<p>Can’t believe it; ten minutes after that post I wrote above, I got a call from the gynecologist who did my ablation, hysteroscopy, and D&C last Tuesday. Very early stage endometrial cancer. Have an appt. with a gynecological oncologist this afternoon at 3PM to talk about a hysterectomy. Of course I googled the new doc I was referred to, and he uses the DaVinci Robotic Surgical System, which is supposed to be minimally invasive. So now I’m trying to learn all I can about this system before I go see him. </p>
<p>Wow. Teriwtt, good luck with everything. Educating yourself is the best way to go. </p>
<p>@teriwtt The good news is that it’s usually a very easy cancer to treat. Both my mom and my MIL had endometrial cancer and both are totally fine after their hysterectomies. I’m sorry you also have to go through this, though!!!</p>
<p>Good luck, Terwitt. Hope you get a good plan from the docs and go forward successfully.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. The good news is that, of the two kinds of endometrial cancer, this is the good one to have - it’s not aggressive. That being said, they won’t be able to stage it until they can do a frozen section during the surgery. They will be using the DaVinci Robotic Surgical System; I gather there will be a few small incisions, as opposed to one large one. We thought about scheduling it this Thursday but the doc says it will be a week to ten days before I start to feel like doing stuff again, and we have tickets to the Lyric Opera not this weekend, but next; that same weekend my D from Boston will be in town as we have a bridal shower to go to. It’s an overnight stay in the hospital and I have to do a modified ‘prep’ like for colonoscopies the night before. I will also have to quit working with my trainer for 4-6 weeks afterwards. This will definitely put me into surgical menopause; I’ve been perimenopausal for a few years now, and have done OK, but no more transition; it will be cold turkey. That, I’m not ready for; I was hoping for a more natural transition. My hot flashes have been pretty tolerable up until now; I hope it doesn’t get too bad. Now to break the news to my daughters. Ugh…</p>
<p>Oh, @staceyneil, when I asked the doctor to describe the procedure, he was pretty thorough after I told him I’d done some googling. He asked me if, in my googling, I’d come across the term morecellator. I told him yes, that I’d heard about it, and that I knew of someone who told her doctor if it came to using that, don’t use it, and open her up instead. He said that when he did his residency/fellowship, they didn’t even teach that any more, so he doesn’t know how to use one so I don’t need to worry about him using it on me. What I didn’t tell him was that I learned about it on CC!</p>
<p>@teriwtt HUGS. So sorry! And I hear you on the surgical menopause. That was the impetus for this whole thread, originally!!! I assume, though, that you WILL be able to take replacement hormones, which I would not have been. And from all my reading you can feel pretty great that way.</p>
<p>Many people recommended the hystersisters web site and I’ve just spend the afternoon on there (when not sleeping…) and there is LOTS of great info as well as an active forum of kind women.</p>
<p>Edited: we cross posted… I am so glad that nasty morcellator won’t be an issue for you!!! </p>
<p>Yes, I think I will start checking out hystersisters. </p>
<p>This is my dilemma for the night… when to have the surgery. The doctor told me today he has an opening this Thursday. However, he told me not to expect to feel like doing much for the first week to week and a half. Here’s the dilemma… not this weekend, but the following weekend, we have tickets for The Sound of Music - bought them months ago for my birthday present for last week. It’s my all-time favorite movie, so seeing the show at the Lyric Opera would be a treat. That’s on a Saturday evening. D1 is coming in town Friday evening for a bachelorette party Saturday, and then we both have a bridal shower (local) to attend on Sunday. She goes back Monday. The doctor seemed a bit skeptical that I’d feel much like going to the show in just over a week after the surgery. So we initially decided to wait until after the big weekend of activities for the surgery. But if I wait, then I have to 1) deal with all the anticipatory anxiety of having the surgery and 2) it would give me less recovery time until both my daughters are coming in town in mid-June for a wedding. Having the surgery this Thursday would give me an extra almost two weeks of recovery before they’re both in town (with their collective three dogs). Based on those of you who have had the laproscopically-based hysterectomy, would you be OK nine days later to go to a show? If worse comes to worse, we could sell them on craigslist and not go at all. </p>
<p>The reason I say this is a dilemma for tonight is the surgery scheduler will be calling in the morning, and I need to have an answer. </p>
<p>You may be ready to get out after 9 days. If I recall I went to my d’s softball game after a week. It was great to have a change of scenery. Have someone else drive and drop you off in front of the Theatre- skip going out for dinner before. You should be fine. Don’t plan to do much else that day.</p>
<p>If it was me, I would go ahead and schedule for Thursday. There is never going to be a " perfect " time for a hysterectomy. Sending you best wishes</p>
<p>I am a long time lurker. I had the same surgery last year. I had the surgery on a Monday morning. Went home on Tuesday morning. By Friday, I was able to drive to the grocery for a few items. I felt great! By the following Monday, I started going on short neighborhood walks. I am very fit and exercise daily, so that most likely helped my recovery. I would think you would be fine with the surgery this Thursday.</p>
<p>Hi @teriwtt, that is a tough one. I know that the pre-op anxiety for me was very bad. As far as recovery time hopefully others will chime in. Hystersisters might be the place to ask this since so many have experience. I kind of think if it were me I’d do it sooner to make sure I was more likely to be fully recovered by the (more important, it seems?) June event.
