Well....I think I might live

Hissy_Fitz
Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
in Ovarian Cancer #1
This last 10 days has been the least fun I've had in a long time. I am way down on pain meds now, though and getting around better. The first two nights home, I had to sleep in the recliner because I have one of those beds that's about 4 ft off the floor, and I'm only 5 ft and have to use a little set of steps to climb in bed, which for the first two nights was just too painful.

I haven't been given the green light to drive yet (what a bummer) but I have been out a couple of times - to eat and just walk (briefly) around the pharmacy. Plus, I walk around the block a couple of times each day.

I lost 7 pounds! That's at least a little bit of good news.

Carlene
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Comments

  • carolenk
    carolenk Member Posts: 907 Member
    #2
    Good to hear
    Good to hear you're gonna make it. Now what's going on with your hair these days?!?

    (((hugs)))

    Carolen
  • jloe
    jloe Member Posts: 174
    #3
    Great News!!!!!
    Your on the mend now and over the big hump.
  • clamryn
    clamryn Member Posts: 508
    #4
    Glad you are better
    So glad to hear you are doing better. The older we get it just seems harder to recoup. I had to laugh when you were describing you climbing in bed. These beds sometimes are a challenge to get into. Thank goodness for recliners. They come in handy.

    Linda
  • MaxRudy
    MaxRudy Member Posts: 56
    #5
    your recovery
    Carlene, You sound like a Zulu Warrior of the first order. I can't believe you're already walking around after that surgery. After my 6th dose of chemo, I went from my onc's ofc to the hospital with neutropenia (even tho I've had to take neupogen shots with each dose of chemo.) That was aug 10 and I got out 8 days later with severe shortness of breath and pain in my ribs. They couldn't find the cause but fixed the neutropenia and sent me home. You seem to be doing so much better than me...and I am so glad for you. I will be so grateful when I feel like walking around the mall or the pharmacy. My bedroom has almost become my world. Thank God for friends, family and loved ones.

    Keep truckin' girl....YOU are going to get thru all this.

    Melanie
  • kikz
    kikz Member Posts: 1,345 Member
    #6
    MaxRudy said:

    your recovery
    Carlene, You sound like a Zulu Warrior of the first order. I can't believe you're already walking around after that surgery. After my 6th dose of chemo, I went from my onc's ofc to the hospital with neutropenia (even tho I've had to take neupogen shots with each dose of chemo.) That was aug 10 and I got out 8 days later with severe shortness of breath and pain in my ribs. They couldn't find the cause but fixed the neutropenia and sent me home. You seem to be doing so much better than me...and I am so glad for you. I will be so grateful when I feel like walking around the mall or the pharmacy. My bedroom has almost become my world. Thank God for friends, family and loved ones.

    Keep truckin' girl....YOU are going to get thru all this.

    Melanie

    Carlene
    So glad to hear you are coming along so well. I had no doubts.

    Karen
  • kayandok
    kayandok Member Posts: 1,202 Member
    #7
    You pushed through
    the hardest part like a true fighter. Glad to hear you are walking again, that will help with everything!
    k❤
  • pattysoo
    pattysoo Member Posts: 170
    #8
    light
    Isn't it wonderful when you can see the light at the end of the tunnel? Even if it's just a glimmer, to know you're gonna pull through. Good for you. Especially I'm impressed with the walking about. There are plenty of studies to show that those who get around after surgery recover quicker.
  • Radioactive34
    Radioactive34 Member Posts: 391 Member
    #9
    It is very good to hear that
    It is very good to hear that you are doing well. I hope the recovery keeps going well.

    :)
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #10
    Radioactive34 said:

    It is very good to hear that
    It is very good to hear that you are doing well. I hope the recovery keeps going well.

