Surgical menopause
Hi beauties 🩵
I’m 3 weeks out from total hysterectomy (3rd surgery in 4 months) and just had my port placed. For reference I’m 33 yo, stage 2b figo grade 1 endometrioid carcinoma of the ovary. Getting ready for carbo/taxol next week and wondering what reocmmendations are out there for several things.
First off - HOT flashes - omg they are destroying me. On average one every 45 min to an hour. During the day is annoying but tolerable but the night sweats!!!! I started wearing my Apple Watch to sleep so I can see how many times I wake up from these damn flashes and last night was a record of 12 awakenings in an 8 hour period. I am becoming more and more sleep deprived and am concerned that these interuptions are not only causing me to become a zombie but not allowing my body to heal properly. My doc prescribed gabapentin but so far not much relief at all. Is it crazy to ask for ambien just so I can sleep for more then 45 min at a time? I’ve tried trazodone before but it made me feel funky and gave me the craziest dreams. I have a fan to help cool me down and I keep some ice packs near by with ice water which helps a bit. It just sucks I have to wake up at all and actively get up to ice myself.
Next - chemo essentials - I’ve opted out of the cold cap since my odds of keeping 50% of my hair are 38%. Not worth it to me. I did order a beginner wig from J’adora and hoping it makes me feel like myself on the days I feel good enough to step out. I’m also looking into those caps with hair sewn in for easy walks around the neighborhood or spending time in the sun. Overall I suspect with the summer heat I’ll go for a turban most of the time..I guess only time will tell. Recommendations for scalp care? I already have some psoariasis on my scalp and am self conscious about that being prominent once I’m bald.
Other than tons of water, ice gloves for hands and feet, cozy blanket, charger, kindle with movies downloaded & some hard candies to suck on - any recommendations on what to bring? What kind of side effects am I to expect other than fatigue and neuropathy?
I am anxious but kindof looking forward to diving in and getting this initial chapter over with. I was lucky enough to store 2 embryos prior to getting completely gutted and hope to find a surrogate in the near future so my husband and I can finally start the family we have always dreamed of. We used SGF as our clinic and I’m sure they will have options for surrogacy but I’d love any stories y’all can offer if applicable. I can only pray that my risk of recurrence is minimal but I know I will be closely monitored likely for the rest of my life.
Thank you kindly for reading and for any advice you may have to offer. Stay strong sisters 🩵