Newbee scheduled for surgery in 2 days

I'm the new kid on the "block" and have been scheduled for surgery this upcoming Tuesday. My D&C of 5 weeks ago showed signed of cancer, so I am going in the the full shi-bang! I am 51, and am so fortunate to have a very loving and supportive hubby, and my chilren are grown( mostly). Alittle nervous about the cancer issue, as it runs in my family. But honestly, I am more concerned about being sliced open. this is my first major surgery ( other than giving birth ) and would appreciate ANY helpful suggestions from those of you who have already walked this path.

hi plumbingshot56...firstly, are you having a gynecological oncologist perform the surgery...i hope so as they are the experts in this field and will get it done right the first time...not like me...had first surgery done by obs/gyn, found complications due to adhesions, uterus attached to bowel, etc., so could not complete. 2nd surgery 4-1/2 wks. later by gyn/onc to remove uterus, do bowel re-section, debulking, staging, etc.

presumably you will be well taken care of in the hospital...possibly a catheter for the first day or two, then you will be expected to get out of bed and walk the halls, painful as it will be! the walking will help with the gas pains and most importantly to prevent blood clots. when you get home, you must rest as much as you can, walk a little, no lifting or pushing a vacuum, etc. for several weeks. you will get a preliminary report soon after your surgery but don't be surprised if it changes after the official pathology report comes in. get copies of your reports for future reference.

get back to your daily activities very gradually...this is your time for healing...don't undo all the work your surgeon will have done...there is still a lot of healing on the inside. i'm sure your family will pitch in to do the laundry, dishes, meals, pets, etc. take your pain meds as long as you need them...keep ahead of the pain. constipation may also be a problem with taking the pain meds...i found senekot to be helpful, but ask your nurse or doctor what would be best for you. remember, everyone is unique and heals differently, so be patient with yourselfl. it won't be long before you will feel back to normal, possibly better than you did before!

i hope, if it is cancer, it will have been caught at an early stage. let us know how you make out. best wishes to you and your family. you will probably have more questions after your surgery, so just ask.

Hi and welcome to the club!!
It is 8 weeks since my hysterctomy and I am fully recovered - just a bit swollen still, well I say swollen cos it is definitely not fat!
I think the first few days are the worst but then every day you can do a little more. My advice would be to listen to your body - mine soon told me when I was doing too much.
This website is great and we can all help after your op too. Good Luck - you'll be fine! XXX

My advice is to follow doctor's orders and do what they want you to do as they have lots of experience in how one recovers from this type of surgery. Also, if you have any needs or questions, make sure to ask your doctor and your nurses. There is no question or need that you should not feel comfortable about asking about. They are there to help you and to answer your questions.

Once you are up and around, take it slow and easy and listen to your body. This is especially important when you get home as we tend to want to do more than we should.

Let us know how you do when you get home.
s
Jane

I just had two little things to add . My gynecologist suggested I buy three quarter leg stockings in the hospital and have them properly fitted. I asked the nurses to put them on straight after surgery to lessen the chances of DVT and wore them until I was mobile. He also told me to move my feet up and down in bed 50 times every hour or more if you like to keep the blood flowing.

The second bit of advice he gave was to my Mum. He said don't ask your daughter how she is after surgery as she will be very groggy and sleepy, just tell her all went well with surgery... and tell her briefly about the positive outcomes of surgery if possible. That was good advice as I remember my mum rubbing my hair and hearing those words and being at peace.

The surgery was actually done by my gynooncologist, but I have known my gynecologist for much longer and he came by several times to see I was OK.

Oh yes once I could put the bed up and sit upright things felt a little better as it helped with gas.

All the best of luck with surgery. Hope you have a good diagnosis.

Been there, got the T shirt...

I had an ablation at the beginning of Sept, and in the routine biopsy they found endometrial cancer. I had my hysterectomy 18 days ago.

I can honestly tell you that the first week is the worst. I felt like my world had ended. I couldn't do anything, couldn't cope with anything, cried all the time and generally felt terrible. I couldn't imagine that it would, but it really does get better with time.

Obviously I'm not yet doing anything remotely physical, apart from a short walk everyday, but mentally I feel more "normal". Just take it easy at first and do as little as you can.

My one tip would be to buy some underwear in a size larger than you usually wear. My "granny" knickers look huge, but they are so comfortable on my swollen belly - I still can't get my jeans done up yet but luckily I also bought a pair with an elasticated waist so that's all I can wear at the moment.

Hope all goes well for you

I hope your surgery was totally uneventful! You're in my thoughts!!!