    :)

    WOW
    I thought hernia repair was a simple surgery. Now I know I won't be having it any time to soon. Glad you are feeling better and your pain has subsided. Glad you are posting againand are among the living..val
  • lindaprocopio
    lindaprocopio Member Posts: 1,980 Member
    #11
    poopergirl14052 said:

    WOW
    I thought hernia repair was a simple surgery. Now I know I won't be having it any time to soon. Glad you are feeling better and your pain has subsided. Glad you are posting againand are among the living..val

    (((Carlene))). Sounds rough, kiddo. But the worst is over.
    Each day it should get a little better. & then one day you wake up & realize you're 100% back. That day is getting closer, much closer. We've been missing you, girl.
  • Cafewoman53
    Cafewoman53 Member Posts: 735 Member
    #12
    Glad you are feeling better
    Sorry you had to be so uncomfortable for so long. You are tough and made it through with flying colors I always look forward to your posts, they are usually informative or funny and sometimes both !
    Colleen
  • joan60
    joan60 Member Posts: 89
    #13
    Glad to hear
    you are getting around, your surgery most have been a big repair. My repair was in the belly button area. Where was yours? They had to open me up and put in a mesh, I was really sore for three days when I started to feel better and driving 3 days later (short drives) and taking pain killers at night. Healing up well and stomach from swelling finely going down. Hope you can start to feel like yourself soon!!!
    Joan
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #14
    I was about to send out the Rangers
    to find you! So good to hear from you. I think I'll skip the Carlene Diet and work on a more conventional plan. Slow and steady, ok?
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • Cindy Bear
    Cindy Bear Member Posts: 569
    #15
    Nope
    not 5ft tall.. More like 50 ft tall and bulletproof.. (at least in my eyes) Take it easy and don't push yourself.. let others take care of you for a change.
    Hugs,
    Cindy
  • Lisa13Q
    Lisa13Q Member Posts: 677
    #16
    You're gonna live
    Thank God too...because what would this board be without you????? POOPERGIRL is in remission..YEAH!!!!!!
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #17
    poopergirl14052 said:

    WOW
    I thought hernia repair was a simple surgery. Now I know I won't be having it any time to soon. Glad you are feeling better and your pain has subsided. Glad you are posting againand are among the living..val

    P Girl... I thought it was a
    P Girl... I thought it was a "simple surgery" too, although I will say that Dr S (in NYC) warned me every time I mentioned it that I would be "out of commission for at least a month.". I thought, " yeah, sure....you don't know me." But apparently, he knew whereof he spoke.

    Carlene
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #18
    joan60 said:

    Glad to hear
    you are getting around, your surgery most have been a big repair. My repair was in the belly button area. Where was yours? They had to open me up and put in a mesh, I was really sore for three days when I started to feel better and driving 3 days later (short drives) and taking pain killers at night. Healing up well and stomach from swelling finely going down. Hope you can start to feel like yourself soon!!!
    Joan

    Joan.... Mine was a hole
    Joan.... Mine was a hole roughly the size of a large cantaloupe , on the left side of my belly. It gave me a really odd looking profile...LOL.

    I could have waited to have it fixed, but it doubled in size in about 12 months and it really was a bowel obstruction waiting to happen. I've had one bowel obstruction and would definitely prefer to avoid another.

    I have 14 inches of mesh in my belly now. I wonder what that stuff looks like on the TSA scanners.

    But no more port! I'm loving that part.

    Carlene
  • carolyn45
    carolyn45 Member Posts: 100
    #19
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Joan.... Mine was a hole
    Joan.... Mine was a hole roughly the size of a large cantaloupe , on the left side of my belly. It gave me a really odd looking profile...LOL.

    I could have waited to have it fixed, but it doubled in size in about 12 months and it really was a bowel obstruction waiting to happen. I've had one bowel obstruction and would definitely prefer to avoid another.

    I have 14 inches of mesh in my belly now. I wonder what that stuff looks like on the TSA scanners.

    But no more port! I'm loving that part.