Based on how I’m feeling now, I could perhaps see being able to see a show in 9 days if it was JUST the show and not dinner beforehand, etc. But who knows, maybe in 9 days I’ll feel like going dancing ;)</p>
<p>I had a vaginal hyst and had a big uterus with huge fibroids which my surgeon was able to take out vaginally (in a lot of little pieces). I felt crappy for two days, then pretty good, then suddenly GREAT. I easily could have worked after a week. It will depend somewhat on how your surgery goes, but the recovery is not bad. </p>
<p>@jaylynn @Ukblue @Sally22 it’s so great to hear these good recovery stories! I’m actually going back to the hospital for tests tomorrow because I’m having some unusual post-op symptoms. I really just want to get well and on with life! So done with this…</p>
<p>Best of luck to you Stacey. I was so pleased with my fast recovery. Hopefully, you will be on track for the same.</p>
<p>UKblue - thanks for coming out of ‘lurkdom’ to share your story. I, too, work out often, and hope that will help my recovery. That being said, I’ve been told at least 4-6 weeks with no weight lifting with my trainer. </p>
<p>We missed the opportunity for the surgery this Thursday, so his first opening now is not until next Tuesday, which I snapped up. It just became clear that I did not want to wait until May 7 (which was his next opening), so I am set. Surprisingly, I just called the doctor’s office who did the D&C/ablation, and who called me yesterday with the bad news. I asked them if I really needed to come back in and see him tomorrow for my follow up, considering I saw the new gynecological oncologist yesterday and he did an exam, and the doctor from last week will be assisting the new doctor next week so I’ll see him then. They told me yes, to still come in, so I will be seeing him tomorrow for a follow up. </p>
<p>Teriwtt, I am glad you were able to get your surgery scheduled for next Tuesday. Too much waiting can sometimes increase the anxiety level. At least that is the case for me! I am sure things will go well and you will be so happy to just move forward. </p>
<p>Teriwtt–glad you could schedule your surgery. I have considered ablation, but I really don’t want to have to do something twice (like it ends up you are doing–sorry for that). Also, since my fibroid is so big, I really think removing things will be much better in the long run. I plan on keeping my ovaries if everything goes well. Of course it’s mostly conjecture right now–I see my Dr. next week.</p>
<p>VAMom2015 - Yes, I wish I could keep my ovaries, but in my situation, it is obviously not recommended. However, regarding doing everything twice, my gynecologist told me before I had the D&C and ablation done, that there was a 95% chance of there being nothing to follow up with. So I fell in that unfortunate 5% where the D&C biopsy showed the cancer. I don’t think I had any large fibroids to begin with, though - a couple of small ones, but my uterus presents normal on exam. It really is almost a non-procedure in regards to recovery - I never even took a Motrin or Tylenol after it was done; literally not a twinge of pain anywhere. I made a quick run to the grocery store later that afternoon, and the next day had a full work out with my trainer, with full weights. But I understand if you are leaning toward a different direction. I just hope that anyone who reads this thread at some point will know how easy the D&C/ablation can be.</p>