Super Surgeons- A Chance at Life

I watched the programme last night which featured a soft tissue sarcoma which I have also had removed in last twelve months. The programme accurately portrayed the procedure from both the surgeon and patient . The final result given by the surgeon that the sarcoma had been removed successfully and 90% chance it will not return. Mine was also successfully removed. What was not made clear was the extensive aftercare under taken with constant checks and scans for a further five years . It will be  a great lift for soft tissue sarcoma sufferers seeing a successful outcome from a very rare cancer 

Hi Roadrunner5355 

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the new series of Super Surgeons. It's great to hear you had a positive outcome to your own surgery. If you need any ongoing support, please contact the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat from 8am to 8pm every day. 

Best wishes

Megan
Macmillan's Online Community team

I have never felt able to watch anything involving surgery due to being a bit squeamish, and since I had a cancer diagnosis even more so, with ptsd being a lasting legacy of what I went through.

I did look at the episode list and saw there was a pelvic surgery episode for a bowel cancer patient which looked as if it may be similar to my own surgery, so decide to try to watch. I managed it, in stages, and saw one of the surgeons present had operated on friends with difficult to treat cancers. 

It was a revelation, even though the surgery was not quite the same. The surgeons have such tremendous skill, obviously, but their feelings about their patients were quite a revelation to me. How they balance the need to push boundaries with the potential outcomes, how their experiences with each individual patient live with them always, how they remember us forever when we have been part of such difficult and complex surgeries.

I have always had huge respect and gratitude for the 3 surgeons who worked together to save my life but now I think I gained an extra understanding of their feelings behind what they do. My lead surgeon told me afterwards that the other two had encouraged her in my case to go further, take more out, just a little bit, keep going. I’m glad she pushed those boundaries, and that they encouraged her. She made light of things afterwards, telling me she was just doing her job, but this was so much more. 

I knew my surgery was dangerous, but they never let me know in advance quite how dangerous, though I knew I could die on the table. I saw just how risky it was in that episode. I wanted to take that risk and I appreciate even more now just what a risk it was. But when it was a case of risk taking or a certainty of not surviving very long, I am so glad I put my trust and faith in these incredible people. 

I feel I may be able to watch more episodes now, and it will help me to better accept how much life is so very changed now, and different. They gave me my life back, and that is absolutely priceless to me. The challenges I face daily now I can live with, and that is the most important thing-these surgeons are absolutely incredible. 

Sarah xx

Hi Sarah,I thought of you when I was watching as imagined your surgery must have been similar.I’m full of admiration for surgeons.The ability to make life changing decisions and keep a cool head under pressure takes a special type of person in my opinion.Love Jane xx

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and telling us more about your personal experiences Sarah