Update on my surgery - p.s. I'm home, 9 days post-surgery!

[BellmoreBelle]

For those who wanted to know, here's the full list:

"SECONDARY OVARIAN DEBULKING, ILEO-CAECAL RESECTION WITH SIDE-TO-SIDE ANASTOMOSIS, PELVIC PERITONECTOMY INCLUDING FROM BLADDER WITH BLADDER RECONSTRUCTION AND RECTAL RECONSTRUCTION, REMOVAL OF RIGHT AND LEFT ENLARGED PELVIC LYMPH NODES, STRIPPING OF MORRISON'S POUCH, EXISION OF SUB-CAPSULAR LIVER DISEASE AND TUMOUR INVOLVING FALCIFORM LIGAMENT, STRIPPING OF RIGHT AND LEFT DIAPHRAGM WITH FULL THICKNESS DIAPHRAGMATIC RESECTION AND PLEURECTOMY ON THE RIGHT, CHOLECYSTECTOMY, SPLENECTOMY, EXCISION OF DISEASE FROM LESSER OMENTUM, EXCISION OF GASTRIC SEROSAL DISEASE, STRIPPING OF MESENTERY OF SMALL BOWEL."

No wonder I feel that there's nothing left of me...

Carol

[Lyndy]

Well done Carol! Glad you’re home.. take it easy now xx

[Jonich]

Gosh that sounds exhausting... now rest and take care of yourself x x

[Katmal-UK]

Geez Carol bet you're feeling a bit lighter! Now...... rest, rest and more rest! Don't rush anything! Be kind to yourself and enjoy all the Christmas movies on at the mo ! Hopefully you will find that surprisingly you will be feeling much better sooner than you think. Big but gentle hug. Kathy xx

[Lindaura]

Wow,

It sounds like there IS nothing left inside you, and what is left is stitched back together! Do you feel weird?

I had a very enlarged spleen removed when I was 19 years old and my insides hurt for quite awhile while my body readjusted to the empty space and restitching of parts formerly connected.

Do you have a colostomy?

Are there instructions for changes to your life style now that you have undergone such radical surgery?

How long do they expect your recovery to be?

Will you have a district nurse come in weekly to change your dressings?

Sigh,

I wish you well.

Hugs,

Laura

[BellmoreBelle in reply to Lindaura]

Hi Laura,

No colostomy, dspite all that!

The dressings are neat - I expect the central line one can go tomorrow, the drains perhaps a day or two later, and the staples come out on Monday. I've no arrangement with a district nurse, I'm doing my own drugs/injections.

The big change is the lifetime antibiotics, but it's just a couple of tablets/day.

I was fortunate that I built up my torso and leg muscles prior to surgery, so I'm very flexible even now and can get up and down without very much pressure on the middle section. I'm in very little pain but still need my digestive tract to fully wake up, it's barely stirring now.

Sleep is already improving, concentration is okay, fingers crossed for onward and upward!

Carol

[Lindaura in reply to BellmoreBelle]

Well I for one am very impressed! You are doing great!

BTW: I chose to have an Emergency prescription of Broad Spectrum antibiotics - Co- Amoxiclav / Augmentum, which I always have in hand and carry with me when I travel, and take only when I get an illness where I have a fever. I prefer this method instead of taking prophylactic antibiotics, so as not to become resistant.

If I get very ill , we always tell A&E that we are worried about sepsis, because I don’t have a spleen. That’s what I thought was wrong when it turned out to be cancer! But they did act fast to get me to the hospital!

Not many spleen less people use my method, but I had my spleen out in 1966 and times were different then.

My daughter uses my method also and had her splenectomy when she was five.

Well, enough of memory lane.

You are amazing.Hope your digestion kicks in soon.

And we’ll let to me heal these wounds.

Best of best wishes,

Laura

[Katiebairdie]

Blimey is a wonder you have anything left.

Take note of what others have said you must take it easy and let others do everything for you. You want to be healthy enough to enjoy Xmas.

Good luck in your recovery.

Kathy

[BellmoreBelle]

There's not much I need others to do...! And Christmas is just another day here. But I should be able to eat normally by then and will ensure that I have something extra-specially tasty to eat.

[Seasun36-uk]

Hi Carol,

I am amazed...by how well you are recovering & by the thoroughness of the Surgeon!! Was it CF? If so, Well Done her! Hopefully not one cancer cell has survived!

Best wishes,

Linda xx 💐💐💐💐

[BellmoreBelle in reply to Seasun36-uk]

CF is part of the team, but my specialists are different. They were expecially pleased by their own thoroughness, and everyone is exclaiming over the neatness of the wound...

[Seasun36-uk]

I bet they are Carol!

[Coldethyl]

Lots of self care after that - what a list. Wishing you a speedy recovery x

[Zena41]

Hi who did your surgery? X

[BellmoreBelle in reply to Zena41]

Zena, we are not allowed to put the names of our surgical team members in forum posts.

[Zena41 in reply to BellmoreBelle]

Did not know ? Can we use initials ?

[Hidden]

Hi Carol. One benefit I've found from having numerous bits & pieces removed, is that I seldom need to urinate now in a day - lots of room in there now and my bladder seems to have expanded. Best wishes. Pauline.

[Differentforgirls]

Bless you. I’m exhausted just reading that. Hope you rest & soon recover from this major surgery.

I’ve just been told I have to have surgery for relapse ( then chemo).

I’m having it at Hammersmith - is CF who I think it is? If so, I met her yesterday & now have a girl crush on her. She’s amazing.

Take good care xxx

[BellmoreBelle in reply to Differentforgirls]

That's the team! Watch out for my folowing posts on conditions in the ward... When is your operation?

[Differentforgirls in reply to BellmoreBelle]

I decided to have my op in January ( I was offered next week but told it won’t make any difference to outcome).

I’m grateful as have my own birthday celebrations next week, my mum’s 80th the weekend before Christmas & a wedding on 30th Dec.

Feel so lucky to be under her care. Thanks for your posts re hospital conditions. Great you’re home to recover now.

Take good care teal friends xx

[Zena41 in reply to Differentforgirls]

She is my guardian angel 👼

[Mommoo65]

Goodness, Carol! I didn't understand half of your post and will probably spend lots of time today Googling! The best news is that you can put the surgery behind you and get busy healing. Sounds like your insides need a bit of feng shui to get it all rearranged! Take care, Jill

[bluepeterella]

Impressive! Hope the recovery is going well.

[LittleSan]

Oh my word that's one list 😮!!! Bet that stung!

Here's to a speedy and fully recovery. 💐😘

[Terrileeloughlin]

Hello BellmoreBelle, at which hospital did you have your surgery. Mine was in hammersmith, queen Charlotte. X

[BellmoreBelle in reply to Terrileeloughlin]

Same here! x

[Terrileeloughlin]

Apart from the excellent surgeon I had, I hope if....in the future I need more surgery, she has moved to another hospital 😟. Hope your recovery is quick, stay rested. All the best x