I am 26 and found out I had a borderline ovarian tumor which they removed but I am due to have an operation on the 24th that will remove my right Ovary and tube, my appendix and my Omentum all in one go.
As the operation is fastly approaching I am feeling very scared and nervous about it as you all are aware of these feelings prior to the OP.
Does anyone have any advice or tips of how to cope with this Op as it seems I have underestimated the impact it will have on me , I assumed I'd be fine after 2 weeks like the operation to remove the tumor, however I feel like that may not be the case after reading some stories on here.
Also what side effects am I likely to notice following the operation?
How does this operation effect me in the long term?
I have tried to explain my feelings to friends and family but as they aren't and never have been through this It's hard for them to understand, and I would never wish them to go through this !
Any comments and tips and just general support would be welcome
Hugs,
Dannii x
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Danniijo9027
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Sorry you have found yourself here, but hopefully you'll get lots of advice and support.
I guess your recovery time will depend on what kind of incision it is. I had the big vertical incision, and was told 8 weeks. In reality I felt pretty good after 3 weeks, but didn't drive my car until the 8 weeks was up just to be safe.
My advice would be to rest as much as you can/need and get friends and family to help you out. I had a rota of friends/family staying with me during the daytime whilst my husband was at work and also making meals, helping with the washing etc. It just took all the stress out of my days and it was lovely to be so well looked after.
Will this operation mean that both of your ovaries have been removed, or just the one? That will determine what kind of side effects you have.
All good advice above. Plenty of rest and get some help. The other thing is if you don't feel ready for doing things after the op, tell the Drs. They will try and push you into walking, standing etc. If you don't feel ready, just have confidence and tell them! It is what I had to do. It is YOUR body remember xx
Hi Dannii.. Sorry you have found yourself on this site at such a young age, I'm sure you will get support from the lovely ladies on here. I had laproscopic removal of both ovaries/ tubes and omentum two years ago for borderline. I came home the next day. It did take longer than I expected to recover (about 4/6 weeks) but I am a lot older! The only after effect was shoulder pain (due to belly being filled with gas) which was eased by drinking peppermint tea. But this was gone by first week. Good luck with your surgery, (mine was also on the 24th in 2014!). Hope all goes well for you.
Be kind to yourself ....like yoshbosh says it does depend on the incision you have ... I had the big vertical incision and the op made me sick and could not keep anything down .... it took a while to get over the op and the wind pain was bad but you get better everyday be prepared to take it easy and rest ... big hugs and try not to stress xxxx
I agree with Yoshbosh. Had my op similar to your on 30th Aug. The recovery was really good and I was home in 6 days. My situation is different because my husband and I are retired. This meant we did not need to have to rely on others although friends did drop round the occasional meal/cakes. Although you may feel well (and I did), do remember advice about lifting, driving etc. in order not to cause any problems. It is worth applying bio oil to scar twice daily for several months. this has really helped me. Hoping all goes well for you.
Hi Danni, welcome to one of the friendliest and supportive group of people I've known, albeit virtual and sorry you've found yourself here so very young.
From what I've read I believe alot of us on this forum have had a full hysterectomy, but there are some ladies like yourself who could probably advise better for post op symptoms. I am assuming your surgeon is leaving your uterus and other ovary and fallopean tube in place because you are so very young and they don't want to go into a menopause so early plus you may want babies in the future. Following a hysterectomy you are advised to do literally nothing for a few weeks and slowly build back up to lifting things and looking after yourself which is why we all let others do everything for us initially 🙂. You don't say how your operation is being done, is it being done laparoscopically or full incision? This will determine your recovery period and again let people look after you as much as possible. Speak to your surgical team they will advise you on the best aftercare and post op symptoms. I was given so much literature before and after my surgery that I pretty much knew what to expect post op, try to avoid googling your situation, you can find info out there that will scare the pants off you and which often isn't relevant to your own situation. Good luck with your op, you are understandably nervous, you wouldn't be normal if you weren't, but you'll get there and we're all here for you ❤️ Jane xx
PS to above, yes I like Shellygirl found it difficult to keep food down for 3 days or so and did suffer from wind (quite normal I was told) - mine was a long vertical incision. Try and have consomme or something similar because you will not be discharged until eating and my discharge was almost delayed due to low pottasium (bananas are good for this). Hope this helps. J
Hi Danni, sorry you are struggling and I was in the same boat as you 12 months ago. I spent some time looking on this forum but ended more scared than before.
