Hello everyone, as the title says I’m new here and really confused.
I went into hospital 5 weeks ago to have a full hysterectomy with the view to remove a large fibroid on the outside of my uterus, but when the doctor opened me up he found that it wasn’t a fibroid but a tumour coming from my small bowel. The hysterectomy was abandoned and while I was still under I was passed over to a bowel surgeon to remove the tumour and a section of my small bowel. When I woke I was given the news of the change of procedure, change of doctor, and the news that the new doctor suspected that the growth, which was the size of a grapefruit, was a GIST but lab results would take a couple of weeks.
Fast forward to yesterday when I get a very rushed phone call from doc telling me yes it was a GIST, she will send a letter to my gp, will see me in clinic in July. Barely a 2 minute call.
im left not really knowing how to feel, I suppose. I had cancer, is it gone now? Am I a cancer survivor? Am I a cancer patient? I’m not sure what to think.
If I had known about cancer before the operation I can’t help but feel my worry/anxiety would be more valid than getting the diagnosis after it had been removed.
Hi LittlemrsT and welcome to the community though sorry to hear about what you have be going through. My wife did have a large fibroid (in medical terms a leiomyoma) but in her case one had gone cancerous - a Leiomyosarcoma.
There is some quite good explanation of GIST tumour here that might be helpful. There will be some questions that these lab tests will aim to answer - not least if the GIST is low grade or high grade. My wife's cancer is low grade and with some chemotherapy we have managed to stop it growing - living with cancer now for over six years. The tests do however take time.
Whatever the outcome you are likely to be monitored for some time yet
In terms of the question of are you a cancer survivor/patient of even both it might help you to talk through your feelings with one of the advisors on our helpline 0808 808 0000 - it is open from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week.
<<hugs>>
Steve
