On Monday June 28, 2010 I saw my OBGYN Oncologist for a follow up appointment after my surgery.
The appointment went well. He confirmed there was no cancer. The washing test came back with no findings which is also good. The bandages were removed and are healing good. Two of the stitches have scabs on them but should heal okay. I will keep neosporin on them until their healed. I don't need to cover them anymore. Its amazing the incision look like a small scratch. If someone saw the marks they wouldn't know the marks were from surgery. He said my belly button and the incision right next to it hurt the most because the incisions were bigger/deeper than the other incisions. He also took a sample of my fat in my stomach area to verify there was no cancer. I asked him why he couldn't take more fat from me! He laughed and said I didn't need it. He's too kind. I was amazed to find out that I have no more restrictions except for no sex for 6 weeks. I questioned him even about exercising and he said I am cleared as long as I am feeling good. I am going to still take it easy and not lift heavy items because I don't want to over do it. I feel there was alot taken from the inside my body and I need to be cautious. The only side effect now that I am postpartum is that I have woken up 4 times out of the 13 days having night sweets. He said that was great because I would of shown any side effects the next day after surgery. He claims that I will not have the other side effects if I haven't had them already. I guess we will have to see with time and as I get older.
I told him about my left wrist pain with the IV situation. He mentioned his wife had the same issue after her surgery. It took her wrist 6 months before it was healed. He said my wrist looked swollen but if I am seeing small improvements hopefully it wont take too long to heal. I had an internal exam and everything was well. I will need to follow up with my OBGYN in 2 more weeks and review with her if she wants me to go on Estrogen. He said if it was his decision he likes women to have it and feels women need Estrogen but because Estrogen grows on cancer that I need to discuss the decisions with her. I discussed with my OBGYN in the past and I don't think I will take it unless I am having bad side effects. He reviewed to see my Oncologist in regards to the medication related to my breast cancer. I don't need to see him anymore since no cancer was found. He was a great guy and I would refer him in a second.
I am feeling wonderful and glad I can drive again. I am doing everything I did before the surgery except I am still not lifting heavy items. I do make sure I sit down a little during the day and not to over do it. I am hoping to start to exercise again soon. I have to also take it easy with my left wrist. My gas in my stomach is 99% better. Yea!
I have an appointment with my Oncologist on Friday.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
how I felt up to the 12th day of recovery
- The first two days I was home, I needed to take pain medication, slept alot and sat in the recliner chair.
- The first two nights, it was difficult to sleep comfortable at night. I took a Valium pill to help me fall asleep. I slept in our recliner chair in our bedroom.
- My mom, kids, and Gene were helping with the duties around the house.
- Under my chin was sore from the breathing tube that was inserted in my throat during my surgery.
- In the hospital they put a velcro brace around my stomach area to keep area tight and secure. I continued to wear the belt once I was home all week.
- They pumped so much air into my stomach that I had alot of gas pain.
- Almost every-time I ate for the first few days, my stomach would cramp up.
- Two incisions out of five were sore. They were located on the right side of my belly button and inside my belly button. I didn't know the other three were there.
- My wrist continues to hurt where the IV was inserted. I get nerve pain in two of my fingers when I move it certain ways.
- I would walk around often so my body doesn't get sore from sitting.
- It was strange once a week was here, I felt better with the pain. It was only on and off. I take medication only when needed. The gas pain was getting better but still bothered me.
- On the 8TH day of recovery my sister in law and niece were here visiting and I was able to get out of the house and go shopping for a few hours. It felt good to get out of the house but I had to remind myself not to bend over and pick up heavy items.
- On the 10TH day my sister in law and niece took the kids overnight since they don't see them because they live in another state. Gene and I went out to dinner and to the movies. It was nice to get out. I continue to wear the velcro belt especially when I go out of the house.
- Each day is improving. I can't wait until I am able to drive again. You don't realize how much you miss something until it is gone.
I went for my two week follow up at the doctors and I will give update in the next day or so.
Friday, June 25, 2010
rest of stay in hospital
Continuing from previous blog.The cafeteria brought my food to me for dinner which was still a liquid lunch.The nurse said I couldn't eat for a few hours since I got sick. I asked the nurse to put the Italian ice in the freezer because it was melting. I fell asleep for a few hours then woke up and I was starving. The nurse let me have two sips of water then two more sips 20 minutes later. Since I was able to keep the water down, she brought me some ice in which I could get my apple juice cold. I also had some beef broth which was pretty good but I didn't finish it and ate some graham crackers. I was still hooked up to Morphine through the IV and would continue to push the button when I didn't feel well.
The new nurse which changed shifts in the late afternoon continued to come into my room every 2-3 hours to check all my vital signs. I started to get uncomfortable with my bladder. The feeling was compared to an elephant standing on my stomach. I had to call the nurse in to check my catheter. She said it was getting stuck on the side of my walls and the urine wasn't flowing out properly. I know this sounds horrible and gross but I am letting you know why I felt the extra pressure. I hope no-one has to go through this process. It happened a few more times through-out the night. I tried to move the tube myself but it didn't seem to work as well when the nurse fixed it. I brushed my teeth in bed and watched some TV and fell asleep. At midnight I was woken up again for all the lovely torcher they give you in the hospital for your vital signs: change IV fluid, measure urine volume, blood pressure, oxygen level, oral temperature. Each time the nurse came in they also had me blow into this breathing hose machine (forgot what it is called) ten times to help my oxygen which is usually a normal routine when your in the hospital. They said do it every hour or when you remember. This helps your lungs not to fill up with fluid and get your oxygen back to the normal count. I had the pulse indicator on my finger since I came out of surgery.
