Hello @diane060 and welcome to Mayo Connect. I'm so glad that you found our online patient support community. Your post was very well written and understandable, however, please do not concern yourself about writing style. This online community is here to express feelings in whatever way they come out!

I am glad to hear that your surgery went well and that your lymph nodes were clear, that is good news. I can certainly understand, however, your concern about "positive for cancer cells “floating” in the abdomen" and the upcoming chemotherapy. I appreciate your honesty when you say that you are feeling anxious, we all feel that way when we have a cancer diagnosis. I have had 3 surgeries for a rare, slow growing type of cancer, neuroendocrine tumors, (they were not gynecological but in the digestive tract) and I understand the anxiety that comes with each upcoming surgery and anticipated treatment. However, in time we have all adjusted to this "brave new world" as you so aptly named it and we go through treatment with all of it's anxieties and upheaval and then get on with our life.

We have many members who have also had gynecological cancer surgeries and treatments and I'm sure that some of them will be joining the discussion with you. We look forward to getting to know you better and supporting you through this time as you adjust to this "new normal."

Are you feeling recovered from your surgery now? Do you have a good support network around you - family, friends, a faith community?

Teresa

Hello Teresa,
Thank you for responding and for your words of encouragement. I am recovering very well from my surgery, 4 weeks post-op. I DO have the most wonderful support system in family and friends. I am MOST fortunate to have my wonderful husband of nearly 40 years, along for this ride. 🙂 My faith is strong, and I like to say that it's steadily growing faster than the cancer ever was. I have also begun meditating, which has helped me in ways I never imagined. I decided very close to the onset of this journey to use FB to tell my story and keep those interested informed. That has opened floodgates of prayers & love that have wrapped their arms around me. It's been overwhelmingly joyful at times. While I've often thought about what it would be like to experience continuing education later in life, I never imagined this type of education. 😉 But, it is what it is, and I continue to be thankful for every day that I am being gifted. ~ Diane

@diane060 I totally understand that you didn't choose this type of education - but I suppose we take education whenever it comes our way. I am so glad that you have a strong support system in place, that will make a big difference for you. Best wishes and continue to share with us. Teresa

Hello @diane060,

I'd like extend my welcome, and thank you for sharing your history in the group; I'm glad you've connected with Teresa.

There are a few conversations on Connect that might interest you:
Video Q&A: Genetic risk factors for breast, gynecological cancer: http://mayocl.in/2ubvyr0
Endometrial Carcinoma: Rare, aggressive, hard to treat but don't worry: http://mayocl.in/2twvRzh

I would like to invite @patricia5, @judithvt, @dorkmom2, @georgiajb, @kate123, @mdotsie, @skunklady13, @dezi and @pedie as they all have experience with uterine or endometrial cancer and may be able to help alleviate some of your concerns.

In this discussion, "New to group. Have ovarian cancer," http://mayocl.in/2tcqMJL, you will meet @crystalgal @caf132 @katethegreat @joannedb, and others who have posted about Taxol, and I hope will join us with their insights.

@diane060, how can we help with regard to your questions, and concerns about the upcoming chemotherapy?

Hi!
I guess my main concern is fear of the unknown and I worry that I may not tolerate my "cocktail". I am less concerned with losing my hair than the nausea/vomitting and protection of my bladder and kidneys. I need to drink 80-100 ounces of fluid daily, and I worry that nausea may interfere with the ability to do that. I feel pretty great right now, and know that will all change in 10 days. I am maintaining a positive attitude for the most part, thanks to my little Jesus Calling devotional and meditation, so at least there's that. It feels strange to be more afraid of the treatment than I am of the cancer.

My oncologist did tell me that the nausea is pretty well managed by meds, and I also have my own "plan" to help deal with that [with my oncologist's "blessing", so to speak. He said the main complaint is extreme fatigue.

I had an aggressive lemon-sized (neuro?) fibrosarcoma of the abdomen in 1990, Stage IV, with very poor prognosis (nil). I was 33y with a toddler, living in upstate NY. The first surgery was not completed due to heavy blood loss. We moved in with my folks in CA, for childcare & proximity to treatment. I had 3 (7-8 day) courses of ifosfamide w/ mesna, then 5wks of radiation, followed by a successful (14 hr) surgery at UCLA. The tumor was a dead husk, and they were able to save all major organs. The sarcoma has not returned.
Best wishes for your chemo. Everyone’s reaction is different, some get the munchies, some can’t hold water down. Stick with the chemo, I think that’s what made the difference in surviving a ‘terminal’ diagnosis.
As for abdominal surgery recovery, it was about 2 yrs before I felt comfortable wearing pants with a waistband that zipped. Vitamin E cream and gentle scar massage has kept the scars smooth.