The wheels are in motion

Yesterday was my lucky day - I snagged an appointment at last minute with the physician's assistant in the practice, she did an A1c to go along with the labs I already did and they did an EKG on me, which was normal. Surgical clearance is done. Just have the CT scan and barring any new developments with that, then on the 15th I have a pre-surgical appointment with the surgical optimization team, then it's go time on the 29th.

My postop with the regular GYN was odd, he was very sad looking. He did show me the pictures he took and clearly black areas in the polyp (?) I guess that's what we're calling it. The GYN oncologist will be taking over, of course. The bleeding is still going, I will be glad to get the hysterectomy done. I bought another supply of pads because what I have isn't going to last...I probably sound crazy but I swear I can smell the cancer in the blood. TMI but I'm convinced. When my dog had cancer I could smell it in him too.

CT scan is done and results back - nothing surprising and most garden variety, which is fine by me. No suspicious lesions on any organs, no enlarged lymph nodes (but they'll still be taking lymph at the hysterectomy for pathology) and no bone lesions/issues. Just gallstones, kidney stones and probably have another goiter on my right lobe of thyroid (left removed due to goiter over 20 years ago). From what I see, this won't really change the plan so now I just have the presurgical appointment and then the surgery itself. Bleeding has finally stopped from the D&C a month ago, so that's better.

Presurgical appointment is done. I haven't had major surgery ever in my life (other than my thyroidectomy) but they are very concerned with nutrition and movement prior to and after, which I think is pretty cool.

They gave me high protein Ensure to drink 3 times a day for 4 days prior to surgery and a bottle of high-carb Ensure to drink the morning of surgery at least 2 hours prior to arrival at the hospital. I got an incentive spirometer to do deep breathing daily before and after surgery and the nurse said to be sure to get movement every day prior to surgery and really try to keep moving afterward - laying in bed is not what I need to be doing.

I feel prepared and ready for all of this - continuing to think positively that this will be all I need. If not, I will deal with that when they tell me.

There will be no further treatment at this time, just followup visits with the nurse practitioner. My case is scheduled for the medical group's tumor board for next week - they will evaluate the case now that the pathology is back and if there are any further recommendations they will be made then and communicated to me, but he specifically said this was "very, very early" and that as of now they will see me 4 times this first year, 3 times years 2 and 3, and twice a year for years 4 and 5 to monitor for recurrence. He stated that although they regard the surgery to be the "cure" for my situation, you cannot know without a doubt that there is NO cancer anywhere else in my body or that a recurrence will never occur. I have another appointment in 3 weeks for another postop followup. He looked at my incisions - they looked great and he said he was pleased with the pathology.

When I first got referred to this surgeon, I wasn't too happy because he doesn't practice out of the hospital that is convenient to me, but out of the medical group that does practice where I am he had the soonest appointment available (the 2 others had initial appointments not available until November!) and while it isn't right around the corner, I'm glad I ended up with this guy.