Recovering from surgery

I drafted a post last week about how I was recovering from my oophorectomy, but didn’t get chance to publish it before I headed back in for my second surgery. The two experiences are markedly different. I guess all of that is irrelevant now, as this more major surgery has taken over. I thought I'd give a summary so you know how I'm getting on. I won't sugar-coat it, it's tough. This is the most major operation I've ever had in my life, and I've got to admit I'm struggling. But each day I'm getting a little stronger, so I just need to be patient and take it day by day.

In Recovery

Jugular cannula!

The surgery went well, the surgeon had a look around and didn't seem to find anything untoward, and I only lost 220ml of blood, so didn't need to have a transfusion, or go onto the High Dependency Unit, which is good! I was in the recovery bay until 2.30am on Wednesday morning though, as my blood pressure was really low, and they wanted it to come up before I went on the ward. I've been on the ward since then. So they removed my uterus, cervix, all my abdominal and chest lymph nodes and my omentum, which is part of the peritineum, and to do this they had to open me up from just below my breasts to my lower abdomen. I'm going to have an epic scar! It took them almost 6 hours. I also woke up with way more tubes than I was expecting.

- They put a cannula in the jugular vein in my neck, and then stitched it to me! This was an emergency line in during the op which I don't think they used in the end. When they removed the tube from it, it was about 6 inches long. Eurgh.

- They also put a cannula in an artery in my left hand.

- They also put a cannula in a regular vein in my left hand, which is still being used to give me pain relief

- They also put a cannula in a regular vein in my neck, which is still being used for pain relief and anti-nausea. They used my neck because I can't have sharps in my right arm due to having lymph nodes removed a couple of years ago during my breast cancer op

- They also gave me an epidural in my back, for pain relief during the surgery and for the first couple of days afterwards. I assumed I would never have an epidural because I thought they were just for childbirth! It was pretty cool, and when they removed it yesterday the nurse showed me the blue hooked tip which is used to deliver the anaesthetic

- They also had a feeding tube hooked into me via my nose all the way into my stomach

- They also had an oxygen tube hooked into my nose and round my ears, delivering me pure oxygen

- I also had a catheter as I couldn't walk so needed to be able to pee

Now, two days later, I just have the two regular cannulas and my oxygen tube, so there are slightly fewer wires to worry about!

I'm in a room for 4 people, and unfortunately the woman in the bed opposite me is the world's loudest snorer! She's been at it like a generator and seems to have an incredible capacity to fall asleep at all hours. I have earplugs and I can still hear her grating snore through them, it's so loud! Also, they have to do observations on me hourly, checking my blood pressure and temperature, so I'm not getting much rest. My pain relief has been switched to a PCA, which is controlled by me, so I press it every time I require pain relief. This is all very well, but it's forcing me to choose between sleep and pain relief! I'm still not allowed to have solid food, but I've graduated to soups and yoghurts, which means I can now also have ibuprofen in my mix of pain meds.

On the first day they insisted that I stood up and got out of the bed and into a chair. I felt very dizzy and only did it for a few minutes, but it felt like a great achievement. Last night I had a burst of energy and did it again, and managed to stand for about a minute. Today I've been able to walk to the bathroom twice, although very gingerly.

I'm significantly more incapacitated this time round, although I was lucky enough to have some friends bring me yummy food after the last op, so hopefully that will continue to happen after this one! Once again everything they removed will be sent off to the lab, and we will get the pathology reports in about a fortnight, and then we will crack on with the rest of treatment. I'm keen for it all to start, as the sooner it starts the sooner it will finish. I've also donated my tissue to a tissue bank -- so once the lab is done with it, instead of being incinerated, it will be sent to the tissue bank, for both local and international studies. Another opportunity to help medical science and improve cancer care for patients in the future!

I suppose that was a slightly pedestrian, descriptive post, but I felt the need to document it. I'm confident I shall get stronger every day and continue to fight back.