OUTCOME OF MY RECENT SURGERY & A QUESTION

I have been very remiss about not posting this information here since you all have supported and helped me so much, but my recovery has been painful, difficult, and slow.

I have heard from my doctor and also had my post-op exam and my cancer was fortunately very early stage, Stage 1 grade B and I will require no further treatment at this time. No cancer cells were found anywhere outside of the uterus (lymph nodes were completely clear, ovaries, Fallopian tubes and cervix were all normal.) The tumor was about the size of a silver dollar. I only hope it stays that way and that I will not have a reccurance. I am obviously one of the very lucky ones and I feel almost guilty posting this given what so many of you are dealing with and facing on a daily and hourly basis.

I do want to say though that when I am fully recovered I would like to try and help others through my experience and what I have learned as a result of this ordeal. In all my talking to people, I am shocked to hear that many educated women don't realize that abnormal bleeding is something to be concerned about and to report immediately to your doctor---this is how my cancer was diagnosed (and to think that I didn't even take it all that seriously at first either as I had it two years before and everything was fine then.)Education of women who don't have the disease and support of those who have just been diagnosed and are maybe alone with no partners or families and need an advocate are what my priorities would be (my husband was my lifeline, especially after the surgery and I wouldn't be here today without him and his help.)

Now to my question. Because I had the failed Di Vinci hysterectomy, my levels of pain from the surgery were very high and I received more pain medication in the hospital than most hysterectomy patients. I am now to the point where I take one Oxycodone a day (which is a big improvement over 2 pills every 6 hours every day) and I'm going to try and take none today. I know, however, that I will need one pill off and on, especially when I have social obligations or something else when I must go out, or just on a bad day. It is still somewhat painful to urinate and have a bowel movement (and, for a while, I was having unexplained high fevers and a total lack of appetite---I've lost 10 pounds---that only the narcotic pain pills seemed to help.) Should I feel guilty asking for one last refill or maybe transitioning from Oxycodone to a milder narcotic such as Vicodin? They were not too eager to give me 20 more Oxycodone at my post-op appointment actually, but they aren't the ones recovering from this painful surgery (a Di Vinci hysterectomy and a myommectomy both!) It has taken me close to 2 1/2 weeks post-op to feel even vaguely normal. What do you think or should I just "tough it out" with the few pills that I have left? What makes this even more problematic is that I unfortunately cannot take Advil because it upsets my stomach and gives me headaches and higher blood pressure and Tylenol really doesn't make a real difference in the pain, which leaves me with no real pain relief when the pills run out. Has accupuncture helped any of you with pain relief? Arnica was a little bit helpful, but I still want something around that really works when I need it.

Thank you again for all that you give. You are brave and wonderful women and I wish you happiness, good health, and peace.

Kathi Johnson Rock