days while it can go on for seven days for some people. Even though I walked as much as I could, I still have gas pains. It has been uncomfortable, but the anti-gas medication they gave me helped a lot. I did have the gas pains go into my shoulder which hurt, but it only lasted about half an hour and pain medicine (Tylenol) made it bearable.