Monday 15 February 2016

Recovering from Colon Cancer surgery

I’M BACK!!

I had to go into hospital to have a tumour removed from my colon just after Xmas. The good news is they got it out and the surrounding tissue was clear so I don’t need any follow up treatment like chemo.

I hate going into hospital and in particular having general anaesthetic as I always vomit for some time afterwards. What I didn’t realise was how hard it was to throw up when you’ve had your stomach muscles cut into! LOL. Vomiting, coughing, sneezing, laughing all involve using those muscles!!

Other things I wasn’t expecting included how many times they stuck needles into me – either to take blood or put things into me (drugs, iron, etc). I ended up with countless bruises. The best people at sticking needles into you were the blood nurses – they were the gentlest and did it without bruising. I also didn’t know I was going to have to continue giving myself an anti-clotting injection for 28 days after my op. I always look away when they take blood but had to look to see where I was sticking the same things!

Trying to concentrate was hard and I felt rather dizzy for some days – I suspect it was the remaining anaesthetic inside me.

I managed to get out in three days, thankfully. It was SOOO hot in there, with my hot flushes I get, I was DYING!! But I got out because I had a positive attitude. So when the physios came by and said, “Can I get you out of bed into your chair/walk to the end of the room?” my answer was, “Please – can I?” Instead of some of those around me who were saying, “No, it’s too hard.” The quicker you get up, the quicker you get to leave. It helps your digestive system get back to normal (although I was hardly eating anything at first – my appetite didn’t pick up until I got home. I lost 8lbs altogether, although I’ve put half of that back on but am not concerned at I was slightly overweight in the first place!)

I have to apologise to my readers as I had every intention of finishing one of my works-in-progress while I was off (I was away from work for 6 weeks) but I couldn’t get my head around being romantic while I was ill and recuperating, let alone thinking about sex!


But have plans to do a short story for an anthology… watch this space.

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