I have been told that I may be able to have debulking surgery now ( this is after 2 lines of chemo and told after line 1 not operable) Waiting to hear from surgeon and will apparently if it goes ahead need to have a pre-anaesthetic dry run because I have a reduced heart funtion. I wasnt expecting this news but wondering if anyone has had debulking surgery when they live on their own with no family to support them ? Bit worried how I would manage, especially with covid restrictions as well.
Do you get District Nurses coming in or are you sort of left to get on with it?
Latest scan showed significant increase in one tumour on the ovary which had reduced in size the previous scan and I'd only finished chemo a month before ,( think 7cm up to nearly 14cm in 3 months)so if I m not suitable or if I decide against it, Im going to be on a very sticky wicket.
Went into consult expecting to hear about PARP and with loads of questions only to be floored with this !
Written by
rosebine
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
I was living alone when I had my op, and also a couple of years later when I had another for a blocked bowel, although in that occasion I had a district nurse coming in to change the vac pack that I left hospital with.I bought in ready meals and pretty much did nothing for several weeks.
I can see that C ovid will make things a lot more difficult, as I did have friends and family to bring me things I needed, and of course to give me some company over a shared cuppa.
I did it alone. Take advantage of visiting nurses and everything else you can and stock up on books...i went thru trollope and galsworthy and telly and sleep. Walk every day wear a brace eat well. Find a reiki practitioner to help yiu mentally. Good luck hugs from france
I didnt go it alone but can tell you the district nurse will visit . You should be asked about what support you have before you leave hospital . They will make sure your up to it before you leave and I would imagine be kept more of an eye on, even if it's only regular phone calls between district nurse visits.
Looking back I think just remember to keep resting and try to eat well, plenty of protein to help with healing.
Take pain killers regularly to keep pain at bay. I seem to remember the first week was the worst with the pain just getting a little easier each day.
Hi I live alone and had the debulking. It was just before lockdown and I fully anticipated getting cleaning help in which wouldn't be possible right now because of lockdown. I managed and had a small amount of help from age concern but nothing to right home about. I managed okay and within a short length of time was very well indeed. The only thing you really must not do is lift anything too heavy as you can get a hernia and you don't want that. Ask about lifting and how long for. I would definitely go for it if you can as it's the best chance of long survival. Routing for you take care Sue xx
Was reading someone said their surgeon said dont lift anything heavier than a credit card !I could manage with on line shopping and possibly get a cleaner if they are allowed. The difficult thing is the dog, Ive no garden to speak off she goes out twice a day for walks and I have to lift her into the car to get anywhere of lead. Dog walkers are like gold dust locally.
Well it might not happen yet anyway. At least we are all used to being stuck indoors so that wouldnt be too much of a hardship I suppose. Why do they say you cant drive for 4-6 weeks theres no lifting involved ?
I was told would be able to look after myself but wouldn’t want to be looking after someone else as well- this was pretty much how it turned out. Hospital won’t let you go home until you can do stairs etc. However help would be good and I suggest phoning your Council Adult Care department and see if they can offer a home visit for a week or so.
I already use a lot of M &S ready meals,its much easier when you live on your own!The other thing Im sweating on is a highly likely colostomy as tumour attached to colon.
Not sure I could cope with this, very squeamish about anything like that.
I woke up from op with a most unexpected iliostomy- was told it was temporary but still have it years later. I was horrified but just had to get on with it. You get used to it and after initially being told not to eat this and that you can eat just about anything except whole mushrooms. Many people are warned they might need colostomy and it doesn’t happen- for me it was the other way round and I think it was because I was on steroids at the time.
I did it alone but bear in mind you won't be able to drive, so lifting the dog in and out of the car is a non starter. One of the things with driving is you won't be covered by insurance if there is an accident, and you won't be able to do an emergency stop because of the pull on your abdomen. I got a lift to go shopping and the person with me kindly carried the shopping but other than that I had no nurses or anything. Just stocked up on meal in the freezer. If you end up with a colostomy the care will be different and I'm sure you 'll get a nurse for that and a longer stay in hospital.
Hi Rosebine, I had my debulking during lockdown last year. The local council helped with shopping and picking up meds , I was also offered a volunteer dog walker. Contact your local councillor or MP I'm sure they'll put you in touch with a local community group. You could also contact local animal aid - they may help. A lot of helpful and amazing groups and volunteers have stepped up to help their communities during this pandemic.Accept whatever is offered, you will need plenty of rest and time to heal.
It's always a worry if you live alone at times like this and you have pets. I had debulking and a gastric tumour removed last year but was fortunate to be able to unload my pets on family. (I don't think they would be willing to do it again however.) Presumably you have someone to care for your dog whilst in hospital?
I have a lady who I am hoping will take dog on when Im no longer here. She would have her for a while but I would miss her dreadfully for a long time and would be worried I might not get her back ! Im waiting to see the surgeon to get the full picture but Im leaning towards not having it purely because of the practical difficulties. I do have to go upstairs to bed and the loo and dont have the sort of furniture that I can sleep on downstairs. Is it really true you cant even lift a kettle ? Also depends what benefit I will get, if its only a few extra months its not going to happen.
Everyone's recovery is different. I spent 2 weeks in hospital and felt very tired for two weeks after that when I got home. When you use the kettle just use a small amount of water each time. I managed the stairs very well from day one and had very little discomfort from the surgery itself. You are told not to lift things incase you put a strain on your abdomen before it heals. I completely agree that your dog should be with you after the surgery but it would help greatly if someone could just walk it intially until you can get your strength back. Don't give up on any treatment. There has to be someone who can help you. What area do you live in?
The first week home I felt like a brick. Lay down and didn’t want to get up and it was hard to get up. Feeling of your insides tightening/pulling as it is healing. Couldn’t lift olive oil bottle. Lowering my body to get clothes out if the dryer or simply getting up from toilet...my legs were exhausted. I was lucky to have help. I would consider meal prep, make sure plenty clean clothes. Clothes easy to get in and out of. I hope you don’t live in a 2 story home. I also had trouble walking 2 step just to get in the house. Be careful to not fall. Hard to get up with no help. I would get a walker if I had to do it alone. Had a hand rail put on the side of my bed. All the best to you.
Unless you end up with a stoma it’s unlikely you’ll need district nurses but you will need cleaning help and fetching and carrying. Get in touch with your local council and / or GP. Get some meals in now, buy a small plastic travel kettle and only fill enough for one cup.
After a few days I did manage my stairs very slowly. The hardest thing I found was pulling on the stockings they give you to help prevent thrombosis.
Plenty of books, chargers for your gadgets and the days will pass quickly.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
Chemo after debulking op
Debulking surgery options 
Post debulking surgery 3 weeks
Post Debulking Surgery Experiences