Okay we lost power for 1/2 day so another delay in blogging.
I also had to wear leg cuffs on both of my legs to help the blood circulation flow since I was unable to get out of bed. The two nurses who came in at midnight introduced themselves while they did my vitals again and they were changing shifts. I had to get out of bed just to stand and get my body moving since I've been in bed since 7:00am. She took off the leg circulation cuffs and helped me up. Wow that was painful! I had to hold onto the railing and she took my hand to help me up. I didn't think I would have this much pain.I have five tiny incisions across my stomach. Two on the right side of my belly button, two on my left side of the belly button and they also went though my belly button. I just stood for 3-4 minutes, moved my body and laid back down. She had to put the circulation cuffs back on my legs, IV stays in until I leave but she let me take off the finger pulse. Yea, one less thing attached to my body. I was in alot of pain with my right shoulder. It was hurting without even moving it. I think I slept wrong and it was tensed up. I mentioned it to the nurse and she gave me more medication. The nurse mentioned for this surgery they had to pump air into my stomach which causes alot of gas. I went back to sleep and was woken back up at 2:30am for the usual check. No sleep in the hospital. I went back to sleep again and was woken up at 5:45am for my vital signs again before this nurse had to go home. She also had to withdraw blood to get my cbc count before I could go home today. Since I had an IV in both arms (one working, other one in vein and ready for an emergency) she decided to draw the blood on top of my hand since it was a small needle. About 30 minutes later the chief resident came into my room to see how I was feeling and he also did an exam. My OBGYN Oncologist was going to be at Yale hospital today and my OBGYN wasn't going to be at my hospital until the evening shift so the chief resident was going to release me to go home. He gave the nurse orders to keep me on the fluid IV but to take me off the Morphine and put me on oral pain medication when needed. He wanted to get me ready to go home. He said he also needed me to get out of bed and walk around the unit. He had to wait for the blood results to come back and said I probably wouldn't go home after lunch time. He had to go into surgery and would be back later.
I stayed up and all the doctors started visiting me. The anesthesia doctor that was in the surgery room with me came in to check on me as well as a nurse from surgery and one of the OBGYN that works in my doctors office stopped by. I ordered breakfast which I could go back to normal food but was told not to order anything heavy like an omelet. I placed an order for a muffin, apple juice, cereal, and english muffin with butter. The food was okay but not eating much in two days, I didn't have much of an appetite. The next shift nurse came in and checked my vitals again and she had to take some more blood before I go home. I asked her if there was a problem and she said no that my cbc count came back and was good but the doctor wanted to know my electrolyte's. She removed the extra IV that was in my right arm. Each nurse always asked me if I have trouble with IV's and weren't sure where they can withdraw blood since I had lymph nodes removed during my breast surgery. Since I had the same amount removed on each armpit area, it didn't matter what arm to use. It seemed like my left arm was easier to get blood but she didn't want to use it since the IV was still there.
She tried to draw blood in my left arm two times and couldn't do it. She had to call in another nurse to draw the blood. She saw a good vein to draw blood from but also had trouble. She had to move the needle around to get the blood flowing. My arm looked like I went through a war zone. She also removed the catheter which was another relief and removed the circulation cuffs off my legs. It was great to have these removed but I had to go to the bathroom several times because all of the fluid would go right through my body and it was difficult to get out of bed and take the IV with me into the bathroom. Nothing was easy! She gave me a Percocet for the pain and said I will also alternate Motrin 800 for the pain. My husband and kids called me before they left for school and work. It was nice to speak with them. The nurse returned and I was able to get up and wash up my body and move around. I felt 70% better than last night. I still had pain but was able to get around once I was assisted out of bed. I moved slowly around by myself in the room. My OBGYN called me to see how I was feeling and asked if I had any questions. She wanted to review my medical because she didn't think I remember much when she was speaking with me in the recovery room. She explained the surgery went well and no initial signs if Cancer but I did have some endometriosis. She did review all the information with my husband which he told me. She didn't want me to drive for two weeks. I would make an appointment with the OBGYN Oncologist for a 2 week follow up and see my OBGYN in 4 weeks. She mentioned to leave the bandages cover over the incision areas but I can change them when they come off. They were just normal bandages. She feels confident and feels we still made the right decision that I had a hysterectomy. I agreed with her. I am tired of worrying and want to be Cancer free! I watched some TV and took a short nap waiting to be released to go home. A few hours later the nurse returned and wanted me to walk around the until so she pushed the IV as I walked. I moved slowly but was able to walk. The only good outcome that I was still in the hospital was I was resting, wathcing TV and taking short naps. It ended being a very long afternoon. I wasn't discharged right away. I didn't want Gene to sit around so I told him I would call him when I am ready to get picked up. He kept checking in with me to see what's taking so long. The kids had an early dismissal from school today since they only had 2 days left for the year. The bus would get them home by 2:00 which I thought I would be home and Gene would get them off the bus. I called my mom to ask her to get them off the bus and watch them until we get out. The nurse kept telling me the doctor is in surgery and we have to wait for his release. I started to get itchy in the room. By now my TV was shut off since we only paid for 24 hours so I listened to the music and relaxed my eyes. I had a women stop by with a cart for snacks (I guess to purchase) and the women to see if I want to renew my TV but I just wanted to go home and not be bothered..The nurse returned and said the doctor was on the floor but got called back into surgery and didn't know when he will get back. Boy, was I mad because I think he had enough time to discharge the other women and not me! My fluid was running out and the nurse said I could be released from the IV and fluid. I was a free women now with nothing attached to my body but no paperwork to go home.
