Path report

Talked with the physician assistant to the surgeon. She said that the biopsies that they took during the first surgery are consistent with scar tissue around that cyst. The cyst it self was not biopsied yet and won’t be sent for pathology until the second surgery is completed. At this point he feels that the hot chemo part of the surgery is too risky to do, the risks outweigh the benefits of it at this point. I will still wake up with a big incision, a ureter stent on the right side, and most likely a NG tube. My hospital stay well be 4 to 5 days rather than 12 days. But they do not feel the need to resection the bowel at this point. All this is subject to change once they get in there, obviously. But we couldn’t be happier about the results of the pathology! 

Overall I am pleased with how recovery has been this last 6 days. Besides the stinging in the tummy, I might be moving slower and I’m definitely lonely during the day when everyone has things to do but me. I’m bored really. Not a TV watcher or reader makes it hard to waste time. I can only check Facebook and Instagram so much throughout the day. I do notice some postoperative blues set in about day 3. I’m not really ready so to say for surgery two but I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I was disappointed how the surgeon managed my pain initially and worry a lot how it will be managed with a great big incision down my whole tummy. Erik’s been working the business a lot in his off time and he’s so preoccupied with that and getting that up and running smoothly that I am feeling maybe I need someone to come stay with me to help me out so he can work. Kids all have their own things going on that I can’t help with either. My sister will be coming in March for 4 days which will be wonderful. Maybe this surgery won’t be as big of a deal as I’m making it in my head. After all, it’s just a cyst right? I’ve had bigger ovarian cysts in my lifetime that just stayed in there and dissolved in their own time. I have a lot of questions now that the HIPEC is off the table. Seems to me a NG tube, ureter stents, and even a midline incision seem like overkill. Guess I will find out at my appointment on Thursday. 

Surgery one complete

Surgery #1 complete. Doc said nothing new has popped up (no new cysts) except for the original cyst/mass which is around 6cm. He did say there was a lot of scar tissue in there that he biopsied and we will have results back in 5 days. Scar tissue also covers the cyst/mass thing so hard to see if it’s mesothelioma or not. It is NOT attached to the bowel or bladder like originally anticipated. Praise God! Once we get the biopsy back he will decide if “hot” chemo is needed in the abdomen or not. Still having surgery on February 22nd. Just don’t know the extent of it. Overall the surgeon was optimist and felt good about what he saw. So now we wait another 5 days for the path report. 

Problem is it’s been not even 24 hrs on pain meds and I’m not sleeping because I’m itching like mad! Pain pills and me do not get along! Plus even if I did handle pain meds well, the fellow who is the surgeons intern, only prescribed 10 pills total, 1 tablet every 8 hrs for three days for pain. That’s it! I understand the opioid crisi all too well in my job but what kind of pain meds will I get if I come home with a large midline incision after surgery 2? I’m concerned how this is going to work. I need the pain meds but I can’t tolerate any out there and they don’t prescribe much of them anyways. So for now, Tylenol it is. 

Before checking in

Waiting to go back

After surgery at lunch. Notice the drowsy eyes from anesthesia 

Days away from getting answers

I am scheduled for my first surgery on February 11. The surgery is just to go in and look around and see what we are dealing with. I hope after that hour long procedure to have a plan for the surgery on February 22nd. I’m super nervous about all of it. Is this a different form of cancer now or a peritoneal inclusion cyst? Either way I’m assured the treatment to correct it is the same and involves HIPEC. I just want the second surgery date to come and go fast so I can be healing in my own home, in my own bed. They promise me a week or two in the hospital due to sluggish bowels after surgery. Not looking forward to that at all. 

Here’s a photo of my surgeon, Dr. Keith Fournier