My first question would be this: do you know if you are having keyhole surgery or not? And are they removing both ovaries? Both these answers will make a difference to the answers you are looking for. If they remove both ovaries, you will go into a surgical menopause and most side effects may come from this. If, however, they are only removing one ovary your symptoms and recovery will be far easier.
The removal of both is a bigger op and needs longer rest, no driving etc but the time will pass quickly. Your body will amaze you as to how fast it repairs! It really is pretty miraculous. If both are removed then longer term side effects would be menopausal rather than simply from surgery as they are removing your hormone -regulators in that surgery, but I could give you tips and help? I hope that helps and a promise you it will be ok. I was terrified too but the body is an awesome thing and recovers fast xxx
I'm 33 and have just gone through exactly what you are facing. On 16th June this year I had a large (16cm) borderline mucinous tumour removed from my right ovary (suspected cyst). When the histology came back, I was referred to an Oncologist and they decided they wanted to go back in and remove the right ovary, fallopian tube and appendix (they didn't remove my omentum). I had this op on 9th August. I was in South Africa on holiday 3 weeks later!
Both operations were similar in that I was in hospital over night. They were also both 'keyhole' to a certain degree (and went in through the same incisions, reducing amount of scarring), although for second op, the bikini line incision was larger than anticipated (about 13cm) as my right ovary had developed quite a large haematoma inside after the first op (and had therefore swelled to just over 10cm) and they wanted to remove it intact.
I found recovery after both ops pretty similar. I experienced gas pain in my shoulders after both but found peppermint tea and moving about did help ease this (I was also injected with Buscopan in hospital after the first op to help this too). I lost my appetite completely after the first op but not so much after second. I made sure my anaesthetist knew i suffer sickness post-surgery so they ensured they gave me plenty of anti-sickness in recovery. 3 days after 2nd op, i was out, walking around my local National Trust property in the sunshine. I followed all post-op advice and come 1st Sept, I was on a long haul flight to South Africa for a near 3 week trip.
Pain relief wise - this was managed better after my 2nd op as i was given Tramadol - this worked MUCH better for me than Codeine. In order to help with the constipation (due to drugs/little movement etc) i took a half cup of prune juice every day (sometimes x 2) daily until i started having movements. This took about 3 days, but I never got too bad.
Since my last op and after the magic 6-week mark (which is when you're considered 'recovered') I started massaging my incision line with Neils Yard Remedies Wild Rose Balm. It helped break down the scarring (as that incision felt super hard and lumpy for weeks after the surgery) but it is now much softer. It also helps with the appearance of the scars, not that that bothers me too much.
I've not noticed any real 'side effects' from having had either operation. I thought perhaps, at 33, losing half my reproductive organs might - but it hasn't. I'm also back in the gym as normal, having always been quite a fit, active individual before all of this began. Because you are even younger, I'm sure you will bounce back like you have after the first op.
I made sure I jotted down all the questions that popped into my head leading up to my ops, so i could cover all my concerns with my medical team. It really helped. If you'd like to message me further on here, please feel free. You've already been given some fantastic advice and there are a few other younger ladies on here who have experienced something similar to you.
I wish you all the best for your next op...it's still scary, but i felt a little more prepared for the 2nd than the 1st. And of course, we are always here too.
I've had a quick scoot through all the replies and the only thing I didn't see was any pointer to the Ovacome's "Guide for Younger Women" - it is a 'Pinned Post' at the top right of this page. Also any queries try the Ovacome Freephone Helpline 0800 008 7054.
Good luck - some lovely advice and encouragement in all the replies above.
Hi dannii, like a couple of people on here, I'm 31 and have had the exact operation you are due to have. It was laproscopic and I have three small incisions, the largest about two inches. I was home the next day but had four weeks off work. I would say I felt comfortable after two. I wasnt in pain but was sore and tired. Third week I felt good and could sleep on my side etc and forth week was fine! everyone's different but just like the girls have said, listen to your body and take all the rest you need. we are all here for support if you need it too x x
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