Gene called me and said he was coming down to get me and hopefully I would be discharged soon. About twenty minutes later the next shift nurse came in and said they were going to have another OBGYN nurse release me to go home. Why they couldn't do this several hours before? I called Gene and he was already arriving at the hospital. He came up to the room. The nurse went over all my paperwork, gave me some more pain medication to take since it was time and gave me prescriptions for Motrin 800 and Percocet. I was finally wheeled out of the hospital at 4:00 PM. Yea on my way home.
This chapter is so long that I will write another blog how I have been feeling since I've been home tomorrow.
The new nurse which changed shifts in the late afternoon continued to come into my room every 2-3 hours to check all my vital signs. I started to get uncomfortable with my bladder. The feeling was compared to an elephant standing on my stomach. I had to call the nurse in to check my catheter. She said it was getting stuck on the side of my walls and the urine wasn't flowing out properly. I know this sounds horrible and gross but I am letting you know why I felt the extra pressure. I hope no-one has to go through this process. It happened a few more times through-out the night. I tried to move the tube myself but it didn't seem to work as well when the nurse fixed it. I brushed my teeth in bed and watched some TV and fell asleep. At midnight I was woken up again for all the lovely torcher they give you in the hospital for your vital signs: change IV fluid, measure urine volume, blood pressure, oxygen level, oral temperature. Each time the nurse came in they also had me blow into this breathing hose machine (forgot what it is called) ten times to help my oxygen which is usually a normal routine when your in the hospital. They said do it every hour or when you remember. This helps your lungs not to fill up with fluid and get your oxygen back to the normal count. I had the pulse indicator on my finger since I came out of surgery.
Okay we lost power for 1/2 day so another delay in blogging.
I also had to wear leg cuffs on both of my legs to help the blood circulation flow since I was unable to get out of bed. The two nurses who came in at midnight introduced themselves while they did my vitals again and they were changing shifts. I had to get out of bed just to stand and get my body moving since I've been in bed since 7:00am. She took off the leg circulation cuffs and helped me up. Wow that was painful! I had to hold onto the railing and she took my hand to help me up. I didn't think I would have this much pain.I have five tiny incisions across my stomach. Two on the right side of my belly button, two on my left side of the belly button and they also went though my belly button. I just stood for 3-4 minutes, moved my body and laid back down. She had to put the circulation cuffs back on my legs, IV stays in until I leave but she let me take off the finger pulse. Yea, one less thing attached to my body. I was in alot of pain with my right shoulder. It was hurting without even moving it. I think I slept wrong and it was tensed up. I mentioned it to the nurse and she gave me more medication. The nurse mentioned for this surgery they had to pump air into my stomach which causes alot of gas. I went back to sleep and was woken back up at 2:30am for the usual check. No sleep in the hospital. I went back to sleep again and was woken up at 5:45am for my vital signs again before this nurse had to go home. She also had to withdraw blood to get my cbc count before I could go home today. Since I had an IV in both arms (one working, other one in vein and ready for an emergency) she decided to draw the blood on top of my hand since it was a small needle. About 30 minutes later the chief resident came into my room to see how I was feeling and he also did an exam. My OBGYN Oncologist was going to be at Yale hospital today and my OBGYN wasn't going to be at my hospital until the evening shift so the chief resident was going to release me to go home. He gave the nurse orders to keep me on the fluid IV but to take me off the Morphine and put me on oral pain medication when needed. He wanted to get me ready to go home. He said he also needed me to get out of bed and walk around the unit. He had to wait for the blood results to come back and said I probably wouldn't go home after lunch time. He had to go into surgery and would be back later.
I stayed up and all the doctors started visiting me. The anesthesia doctor that was in the surgery room with me came in to check on me as well as a nurse from surgery and one of the OBGYN that works in my doctors office stopped by. I ordered breakfast which I could go back to normal food but was told not to order anything heavy like an omelet. I placed an order for a muffin, apple juice, cereal, and english muffin with butter. The food was okay but not eating much in two days, I didn't have much of an appetite. The next shift nurse came in and checked my vitals again and she had to take some more blood before I go home. I asked her if there was a problem and she said no that my cbc count came back and was good but the doctor wanted to know my electrolyte's. She removed the extra IV that was in my right arm. Each nurse always asked me if I have trouble with IV's and weren't sure where they can withdraw blood since I had lymph nodes removed during my breast surgery. Since I had the same amount removed on each armpit area, it didn't matter what arm to use. It seemed like my left arm was easier to get blood but she didn't want to use it since the IV was still there.
