New diagnosis

Hi Green61, 

Welcome to this forum. We understand your situation and concerns. Waiting for results is horrible and somehow you just have to carry on as best as you can. I found that keeping busy was a good distraction.

I had my hysterectomy (robotic assisted removal of the womb, cervix, ovaries, tubes and primary lymph nodes) performed last Wednesday. I get the results of the testing on 12th September. As you are going private, your CT and MRI scan results should be quick. I recall mine took about a week.

Regarding recovery, it's not too bad. I can move about without it hurting. I haven't needed any pain killers today. With the surgery the general anaesthetic is very effective. After the surgery you will be offered pain relief including IV paracetamol and IV morphine. Most people go home after one night in hospital. I stayed for two as I wanted the comfort of knowing help was nearby if needed.

Your operation is a few days away so in the meantime get out and enjoy this glorious weather we are having!

I'm happy to answer any questions. 

Good luck.  

Sara

Hello all,
Thanks so much for your messages, which I found very reassuring. 

I had the consultant appointment this morning, and he told me it is stage 1, scans look OK, no sign of further spread and hopefully no further treatment needed - subject to the usual post-operative tests.  That is a huge relief (particuarly for my poor husband, who had his own little breakdown outside the hospital).  I'm so grateful for his medical insurance which has meant I have the treatment scheduled quickly.

I've been keeping myself busy - it was my birthday yesterday, so we had a few treats planned over the weekend, plus my daughter is off to uni on 23rd, so we've done the inevitable IKEA shop this week while I can still drive and carry things.   She will be on meal duties for the next couple of weeks (good practice for her).

Avocado23 I hope your recovery is progressing well.

Hi again green61, I’m glad you’ve been told that it’s predicted stage 1 and really hope that’s the case for you after histology. By all means hope for the best, but, given my own experience, I’d recommend holding it hopefully but lightly just in case the staging changes post op. I was expecting stage 1 and no further treatment but a few cancerous cells were found on top of my cervix which meant a technical stage 2, and therefore treatment (radio and brachy). I felt very disappointed and upset and it rather shook me. Some very rare pre-cancerous STICS were also found in my fallopian tubes which surprised them as much as me. 
Have you packed your overnight bag yet? If you’d like any tips as to what to take, I can share a link to a thread for that!

Hi MarmiteFan59, thanks for your reminder - I am very much focussing on one step at a time, while hubbie is catastrophising all of the worst case scenarios!  It seems ridiculous to be worrying about how he is reacting - but I will need him to fetch and carry so much over the next few weeks.  And I can't do anything about those test results until I get them, so I am trying to be pragmatic.

I haven't packed the hospital bag yet, so would love some tips, thank you. x

Hi again green61, I found that being pragmatic is honestly the best way forward. I crumbled when I was told my news (over the phone) and rushed to tell my husband, and his pragmatism helped me. I decided then I’d be the same but also that though I’d be honest with him if I was having a down day, I also sought my main support from my CNS and the Macmillan help line. As you’re going private I’m not sure if you’ve been assigned a CNS? I felt that the best way of helping my husband to cope with my diagnosis was to cope well myself so I called my CNS a couple of times a week at least and the Macmillan helpline a few times at weekends. I made sure too that my husband carried on his life as normally as possible - making sure he went to golf and encouraged him to talk to his golf mates about it, so that he’d have an outlet other than me. I presented a calm and coping front to my children (who were 28 and 32 at the time) so that they could see I was “ok” with it all as I didn’t want to have to deal with any anxiety from them over it all. Just to say that the Macmillan helpline is open 8am-8pm 7 days a week and is open to relatives of cancer patients too for support:

It will be far easier for you if he’s coping well and getting support from elsewhere so I’d suggest encouraging him to call. We tend to feel responsible for loved ones’ reactions to our cancer whilst also still trying to keep our own heads together, and it can be draining. We need to be able to conserve our emotional energy for ourselves. 

Here’s the link for the thread re overnight bags! community.macmillan.org.uk/.../what-to-take-in-my-overnight-bag

Hi green 61, I am doing quite well thank you. The very hot weather has been challenging, especially with the compression socks. I am dying to take these off! I still have some pain but it's bearable. Yesterday I walked more but found I got tired very quickly.

Good luck for tomorrow. You will be fine and so relieved when it's all over. I'll be thinking of you. :-)

Yeah the hot weather is definitely challenging. 

 Avocado23 Are you on the dvt injections? I was told I didn’t need the stockings once they started the injections. Last injection was last night, soo glad they’re over, my tummy is a bunch of little bruises!

 green61 Best of luck for tomorrow. Definitely take ear plugs and snacks!

Hi Avocado23, I hated the compression socks too and was glad to be able to take them off at night! Thankfully only had to wear them for 14 days as I was by then walking 30-45 mins a day and the consultant said I could abandon them! 

Hi Robotxxx, 

Yes, I was given a month's supply of the injections. I was also told to keep the socks on 7-14 days.

I find the injections must less bothersome than the socks. 

It's strange how we are all given different information. Even the information on the internet varies between 10 days and 6 weeks! 

The leaflet I was given by the hospital does not give any timeframe.

Sara

I think that the time frame can vary a lot. The hot weather is likely to prove uncomfortable for many of us. I was so pleased that we were coasting along with 19C temperatures then bam! Up to 28-30C 

Still it’s only for a few days. Keeping hydrated helps a lot. I also use cooling mats that are chilled in the fridge and then I sleep on at night.