Update: It'll Be a Busy Week
First, let me say Thank You to all my wonderful LJ friends who replied to my last post. I so appreciate all your kind thoughts and prayers.
On Wednesday I went to see the oncologist. One of the first things he said was, "Well, it [the mass] is really not that big." I gave him the incredulous saucer-eyes because 8.0 cm X 8.2 cm X 9.5 cm sure seems big to me! But I suppose to someone who's been seeing 50-lb masses the size of watermelons for the past 25 years, mine doesn't seem so large. Which was somehow oddly reassuring.
Also reassuring was him saying that he's "cautiously optimistic" that the mass is non-malignant. There are a few things he doesn't like - some thickness near the base of the mass, and my elevated CA-125 test results - but he said the mass seems to be entirely contained within the ovary (no wonder it hurt so much while stretching from almond-sized to its present size!), that no vital organs seem to be involved (thank God!) and that I'm a good candidate for robotic surgery. I hope the insurance company authorizes this because it'll be much less invasive and reduce my recovery time considerably.
He wants me to have the colonoscopy recommended by the gastroenterologist - this actually is rather standard procedure before having surgery of this type - might as well find out if the disease is there too, before opening me up.
So, this will be a busy week: Tuesday I go for my pre-op visit to the oncologist's office and the hospital; Wednesday I have the colonoscopy, and Friday is my surgery. I'll be out of commission, and probably off-line, for a week or so afterwards. (I don't have a laptop.)
Thanks again for all your good wishes and prayers. You are THE BEST!!!
On Wednesday I went to see the oncologist. One of the first things he said was, "Well, it [the mass] is really not that big." I gave him the incredulous saucer-eyes because 8.0 cm X 8.2 cm X 9.5 cm sure seems big to me! But I suppose to someone who's been seeing 50-lb masses the size of watermelons for the past 25 years, mine doesn't seem so large. Which was somehow oddly reassuring.
Also reassuring was him saying that he's "cautiously optimistic" that the mass is non-malignant. There are a few things he doesn't like - some thickness near the base of the mass, and my elevated CA-125 test results - but he said the mass seems to be entirely contained within the ovary (no wonder it hurt so much while stretching from almond-sized to its present size!), that no vital organs seem to be involved (thank God!) and that I'm a good candidate for robotic surgery. I hope the insurance company authorizes this because it'll be much less invasive and reduce my recovery time considerably.
He wants me to have the colonoscopy recommended by the gastroenterologist - this actually is rather standard procedure before having surgery of this type - might as well find out if the disease is there too, before opening me up.
So, this will be a busy week: Tuesday I go for my pre-op visit to the oncologist's office and the hospital; Wednesday I have the colonoscopy, and Friday is my surgery. I'll be out of commission, and probably off-line, for a week or so afterwards. (I don't have a laptop.)
Thanks again for all your good wishes and prayers. You are THE BEST!!!