Bi lateral salpingo oophrectomy

I’m sure your mum will know you didn’t mean to be short with her. Perhaps it would help to explain to her that, yes, they are removing the cysts but in order to do that they have to remove your ovaries since the cysts are much bigger than the organs themselves?

 I wasn’t asked for my GP details, since they had them on file, but I was asked my own name and date of birth goodness knows how many times! The staff know how nervous everyone is and will do their best to put you at ease.

Good idea to have everything to hand so you don’t need to stretch. I was lucky I had my husband at home but any time he was out I just boiled a cup of water in the microwave if I fancied a cuppa (you’ll probably be advised not to lift a full kettle). 

The hospital I was in the first time had an anaesthetising room but on the day of my ‘big op’ (different hospital) I was told they would be anaesthetising me and brining me round in the operating theatre itself. Wondered what on Earth that would be like but it was all very discrete. All I remember seeing is a huge wall straight in front of me with shelf upon shelf of drugs. The operating table was to my left and to the left of that was a huge big screen, obviously hiding all their instruments / equipment. 

You sound super organised. Just need it to happen now. Nearly there! x

When I had my final blood test on Friday I think the lady could tell I was anxious as when I said my name and date of birth she said “well done you’ve passed” and smiled. It was manic in the unit (in the same hospital I’m going too) there was a lady crying as she was scared of the reason she was having the test, very hot, running late and then 2 staff members went running past into another dept - I was thinking omg just breathe.

i did have an op at this hospital about 12 years ago - my first tongue op - and there was a little room next to the operating theatre. Loads of people in there! 

yes I just need to be honest and open and tell them how anxious I am - 3 days  and it will be over - trying to look ahead rather than at the day itself lx

Will be thinking about you on Weds. I'm just catching up as I haven't been online much as we came over to France at the end of last week and I end up only having a chance to go online very late at night. When I'm already tired! 

I am out the other side of all this and I can reassure you that it feels great! My kidney surgery was about fourteen weeks ago but it's such a distant memory that I've even lost count of exactly how many weeks really - and you will be the same, when you come out the other side of this. 

I read about Faith's inflatable stockings which I think must be the same as they put on me. Quite a new concept but it seemed to work very well. I didn't have any pain meds other than paracetamol, for either of my surgeries. I think they must have given me morphine or something along with the anaesthetic but each time once I woke up, I ditched everything except paracetamol...I do have a high pain threshhold so maybe it was just that I really didn't need anything stronger, but obviously if you find you do, do ask for it/insist on it. Both mine were keyhole. Perhaps an open surgery gives more pain. 

Take the recovery slowly. I was off walking (slowly) each time along the corridor as soon as I could get out of bed, which was pretty much within the hour each time. They weren't going to tie me down!! However, in the medium term, build up your exercise slowly. I think I tried to walk half a mile a few days too soon, after my most recent surgery! That was when I started to swell. But I might have had swelling anyway so cannot say for sure it was the cause of it. 

After my hysterectomy, because I knew I couldn't yet go back to ballet (Silver Swans), I did try Seated Yoga, just once. Never done yoga in my life but I thought this might be a way to allay my impatience to get back to my dancing. It honestly didn't do anything for me (I'm too active to enjoy anything sitting down!) and in addition it gave me some twinges when I was twisting and stretching. I think it was two weeks after the surgery, maybe even slightly less. 

I decided to enjoy my enforced rest and enforced little (six-week!) "holiday" from work, and I did! This second surgery, I even wondered if I ought to have pleaded inability (mine is a very physical job) and had another couple of weeks extra! The first two weeks after I went back, I felt quite tired after I'd done each shift, but that was partly because I didn't have time in the whole shift to sit on the chair they'd placed behind the counter for me!! 

Good luck for Weds. You will be just fine and it will go in the blink of an eye almost literally, from the time you go in at 7.30 to the time you are awake. 

