September 22, 2009 Surgery Day!

SURGERY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I ended up going into surgery about 9:00am! It took forever to get ready and into the operating room. I got cool hospital pants I didn't get the last time. :) They kept my legs nice and WARM!!! The one thing I did not like was the Heparin shot. I got it in the back of my arm to prevent blood clots from forming. It hurt like a MOTHER!!!

The CNA who took me to the operating room was Kandice who actually ended up being a friend of my friend Rachel. :) I had met her before so it was cool to talk to her. I have never had to take the elevator up to a surgery room before but the IMC is HUGE!!!

When I got to the right room I had to lay in the bed in the hallway. It was weird to see all the other people waiting for surgery in the hallway too. I asked what the deal was and they said it was the busiest day in a long time for surgeries. HAHA Go figure!!!

My anesthesiologist happen to be a guy from Waukesha, WI!!!! It seriously is the weirdest thing how WI and UT always have some correlation. He actually ended going to Waukesha West... the RIVALS!!!!! :)

Once I got in the operating room I had to drape myself over the edge of the bed to get an epidural. The last time I got one I was actually asleep so it was weird to be awake for this one. I got some meds in my IV and I remember bits and pieces of the epidural. I remember getting asked questions as to which direction I could feel it and I can remember some of the pain. :)

Next thing I knew.... I was trying to wake up in the recovery room. I tend to have a hard time waking up. After my first surgery I was great and didn't feel sick at all.... I was actually a little TOO happy. ;) But this one was different! I was so sick when I was trying to wake up. I ended up throwing up a little bit and had a hard time breathing.

Once I was brought to my room I really was out of it. I asked my dad how the surgery went and he said this weird look on his face. I instantly knew something was up and that I needed to hear what he had to say. However, he gave me a blessing the night before and in that blessing he mentioned that the doctors were going to find things and that they were going to be very attentive to my every need. So in all honesty, I was totally prepared to hear anything.

I was told I had another tumor in my right ovary, the size of a kiwi and I had regrowth where my left ovary use to be. Dr Jolles didn't really tell my dad much other than that it looked like there was cancer again and I would need to prepare for a possible full hysterectomy. WHAT?! All my lady parts gone?! I was not prepared for that one!!!!!!!!!!

My dad and I ended up staying up for a while talking about my options and what this meant for me. I was so scared and nervous. My number one fear was that I was not going to be able to have kids and that I would never find someone that would want to be with me due to my situation.

Here I am, 24 and an Ovarian Cancer patient... I thought I was doomed however I did not let anyone know how I was feeling. I didn't know what to do...