just some questions and another update...

Unknown
Unknown
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
This is Jesse again. Her surgery is scheduled for April 14th at 8am. theyre going to remove the cancer on the abdomen well what they can and then she will get chemo and some radiation.
My question is what can i do as a caretaker to make her feel better. is there anything i should or shouldnt do. any advice would be gladly appreciated. thankyou.

Comments

  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #2
    Is a gynocologist/oncologist doing the surgery? Take a notebook to the hospital to take notes. She will be on morphine and not able to remember anything so you will have to take notes to get all the information. It will help her heal to encourage her to get up and walk as much as possible when the nurses instruct. She will probably be in the hospital several days and needs ice chips. It takes awhile for the bowels to wake up from the prep the night before surgery. If you have a laptop you can take it with you and ask questions as they come up. Will you be the only caretaker?? Bless you. Saundra
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    saundra said:

    Is a gynocologist/oncologist doing the surgery? Take a notebook to the hospital to take notes. She will be on morphine and not able to remember anything so you will have to take notes to get all the information. It will help her heal to encourage her to get up and walk as much as possible when the nurses instruct. She will probably be in the hospital several days and needs ice chips. It takes awhile for the bowels to wake up from the prep the night before surgery. If you have a laptop you can take it with you and ask questions as they come up. Will you be the only caretaker?? Bless you. Saundra

    her gynocoloist is doing the surgery. I bring our laptop with me to every appointment, and will definatly be taking it to the hospital. Her family doesnt support her. it will be me and my family. mostly me. but my family also. I will definatly do that thankyou.
  • lindachris
    lindachris Member Posts: 173
    #4
    unknown said:

    her gynocoloist is doing the surgery. I bring our laptop with me to every appointment, and will definatly be taking it to the hospital. Her family doesnt support her. it will be me and my family. mostly me. but my family also. I will definatly do that thankyou.

    Man, Jesse. You're going through a lot, as is Jenna. I don't know if this helps, but I wound up staying overnight at the hospital a couple nights. You might want to call in advance if you decide to do so, if the hospital allows. Request a recliner or something so you can sleep when Jenna's exhausted and sleeping. You'll get woke up a lot with nurses coming in and stuff, but it can be helpful to be there in some ways if it works out. It's not for everybody, but some people like that.
  • aandj
    aandj Member Posts: 33
    #5
    unknown said:

    her gynocoloist is doing the surgery. I bring our laptop with me to every appointment, and will definatly be taking it to the hospital. Her family doesnt support her. it will be me and my family. mostly me. but my family also. I will definatly do that thankyou.

    Hi there, this is Ange;a, diagnosed stage 1 in october last year, after having a cyst removed, and then had the radical hysterectomy, other overy removed, as well as my cervix and omentum. I am 34 - not as young as Jenna, but still young enough for me to go through some serious stuff, and to have some understanding of what this all means for her. I am married, but do not have children. I am adopted, so I feel that when we are ready that adoption is a very positive option for me.
    After my second surgery I cried a hell of a lot - some people liken having a hysterectomy to having the centre of your being, as a woman, removed. I am not sure that I agree, but it is traumatic. The best you can do is just be there as much as you can for her - dont let too many other visitors in, it can get hell of a tiring - let her tell you when she is ready for other visitors. Certainly none in the first day after surgery - it's pointless, you are so drugged you dont remember anything anyway! Make sure she does get the right pain killers, and the right anti-nausea drugs - the painkillers can make you feel really nauseous. The hormones will also start doing fruitloops with both ovaries being out - and she will most likly only go on hormone replacement stuff when she is discharged. The would is going to take a bit longer to heal - with this being a second surgery, there is more scar tissue - this also means a longer recovery period generally. Her youth is such an advantage - the younger the body the quicker it heals - always keep this in mind as a positive thought!
    If there are any other questions we will do our best to help. Take care of each other...
    Cheers, Angela
  • mopar
    mopar Member Posts: 1,972 Member
    #6
    Jesse, you are truly an angel. And I can see all the wonderful tips that you've already received. I agree that walking is so important, it speeds healing and helps you to sleep better. And although you staying 24/7 with Jenna might seem like a good idea, you may want to reconsider - she will need you more when she comes home, and you need to get your sleep and keep up your strength too. Does she have a personal CD player or IPOD with some of her favorite songs? Does she like to read? How about a favorite blanket or throw? I found I was cold no matter what they gave me, and those hospital blankets leave a lot to be desired. You might want to ask the hospital for an 'egg crate' mattress. It cushions the body and is more comfortable than their vinyl mattress alone. I wasn't allowed anything to eat or drink (even ice chips) for the 5 days after the surgery. But ask if she can chew gum. It helps to get the bowels to work much quicker, and they won't let you go home until they know everything is running smoothly, so-to-speak. How about a basket with some hard candy to suck on (if she's allowed), gum, a good book, a journal and special pen, her IPOD, her favorite body lotion, hair brush, pretty hair pins or headbands. I remember my husband using my favorite lotion to masssage my feet one night - WOW! that was so therapeutic and relaxing.

    Well, there are tons more tips, but come back and visit when you have any specific requests. Our thoughts and prayers AND HUGS are with you both. We'll be waiting to hear how things are going.

    Blessings.
    Monika


    But, even in the hospital, not many of us can get good quality sleep. It's noisy, there's still a lot of activity going on, and the beds just are the most comfortable!

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