If ever you're told you need to have an operation for cancer, it's really not as bad as you expect, and the results can be amazing. I'd never been in hospital in my life, and I was terrified by the prospect of having a general anaesthetic and a major abdominal procedure. I have to admit that it wasn't very pleasant, but mainly because of the effects of being catheterised for 36 hours after the operation and because it turned out that I was allergic to all painkillers except paracetemol!
Although I've been vaguely aware that I've been feeling increasingly well, it was really only today that I realised how much better I am than I have been for many, many years! I'd arranged to go shopping with my godmother this morning. We ended up at an edge-of-town retail park which meant driving through the centre of town and up the city motorway. A few weeks ago, just doing that would have resulted in me having to take a nap almost immediately. Today, not only did I drive to the retail park, but I spent three hours browsing through the goods on offer before even considering the need for a restorative cup of coffee! What's more, I took the stairs in preference to the lift without even thinking about it! This was something I couldn't even have contemplated before surgery; the decade or so until then had required me to take frequent rests and not to exert myself (too) much.
I wasn't happy about requiring surgery, but the results demonstrate how very much my quality of life has improved as a result - and the operation itself wasn't as bad as expected. Let's hope the same can be said of the forthcoming radiotherapy.
But I'm still not in the least bit worried about it - just marginally apprehensive that I may experience horrid side effects.
2 comments:
Hi Lesley,
Great to read all that good positive news. The only problem is you are making me feel guilty about my lazy ways. Guess I'll just have to bite the bullet and head to town at the weekend and buy some of those strong boots - not to mention the bloomin' poles :-)
Best,
Margaret
As you say, Lesley, “If ever you're told you need to have an operation for cancer, it's really not as bad as you expect, and the results can be amazing.”
Just over one year ago today, I was diagnosed with a rare, malignant pelvic tumour (PMP) and underwent major abdominal surgery on 1 March 2006. As half my bladder was removed along with the tumour I had to put up with two catheters, one of which had been inserted through a hole that had been “drilled” into my abdomen and into the top of my bladder. This was removed after two weeks and then I was able to wander around with a single catheter (which had been inserted via the usual route) for one more week. A leg bag made life easier, and I was even “let out” of hospital for 24 hours so that I could go home and relax. I managed to get to the local pub and enjoy a meal and a couple of drinks. It was quite handy not having to get up regularly for a pee, but I had to keep checking the leg bag in case it overflowed. I went back into hospital at noon on the following day. My bladder was checked to ensure that it had healed, the catheter was removed and then I was back to normal and discharged from hospital, just over three weeks after the op.
My experience was exactly the same as yours, Lesley: “Although I've been vaguely aware that I've been feeling increasingly well, it was really only today that I realised how much better I am than I have been for many, many years!”
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy don’t work on my type of tumour and I have to undergo another operation later this year. Essentially it involves “hoovering up” small remnants of the PMP jelly that remains in my abdomen and washing out my bowels with a chemo wash. It sounds horrendous, but I am less apprehensive this second time around as I know what to expect and I am confident that I can regain my current level of fitness.
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