Tumour removal and hysterectomy booked in, coping with bloating/fluid build up before op?! I want to eat and sleep

Hi

I attended my oncology consultation after being through ultrasound, ct, mri, bloods poke prodded used as a pin cushion, im eternally grateful though for the speed at which i have been seen and looked after. I have 2 tumours on my ovaries. They've grown rapidly as there was a 2cm nodule they thought was endometriosis back in Nov, by beginning of may there were 2, 12cm and 9cm. I'm booked in for an abdominal hysterectomy on the 25th where they will also remove the tumours to be tested. Consultant is hoping they are a borderline type of tumour that mimics cancer. Hope Bloods showed increased levels for ca19-9 and ca 125. Every scan scan has the words malignant in the write up. I don't think it's really sinking in at the moment as it's just been a whirlwind and as they still do not have a definitive answer to whether it's cancer or borderline until they remove and test I'm going along in limbo.

I also have moderate fluid buildup in my abdomen shown on scans which over the last couple of weeks seems to have got worse. It's hard to eat full meals sometimes when i try to eat a normal size portion it's making me be sick so I'm.eating very little at the moment which im sure is not helping with my fatigue.

also getting comfortable at night oh lord im longing for a night i can sleep peacefully. I look bloated all the time and currently living in stretching trousers if i could where dresses to work i would. I was wondering if anyone had any coping techniques to help me through the next couple of weeks until my surgery to help with the bloating/fluid or should i speak to my cnt?

  • Hello Cathy88

    I'm sorry to hear that you're currently waiting for surgery for a possible cancer diagnosis. Undoubtedly this will be a difficult time for you even before you factor in the symptoms that you've described in your post. 

    It's good to hear that you have a date but as it's still a few weeks away yet, I'd recommend getting in touch with your clinical nurse specialist or the Consultant secretary to let them know that you feel the abdominal fluid build-up has increased and that you're struggling. It may be that they want to see you to check things or they can offer you some reassurance and advice to help you manage while you wait. 

    In terms of the diet problems that you've mentioned, it likely is having an impact on your energy levels if you're barely eating and also struggling with sleep. It may be that eating little and often through the day could be more comfortable for you. But do talk to your clinical team about this as they may be able to arrange for you to speak with a dietician if you need further support. 

    If it would help to talk things through with one of our nurses you're most welcome to call them Cathy. I know they would be happy to listen and offer any advice, information, and support they can. They're available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm on 0808 800 4040. 

    I hope that the surgery and your recovery go smoothly and that the team are able to give you some reassurance about the results in the not-too-distant future. Do keep in touch and let us know how you get on. 

    Best wishes, 
    Jenn
    Cancer Chat moderator 

  • Thank you for your response, I got in contact with my nurse and she advised the same about eating little and often with pain management for the time being. May have to be drained if it becomes too much for me to take before surgery.