Adenocarcinoma - just diagnosed

For @cvestor
If your medical health experience has already started out this badly, you seriously need to seek out something elsewhere, like now!
You don't deserve any aggravation right now.
Get referrals from hospitals, clinics, your friends, health providers.
Best of all Best wishes to you!
Paul

I don't blame you for not liking driving early morning hours across Minnesota.

If you can, have one of the doctors put that travel restriction in your chart.

If you register and go to Mayo's patient portal, you can view your appointments , who they are with and all patient instructions. If they are procedures, you can see what they are and the required prep.

There's also a messaging system there, but that's for things which can accept several day response.

Scared to death! 4 more days to LAR. I’ve never had surgery before and I’m 65 years old female. Any words of advice on how to deal with feelings leading up to surgery? I don’t want to scare my husband with all my feelings.

@lou3 First of all, sending you a big, big hug.
I too was a nervous wreck before my LAR, so I started psychotherapy and meditation. Also Dr. Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 is starting to help me (it takes several weeks of pratice). It is important to share your feelings with your husband and anyone close to you, because then they will understand your behavior and be able to provide better support. I learned it the hard way: trying to protect my parents from being anxious because of my health, I increased my own anxiety ten-fold. Once I told them, I could breathe more freely and focus on being as calm as possible. Writing down what you feel in a diary can also be helpful.
Something else that helped me was to make an appointment with the surgeon and bombard him with about 15 questions related to the surgery, the hospital stay and the early convalescence. Also talking with someone who had gone through the same surgery (mine was a two-stage Turnbull-Cutait pullthrough with coloanal anastomosis, which is a form of TME without a stoma).
Finally, I also took a short trip with my husband to a place I had long wanted to visit, just before the surgery, leaving 2 days for the prep.
Also, preparing things that would occupy me through the hours at the hospital: a book that wouldn't need me to concentrate much, a video game, and crocheting, and a stress relief ball or small stuffed animal.
You might want to take your own wipes to the hospital, without alcohol or fragrance. Pack anything you feel will make you feel good about yourself and relaxed. It might be make-up, your favorite perfume, your favorite hydrating cream or oil for massages, your favorite earings, aroma-therapy difusor, an electric cushion, etc. Preparing your bag with feel good things can help you relax a little.

Lou, I am 65 and had my first hospital stay and surgery in April when I had my LAR. I went right into a temporary ileostomy, and I was just blind with anxiety in the days leading up to the surgery. There is no way to know what to expect. It will be ok. It will be scary, and different, and you will amaze yourself how strong and adaptive you are. You will draw on strengths you didn’t realize you had.
There are wonderful nurses and doctors and helpful people all along the way. I keep a pad with me always and wrote down EVERY question that crossed my mind.
I promise you it will be ok. Feel free to reach out to me anytime. I may have some similar experiences that could help you.
You got this! Sending 💗🌹

Awww thank you so much with words of encouragement. I will use your ideas of packing my bag with extra things and journaling. I made an appointment with a social worker to start talking g one day before my surgery and maybe beyond.

Thank you so much !! I will definitely take paper and pen with me and continue to ask a million questions. I hope I am as brave as you!!!

Lou, I forgot to add something that made a good difference to me. I went online and ordered a really pretty, loose, high waisted cotton dress (from Pact). I wore it home, and wore it to most of my chemo appts. It didn’t interfere with my ileostomy bad, and it made me feel good every time I put it on!!
I know you just have a few days., but maybe go online and check them out!
https://poshmark.com/listing/Pact-Revive-Pop-Over-Dress-Animal-Print-Organic-Cotton-Scoop-Neck-Cap-Sleeve-XS-65ad798bbd66cdce8f410dd9

Awww thanks for that, you are very thoughtful. Yes I’ll check it out, I’m in Canada so it’s a bit to chilly now but good idea when it gets warmer here.

@lou3 Don't be afraid to share your feelings with us here, as your surgery gets closer and keep us posted afterwards as to how it went. I'll be thinking of you, hoping for the best outcome possible.
Big hug!