Hi and thanks for your message - hope you’re having a lovely time. I’m now trying to look past tomorrow and will try to observe it as if I’m just watching - if that makes sense? I remember doing that during my chemo and it helped. I’ve got most of an overnight bag packed and will spend the rest of the day putting things at an easy height to reach for when I come home! Lx

One more sleep! All the very best for tomorrow. Will be thinking about you. x 

Well I’m as prepared as I can be - house is clean, things I will need are at an easy height (only need 1 plate etc as only me!) been walking round with my mums grabber and seeing what I can pick up and what I can’t - might be tricky bending to clear out my cats litter tray if she uses it but she doesn’t often so I have my fingers crossed. Fingers are def crossed for keyhole surgery and a straightforward recovery. Thanks again for your reassurance and messages it’s been lovely logging on to see I have a message. I’ll be in touch when I’m home - wish me luck lx

Well that’s me all sorted now - getting up at 2am tomorrow to have some food and my tablets and then my friend is picking me up at 7am - hoping they may be able to tell me where on the list I am once I’ve checked in to the hospital. Still anxious but sectioned the day off into “events” I.e lift and checking in is number 1 - remember doing this thru chemo and it meant my concentration was only on what was happening at that time so I’m hoping that helps. Will be in touch when I get home with - hopefully - a positive experience lx

Sounds like you’re super organised .

Hopefully your cat will behave herself and do her business outside when you get home but, if you need to get down to floor level avoid bending at the waist. Keep your torso upright and bend at the knees. 

Yes, fingers crossed for keyhole - far less of a shock’ on your body and an easier, shorter recovery. As you know, I wasn’t that lucky but that was because of the nature of the ‘problem’, not its size. 

Wishing you lots of luck for tomorrow. Just think, next time we’re in touch you’ll be ‘out the other side’ and focused on your recovery . Sending big hugs x 

That's a really good strategy: sectioning off into events so that you are focusing on just one thing at a time. I wouldn't have thought of that but I think that will help a lot! Yes it makes perfect sense that you are looking at it as if you are watching it from outside...that's rather like what I did in a way, when I felt as if the person having the surgery was a different person from the person who is me. 

They kind of told me each time once I got to the hospital, where on the list I was. The first time they definitely told me I was first, as they knew how scared I was. The second time, I was a bit more relaxed and not so concerned unless they were going to make me wait hours! but they indicated roughly what time I would be going down and what time I would be out and in Recovery - partly, because I asked about whether to order lunch! and they worked out the time scale for me and said, the approx time I would be going and the approx time expected back in Recovery. Which was really helpful. (Yes I didn't make it for lunch but I did make it for dinner)

Re: the cat litter...don't try to pick up a heavy bag of litter for a couple of weeks. Perhaps you could add more litter to the tray for a few days? (Scooping it out of the bag, not lifting the bag or the tray) Or, ask your neighbour if she wouldn't mind emptying it for you? I planned my dogs' food similarly: I decanted some of the 4kg bag into a 1.7kg empty bag. Then I placed the remainder of the big bag in an easy place where I didn't have to lift it but could just scoop it out. By the time I needed to lift the 1.7kg bag, they had eaten the food from the 4kg bag and I was feeling able to lift more than a bag of sugar again!

Good luck. Thinking of you! 

Well here I am!!! Was discharged the same day as op (yesterday) as they said my diabetes was under control so no need to stay overnight. Must admit I didn’t say I would be on my own but my friend has a key and is literally 5 minutes away. Went down for op at 10 and everyone was so lovely, nurses holding my hands and talking about cats, woke up in recovery around 1 and was in there for hours - wasn’t breathing deeply enough which I’ve been told after previous GAs. Was back on the day unit about 5 and discharged at 7.30 - my friend picked me up and I was violently sick twice when I got home - think it was a combination of anaesthetic, morphine, toast, tea and orange squash! Felt fine until I got dressed and started moving around. Not really in any pain but very sore - surgeon said both cysts removed through keyhole - apparently they drain the fluid and the cysts collapse so can be easily removed, she thinks they “appear normal” but obvs have to be checked. Been sleeping a lot today, find it difficult to sit as difficult to stand up it’s easier to lay down and roll over to get up if that makes sense. Been getting up every few hours and walking around as still hav stockings on until tomorrow evening. Can’t shower for 5 days and then need to take dressings off, stitches will dissolve in 90 days (yes 90 days!!!) and signed off work for 2 weeks but nurse suggested seeing GP towards end of that time and getting it extended, I’m so glad it’s over and done - just need to take it easy now and recover slowly. Thanks for everything ladies I really appreciated the support and advice lx