2nd surgery
6.26.2008
Well, as much as I didn't want to end up on the operating table again...I did. Exactly 11 months after my first surgery I had to have another. This one was worse. First off because I got to the hospital all scrubbed up and ready to go and the doc came in and told me my ovarian cancer markers were through the roof. 60 would be high but still okay - mine were 600! She didn't feel comfortable doing the surgery and sent me to an oncologist. The guy I saw was Chief of Gynecology and Gynecological Oncology...smart guy. He and his staff were really great - told me that there was little chance I had cancer and that endo can cause those really high markers. We knew my endo was bad b/c it was Stage IV (high as you can get) last year. They were going to test the mass in my right ovary during the surgery anyway just to be sure it wasn't cancer. The endometrioma (kinda like a cyst) inside my right ovary was 8 cm at that point (normal size is from 1.5-3 cm) and my poor ovary was completely destroyed. They removed it and the accompanying tube. Adhesions had caused it to be stuck to everything - that and the size were causing the extreme pain. Endo was back and worse than last year. It was everywhere - on my bladder, appendix and colon. Some if it they couldn't zap because those organs are so sensitive and didn't want to damage them. The surgery went well - no cancer.
Recovery was WAAAAAAY worse than last year. It was at least a week before I could sit up without a lot of pain, and a solid two weeks before I could think about walking. And of course my pain medication didn't work. I was not ready to go back to work, but had to. Luckily, right before and during the surgery Katie and David were here taking care of me :). And Mom flew in as they left and stayed for 10 days to take care of me. There's no way I could have survived without them. Chris had to work of course and could only take the day of surgery off.
It's two months later though and I feel pretty good now. I'm still really tired and just not 100%, but pain-free so that is good anyway. And without the right ovary, my doc thinks the pain won't come back. We'll see I guess... I can't do anymore surgeries though. The scar tissue will become a serious problem, and we're hoping to have kids. Pregnancy is supposed to be really good for endo :).
Posted bySarah at 8:44 AM
