My pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) was discovered during a proctocolectomy¹ for what was thought to be an uncontrollable flare-up of Ulcerative Colitis. This turned into surgery to remove everything the mucin had touched in May 2001. I received heated chemotherapy during surgery ten days later. My surgeries were at Ashford Hospital, Adelaide and my surgeon was Professor Peter Hewett. My pathology was appendiceal mucosa cystadenoma presenting as pseudomyxoma peritonei.
– Kay
Proctocolectomy
A proctocolectomy is an operation where the rectum and all or part of the colon is removed.
In case you missed it...
The Waiting is Almost Over!
It’s just two days until my operation but how did I get to this point?
The call came out of the blue. When my gynae consultant’s secretary called, I thought she wanted to say the appointment I had changed was inconvenient. But no, she wanted to ask me to come back in! Even then I wasn’t particularly worried, didn’t really have a clue why…
I thought I had a hernia
John went into hospital for a hernia operation. Afterwards, he was told that it wasn’t a hernia but a ‘small, bloody mass’. The pathology came back as pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP).
An ultrasound showed cystic masses in both ovaries
My initial symptom was a tiny pain (feel like pins and needles) from my lower abdomen, it only last a couple of seconds, it came and went. I was a healthy, active mum filled with energy and a busy lifestyle.