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Sandra3

Update!

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I came back yesterday from the hospital, had my first surgery (partial hysterectomy) on Friday.
It took may be three hours but the surgeon did a great job, with the help of the Da Vinci robot.....and many other people...
It was tricky since adhesions are all over the place and it takes time to cut it all. But no more hemorrhages for me from now on!! What a relieve! He also made a repair on an hernia.

Since it was an endoscopy surgery, I'm still having the gas pain in the shoulders, but I was walking on Friday as soon as I was relieved from the rea room, so it should be gone soon. I get up and walk as much as I can, but can't do too much, it's only day 3...when I feel tired I stop immediately.

A friend who had the very same surgery a few years ago (but without the robot) was in hospital for one week, lots of pain and heavy bleeding.

Lucky it's not the case for me. There's almost no bleeding. It's a little painful but nothing compare to a c-section. So I'm glad I was a "tester" for the robot, first time it was used for this gyn surgery in this hosptal...and I had a VIP surgery (dixit my surgeon with like 15 surgeons/specialist presents...was really safe!!! Never saw that many doctors in an OR!

I will see my surgeon for post-op on April 1st. I should be almost 100% by that time.
New step will be the stomach repair, I still don't know when....but I see the bariatric surgeon right after my post op.

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  1. KiwiGal's Avatar
    Glad this first part is over for you. Surgery is never much fun but how interesting that a robot was used! Great that there was VIP treatment for you .

    Don't overdo things. Look after yourself x
  2. Sandra3's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by KiwiGal
    Glad this first part is over for you. Surgery is never much fun but how interesting that a robot was used! Great that there was VIP treatment for you .

    Don't overdo things. Look after yourself x
    Thank you for your message! And no worries, my feet are up and I take it easy. Do my little walks, drink my little tea...the gas pain is slowly improving.

    The robot was an option the surgeon offered. He is well known to be talented and usually does most his surgeries for complex cancer related issues.

    I actually picked him because he has more experience in difficult surgeries and since my case was complicated with all adhesion's all over my abdomen(for example my uterus was glued to my bladder) he wanted to use the robot because it gives him a 3D view, and more precision in the cutting, we knew from the beginning it was going to be long and tricky.
    Plus when the robot is used it's supposed to be less painful for the patient, and give less bleeding and better recovery.

    I didn't think about it for a long time because I did read several papers about " Da Vinci" and it seemed it was the best choice in my case. He actually didn't tell me I was "the first" to get that specific surgery with the robot ...
    probably afraid I would say no if I knew!

    But overall I'm so far really happy about my choice!

    I'm also very happy this is over!! I only wished they could have done the stomach repair at the same time! and I did ask...but both surgeons said it was too risky because one surgery was already 3 hours and combining both would be too long and would put too much stress on my body....argh! I will have to "rejump" the same hoops in about two months...
  3. Tamera2's Avatar
    Glad your first surgery went well. What kind of stomach surgery do you need? I’ve had four surgeries from November thru january. I also have problems with adhesions and make each abdominal surgery take longer. Hang in there. It will make your next surgery possibly easier to recover because you’ll be stronger. It was a big difference with three on top of each other and then waiting a month for the last one. Good luck and don’t over due. Hopefully You got some safe exercises to start with if not walking and stationary bike are good. Hope your recovery goes well and your next surgery goes good too.
  4. Sandra3's Avatar
    Quote Originally Posted by Tamera2
    Glad your first surgery went well. What kind of stomach surgery do you need? I’ve had four surgeries from November thru january. I also have problems with adhesions and make each abdominal surgery take longer. Hang in there. It will make your next surgery possibly easier to recover because you’ll be stronger. It was a big difference with three on top of each other and then waiting a month for the last one. Good luck and don’t over due. Hopefully You got some safe exercises to start with if not walking and stationary bike are good. Hope your recovery goes well and your next surgery goes good too.
    Hi Tamera,
    I did read about your complications, that's so unfortunate!

    My story is a little different, but to make it short, suddenly my bleedings got worth and worth since last Summer (I do have issues for years) but then my immune system took a turned for the worth since my anemia was so bad. So from several infections, then lung infection, my asthma started to be out of control. I had a very bad week of uncontrolled asthma, then awful chest pain and the scan did show a hiatal hernia. So much pressure in my abdomen did push half my stomach into my lung cavity!
    Anyway, I sent an email to my surgeon in Taiwan, he told me I had two options, go for a bypass, or try a repair if the hernia was big. Since my hernia has been measured at 4 cms, it's on the large size, and we know now where my chest pain is coming, the staples are also scratching the hiatus, because my hernia is a "bad kind" the one that slides.
    So I finally found the right surgeon here in Paris to do the repair, it's called a Hill Gastropexy. Not many people know how to do it, and the first surgeon I saw was only offering the bypass (but anyway I didn't like her).
    I wish I could have gone back to Taiwan for my repair, but since I'm not working there any more my insurance would not cover for it...and with a kid in college...counting pennies...

    In France unless if it's a life and death reason they would never do a surgery one month after the first one. But at first I was not supposed to have an hysterectomy but an other procedure to scrap the inside of the uterus. That one would have been quick and almost painless, and I could have had the stomach surgery one month after because that first GA would have been only 20 mns. But the professor I saw said it wouldn't be efficient and said the hysterectomy was the only way because we couldn't take any more risks, and I was too sick because of the bleedings.
    But for this one GA was +3h, so the stomach will have to wait at least 2 months in between...
    My asthma was bad from October to February, so we also had to wait for the asthma treatment to work...my lungs had to be stable enough.

    Anyway...one done....one to go!

    Real exercise is out of question until my first post op (only allowed to walk, and not get tired doing it), and I'm supposed to be really careful after, I will see a special coach at the hospital probably in June (at my first post-op for the stomach) to know exactly what I can do. But my stationary bike will continue to host dust, I can't use it...