[2020-08-29] Surgery - longer note

I've spent the day resting, as I'm feeling pretty wiped out.

Fortunately, pain is not an issue. The pain management team installed an epidural before the surgery, and it continues to deliver medicine to eliminate pain.

I'm experiencing nausea, and so I have a tube through my nose and into my stomach to suction out any fluids or gas from there. I'm receiving medication to deal with the nausea through an IV, along with fluids to maintain hydration. I also have a catheter, which removes fluid from my bladder so that I don't need to get up and go to the washroom.

All of these sound way scarier than they are in practice. I feel like I'm being well cared for.

On the surgery, the oncologists who visited this morning told me that they were able to remove all the cancerous tissue they saw. Chemotherapy is designed to eliminate what they couldn't see.

My husband came to visit this afternoon. Because of COVID, visiting is curtailed, but it was great to get the hour together that we did.

As many have said, step 1 on my journey to health is complete. The focus now is recovery before chemo starts in 3-4 weeks.

Just before I went into surgery, I thought of as many of you as possible. That was both calming and comforting.

Also, writing today's post is the most energized I've felt today. Thank you for your support. 💗