Quiltergal - Your Surgery Delay

cmb

As BluebirdOne noted, it can be hard to get replies when a comment has been posted to a very old thread. So I started this new topic for you.

I know that once we hear that we have cancer, most of us are anxious to have surgery to remove it as soon as possible. And your delay until May 9th is discouraging, but not that unusual. I think I had about 5-6 weeks after diagnosis until my surgery.

The endometrial adenocarcinoma 1-2 you were diagnosed with earlier this month is typically a slower growing form of uterine cancer.

Use this time before surgery to get those things done now that may be hard to do immediately after surgery when you'll have lifting restrictions. In my case, I stocked up on boxes of kitty litter and other heavier grocery items.

Some women have constipation after surgery while others have diarrhea, so be prepared with probiotics, Imodium or other medication for either outcome.

Others here have recommended comfortable clothes to wear home after surgery, along with a pillow to cushion your pelvic area on the drive home.

Ask any other questions that you may have now.

Forherself

If its any comfort, I was diagnosed in May and didn't have surgery until July 16, and I was still 1A

thatblondegirl

Hi, Quiltergal,

I felt like everyone I encountered was working at a snail’s pace! Zero sense of urgency. Zero. I only had to wait 2 weeks for my hysterectomy…..which if you’ve read my profile page was basically a disaster….idiot GYN….between him and getting to a GO’s office, wait some more…it was 7 weeks between the two surgeries. SEVEN weeks after that….waiting for pathology, and then more pathology, and begging to get my port surgery…time from visit to GYN to first drip of chemo….3 1/2 months (16+ weeks). July 27th to November 11th.

I know you’re desperate to get it out of your body, but cmb and Forherself are wise & I agree with all they said!

We’re here for you!

❤️, A

Quiltergal

Thanks for the response? I am settled down now and just trying to stay busy. I am feeling tired maybe it’s in my head. You all are great. Thanks again!

Quiltergal

My pathology report was good. No spread to nodes, cervix, tubes, or ovaries. All negative! I see the surgeon Wednesday for my two week checkup

had not penetrated outside of uterus. Adenocarcinoma grade 1. Report did not mention stage.

Forherself

Great news! Low grade and within the uterus. Stage depends how deep the penetration was in your uterus. I'm very happy for you!

Sue

Quiltergal

It was .6 of 1.1

thatblondegirl

Hi! Good news! Hope your checkup is good and surgery is the end of it for you!

❤️, A

Fridays Child

Great to hear! Now take it easy and heal up!

Quiltergal

Thanks.

Just saw the doc for my two week checkup after surgery. She said all looked good. Still wants me to have brachytherapy as backup. She said I had no cancer. All was gone but the cancer went a little further into uterine lining so this is a backup..She said all is gone and we want to be sure there is no reoccurance. I am stage 1b. Adenocarcinoma grade one. No involvement out side of uterus. I am relieved. Does the therapy hurt.😕

Fridays Child

Quiltergal, the brachytherapy wasn't painful for me. I hope you have a great radiation team like I did! I had five treatments, three to four days apart. Very quick.

woodstock99

Sounds like you are dong well and glad to hear. I did 5 brachy treatments last August/September. They honestly were not nearly as bad as I anticipated (the first one more so as it was the fitting an d longest) but I had no side effects to date except for one UITI after the last one. I had a great team and the nurses and radiation oncologist were excellent.

NoTimeForCancer

Quiltergal, I had brachy as well. Other than I should have counted how many people were going to look at my crotch throughout this - it really is not bad. You will want to get and use a dilator after this treatment. You can get stenosis of the vagina which is a tightening, making it very difficult for sex or examinations going forward.

They will tell you 10 min, three times a week or so, but I went with the 10 min a day. I will admit I really had to struggle to insert the dilator but I kept at it and it gets easier. Here it is coming up on 10 years later and I really don't need it, but I still do it because I remember how hard it was for me at first.

In the beginning I thought how much I hated having to do it, but then I realized after losing a few friends here to this disease, I could tolerate 10 min. It put it all perspective for me when I thought about it.

woodstock99

Ah yes how could I forget the dilators! @NoTimeForCancer is right though - these are important. I bought mine from https://www.intimaterose.com/products/silicone-dilator-4-pack-small-sizes-1-4 and then I bought a single size 5. That's as large as I can go after 9 months. I do mine first thing in the AM when I take my thyroid pill and have to wait a30 minutes before I can have anything to eat or drink. I actually try to do some meditations and make it my quiet time. I use mine every though day now for 20 minutes at a time. They have made a difference for me as pelvic exams were painful before surgery & brachy and now not so much. Like anything you get used to it and now it doesn't seem so awful. Best!

Harmanygroves

I'm late to the brachytherapy party, but I hope things are going well for you. I also had five treatments. They're awkward, a little weird, and it's like being in the gyn stirrups forever, but not painful.

You may feel ill after the 5th one. I was sick and weak, but this too shall pass.

All the best!

D