Recovery From Ovarian Cancer Surgery

Recovering from ovarian cancer surgery takes time, mentally, emotionally and physically. This is especially so if a woman has a complete hysterectomy whereby all her sexual reproduction organs, except her vagina, have been removed.

Patients that are able to go home must take the first two weeks easy. Most of that time is best spent with the feet raised up. Standing in one spot for too long is not recommended. Other things to avoid include lifting heavy weights, doing housework and vacuuming and driving.

It can take about 4 to 6 weeks to heal internally. After that a low level exercise plan can be undertaken, but keep the heavy lifting to a maximum weight of 4kg.

Whilst still recovering from ovarian cancer surgery, patients can resume driving with one month of surgery. However, patients should be cautious as fatigue is common, and other cancer related treatments may have side effects that impede the recovery process.

Patients can resume sexual intercourse some six weeks after surgery, allowing the stitches to heal where the cervix once was. The vagina will be fractionally shorter, but it stretches easily and should not cause any problems. However, most women need much longer as the overall shock of no longer having certain organs takes time to adjust to. Some women have reported feeling that they are no longer women as a result of this loss, but this is something that can be gotten over.

The emotional recovery from ovarian cancer surgery can be tricky. Patients need to remember that this is major surgery. It is normal:

To feel vulnerable
To feel weak
To feel tired
To feel a loss
To feel less than a woman
To feel sad
To feel bluesy

It is important that family and friends understand that this is normal. A lecture about getting together comes as no consolation to any woman after such surgery, especially when the person saying it is male. If the emotional recovery takes longer than expected, there is no harm in getting counseling and or group therapy support. This is perfectly normal and in time the emotional trauma will heal.

Another aspect of recovery from ovarian cancer surgery is the sudden and unexpected on set of menopause. This can only happen if both ovaries have been removed. It will happen immediately after surgery because the hormones produced by having ovaries have suddenly gone. This may well be the hardest part because their intensity will be high and may continue for many years, including:

Hot internal flushes
Sudden sweating
Dry skin
Dry vagina
Tiredness
Little bit more emotional
Anxious
Low self-esteem
Low self-confidence
Bone thinning

Patients may find these post-surgery symptoms so overwhelming that doctors may recommend HRT or hormone replacement therapy. However, it is important to investigate the many alternatives available through health food stores and drug stores that are perfectly natural and include no drugs.

Cancer

Ovarian Cancer Prognosis