Jump to content

Menu
Giving You and Your Child a Road Map to the Best Possible Education
The Well-Trained Mind Community

Don't even know how to title this post

thescrappyhomeschooler
 Share

Recommended Posts

thescrappyhomeschooler

thescrappyhomeschooler

Posted
Posted (edited)

But here goes.

 

I went in to the ER on Saturday because I thought I had a stomach virus. I was vomiting and had super severe abdominal pain. I thought they would give me IV fluids and send me home. Instead, they insisted on a CAT scan because I was in so much abdominal pain. On the scan they saw what they called a "very large mass". So, they sent me to ultrasound for more scans. Then the OB/Gyn on call came down to talk to me and said that I needed to have surgery right away but that she didn't want to do it that night because she was the only one on call and had a couple of difficult deliveries up in the maternity ward. She also said she wanted an OB oncologist to look at the scans before the surgery. So, she asked me if it was okay if she just kept me dosed up on pain meds until the next day when she could get more backup. I said fine. I was totally scared to death. My husband had left Friday morning for Las Vegas with his cousins, and wasn't supposed to be home until Tuesday. My sister had brought me to the ER, so she called my husband, and he was able to get a flight in for the next morning.

 

So, on Sunday, a different OB/Gyn came in and talked with me and the various members of my family that had shown up at the hospital by that point. He said there was a very large mass that was either attached to or very near my ovary. He said it looked like a fluid filled cyst and that the likelihood of it being malignant was very small. But, just in case, he wanted an oncologist on standby during the surgery. He said that most likely they would have to take out the ovary and the tube along with the mass. Then he talked about all the risks, and that there was a possibility that they'd have to do a complete hysterectomy. I just said okay to everything. I was in so much pain at that point, even on the meds, that I didn't care anymore. I just wanted it to be over. They said that they would take out the ovary and send a frozen section to the lab, and if that came back looking suspicious, they would do the more extensive surgery. That's all I remember before being knocked out.

 

When I woke up in the recovery room, my mom, my husband, my sister and my best friend were all standing over me. A surgeon I didn't recognize came over and started talking to me and telling me that the surgery went a lot longer than they had planned because the sample they had sent to the lab was in fact malignant, and that they could see just in the operating room that it had spread to the other ovary. They said the mass was very large- about the size of a 4 month fetus. That's all I remember before waking up again as I was being wheeled to my hospital room.

 

So, later the next day, my family told me what the doctors had said after the surgery. That they could tell right away that it was a kind of ovarian cancer. That they took out both ovaries and tubes, uterus, cervix, appendix, a layer of fat over the intestines and many lymph nodes. They had to remove lymph nodes from higher up in my chest so my incision runs from my sternum down to my groin. I did have a hernia (for anyone who remembers my hernia post) and they fixed that while they were in there. They told my family that I will most certainly have to have chemo.

 

I came home from the hospital last night and I'm doing remarkably well as far as healing from the surgery. I'm really only in pain when I move around. Of course, I'm running the gamut of emotions, but I'm trying not to think about anything too much until my incision heals because I can't laugh or cry right now.

 

The worst part so far is that I'm apparently already going through menopause. I'm sweating horribly at night and having hot flashes and mood swings. I know that will be the least of my worries, but the sweating is crazy.

 

I'm surrounded by family and friends and everyone is taking care of me, my children and my husband. I feel very loved. Everyone I know and people I don't know are praying for me and I feel very supported.

 

I know this is the beginning of a long journey, but for now, I'm hopeful.

Edited by thescrappyhomeschooler
Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 290
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

sunnylady303

sunnylady303

Posted
Posted

It sounds like you have good family support. I hope that you will find support here as well. Internet support is different but can make a big difference (I say this based on a close friend who went through breast cancer).

 

I will be praying for you daily. Please update us as you can. You can do this.

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
LarlaB

LarlaB

Posted
Posted
Holy crap!!!!!!

 

That is ... Just holy crap! So very many hugs and prayers for you.

 

:iagree:

 

Literally that's exactly what I was thinking- my normally refined brain just stopped and all I could think was ohmygoodness. That is such a dramatic and surreal way to find out....

:grouphug:

 

That is soooo much to have undergone so quickly- a lot for your body, spirit and mind to adapt to.... Prayers for peace for you- in these moments w/ all that your body is going thru, prayers for wisdom & grace as you and your family travel this road, prayers for guidance for your doctors, and prayers for a full recovery. May the God of all peace comfort you.:grouphug:

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TranquilMind

TranquilMind

Posted
Posted
But here goes.

 

I went in to the ER on Saturday because I thought I had a stomach virus. I was vomiting and had super severe abdominal pain. I thought they would give me IV fluids and send me home. Instead, they insisted on a CAT scan because I was in so much abdominal pain. On the scan they saw what they called a "very large mass". So, they sent me to ultrasound for more scans. Then the OB/Gyn on call came down to talk to me and said that I needed to have surgery right away but that she didn't want to do it that night because she was the only one on call and had a couple of difficult deliveries up in the maternity ward. She also said she wanted an OB oncologist to look at the scans before the surgery. So, she asked me if it was okay if she just kept me dosed up on pain meds until the next day when she could get more backup. I said fine. I was totally scared to death. My husband had left Friday morning for Las Vegas with his cousins, and wasn't supposed to be home until Tuesday. My sister had brought me to the ER, so she called my husband, and he was able to get a flight in for the next morning.

