Postby Rheaeliza » Thu Aug 15, 2013 3:35 pm
So I met with my surgeon yesterday, which was very comforting. We are on for my HIPEC August 26th...I was wrong in my previous post and my HIPEC will not be done laparoscopically (wishful thinking on my part I guess) it's just that he will start with laparoscopically to get a look inside and make sure there isn't too much peritoneal disease to remove. Then he will for sure be doing the full on, open HIPEC. I loose a chunk of my colon and that stupid stent is coming out (yay, been thinking I can feel it lately), both my ovaries, omentum, and he will be doing something to my liver to prepare it for resection later. Something about tricking it into thinking that half of it is gone so it bulks up in advance of my liver resection.
He said depending on my recovery, I could have liver resection as soon as 3-4 weeks after my HIPEC. I want to get it over with as soon as possible.
So I'm feeling pretty good, 11 days away or so. Doc told me to just really try and enjoy the rest of my summer here, eat what I want, have a few drinks (I'm in pretty good shape and health as is) He says I can expect to be in the hospital for about a week. I have my pre-testing, a PET scan (I have never gotten one ) and meet with anesthesiologist next week on Tuesday the 20th. One thing that I have to decide is if I want an epidural or not? Any advice here? I'm pretty scared of the idea of a needle going into my back!
Also, I'm freaked out about both of my ovaries being removed. Since I had metastatic spread to one ovary, that one comes out for sure. And my surgeon wants to take them both, which I said I'm fine with. I do not think children are in my plan, even pre-cancer, and especially now for me. But the idea I guess is still scary, and I said yes take them both no problem. But now I'm looking at research and stuff and I guess going into menopause and complete loss of fertility at 31 years old is something that is emotionally affecting me more than I thought it would. I'm scared, and I'm sad about it. And I don't know what to expect. Will I regret having both removed? It lowers my risk of reccurance so it's a no brainer? Right? I've been sort of crying every day thinking about it, even though my boyfriend and I do not want children. I guess it's because it sort of puts a finality in that area for me at an age when there shouldn't be one.
Thanks for the support guys!
Last edited by
Rheaeliza on Thu Aug 15, 2013 4:27 pm, edited 2 times in total.
12/7/12: 30 yrs. old, Dx stage 4b.mets to liver, ovary, nodes, ommentum.
7 months chemo, shrinkage!
8/26/13 HIPEC, colon resection,hysterectomy, appndx, gallbladder out.
9/12/13:leak in colon, temp. loop ileost, home 9/18
11/3/13: liver resect.
1/2014 Ostomy reversal, one week later, abcess surg., fistula, tpn.
No more chemo, NED since 11/13