Monday, Oncologist's PA, and Surgeon for hernia

Okay so on Monday we went to my Oncologist, I get blood drawn (through my arm as just walking in that place I started to feel nauseous just thinking about saline and heparin flushes) then go in to see my Oncologist's PA, Kristin.  I love her I really do but of course as always a timeline if I stayed off chemotherapy could not be drawn.  She did say mine seemed to be the slower moving type of cancer, but of course we all know this crap can go merrily along then BAM you get hit with all the effects and go downhill.

She did ask me to think about the fact we could draw back on some of the drugs involved in the chemotherapy and that we could make the treatment times longer in between, I could stay off chemotherapy for awhile then go back on it for a short time, a whole bunch of things and I promised her I will think about them and I will, just not for awhile.

I got really emotional and have no idea where that came from as I was fine and then bam the water works started and I was bawling every time I opened my mouth.  She was very understanding, got me a box of tissues and let  me talk and when I told her we had an appointment right after seeing her to see my Surgeon about getting my hernia taken care of she asked me to make sure they faxed all the paperwork of what is going to be down, when and how and I promised.  And they will continue to follow me at the cancer treatment center even if I never do chemotherapy again, labs, scans scheduled, appointments to see my Oncologist or Kristin, scheduling and getting hospice lined up for if/when I need it. 

I told Kristin I intend to see my 52nd birthday (two years from now whether I am on chemotherapy or not) and I do.  For some reason I at this time (and we know with my mood swings) don't think I will go downhill and pass as soon as statistics would have me think.

Kristin explained to me and Tom what to watch out for regarding serious changes, the sclera of my eyes turning yellow will be one of the first indications of my liver going, then the full blown jaundice.  She also said I might experience really bad pain on my right side as the liver grows from the cancer cells in it and rubs against the nerve endings around it, with my lungs, less likely but she said it would become harder to breathe and I would have pain in my chest almost constantly and of course the weight loss without trying to lose weight. 

I go back in two weeks for another appointment.

So then we go to the Surgeon, the hernia is bigger and part of my colon is protruding out into it so we have a date set of September 10th for the surgery (That will give the chemo and the Avastin enough time to truly be out of my system) at 7:30 am which means I have to be there at 5:30 am which means we have to leave here about 4:45 am which means we have to get up about 4am LOL. 

The surgery should take from an hour to three hours laparoscopically, UNLESS She finds she cannot do it like that which she won't know till she begins the surgery and then she will have to open me up.  She is going to push everything back down through the hernia and put a patch over the hernia then stitch it all around so I will have this I am envisioning oval or circle of stitches.  She went over everything with me and I told her I always, always, always wake up from general anesthesia which she will be using and projectile vomit, and I cannot stand psychologically or physically the tube they put down my nose the last time this happened and begged her to make sure they don't put one in.  She suggested I think about them putting one in while I am under the anesthesia and that way don't have to go through the trauma of having them put it in while I am awake.  Okay I will think about it and Tom is strongly advising it as He said "Marsha, you are getting surgery on your abdomen, what muscles do you use when you throw up? Everything including your abdomen" so I am really going to think about the tube thingee.

Also I asked her for an epidural as the last two surgeries they put one in that lasted for 36 hours so I really had no pain at all and when I did the morphine pumped managed it quite well.  She said that is no problem.  She also suggested she put in two "pain tubes" I guess two tubes that can be inserted into me that will give me relief of pain for up to five days, but I am not a great fan of tubes being put in me and having to go home with them in me so I am thinking about that one also.

Should be a one day or at the most overnight stay unless of course she has to cut me open or there are complications.  Oh and I get to drink that magnesium sulfate or whatever its called to clean out my colon the day before the surgery (oh joy, to be stuck on the toilet .... again LOL)  She explained to Tom the home care I will need for a few days at least, so we settled on and got the surgery for Friday, September 10th and Tom is taking off that day and Saturday and then he has Sunday and Monday off anyways.  Then the next week He will change his work schedule (He talked to his boss about it today) so he works like Tuesday through Friday or something I can't really remember (He makes fun of me saying "and how long can you use chemo brain for an excuse for not remembering stuff? Bratling! LOL)

Six to eight week total recovery time but I think it will be less than that as with my total hysterectomy with the long ways cut I was up and running in two weeks full speed (Not literally running but you know what I mean LOL) 

If any one has had this surgery (abdominal hernia repair) please let me know what to expect and please keep me in your prayers and thoughts though we are still aways off (grin)

Oh and Tom did get a wonderful woman who comes in every other Wednesday to clean and I am so glad he did as she is the bestest and that has taken a lot of strain off me.

So that's it for a bit will try to post again sometime this week ((((((((((((hugs))))))))))) to all.