She tried to draw blood in my left arm two times and couldn't do it. She had to call in another nurse to draw the blood. She saw a good vein to draw blood from but also had trouble. She had to move the needle around to get the blood flowing. My arm looked like I went through a war zone. She also removed the catheter which was another relief and removed the circulation cuffs off my legs. It was great to have these removed but I had to go to the bathroom several times because all of the fluid would go right through my body and it was difficult to get out of bed and take the IV with me into the bathroom. Nothing was easy! She gave me a Percocet for the pain and said I will also alternate Motrin 800 for the pain. My husband and kids called me before they left for school and work. It was nice to speak with them. The nurse returned and I was able to get up and wash up my body and move around. I felt 70% better than last night. I still had pain but was able to get around once I was assisted out of bed. I moved slowly around by myself in the room. My OBGYN called me to see how I was feeling and asked if I had any questions. She wanted to review my medical because she didn't think I remember much when she was speaking with me in the recovery room. She explained the surgery went well and no initial signs if Cancer but I did have some endometriosis. She did review all the information with my husband which he told me. She didn't want me to drive for two weeks. I would make an appointment with the OBGYN Oncologist for a 2 week follow up and see my OBGYN in 4 weeks. She mentioned to leave the bandages cover over the incision areas but I can change them when they come off. They were just normal bandages. She feels confident and feels we still made the right decision that I had a hysterectomy. I agreed with her. I am tired of worrying and want to be Cancer free! I watched some TV and took a short nap waiting to be released to go home. A few hours later the nurse returned and wanted me to walk around the until so she pushed the IV as I walked. I moved slowly but was able to walk. The only good outcome that I was still in the hospital was I was resting, wathcing TV and taking short naps. It ended being a very long afternoon. I wasn't discharged right away. I didn't want Gene to sit around so I told him I would call him when I am ready to get picked up. He kept checking in with me to see what's taking so long. The kids had an early dismissal from school today since they only had 2 days left for the year. The bus would get them home by 2:00 which I thought I would be home and Gene would get them off the bus. I called my mom to ask her to get them off the bus and watch them until we get out. The nurse kept telling me the doctor is in surgery and we have to wait for his release. I started to get itchy in the room. By now my TV was shut off since we only paid for 24 hours so I listened to the music and relaxed my eyes. I had a women stop by with a cart for snacks (I guess to purchase) and the women to see if I want to renew my TV but I just wanted to go home and not be bothered..The nurse returned and said the doctor was on the floor but got called back into surgery and didn't know when he will get back. Boy, was I mad because I think he had enough time to discharge the other women and not me! My fluid was running out and the nurse said I could be released from the IV and fluid. I was a free women now with nothing attached to my body but no paperwork to go home.
Gene called me and said he was coming down to get me and hopefully I would be discharged soon. About twenty minutes later the next shift nurse came in and said they were going to have another OBGYN nurse release me to go home. Why they couldn't do this several hours before? I called Gene and he was already arriving at the hospital. He came up to the room. The nurse went over all my paperwork, gave me some more pain medication to take since it was time and gave me prescriptions for Motrin 800 and Percocet. I was finally wheeled out of the hospital at 4:00 PM. Yea on my way home.
This chapter is so long that I will write another blog how I have been feeling since I've been home tomorrow.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
waking up from surgery
I woke up from surgery in the recovery room but was really drowsy. If you haven't had any surgeries before, its a strange feeling. Your awake one minute then fall back asleep and then process goes back and fourth for awhile until the anesthesia wears off. The nurse asked me to tell her my level of pain and I am not sure why I answered initially a 6 out of a 10. I fell back to sleep and was in a lot of pain so when I woke back up I told her my pain is now a 10. In the past Gene was able to come into the recovery room but they didn't have him there. Maybe because my other surgeries were in a different part of the hospital and this surgery was in the main operating room. All I can remember was a man next to me, couldn't see him there was a drape between us, yelling he had to go to the bathroom. The nurse kept telling him he had a catheter but apparently he didn't understand. I was so drug up that he was getting me an aggravated with the screaming. I was finally wheeled off to my room.
I was still in and out of it on the way to the room. I had a private room on the maternity ward. (which is where I stayed last time). A few minutes later I do remember my husband coming in to see me. My nurse on duty said I was already on Morphine but gave me additional pain medication in my IV. It took awhile before I felt better. I was still in pain but it was tolerable. Gene told me the good news from the doctors: "there was no signs of cancer during surgery and the internal walls inside me looked well". I sort of remember my doctors talking to me in the recovery room but couldn't tell you what they said, it was like a dream. Gene stayed with me for awhile then went down to the lobby to buy a card to activate the TV and get my backpack out of the car. (yes nothing is for free $5 for 24 hrs of TV) I felt better by the time he was back. I was on a liquid diet and for lunch they served me a bowl of chicken broth, red jello, tea, and cranberry juice. I didn't have any solid food to to eat since Sunday evening. I started a liquid diet on Monday. The food didn't even taste that well. I ate the jello and half of the chicken broth. I tried the cranberry juice but didn't care for it. I called my mom to let her know I was okay and to see if she would like to visit me in the hospital since Gene was going home to bring the kids back. Gene left around 3:00 to get the kids off the bus. He was going to pick them up along with my mom and come back to the hospital before dinner time. I couldn't get out of the bed. I was hooked up to an IV for fluid and for my pain medication. I also had a catheter which isn't the most comfortable feeling. I took a short nap while Gene left. The nurse comes into the room every 2-3 hours for my vital signs. She had good timing and came into my room before Gene and kids were back. She took my blood pressure, my oxygen, checked my incisions, checked my IV, my temperature, emptied my catheter (which they have to keep track of the amount of fluid) and checked if I was bleeding. The good news I had very little bleeding after the surgery. They had me wear a pad but I only bled like a quarter size. I believe the robotic helped for less bleeding. I couldn't wait not to wear a pad again in my life unless when I am older and have to wear depends. (lets hope not).
