Pathology results are in

The results are a bit of a surprise! Turns out it wasn’t ovarian cancer, it was uterine cancer! The endometrial kind that starts in the lining of the uterus. It had spread all over – cervix, lymph node, ovary (that large ovarian mass), and rectum (where the mass was attached I think?).

I was expecting one staging number, but as the surgeon rattled off the pathology results on the phone, there were several, ranging from 1A to 3C depending on the location.

But the surgeon emphasized that he got it all. All the margins were clean. He said, when you left that operating room, you didn’t have cancer.

However, to be sure there is nothing microscopic left, he wants me to have both radiation and chemotherapy. I wasn’t expecting radiation, but looks like it is in my future now. Unfortunately I can’t receive radiation treatment anywhere near here so it’ll likely be in Vancouver. I’m waiting for a call to tell me more about these treatments. How long, when, where, etc. The surgeon said they usually start at 4-5 weeks after surgery, and I’m at 3 weeks now.

So I wonder, if I had opted for the hysterectomy six years ago when I had that large fibroid removed, would I have prevented all of this? Guess there is no sense looking back now. But grr!

I’m healing up okay, but not without major frustrations. No one told me to keep taking the Colace stool softener after my system got working again post-surgery. I didn’t know after all the work the surgeon did, that my  💩 system would continue to be slow and I ended up severely backed up for another week. Ultimate misery. Straining, swelling, pain, tears, shaking, crying, misery.

Mom left yesterday and Jeff is at work so I’m on my own today. I can make out fairly well. Unless I drop something on the floor. Then it is dead to me.

I’ve been able to sleep on my sides a bit, finally!, but also ended up with cramps or pulled muscles on both sides from my weird contortions so it seems every day there is another nagging pain somewhere, plus in my butt from trying to 💩 for days! I did learn though that I can quickly turn around ultimate misery by going to sit on the front deck in the sunshine rather than crawling back into bed, so misery is just a frame of mind that can be overcome.

I haven’t been eating enough though the last few days, due to the 💩 trouble. I have a couple of those Boost nutritional shakes a day to make sure I have something going in me. I’m mostly sorted out now so I’ve gotta start eating more today.

I’ve had to cancel another trip back to Ontario, this time for my sister’s wedding. I’m supposed to be the matron of honour and was supposed to leave in a week. But I just can’t do it. I can’t walk far, I can’t ride far in a car, I definitely can’t sit in the hot sun, or skip my naps. I still have this large hematoma under the incision line, and with all the other side effects going on, I just have to put my healing first and miss the wedding. Luckily everyone will have cameras and can capture the important parts for me! It is more important that I’m around for a good long time instead.

More soon as I learn about the plan for treatment!