Welcome to OCF! You are in the best place to get info and support. We will help you get thru this. How old are your children?

When I first found this site in 2007, I was a single mother of 2 teenagers. I was their only parent and had no help at all. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. Thanks to the members of this forum I not only got thru that round of OC but also 2 more. Believe me, if I can do it so can you!

Contact the American Cancer Society, they are 24/7/365. They can help a little financially. They can give you help with providing transportation to treatments or doctor appointments, and prescription meds up to $300 to help with co-pays at your pharmacy. Its not alot but it can help when times are tight.

To me, I think your surgeon isnt going into alot of detail because so much will depend on what they find when they go in. That could change everything. Hopefully things go exactly as was explained and you will bounce back quickly. Since you did not have radiation previously, you should recover quickly.

Now is the time to round up friends and relatives to help. Everyone needs help sometimes in life. Anyone who offers to help you, write down the name and contact info. Tell them when the time comes you will let them know what they can do. If you can have a few helpers rotate hanging out with you in the hospital it will make it so much easier on you. They can be your voice to make sure everything goes smoothly. Other helpers can assist with your children. There are a million small things that can add up to making this a heck of alot easier for everyone. At my previous job a chart was made for one month when a co-worker had breast cancer treatments. For every day that month, someone would write their name down for cooking duty and make a homemade meal for the co-workers family. A few others helped as the delivery service. Something like this would be a huge help for the children.

If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, its perfectly normal. Everyone is always nervous about a major surgery or going thru a potentially life changing event. Just having a cancer diagnosis can be tough enough. Thinking about your own mortality, especially after losing a spouse is frightening. I cant imagine how hard that was on you and your children. Most people are so much stronger than they give themselves credit for. If you need some extra help from anxiety meds, so it. Think of that as just another temporary tool to get you thru this. Many OC patients (and quite a few caregivers too) have sought out counseling and meds.

Hang in there, we are full of ideas to help you make this as easy as possible. We got your back