Surgery

Recovering from surgery. I was off the grid the last few days due to some medical issues that had to be taken care of. I had to have a full hysterectomy and a large cystic mass ...almost 8 inches (benign)...removed from my lower right abdomen. I had the Da Vinci Robotic surgery, which was quite interesting....5 entry points instead of one long incision on my belly. I want all women to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer and cysts/masses, because they are so similar. I had a loss of appetite, felt full all of the time, swollen belly that wouldn't go away, weight loss of almost 15 pounds, extreme fatigue, and had to pee a lot more...especially at night. So, if you have any of these vague symptoms (except for the rapid weight loss), please get checked out. I was lucky that it was benign.

Ovarian cancer on the other hand is called the silent killer, because it is usually too late when it is finally found. There is no good test for ovarian cancer and it is NOT found during a pap smear. There is a blood test for ovarian cancer but it is unreliable as the only test so more testing needs to be done. A vaginal ultrasound is what should be done yearly on women...but it's not. My large mass (benign) was found by accident during an ultra sound on my legs. So please be aware of the subtle symptoms of both cysts/masses and ovarian cancer. I thought I had cancer and was so scared. I'm so thankful that it wasn't. I'm recovering pretty well, but the pain is pretty bad. I had the surgery last Thursday, so it hasn't been very long. So, I'm just going to rest for a few more days...get up when I can...and just take it sloooooooooow. I should be back on my feet soon.