Apologies for not updating sooner but lots have been going on and to be honest I’ve been too exhausted to do anything. It’s been nearly 4 weeks since my operation and 3 weeks since my discharge from hospital so I thought it was about time to give an update.
The day itself started early. I duly arrived at 7:30 and was booked in. I saw my anaesthetist and a member of the surgical team and waited for them to confirm they had a bed in high dependency. Once confirmed I made my way, on foot, to the operating theatres. I did feel strange walking there in my dressing gown and slippers. I was then put under while they connected up my epidural and I was wheeled off for my surgery.
I awoke, always a good sign, several hours later and as with my previous experience with an epidural in considerable pain. However, this time, my anaesthetist managed to correct things and I was relatively pain free and eventually moved to the high dependency unit.
And I had the most amazing night’s sleep. But I had drips and drains in all sorts of places. Up my nose, in my neck, a catheter and a wound drain. Plus another lovely scar. I remember lying there looking at my belly and being amazed at the resilience of the human body.
I met the surgical team who let me know what had happened. The entire right lobe of my liver had been removed, hence the large scar, the lesions on the left side of my liver had disappeared due to the chemotherapy so nothing had been taken from there. So just the 60% of my liver had gone. Amazingly I felt remarkably well. With this surgery and my bowel surgery I was hopefully cancer free for the first time in who knows how long.
After 2 days some of the drains were removed and I was moved to a general surgical ward and over the next few days I was gradually weaned off the epidural. It was very uncomfortable to sleep in any position other than on my back. And sleep I did. The main effect of this surgery is that I am still constantly tired. Rather than having a long period of sleep it tends to be 2 hour sessions.
Eventually the wound drain and the catheter were removed and I was given the most wonderful news that I could go home. I was only in hospital for 6 days.
I feel I must congratulate Leicester General for their food. In comparison to Northampton General, Leicester always had a varied selection, someone would come around at varying times of the day, take the order and what was ordered was duly delivered. I have written to the Chief Executive of NGH asking them to study how Leicester seem to avoid the shambles at Northampton General.
Since my discharge my energy levels have been extremely low. Doing the simplest of tasks, getting dressed or having a shower, are exhausting. But they are getting better. I’ve managed to do some work on the allotment but I realise that I may need the next day to recover. As I say I’m getting better by the day. Sleeping for any length of time is still beyond me so it’s 2 hour cat naps for the time being. As I recover I can now sleep on my sides which has helped. But I have to remember that I’ve had 2 major operations within the last 3 months. I’m not just recovering from those but I’m also regenerating my liver. So perhaps it’s little wonder I’m feeling a little tired.
I’ve also had a meeting with the surgical team in Leicester. It was not a meeting I was looking forward to but one I knew was always going to happen. As it turned out what they had informed in hospital was confirmed by the histology. They had removed all the cancer. Hearing it again from the doctors sent me over the edge and I just burst into tears.
It’s not all sunshine and roses though. I was discussed at an MDT meeting on Thursday. Both my colorectal and liver surgeons have removed all the cancer but my oncologist has requested a CT scan to confirm this. My first reaction was why? But I have known that new scans would be required, I had been told these would be in July, so all this is for my benefit. If there is anything wrong it’s so much better to find out now rather than in July surely. So I have my CT scan this Friday. We’ll see what happens.
As I sit here it’s difficult to get my head around everything that has happened in the past year. 6 months of aggressive chemotherapy, my large bowel removed, my bottom gone, a permanent ileostomy and then finally 60% of my liver taken away. I’m still here, enjoying every single day, making plans and smiling.
And the sun is shining! Perhaps I’ll cut the grass.