 

So, on Sunday, a different OB/Gyn came in and talked with me and the various members of my family that had shown up at the hospital by that point. He said there was a very large mass that was either attached to or very near my ovary. He said it looked like a fluid filled cyst and that the likelihood of it being malignant was very small. But, just in case, he wanted an oncologist on standby during the surgery. He said that most likely they would have to take out the ovary and the tube along with the mass. Then he talked about all the risks, and that there was a possibility that they'd have to do a complete hysterectomy. I just said okay to everything. I was in so much pain at that point, even on the meds, that I didn't care anymore. I just wanted it to be over. They said that they would take out the ovary and send a frozen section to the lab, and if that came back looking suspicious, they would do the more extensive surgery. That's all I remember before being knocked out.

 

When I woke up in the recovery room, my mom, my husband, my sister and my best friend were all standing over me. A surgeon I didn't recognize came over and started talking to me and telling me that the surgery went a lot longer than they had planned because the sample they had sent to the lab was in fact malignant, and that they could see just in the operating room that it had spread to the other ovary. They said the mass was very large- about the size of a 4 month fetus. That's all I remember before waking up again as I was being wheeled to my hospital room.

 

So, later the next day, my family told me what the doctors had said after the surgery. That they could tell right away that it was a kind of ovarian cancer. That they took out both ovaries and tubes, uterus, cervix, appendix, a layer of fat over the intestines and many lymph nodes. They had to remove lymph nodes from higher up in my chest so my incision runs from my sternum down to my groin. I did have a hernia (for anyone who remembers my hernia post) and they fixed that while they were in there. They told my family that I will most certainly have to have chemo.

 

I came home from the hospital last night and I'm doing remarkably well as far as healing from the surgery. I'm really only in pain when I move around. Of course, I'm running the gamut of emotions, but I'm trying not to think about anything too much until my incision heals because I can't laugh or cry right now.

 

The worst part so far is that I'm apparently already going through menopause. I'm sweating horribly at night and having hot flashes and mood swings. I know that will be the least of my worries, but the sweating is crazy.

 

I'm surrounded by family and friends and everyone is taking care of me, my children and my husband. I feel very loved. Everyone I know and people I don't know are praying for me and I feel very supported.

 

I know this is the beginning of a long journey, but for now, I'm hopeful.

Praying they got everything and that you get well quickly!

Link to comment
Share on other sites
thescrappyhomeschooler

thescrappyhomeschooler

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Thank you, everyone.

 

Lynne, You're in my thoughts and prayers. For now, you are right, let the incision heal. You don't want to split a gut on top of everything else. (Just a gentle chuckle.)

 

All right- nobody else better make me laugh! :glare: :lol:

 

It sounds like you have good family support. I hope that you will find support here as well. Internet support is different but can make a big difference (I say this based on a close friend who went through breast cancer).

 

I will be praying for you daily. Please update us as you can. You can do this.

 

 

 

I'm on these boards so much, you all feel like a second family to me sometimes. I do feel support from here, and it does help. I appreciate everyone's thoughts and concerns and prayers.

 

:iagree:

 

Literally that's exactly what I was thinking- my normally refined brain just stopped and all I could think was ohmygoodness. That is such a dramatic and surreal way to find out....

:grouphug:

 

That is soooo much to have undergone so quickly- a lot for your body, spirit and mind to adapt to.... Prayers for peace for you- in these moments w/ all that your body is going thru, prayers for wisdom & grace as you and your family travel this road, prayers for guidance for your doctors, and prayers for a full recovery. May the God of all peace comfort you.:grouphug:

 

Yeah. I don't think I've really registered it yet. The only person who burst into tears when he saw me was my other best friend, Matt. He just couldn't keep it together.

 

The only question I kept asking the doctors was "How could it just start hurting so suddenly?" They told me that it had probably finally become so big that it had twisted the ovary and that was the pain I was feeling. There is sort of more of a back story, which I'm too drained to go into, now, but I guess there were signs that something was wrong, but I just attributed them to other things.

 

I'm very, very angry at the doctor I went to see last summer because I thought I must have a thyroid problem. I knew something was wrong. I eat extremely healthily, exercise, etc. I was even keeping track of everything I ate at that point. I told him that for the way I ate and the amount of activity I did, I thought I should have way more energy. I told him that simple things like taking a shower or going grocery shopping exhausted me. I told him I couldn't figure out why my feet were swollen all the time and that I really should be losing some weight. He told me that I needed to be really honest with myself about what I was eating, and that I could consider cutting out carbs completely, and that my feet were swollen because I was heavy. He didn't listen to a thing I said. I actually left his office in tears. And then, my thyroid and other blood levels that he checked came back normal, so he was basically done with me. When I'm up to it, he is going to get a scathing letter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...