I expect to be in the hospital for 3-5 days, depending on what they find and how well I heal. The doctor is saying six weeks off work…I’m hopeful it’s more like four. We’ll see. As I said in my earlier post, they will do a complete hysterectomy and will test the tissue immediately for cancer. They will get the results in 10 minutes and, if there is cancer, they will remove all the lymph nodes in the vicinity of the uterus/ovaries since lymph nodes typically attract cancer cells. They will also check other nearby organs and will remove any cancerous cells they may find. The doctor is relatively confident that this is a fibroid tumor and is not malignant based on all the tests they have run. However, there are no guarantees until the tumor is removed and tested.

And so, that’s it. I’m actually not all that worried about the surgery since I’m soooo anxious to get rid of this thing. I would go in tomorrow if that were a possibility. While I’m sure the period after the surgery will be uncomfortable and painful, I’ll be on pain meds to help get through all that and I’ll know that within a few weeks I’ll be on the mend. For the past few weeks, it’s just been pain with no end in sight, so the end being near is wonderful–and think of all the weight I’ll lose when this damn tumor is gone!

I’ll have an entire week (plus a few days) to prepare things at work and two full weekends to get things ready at home. Fortunately I am in pretty good shape on both counts so I should be able to head off to the hospital without too many worries. And, since Kevin will be staying at my house, he will be able to make sure the cats receive plenty of food, water, and attention!