    Carlene

    Amazon woman
    I spent 9 months WAY out in the Amazon forest--no electricity and access by canoe only. Thus I know whereof I speak when I call you Amazon woman. The women I knew were resilient, reliable, incredibly hard working, strong to the core, and supremely caring. I've only been active on this site for a couple of days, but you are clearly the "head honcho" (honcha?) when it comes to great information and support of virtually everyone. I'm so glad you're safe out of surgery. It's always scary, and the worst is getting those intestines to work again. Thanks for being such a beacon.
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #20
    carolyn45 said:

    Amazon woman
    I spent 9 months WAY out in the Amazon forest--no electricity and access by canoe only. Thus I know whereof I speak when I call you Amazon woman. The women I knew were resilient, reliable, incredibly hard working, strong to the core, and supremely caring. I've only been active on this site for a couple of days, but you are clearly the "head honcho" (honcha?) when it comes to great information and support of virtually everyone. I'm so glad you're safe out of surgery. It's always scary, and the worst is getting those intestines to work again. Thanks for being such a beacon.

    Carolyn....your words are
    Carolyn....your words are very kind, but so undeserved. First of all, I would never voluntarily live anywhere without electricity. My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn with bad room service. What in the world were you doing in the Amazon????

    I was diagnosed stage IIIc in Sept of 2009. I have prayed every day for strength and wisdom and fortitude. I have also made a commitment to do whatever I can to support, help, encourage, and brighten the lives of other women who are affected by this awful disease, as well as all women, that they might be spared the agony of Ovarian Cancer.

    It gives me great satisfaction. It also brings me great sadness sometimes, as I have made, and lost, some dear friends thru my efforts. I have also watched helplessly as other women - daughters and sisters - made this very sad journey with their loved ones. They, not me, are the strong ones. I am so sorry you did not get a chance to know some of them. Nancy, who refused all but the barest minimum of pain meds, so she could spend every possible minute with her two little boys. And Sarah, who never lost her sense of humor, or Jayne, who was so young, and had so much to be bitter about, but wasn't.

    Kathleen, who even now, is halfway across the world from her family, having surgery that she could not get in her homeland. Linda P...the woman who never takes "it can't be done" for an answer.

    And Leesa. Just a week or so ago, Leesa had a titanium cage screwed to her head for radiation treatment to her brain, and yesterday she returned to her job as a 4th grade teacher.

    I pale by comparison to these women, and what they have been through. Not just "been through", but endured with grace and courage. I am so proud to call them my friends. And so humbled by their example.

    Carlene
  • carolyn45
    carolyn45 Member Posts: 100
    #21
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Carolyn....your words are
    Carolyn....your words are very kind, but so undeserved. First of all, I would never voluntarily live anywhere without electricity. My idea of roughing it is a Holiday Inn with bad room service. What in the world were you doing in the Amazon????

    I was diagnosed stage IIIc in Sept of 2009. I have prayed every day for strength and wisdom and fortitude. I have also made a commitment to do whatever I can to support, help, encourage, and brighten the lives of other women who are affected by this awful disease, as well as all women, that they might be spared the agony of Ovarian Cancer.

    It gives me great satisfaction. It also brings me great sadness sometimes, as I have made, and lost, some dear friends thru my efforts. I have also watched helplessly as other women - daughters and sisters - made this very sad journey with their loved ones. They, not me, are the strong ones. I am so sorry you did not get a chance to know some of them. Nancy, who refused all but the barest minimum of pain meds, so she could spend every possible minute with her two little boys. And Sarah, who never lost her sense of humor, or Jayne, who was so young, and had so much to be bitter about, but wasn't.

    Kathleen, who even now, is halfway across the world from her family, having surgery that she could not get in her homeland. Linda P...the woman who never takes "it can't be done" for an answer.

    And Leesa. Just a week or so ago, Leesa had a titanium cage screwed to her head for radiation treatment to her brain, and yesterday she returned to her job as a 4th grade teacher.

    I pale by comparison to these women, and what they have been through. Not just "been through", but endured with grace and courage. I am so proud to call them my friends. And so humbled by their example.

    Carlene

    Yes, well deserved.
    It takes all the qualities you have prayed for and more to make and KEEP your commitment to do "whatever" you can. Your devotion has helped and inspired so many. There has been much joy, it seems, in your knowing such beautiful women and, of course, such sadness with their struggles and even deaths. Sometimes I think that's all life is about--having the courage to be truly present by loving whatever is while feeling it all, even the despair. Certainly you are fully alive while facing your mortality. That's how I strive to be.

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