My mom, Gene and the kids came back to visit me. It was nice to see them. We talked and watched some TV. Both of the kids made me cards before I went into the hospital wishing me good luck. Emily made another card and brought it to me to the hospital. They were at the hospital about hour and half. Right before they were ready to leave I wasn't feeling well. I turned to Gene and said I am going to get sick and I need a bucket. I called the nurse to bring me one. My mom took the kids out of the room. I still had my tray from lunch and I had to use that because the bucket didn't arrive in time. I guess the jello didn't like me. I felt good afterwards but now they banded me to eat or drink anything for 2 hours. Gene, mom, and kids left to let me rest and they needed to go get some dinner. I kept the bucket near by but never had to use it again.
To be continued...yes long two day story being in the hospital. Blog again soon
I was still in and out of it on the way to the room. I had a private room on the maternity ward. (which is where I stayed last time). A few minutes later I do remember my husband coming in to see me. My nurse on duty said I was already on Morphine but gave me additional pain medication in my IV. It took awhile before I felt better. I was still in pain but it was tolerable. Gene told me the good news from the doctors: "there was no signs of cancer during surgery and the internal walls inside me looked well". I sort of remember my doctors talking to me in the recovery room but couldn't tell you what they said, it was like a dream. Gene stayed with me for awhile then went down to the lobby to buy a card to activate the TV and get my backpack out of the car. (yes nothing is for free $5 for 24 hrs of TV) I felt better by the time he was back. I was on a liquid diet and for lunch they served me a bowl of chicken broth, red jello, tea, and cranberry juice. I didn't have any solid food to to eat since Sunday evening. I started a liquid diet on Monday. The food didn't even taste that well. I ate the jello and half of the chicken broth. I tried the cranberry juice but didn't care for it. I called my mom to let her know I was okay and to see if she would like to visit me in the hospital since Gene was going home to bring the kids back. Gene left around 3:00 to get the kids off the bus. He was going to pick them up along with my mom and come back to the hospital before dinner time. I couldn't get out of the bed. I was hooked up to an IV for fluid and for my pain medication. I also had a catheter which isn't the most comfortable feeling. I took a short nap while Gene left. The nurse comes into the room every 2-3 hours for my vital signs. She had good timing and came into my room before Gene and kids were back. She took my blood pressure, my oxygen, checked my incisions, checked my IV, my temperature, emptied my catheter (which they have to keep track of the amount of fluid) and checked if I was bleeding. The good news I had very little bleeding after the surgery. They had me wear a pad but I only bled like a quarter size. I believe the robotic helped for less bleeding. I couldn't wait not to wear a pad again in my life unless when I am older and have to wear depends. (lets hope not).
My mom, Gene and the kids came back to visit me. It was nice to see them. We talked and watched some TV. Both of the kids made me cards before I went into the hospital wishing me good luck. Emily made another card and brought it to me to the hospital. They were at the hospital about hour and half. Right before they were ready to leave I wasn't feeling well. I turned to Gene and said I am going to get sick and I need a bucket. I called the nurse to bring me one. My mom took the kids out of the room. I still had my tray from lunch and I had to use that because the bucket didn't arrive in time. I guess the jello didn't like me. I felt good afterwards but now they banded me to eat or drink anything for 2 hours. Gene, mom, and kids left to let me rest and they needed to go get some dinner. I kept the bucket near by but never had to use it again.
To be continued...yes long two day story being in the hospital. Blog again soon
test results
I will continue blogging with all the details while I was at the hospital and let everybody know how I am feeling but I have to tell everybody the following news.
I spoke with the nurse at my OBGYN office and all my organs DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNS OF CANCER YEA!!! What wonderful news, I was not too excited at first, I guess I was in shock. The test did show I have endometriosis which we already knew. There is one more test called the washing which we need to get the results but will not change the wonderful news!
Check my blog later today or tomorrow for more updates. I am already feeling better with this news but I have to remember I need to have my stitches heal.
I spoke with the nurse at my OBGYN office and all my organs DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNS OF CANCER YEA!!! What wonderful news, I was not too excited at first, I guess I was in shock. The test did show I have endometriosis which we already knew. There is one more test called the washing which we need to get the results but will not change the wonderful news!
Check my blog later today or tomorrow for more updates. I am already feeling better with this news but I have to remember I need to have my stitches heal.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monica's details from pre-op surgery
Thanks to my husband for updating and giving an extensive blog entry while I was in the hospital. I am going to give all the details. while I was in the hospital The blogging is my dairy for all the information to be documented and give complete details.
