apologies in advance if i make no sense - it has been a long day - and thanks to kids having asthma episodes, i had a long sleepless night before the long day... ugh!!!
Hi Gang...
Thanks for all your prayers and positive thoughts... just got home from a very long day at the hospital... Mom got through surgery with flying colors. She is so groggy and tired --- she kicked us all out of her room so she could sleep some more... very much in Mom fashion.
Dr. Sinclair let us know that Mom's biopsy showed Stage 1 Borderline Ovarian Cancer so in addition to the hysterectomy (removing the uterus, fallopian tubes and ovaries), her appendix, a fat pack (yikes, can't remember the "official" name?) and some lymph nodes. The tumor was the size of an orange! (on the ultrasound, it had measured roughly 11 centimeters) Mom will be in the hospital until Monday at the earliest when Dr. Sinclair is able to re-evaluate her. At that point, she should also have the full pathology report so we know the intensity of the cancer Mom had in her ovary. She let us know that the only other spot that was not "clear" was Mom's other ovary which also had a cyst. Doc said that usually infected ovaries have a grainy consistency and Mom's looked fairly healthy. All of the surrounding organs looked clear, too... Thank God the cancer was removed early... all of this was pretty close. And yes, Mom will be lectured about procrastinating about pushing out her annual exam, ultrasound and CT scan appointments for fear of the unknown... God was looking out for her...
Most of what I have read about these Borderline or LMP (Low Malignant Potential) Tumors is reassuring. A few sources indicated that normally, once removed, Borderline or LMP cancers do not return. Another said that about 15% of ovarian tumors are referred to as "borderline" because their appearance and behavior under the microscope is between benign and malignant. These tumors are often referred to as carcinomas of low malignant potential because they rarely metastasize or cause death. Even when borderline carcinomas do spread outside the ovary, only 10% to 20% are fatal.
Hoping that this is the case...
Being the tacky and inappropriate person that I can be in uncomfortable situations, I asked how much weight Mom has lost now that she has had so many organs removed... Doc told me "quite a bit, but probably not the weight loss most would prefer to have..." (Love how Dr. Sinclair is just as sarcastic as I am - she joked with Mom that she should enjoy being "snowed" with all the awesome drugs they'd give her... and that Mom shouldn't worry about losing her reproductive organs since the shelves are bare - no more eggs!) Fortunately, we all have the same sense of humor and were able to keep light despite the situation.
Thank you so much for your love and prayers... we've gotten through this first bump in the road to recovery... Please continue those positive thoughts for a quick and pain-free recovery and that the cancer does not return.
Love you all...
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