Connect← Return to Debulking and HIPEC surgery what experiences, anyone?
Discussion
Debulking and HIPEC surgery what experiences, anyone?
Colorectal Cancer | Last Active: May 28 4:47pm | Replies (10)Comment receiving replies
@isadora2021 ThAnkyou for all the suggestions. In preparing. I will remember you when they tell me to walk and it hurts. The more the better. I’m only 4’11” and 155 lbs so I think I’ve got that part covered. With all the chemo I e not had the level of energy I used to have. Tho 74 I’ve always been a multitasker and in my yard most days. I love my gardens. It’s my happy place. Did you have stairs to master at home? I have colonial 1923 home so hoping after physical therapy I’ll be doing ok to go up and down. Did I’d you take showers before bandages changed? Did they say you were cancer free? And are you still doing well? Any more chemo after surgery?
Replies to "@isadora2021 ThAnkyou for all the suggestions. In preparing. I will remember you when they tell me..."
Connect
@dnfjc I’ll be thinking of you walking!!
You’ll be so glad to have the extra pounds. That’s a good thing. My happy place is also my garden and I could potter immediately after coming home. Protecting your huge wound is the priority when you get home so I had to get in a gardening service to do anything that wasn’t light work.
For a while I could only sponge around my bandages and could not get it wet. I have a shower cord so could direct it away from the wound.
No I don’t have any big flights of stairs. I’d be asking your nurse ahead how that might play out. Personally I think I would have been ok if I had to be but I’d have been better staying on the ground floor for a bit. Walking up stairs does use tummy muscles and might be painful.
I haven’t had any further treatment since HIPEC. That was my choice. It started off just being a short break and then I stayed off. I ran a risk, and got away with it. My oncologist won’t let me go on now I’m off and still NED. It’s something you’ll need to discuss after surgery with your oncologist. I’m screened frequently with PET-CT scans and blood tests. I’m coming up to 4 years NED.
I’m doing extremely well physically. The only problem I have is I lost my gall bladder and have colon scarring as a result of my debulking surgery. So I do need to be careful about my diet otherwise I get diarrhea or constipation. Nothing serious and nothing being mindful doesn’t avoid!! I’ve been very very lucky.
The mental battle though continues, but that’s to be expected. I am strong minded but still have blips especially around scan times. It would be lovely to leave cancer in the past and never think about it again. But cancer has also taught and continues to teach me many wonderful lessons. Like gratitude. Like how to prioritise my time doing what I love and being with my special people. You would have experienced that too through chemo