We arrived at the hospital just before 6:30am and they took me right in. I didn't even get a chance to sit down. The nurse said she is going to get me ready for surgery and then will have my husband come into the pre-op room with me after we get settled in. She gave me a gown to put on as well as socks and asked me take everything off. This gown was bulky. I felt like a was wearing a parachute. The reason why it was bulky is because its design to be hooked up for heat if needed during surgery. I believe the company was called Bare Claw who design it. Each pocket had a flap with attachments for the hose. I was hot in it because it was lined inside. She returned and asked when was my last menstrual cycle was. I forgot to look at the calendar and at this point I wasn't thinking about any more menstrual cycles. She asked me to give a urine sample because they wanted to verify I wasn't pregnant. I guess they didn't want a law suit before the procedure. As I returned, there was two individuals waiting for me from the anesthesia department. They introduced themselves and said they were shadowing the pre-op area that day. They were from Yale residents since Bridgeport hospital is associated with Yale hospital. There was a male and female and they explained they were going to insert the IV to get ready for the surgery. In my past surgeries, the IV was inserted on the top of my hand. The man who inserted the IV said he likes the vein that runs along the side of your wrist on your thumb side. He said my vein was pumped and looked good. As he inserted the IV no blood was coming out. He had to move the needle around to get the blood to take. As he moved it, I felt a sharp pain on top of my hand into my fingers. He said sorry and the needle probably hit a nerve. These two individuals were not going into the operating room. I should of known to ask for experience anesthesia since I always seem to have some issues with IV's. The pain did go away but I felt the IV was in an awkward area. Gene did arrive in the room after the IV was inserted. As we waited we had a few nurses review all my medical information and introduced them selves since they were going to be in the surgery room. The two anesthesia representatives also came in and reviewed how the medicine works and made sure we had no questions. My OBGYN came in and said they were just about ready to get started. We reviewed what was going to be happening during the surgery. I didn't realize that my cervix was also going to be removed. She said its small and attached to the uterus and since I am not having any more children that I won't miss or need it. I was having my both of my ovaries, both fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix removed. She explained during surgery they would send down samples from each area to test for cancer. The lab would freeze the organs then test a small section to check for cancer. She also explained that the organs would be sent out to the lab for an extensive review after the surgery and would take a week to get the final results back. I guess I never thought about how they tested the organs. The fluid and flexibility wouldn't allow for correct sample so that's why they freeze the organs first. My OBGYN Oncologist stopped by and said they were ready in the operating room. I gave my husband a kiss and I was wheeled off. They inserted some sleepy medicine in my IV as I was going into the operating room. Once I got into the OR room everything was blurry and I was out in about a minute. I didn't even get a chance to see the robot.
To be continued tomorrow, time to rest and relax.
We arrived at the hospital just before 6:30am and they took me right in. I didn't even get a chance to sit down. The nurse said she is going to get me ready for surgery and then will have my husband come into the pre-op room with me after we get settled in. She gave me a gown to put on as well as socks and asked me take everything off. This gown was bulky. I felt like a was wearing a parachute. The reason why it was bulky is because its design to be hooked up for heat if needed during surgery. I believe the company was called Bare Claw who design it. Each pocket had a flap with attachments for the hose. I was hot in it because it was lined inside. She returned and asked when was my last menstrual cycle was. I forgot to look at the calendar and at this point I wasn't thinking about any more menstrual cycles. She asked me to give a urine sample because they wanted to verify I wasn't pregnant. I guess they didn't want a law suit before the procedure. As I returned, there was two individuals waiting for me from the anesthesia department. They introduced themselves and said they were shadowing the pre-op area that day. They were from Yale residents since Bridgeport hospital is associated with Yale hospital. There was a male and female and they explained they were going to insert the IV to get ready for the surgery. In my past surgeries, the IV was inserted on the top of my hand. The man who inserted the IV said he likes the vein that runs along the side of your wrist on your thumb side. He said my vein was pumped and looked good. As he inserted the IV no blood was coming out. He had to move the needle around to get the blood to take. As he moved it, I felt a sharp pain on top of my hand into my fingers. He said sorry and the needle probably hit a nerve. These two individuals were not going into the operating room. I should of known to ask for experience anesthesia since I always seem to have some issues with IV's. The pain did go away but I felt the IV was in an awkward area. Gene did arrive in the room after the IV was inserted. As we waited we had a few nurses review all my medical information and introduced them selves since they were going to be in the surgery room. The two anesthesia representatives also came in and reviewed how the medicine works and made sure we had no questions. My OBGYN came in and said they were just about ready to get started. We reviewed what was going to be happening during the surgery. I didn't realize that my cervix was also going to be removed. She said its small and attached to the uterus and since I am not having any more children that I won't miss or need it. I was having my both of my ovaries, both fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix removed. She explained during surgery they would send down samples from each area to test for cancer. The lab would freeze the organs then test a small section to check for cancer. She also explained that the organs would be sent out to the lab for an extensive review after the surgery and would take a week to get the final results back. I guess I never thought about how they tested the organs. The fluid and flexibility wouldn't allow for correct sample so that's why they freeze the organs first. My OBGYN Oncologist stopped by and said they were ready in the operating room. I gave my husband a kiss and I was wheeled off. They inserted some sleepy medicine in my IV as I was going into the operating room. Once I got into the OR room everything was blurry and I was out in about a minute. I didn't even get a chance to see the robot.
To be continued tomorrow, time to rest and relax.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Surgery day
Monica's surgery went really well it took about 2 1/2 hours to complete from the time they started which was around 7:45 AM. The doctors said that they did some initial tests for cancer while she was in surgery and they did not see or find any cancer. This is great news ! Now they will still have to send everything out to the lab for more extensive tests that take up to a week to find out the results but this is a really great sign and they seem to be pretty confident that she should be OK.
They did say that she did have a bit of endometriosis so overall the doctors still feel confident about their recommendation for Monica to take this aggressive approach in having a full hysterectomy.
