In 2021, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, I had cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC at the Basingstoke and North Hampshire hospital. Because of the pandemic, visiting was strictly limited to one visitor for an hour a day for the duration of your stay (and it had to be the same person each time).
After a long drive to Basingstoke, my youngest daughter staying in Basingstoke hospital car park whilst my dear wife, Linda, could spend an hour with me as my designated visitor during lockdown. This was the only visit I had in three weeks. I feel so lucky for family love and care during a long recovery. Those vows “…in sickness and in health…” seem very prescient.
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Don’t let a cancer diagnosis mean waiting and delaying become habits
Following a major operation in September to remove my left ovary, a cyst, my appendix and litres of mucinous jelly from my abdomen, in November I received the horrible news that I definitely had cancer. We didn’t know which cancer, whether it was mucinous ovarian cancer or pseudomyxoma peritonei (or PMP). I was told we could wait several months for a final diagnosis.
In sickness and in health
On the 4th May 1974, we married in the beautiful Christchurch Priory which was then Hampshire and is now Dorset, to have and to hold from this day forward. I didn’t realise how important the words in our vows “in sickness and in health” were at the time.
Can anyone tell me if LAMN is always treated with cytroreductive therapy & HIPEC? Are there any patients with LAMN on long term watch & wait? Does the PMP always come back with LAMN? I had open abdominal surgery several weeks ago. The PMP was removed along with one ovary and my appendix. I am due a colonoscopy and CAT scan soon. The surgeon cannot say whether I will need more surgery or not. They say the cells are just sitting in my abdomen for now. I am being treated by a specialist unit for colorectol and appendix cancers.