Ovarian Cancer - The Surgery

As soon as my mom learned of my diagnosis, she booked a flight and was here the very next morning.  That meant that she and my dad drove most of the night to get to the airport so that she could fly out and be in SLC by 8 AM that morning.  What a blessing to have her with me!  She was truly my rock.  I was still processing my diagnosis and trying to come to terms with it.  I'm sure she was, too, but she was strong and optimistic the whole time she was with me.

My doctor referred me to one of the best surgeons in the state of Utah.  However, it would be a week before I would have a consult with him.  We decided to use that week to get a lot done around the house and to have some fun.  While I finished a few projects for work, my mom tackled my house. She painted my room, hall, bathroom, kitchen, and living room in that first week.  She also set out to make my room look pretty.  If I was going to have to spend a lot of time in it, it was going to be nice to look at!

My belly was so extremely big at this point that I looked at least 7 months pregnant.  I had 7 different people ask me that week when I was expecting.  The funniest one came from a lady handing out samples at the grocery store.  When I walked by her she gasped while her hands flew to her mouth and said, "Oh...you are just GLOWING!"  Then she proceeded to tell me how fast little ones grow up. I, of course, played along, but we got the biggest laugh when my mom later said, "You should have told her that if she thinks you are glowing now, just wait until you start chemotherapy!"

We took the kids to Antelope Island that weekend.  I've lived in Utah for more than 20 years and have never been there.  We had the greatest time! Here are a few pics:

Family pic.  I tried to cover up my belly, but you can still see that it's quite large!

My beautiful mom. 

When I finally got the consult with my surgeon, it was clear that he was concerned and he scheduled me for surgery for his next opening only 4 days away.  At that point, surgery couldn't come fast enough for me.  I was ready to move along and get things taken care of.  

I was scheduled for first thing on Monday morning, Feb 27.  My surgery would be in Provo, an hour and a half from where I live (yeah, insurance!).  Roger and I left during a nice, big snowstorm.  It took nearly 3 hours for us to make the normal 1.5 hours drive, but we got there in time.  Things had been moving so fast that it hadn't really hit me that I would be undergoing major surgery.  It started to sink in then, but I still felt good about it.  The doctors had told me to expect to stay 3-10 days to recover, depending on what they had to take out.  Here's a picture of me pre-op: 

I think this is the very first selfie I have ever taken.  See...I'm blissfully unaware of the surgery that awaited me!  Shortly after this picture, my doctors went to work.  They removed 5 liters of fluid from my abdomen before the surgery even started (no wonder my belly was so huge!). They found that my cancer was, in fact, ovarian cancer that had spread quite badly.  They staged me with Stage 3c Ovarian cancer. I had a complete hysterectomy, part of my colon removed, my liver scraped, my peritoneum removed, and a large chunk of my diaphragm removed.  They told my husband that my surgery was massive and to plan on me being in the hospital for 14 days to recover. The good news....they were able to remove all of the cancer and no cancer had spread to my lungs!

Here's a picture of me that my husband took the next day: 

The first couple of days were rough....I don't actually remember much of them.  I couldn't breathe w/o oxygen (the whole diaphragm thing, I suppose) and the NG tubes were the bane of my existence.  No amount of begging would get them removed. Once they were removed, life improved quickly. 

Roger stayed with me at the hospital for 3 days.  He slept on the tiny little chair next to me and did everything he could to make me feel better.  Can someone say, "Husband of the year!"  

Once I started feeling better, Roger left and my mom spent the next 3-4 days with me.   We walked every chance we got.  She painted my toe nails, gave me foot rubs, massaged me with DoTerra oils, and did everything she could to keep me comfortable and progressing.  Every time we would go out and walk, someone would recognize me from before.  Their jaw would drop and they would say, "You look SO much better," or "I can't believe how well you're walking around."  We finally got tired of walking around the nurses station and got permission to roam the whole hospital.  One day we even ventured outside.  The place was under construction and there was only one sidewalk to walk on and it went straight to the main road.  I walked out in my hospital gown and slippers pushing my IV tray the whole way.  I'm sure I looked like a crazy lady trying to escape the hospital.  As we walked back into the hospital, one of my surgeons walked in at the same time and said, "Corene!  What are you doing? I saw you from the road!"  

My doctors and nurses expressed constant amazement at how fast I was recovering and how well I was getting around.  I was home in 7 days...a full week earlier than they had originally projected.  I'd like to say that it was all due to my previously healthy, strong body.  I'm sure that helped.  But I know there was more to it.  The weekend before my surgery I knew I would need all the help I could get and wanted to access the powers of Heaven in the strongest way I knew how.  I sent an email to my ward (my local LDS church) asking them to fast and pray for me that Sunday.  My home ward in Willard, MO also fasted for me, along with family and friends on all sides.  I am confident that the prayers, fasting, and faith of so many played a huge role in my recovery.  

I am so grateful for my Savior and for the blessings of the Atonement.  Because of the Atonement, He has felt our pain and suffering and knows how to help each of us personally.  I have felt so much strength and peace at this time.  I am blessed to live in an amazing area with amazing people who love and support me. One sweet woman had her husband die the week of my diagnosis. Instead of dwelling on her own grief, she was bringing treats and goodies to my children when I was in surgery. Countless others have offered to bring meals, clean my house, and take care of my kids. I am amazed by the people who surround me. If this small trial makes me half as strong as them, then I welcome it!