Experiences with Surgery
Reasons for cancer surgery include cancer prevention when there is a high risk of cancer, to determine a cancer diagnosis, to determine the stage of cancer, as primary cancer treatment, to remove or repair a part of the body that has cancer, to check lymph nodes for cancer, to perform debulking to remove as much of the cancer as possible, or to relieve cancer symptoms and improve quality of life. There are many types of cancer surgery; chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or hormone therapy is often done after surgery. No matter what the specific goals of cancer surgery, cancer patients are ultimately losing part or parts of their body. This may feel unnatural, but you must learn to cope with the surgery experience.
Many people with cancer have difficulty hearing the words “You have cancer.”, and find it even more difficult to say the words, “Let’s do it”. It is hard to make treatment decisions; you may feel like you are losing control. A lot of WhatNexter’s ask “What are the emotions that come from having surgery?” or “How will I resume normal activity after surgery?”. Many people say that it is difficult to adjust to a new lifestyle after cancer surgery, and that you must accept yourself despite your loss. Just as it is okay to grieve after a cancer diagnosis, it is okay to mourn your loss whether it is prostate cancer surgery, breast cancer surgery, lung cancer surgery, colorectal cancer surgery, or other types of cancer surgery. However, then you must accept the new life you are given because of that loss. There are some outstanding stories shared by WhatNexter’s, read these stories, ask questions, and share your personal journey below.
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- acrispell
- Experience with Synovial Sarcoma, Ad...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Leg amputation due to synovial cell sarcoma behind the knee cap
Went as Expected: Not Specified Minimal Recovery: Not Specified Minimal Side Effects: Not Specified Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Not Specified -
- kdiamond
- Experience with Papillary Carcinoma, ...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
I was told the growth was large enough to warrant the total removal of my thyroid and that this was the first step of treatment. I d...
Went as Expected: Agree Minimal Recovery: Neutral/NA Minimal Side Effects: Disagree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Disagree -
- Hmcroc01
- Experience with Hodgkin Disease
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Removed a lymph node to get diagnosis
Went as Expected: Agree Minimal Recovery: Agree Minimal Side Effects: Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Agree -
- Luvs
- Experience with Angioimmunoblastic T-Cell...
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- jiml
- Experience with Clear Cell, Kidney Cancer
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
11 months after the first metastasis, it metastasized into my thyroid gland. Removed the gland and now on thyroid hormone meds for ...
Went as Expected: Strongly Agree Minimal Recovery: Agree Minimal Side Effects: Strongly Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Agree -
- jiml
- Experience with Clear Cell, Kidney Cancer
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
After 24 years, the renal cell cancer metastasized to my right lung which presented as heart attack like symptoms. Lower lobe of th...
Went as Expected: Strongly Disagree Minimal Recovery: Strongly Disagree Minimal Side Effects: Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Agree -
- centered1
- Experience with Endometrial (Uterine...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Done with the Divinci method..went home before dark
Went as Expected: Strongly Agree Minimal Recovery: Strongly Agree Minimal Side Effects: Strongly Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Strongly Agree -
- QuilterGirl
- Experience with Endometrial (Uteri...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
radical hysterectomy through robotic surgery
Went as Expected: Strongly Agree Minimal Recovery: Strongly Agree Minimal Side Effects: Strongly Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Strongly Agree -
- siennasugar
- Experience with Invasive (Infiltra...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Final reconstruction and port removal June 2015
Went as Expected: Agree Minimal Recovery: Disagree Minimal Side Effects: Disagree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Disagree -
- CancerQueenIV
- Experience with Breast Cancer
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
While putting on a pair of shoes I fractured my back and had to have surgery to repair two vertebrae.
Went as Expected: Strongly Agree Minimal Recovery: Strongly Agree Minimal Side Effects: Strongly Agree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Strongly Agree -
- quimerae
- Experience with Transitional Cell (Ur...
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Did the immunotherapy "BCG" treatments after a resection of a massive tumor ("size of a large orange"). All clear as of 2002!
Went as Expected: Agree Minimal Recovery: Disagree Minimal Side Effects: Disagree Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Disagree -
- Sara0524
- Experience with Sarcoma, Vulvar Cancer
Surgery
Procedure or Surgery
Surgery and all the technicalities were all fine. My reactions to the world have been so difficult. I have not had any support from ...
Went as Expected: Neutral/NA Minimal Recovery: Strongly Disagree Minimal Side Effects: Neutral/NA Minimal Impact to Daily Life: Disagree