Obviously Monica was in quite a bit a pain when I first saw her an hour and a half after the surgery was over as they were asking her on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest of pain where she was and she keep telling them a 10 initially. So they had her on morphine and gave her some other strong pain killer which eventually seemed to really help and control the pain.
So by the time I left to go get the kids off the bus around 3:00 PM and bring them back to see her Monica was feeling much better but they would still not let her eat anything other than clear liquids due to the medicine. So I brought the kids and Monica's mother Kathy back for a quick visit which was nice for her and the kids to get to see each other for a bit. Right before we left Monica had some raspberry juice which unfortunately did not want to stay down for long and ended up come back up. So the nurse said she has to stay on just water or ice chips for awhile more.
The kids and I called her first thing this morning before sending them off to school and she said she was feeling a bit better and was cleared to have some food and had just ordered some breakfast. The doctors told her that she will be able to go home today sometime around noon I plan on going to pick her up.
So now the recovery process begins again which the doctors said it will be a good 2 weeks before she can really move around quite a bit, however knowing Monica just like the last time she had a major surgery she does not like to stay immobile very long. So we will take it slow and she how it goes.
So in closing as Monica's guest blogger today I would just like to say that once again I am absolutely amazed by her with both the physical and mental strength she has shown through this whole process once again. Aside from that first day of being upset about finding out that her blood count marker for Ovarian cancer had been continually rising and that she would have to have this surgery and face the possible prospect of having to fight yet another battle against cancer she never once said why me or felt sorry for herself. She just seems to have this unbelievable steel resolve that she was not going to let this affect her life and more than she needed it to and that she was prepared to take the aggressive approach to do whatever needed to be done to win one more battle if that was the cards that fate had dealt her. She is an amazing person that I think many of us can draw some level of inspiration from. I am proud of her, love her and so glad that everything has went well with this surgery and that she appears to have finally caught a much deserved break in regards to cancer.
I know I speak for Monica as well when I say thank you all for your never ending continued support, love and friendship you have shown our family. I can not tell you all how much it really makes a difference for us.
Take care and hopefully Monica will be back blogging again shortly with a much more detailed report of her journey.
Gene
x
They did say that she did have a bit of endometriosis so overall the doctors still feel confident about their recommendation for Monica to take this aggressive approach in having a full hysterectomy.
Obviously Monica was in quite a bit a pain when I first saw her an hour and a half after the surgery was over as they were asking her on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest of pain where she was and she keep telling them a 10 initially. So they had her on morphine and gave her some other strong pain killer which eventually seemed to really help and control the pain.
So by the time I left to go get the kids off the bus around 3:00 PM and bring them back to see her Monica was feeling much better but they would still not let her eat anything other than clear liquids due to the medicine. So I brought the kids and Monica's mother Kathy back for a quick visit which was nice for her and the kids to get to see each other for a bit. Right before we left Monica had some raspberry juice which unfortunately did not want to stay down for long and ended up come back up. So the nurse said she has to stay on just water or ice chips for awhile more.
The kids and I called her first thing this morning before sending them off to school and she said she was feeling a bit better and was cleared to have some food and had just ordered some breakfast. The doctors told her that she will be able to go home today sometime around noon I plan on going to pick her up.
So now the recovery process begins again which the doctors said it will be a good 2 weeks before she can really move around quite a bit, however knowing Monica just like the last time she had a major surgery she does not like to stay immobile very long. So we will take it slow and she how it goes.
So in closing as Monica's guest blogger today I would just like to say that once again I am absolutely amazed by her with both the physical and mental strength she has shown through this whole process once again. Aside from that first day of being upset about finding out that her blood count marker for Ovarian cancer had been continually rising and that she would have to have this surgery and face the possible prospect of having to fight yet another battle against cancer she never once said why me or felt sorry for herself. She just seems to have this unbelievable steel resolve that she was not going to let this affect her life and more than she needed it to and that she was prepared to take the aggressive approach to do whatever needed to be done to win one more battle if that was the cards that fate had dealt her. She is an amazing person that I think many of us can draw some level of inspiration from. I am proud of her, love her and so glad that everything has went well with this surgery and that she appears to have finally caught a much deserved break in regards to cancer.
I know I speak for Monica as well when I say thank you all for your never ending continued support, love and friendship you have shown our family. I can not tell you all how much it really makes a difference for us.
Take care and hopefully Monica will be back blogging again shortly with a much more detailed report of her journey.
Gene
x
Monday, June 14, 2010
pre-op exam/surgery
I had my pre-op exam on Thursday June 10, 2010. I had to go to the hospital for this exam. I checked in at the admitting office and that's where all the services were to be performed. She registered all my information and gave me a beeper/buzzer when my turned would be. My buzzer went off and I went into the office. As I entered the nurse told me to have a seat in the room on the right, well I thought it was a bit strange since there was another nurse in there withdrawing blood on a patient but I sat in the other chair like she told me. The nurse said she made a mistake and sent me into a different room, I knew this was a bad start. She came into the room and introduced herself and started to with drawl my blood. She took one vial of blood and I was wondering why so little since I usually take around four vials. She turned around to finish the paperwork and I said how do they know this is my blood work. She picked up the vial and said your name is right here on the sticker. Well guess what it wasn't my name! How can she mixed up my name with an Asian name? She immediately said, I always ask to verify birth dates and I am so sorry I didn't today. I was so angry! I also told her I was told that I needed an EKG and a chest x-ray She handed me a magazine and said here read this while I go straighten out the paperwork. She returned and I was correct that four more vials were needed to be taken. She claimed that the wrong beeper number was written incorrectly on my paperwork. The Asian name that was on my vial was the person who came in after me. If they were planning to take her first, that would add more fuel to the fire. I asked her to with drawl from the other arm for the new blood. She couldn't find a good vein so she had to go back to the other arm. She did it right under the last insertion. What a winner she is! She now verified my name and date of birth. She sent in the anesthesia nurse to get my paperwork started for this department for the day of surgery. I spoke with her about ten minutes. The original nurse came back into the room and said she didn't get a chance to verify if I needed a chest x-ray and EKG since no order was placed. What was she doing all this time!!! She left to go call my doctor's office to see if I needed these test. She returned and said I was told the incorrect information that I don't need them. I had to give an urine test. I asked her why I couldn't gone to the lab by my house since all I did was some blood work and urine test. She said that one of the vials needed to be done at the hospital for the blood bank. I was just glad to get out of this office!!!
