9 weeks post op: Total Pelvic Exenteration
context: diagnosed in february 2025 with stage 4 cervical cancer caused by HPV-16 (squamous cell). did the full treatment: chemo, radiation, and immunotherapy. clear scans in may and june (or was it july?) and had a localized recurrence in my cervix found in December 2025. basically in the same spot. oncologist told me i had 2 options: surgery or treatment. surgery would be a chance at a cure, but not guaranteed, and treatment would be to just keep cancer controlled for as long as possible.. then ya know, when you run out of options, hospice. i went the surgery route, of course!
i'm 9 weeks post op and wanted to update on my surgery!
i'm doing extremely well this far out. i can basically eat majority of things i was eating before, i just need to be careful with foods that don't digest well.. corn, for example. or anything with 'skin' like apples, potatoes.. those need to be peeled.. or even stuff like lettuce, cabbage, celery.. those things are harder to digest. blah! i can also do all my etsy shop stuff without any issue. some things i need to be careful with though are like.. bending over too far, lifting something too heavy, using my abdominals too much. hernia's are a big part of my 'must avoid' list now. i also need to probably adjust my wardrobe a little bit. invested in some joggers and shorts that are stretchy in the waistband and are a bit more lose at the bottom. gotta make room for the bags!
sitting is also a pain in the back. and sometimes even my butt. if i sit for too long, my back starts hurting really bad. my tailbone hurts too. definitely my body trying to compensate for my abdominal surgery.
but aside from all that, i don't mind the bags much. i sometimes forget they're even there if i'm super occupied. i once was playing so much nintendo switch i forgot about my urostomy bag and that thang got EXTRA full.
changing my bags has also gotten so much easier, especially now that i've swapped to 2 piece systems. i've also gotten the hang of measuring, cutting, prepping all my stuff for the changes. i can get everything on brand new in probably like 15 to 20 minutes.. changing just the bag takes less than 5 minutes, so it's really not that bad! definitely WAY better than having cancer.. or dealing with cancer. i'll take these bags any day.
i'm also very happy with my decision to even get this surgery. the first few weeks were really tough, but i ain't no weak ass bitch and i got through it. hopefully here on out is smooth sailing! just need to keep getting cancer free scans at least until the 5 year mark, then i can rest more easily when it comes to cancer stuff.
i'll say this again and again. if you're given the option to have this surgery, i would do it. would i do it again? absolutely. it REALLY isn't that bad at all once you start getting into a better routine, when you start feeling more normal. it's totally worth it! all in the name of being cancer free. fuck cancer, forreal.
i probably won't update on my journey again until my upcoming CT scan in mid june. look out for me around then!
