Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Surgery Day...

February 28, 2007...I remember there was a heck of a thunderstorm my first night...I felt like I caught most of the it...since the nurses woke me up every 2 hours...my Mom slept in a lazy boy chair next me and she didn't get much sleep that night either. Not a lot of rest for the recently cut open and ripped of innereds.

Dr. D. came by in the morning...told me after lunch I'd be up and walking...a little hard to even imagine at this point.

Julie Bird was my first visitor and she relieved Mom so she could go home to be with Pat and get some rest for awhile.

The day was full of phone calls and visits from family and friends...even some new friends in this new world of oncology who where there to positively talk about this new journey placed before me...right here...right now!

Then there where those who came by to take my morphine button and cathator away...helped me get my butt out of bed...then made me walk up and down the hall...they claim it helps wake up my lungs and organs...get things moving again...suppose to make me feel better.

Mission accomplished...I walked...I went to the bathroom all by myself like a big girl...and I did feel much better.

I finally got that nap I'd be craving all day...thanks to my Aunt Jo who sat in a chair outside my door...answered my phone...and kept anyone from entering until I got my nap.

It was the most amazing nap too. It was more of a mediation with God. I felt so grateful...grateful for the second chance...grateful for Zoey and our future together...grateful for all my doctors...and very grateful for my awesome family and my family of friends who are all there for me every step of the way...in prayer and thoughts...I feel them all...right here...right now!

Friday, February 23, 2007

The Battle Begins...

It all started in early February 2007...I felt like I had done about a 1000 stomach crunches, I was bloated like a tick ready to pop... wasn't peeing much... kidneys hurt... couldn't eat because it was so tight in my abdomen that I didn't feel like I had room for food... and I had the darkest circles under my eyes... something's not right.

Dr. Barbieri... an important part of my medical team... general doctor... who's pretty cute to boot. He ran test... thought it was a urinary tract infection... got me on antibotics but still wanted me to get a CAT scan done.

February 15th...CAT scan showed something on my left ovary.
Next step... ultra sound...February 20th... but I had so much body fluid floating around that it was hard to tell... Dr. Barbieri called my OBGYN Dr. Niewrzel... who called me that evening... he wanted to get a liproscopic look at it... but by morning he had seen all the test results and changed his mind. He sent me directly to a specialist... Cancer Institute of GYN Oncologist...Dr. Dudzinski... met with her the very next day.

February 22nd...Aunt Jo & Uncle Bob took me to the appointment. Mom was traveling home from Florida so Sherry Jegen stepped in as my substitute mother and took the following notes:

2/22/07
Dr. Dubzinski, St. Lukes Medical Plaza, Bldg.111
 
Fluid was found in the abdomen and some in the lungs.  The fluid in the lungs is not uncommon and does not  need to be drained.   There are two ways to find out if the cancer is malignant 1)  Operate , 2)  Test the fluid build-up in the ovaries  (CA 125 test is useless---too many false reports).   Benign tumors can also create fluid.  
 
Jo asked Dr. which she would personally choose.  Dr. answered that surgery is better because "we don't know what is going on in the uterus, tubes and ovaries and that probably the test would be positive and it is best to take out all abnormalities as soon as possible by surgery. Also because of the prevalence of ovarian cancer in the family, she recommends this course of action as soon as possible.
 
Procedure:  An incision from the pubic area to around the belly button and higher.  Sugery requires 3-4 days recovery in hospital and then chemo beginning 1week to 10 days afterward.  Surgery scheduled 2/28/07.  Jo is to be there at 11:45 and surgery around 3pm. 
 
Feb. 23rd... had to go to a Pre-Op screening and then get some of the abdominal fluid sucked out of my gut. They ended up taking out 4 liters of fluid and I did feel better.