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#193193 10-12-2016 01:12 PM
Joined: Oct 2016
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agent1 Offline OP
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Is it normal to feel so anxious and violated after surgery.

Joined: Jun 2007
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Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)
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Administrator, Director of Patient Support Services
Patient Advocate (old timer, 2000 posts)

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 10,507
Likes: 6
Welcome to OCF! Please tell us about yourself so we are able to assist you better.

A cancer diagnosis can wreck havoc with a patients life. You are not alone in feeling anxious. Depression is also common. Many patients (caregivers too) find taking anxiety meds and talking with therapists who treat cancer patients can help make it easier to manage mentally.

Heres lots of links with info from the main OCF site. By reading and educating yourself about your illness, it can help you to feel better about your situation. An informed patient is a stronger advocate.


Emotional Aspects from the main OCF site


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
Supporting Member (50+ posts)
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Supporting Member (50+ posts)

Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 87
Likes: 2
For me, I was more relieved that the cancer had been removed and was now out of my body. And sheer drive & determination to get out of the hospital and back to my normal life as quickly as possible. Through the window, from my hospital bed I could see out the waterway where my teammates and competitors were training in outrigger canoes and dragonboats, and it just drove me crazy knowing I would be off the water waiting for my forearm flap, the "new" tongue, the skin graft on my thigh & the hole they had punctured in my throat for the trach to heal. laugh

Very early on in the process (long before the surgery itself), I decided that there wasn't much I could do to improve my situation by worrying about it. It was the doctors, nurses, techies and other people fighting along with me that were going to get that garbage out of my body, then zap me with their multimillion dollar ray gun in case any stray little buggers got away. Yeah, it was horrible and terrible. It hurt and it made me extremely uncomfortable. But it happened. I wanted my life back.


Dx 2014Jan29 (42 yr old otherwise fit nonsmoker)
SCC tongue stage III T3N0M0
subtotal glossectomy, partial neck dissection, RFFF, trach, NG tube 2014Feb25 16 days in hospital
RAD 25 zaps 2014May5-2014Jun9
Back to work, paddling & hiking shortly afterwards
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 111
Senior Member (100+ posts)
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Senior Member (100+ posts)

Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 111
Hard question to answer. Anxious? Yes. Violated? I'm not sure what you mean.

I mostly remember pain....pain mixed with frustration. (Frustration was based in an inability to communicate effectively and a long line of well meaning doctors and nurses poking around every 30 minutes or so.)

Regardless of the type of surgery, recovery is a very important step. You should focus on eventually being cancer free rather than the temporary discomfort you feel now.

Good Luck



1997 SCC Tumor on tongue - Partial Gloss
1997 Met to Lymph
Radical Neck Dissection / 2nd Partial Gloss
6 weeks chemo and radiation
Brachytherapy
2011 Stroke
2014 Recurrence SCC at Base of Tongue / Hemi-gloss
Free Flap reconstr from thigh
PEG Tube
Radiation
Permanent Issues with speech and swallowing
2018 - Bleeding throat / mouth
2019 - Bleeding throat / mouth
2019 - 3rd diag Cancer SCC Base of mouth / jawbone
2019 - Aug remove portion of jaw / right pec det / free flap closure and tongue

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 105
"OCF Canuck"
Senior Member (100+ posts)
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"OCF Canuck"
Senior Member (100+ posts)

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 105
My husband felt completly vulnerable and we became even more dependent on each other. He felt he was given a second chance after surgery but the period of time directly after was brutal. Breathing, swallowing, tubes tangled even bathroom issues, everything was a fight. He doesn't clearly remember it all but came out determined. The radiation on his neck was very aggressive and for that he has pain and tightness as well as a tendency to get infections. We are both still very exhausted three years on and slowly finding our way back to a fulfilling life. Surviving cancer and living with the residual effects changes everything, but we both keep searching for a new happy.


husband 61@diagnosis painter
6/9/13 Exophylic invasive SCC IV(ext.gingivobuccal) 3cm+ mandibular/lytic/erosion, jugular/node9mmshort-axis
17/9/13 Dx(moderately aggressive)
24/10/13 left madiblectomy, mod radical neck disct, leg flap, NGtube
2/01/14 (30 tx)rads 60gy
N2b (2nodes under jaw) (rem. in tiny nerves) (rem. 30 nodes)
Clear margin, close 2mm inner cheek
15/05/14 cellulitis
3/12/14 Chest CT Clear
27/02/15 cellulitis
8/6/15 cellulitis
10/6/15 Osteomyelitis

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