How I've Changed from having Cancer this last year

Though it seems like years ago, it has only been six months since I was diagnosed with Stage 3c Ovarian Cancer. My cancer was so advanced that I was given just three months to live unless chemo treatments could stop it. I have always known that I had many allergies and chemical sensitivities and had serious chronic fatigue with my adrenal glands quitting for 15 years, but I had still expected to live another twenty years. Now, here I was in the hospital on my 71st birthday undergoing tests for cancer and having to face that I might soon be leaving my husband, family, and friends. When my little granddaughter drew pictures for me of her future family, I cried. My heart ached to continue to be with everyone.

These last six months have been filled by me with many prayers for the faith and strength to make it through four chemo treatments and ovarian cancer surgery. Instead of me focusing on helping others, I also came to rely on others prayers and support to help me face what I knew I must do. I was especially overwhelmed by all the love and care my husband gave me day after day. I have never felt so loved.

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.

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.