Hi All

needing to vent..........feeling very stressed, worried, down today, I think the reality of everything is hitting home, starting to think all sorts and wondering if this ache or that ache or this itch or that itch is something to be concerned about. Feeling very stressed over my surgeries, mainly the removel of the lymph nodes, this seems like such a drastic surgery?? Wondering now if this is a secondary cancer or primary area, not yet had my smear done (about 10 months over due due to dealing with this issue) worrying over that now as I am wondering if there is a link between cervical cancers and vulvar cancers,  I have one of these am I likely to have the other?? having read some personal stories on the net (granted some were many years ago and science has come on leaps and bounds) but surgeries were similar and I feel even more desperate now...I have left a message for my assigned nurse to ring me as I need to ask all these questions so I hope she rings sooner rather than later...what a day to day is going to be!!

Hi shazza

I have not been on this site before but have followed it for the last 18 months when like yourself I was diagnosed with cancer of the vulva stage 1, on seeing your message I had to register to try and reassure you , knowing exactly how you are feeling at this time. On being diagnosed I had an MRI scan and then was referred to a Gyno surgeon who Operated three weeks later, I had a partial vulvectomy with removal of all my lymph nodes in both sides of my groin, they were sent of for a biopsy and to my relief they all came back clear although my surgeon told me after my op that he didnt see any sign of any cancer when he removed them which reassured me straight away. Op was pretty straight forward with 4 days in hosp, but I was off work for about 10 weeks , the healing process takes quite awhile, uncomfortable at first but not too bad, the lymph node removal I found was the most uncomfortable where the fluid took awhile to drain away, the best part was knowing that there was no cancer so anything else was easy to put up with, I was checked at the hospital every 3 months for the first year and now I am on the 4 monthly check, I have slight lymphodema due to the lymph node removal but I can cope with that , just knowing that it could have been so much worse, so many people on theses forums have such sad stories that I feel I am so lucky. Hope I have reassured you a bit and you can begin to to feel a bit more positive, it is quite a rare form of cancer and there is very little information , feel free to ask me anything if you wish to.

Take care

Yes please Lucie, that would be great. Annabel.

Hi Shazza

How are you feeling today ? Counting down the days now ? all I can say is think positive and take each day as it comes, enjoy this weekend with your family, times like that are precious, I don't think any of us realise how much these things mean to us until something comes along to threaten it.

Yes I manage to get my feet up when I can and on my days off from work I try and rest as much as I can which I found quite hard at first as I'm a bit of a busy bee , I like to be doing things but I soon learned that I had to slow down a bit else I would suffer, so now I do as I was told to!!!

Let me know how you are doing and I wish you a speedy recovery

Take care xx

Hi Lucie,

Yes please

Annabel.

Hi Poppy

Counting down the days , feeling very anxious about the outcome of the surgery, finished work today so hope to try and keep my mind busy till Tuesday, Trying to stay positive and for the most part it is working but as you know moments of despair come along and puts you right back at square 1.  I just pray that my surgery has a good outcome. I'm very agitated at the moment so I am finding it hard to enjoy quality time with the family which sounds terrible but I think once my 1st surgery is out of the way I will feel better. It's not actually the surgery that's on my mind it's all the what if's etc etc etc

I know what you mean about finding it hard to sit still, I plan to do as I am told for once though! I'm looking forward to some sleep and some good books after the op!! Well onwards and upwards as they say, bottle of wine in the fridge chilling so a few glasses tonight will help me relax. I will look out for you as soon as I can get online and thanks for the thought, hope you have a good weekend and chat soon. xxx

Hi Annabel,

Your private messaging is now enabled! Hope you and shazza enjoy it!

Lucie

Hi Poppy

Hope you are ok, just popping by to say hello. Hope you had a good weekend.

Take care x

Hi shazza

Hope your weekend wasn't too bad, I know how you were feeling, i still remember how i felt to the lead up to my op and it doesnt matter how many people tell you to try and  not to think about it, you do  and it's the thing  most central in your mind, hope you got through it ok, tomorrow is nearly here now so wanted to tell you I will be thinking of you and I hope everything will be ok with you, let us all know how you are when you can. Wishing you well soon

Take care xx

Hi Poppy

Not too bad a weekend considering everything. Feeling very very stressed now and quite emotional lol... and yes it is so hard to not think about it, I just pray that it goes well and I am not in for any more bad news I am trying to stay positive but it is getting harder by the day BUT as you say tomorrow is almost here so one step forward...Thanks for your message and as soon as I am able, I will pop you all a message. Thanks for your kind thoughts and I hope to chat to you as soon as

Take care of yourself too and chat soonest x

Shazza, sorry for my inabilities tonight. perhaps I should just chat to you on here before tomorrow. Annabel.xxxxx

good to chat Annabel, ladies am off to bed so take care of yourselves, thank you all for your continued support and kind thoughts and I will update you all as soon as I can. Take care of yourselves and God bless xxx

good to chat Annabel, ladies am off to bed so take care of yourselves, thank you all for your continued support and kind thoughts and I will update you all as soon as I can. Take care of yourselves and God bless xxx

Thinking of you Shazza and praying that all has gone well. xxxxxAnnabel.

Hi ladies, just a quick hello from hospital lol...surgery went well, surgeon positive so lymph nodes to go yet but feeling a lot better and more positive about outcome. Very little discomfort due to surgery, so feeling quite good! Miss all our chats lol so just to say hello and hope to be home tomorrow when I can write some more. Hope you are all well and thanks for being there, I am so lucky to of met all of you lovely people! Hugs..xx

Hi shazza,

That is great news, so good to hear from you, have been thinking about you lots, good that the surgeon is so positive, makes you feel so much better, they see so many cases and know what they are looking for. Great that you are feeling so good too so hopefully you will be home tomorrow, take care of you and let us know how you're recovery is coming along xx

Hi Shazza,

Thats great news that you've had it done and you've little discomfort. Hope you get home tomorrow before more snow arrives. Big hugs and more chats when you've settled in at home.

Annabel.