I am having my surgery less than 11 hours from now. My surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am and I have to be there at 6:30am. My mom is coming over to get the kids up for school and onto the bus. I found out this am that I couldn't eat anything for the entire day except for clear liquids. Wow I was misunderstood. I thought it was after 2:00 when I had to drink the laxative. I had some coffee which is clear liquid ate a cookie with it and started my no food day. I am been working at a deli to help out and today was my last day. I wanted to go in to keep my mind busy. As I was driving there, I realized that here I can't eat food and I am working around food. It wasn't too bad since I was only there for four hours.I drank the laxative drink. It wasn't too bad but had a strong tart taste. I am surviving the day on chicken broth, Popsicles, water, and coffee. I just want this over at this point. I will have my husband update my blog so everybody knows how the surgery went. Chat with all of you in a few days. Smile and have a wonderful week!
I am having my surgery less than 11 hours from now. My surgery is scheduled for 7:30 am and I have to be there at 6:30am. My mom is coming over to get the kids up for school and onto the bus. I found out this am that I couldn't eat anything for the entire day except for clear liquids. Wow I was misunderstood. I thought it was after 2:00 when I had to drink the laxative. I had some coffee which is clear liquid ate a cookie with it and started my no food day. I am been working at a deli to help out and today was my last day. I wanted to go in to keep my mind busy. As I was driving there, I realized that here I can't eat food and I am working around food. It wasn't too bad since I was only there for four hours.I drank the laxative drink. It wasn't too bad but had a strong tart taste. I am surviving the day on chicken broth, Popsicles, water, and coffee. I just want this over at this point. I will have my husband update my blog so everybody knows how the surgery went. Chat with all of you in a few days. Smile and have a wonderful week!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
told the kids
6/6/10 We told the kids on Sunday that I will be going into the hospital. We explained that mom will have some female organs removed that she no longer needs since she is not having any more babies. We didn't explain the organs in detail. We didn't mention cancer at this time because we don't know the final outcome. Let's pray the outcome is great news! We also told them a robot will be involved with my operation. We showed them the videos that I posted on my last blog posting. They didn't have any questions. My daughter got upset when I told her that I can't be at the end of her school party since I will be recovering. She later asked me " I thought you were done with your operation". I also explained that grandma Kathy will get them up and ready for school on 6/15/10 the day of my surgery since I have to be at the hospital for 6:30 am We also told them, I might have to spend the night but we won't know until that day.
I have my pre-op exam this Thursday 6/10/10 at the hospital. Take Care :>
I have my pre-op exam this Thursday 6/10/10 at the hospital. Take Care :>
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Tattoo update/misc info
On Thursday May 27, 2010 I saw my plastic surgeon. I went to her for a follow up appointment since I had the tattoo performed. She said everything looked well and glad I had it done. She agreed that it looks better with color and looks normal. The work was great! I will see her in six months for a follow up.
I ran into my breast cancer surgeon in the parking lot before my appointment. She has been cc on all my blood tests and wanted to know what was going on with me. She had asked her nurse to call me to find out if I was okay.(which was going to be this week) She is very thoughtful and I appreciate her to take the time to still follow my medical needs. I gave her all my updates. She asked me to keep her posted after the surgery. I am so happy and pleased with all of my doctors. They really care and sincere with their patients.
I have an appointment on June 10, 2010 at the hospital for a pre-op exam. I will need to have an EKG, chest X-ray, and some blood work before my surgery date. The appointment will take 45 min - 1 hour. I also received my time for surgery. My surgery is schedules for June 15, 2010 at 730 am. I will have to be at the hospital at 6:30 am. I will keep everybody posted as much as I can. Take Care :>
I ran into my breast cancer surgeon in the parking lot before my appointment. She has been cc on all my blood tests and wanted to know what was going on with me. She had asked her nurse to call me to find out if I was okay.(which was going to be this week) She is very thoughtful and I appreciate her to take the time to still follow my medical needs. I gave her all my updates. She asked me to keep her posted after the surgery. I am so happy and pleased with all of my doctors. They really care and sincere with their patients.
I have an appointment on June 10, 2010 at the hospital for a pre-op exam. I will need to have an EKG, chest X-ray, and some blood work before my surgery date. The appointment will take 45 min - 1 hour. I also received my time for surgery. My surgery is schedules for June 15, 2010 at 730 am. I will have to be at the hospital at 6:30 am. I will keep everybody posted as much as I can. Take Care :>
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