St George Peritonectomy

In May, 2019, following an appendectomy, I was informed that I had appendix cancer (pseudomyxoma peritonei) and was referred to surgeons at the St George Peritonectomy Unit.nnLike many people with appendix cancer, diagnosis had taken quite a while to be confirmed and I was quite apprehensive about my future. Then I received a phone call from the Unit’s secretary, Lynette.nnFrom the first time I spoke to anyone connected with the unit, I felt that my concerns were being dealt with in a caring way. In Lynette’s words, “We’ve got you now so don’t worry.”nnMy meeting with my surgeon, Dr Alzahrani, was reassuring. Yes, I would need a peritonectomy with HIPEC and possibly Epic as well. I was told about what tests needed to be done, my expected prognosis, who I would meet and what to expect in the operation and during my recovery.nnPre surgery, I became aware of the many teams which work together. To bring everything together for you they use the talents of the expert surgeons, clinical oncologists, anaesthetists, ICU nurses, many other doctors working in teams to manage your recovery, wonderful peri nurses, dieticians, stoma nurses; the list goes on and on.nnI have always been a worrier, but with this whole process I found that the way my case was handled enabled me to take on a whole new approach to my illness.nnBy the time it came to my surgery day, I was so inspired by the whole team that I was able to stop most of my worry, and hand myself over to the team to let them get on with what they do best - expert peritoneal surgery done by one of the finest teams assembled anywhere.nnThe “magic”, if you can call it that, is that the team leader, Professor David Morris, coordinates this huge team of experts so well that they all work together to bring about many positive outcomes for such long and daunting procedures. Their methods are up there and sometimes beyond, those of the best hospitals the world can offer.nnThe daily hospital rounds are a perfect example. While in recovery, I always looked forward to seeing Professor Morris, Dr Alzahrani and the team doing their daily rounds, visiting each of the patients. There was not just one doctor visiting; there were regularly about ten, always very caring and thorough in their approach.nnWhen it came to be my turn, I was astounded at how well these people knew every tiny aspect of what was happening in my body’s recovery. I will never forget it and will always be grateful for the care I was given.nSimilarly, expert care for me continued during my recovery at home. I have regular check-ups, currently every six months.nAll costs have been covered by Medicare.nnThe recovery time for peritonectomies can be long. Mine was about six months before I was feeling like my former self. At nine months post op. I returned to work one day a week as a primary school teacher.nnThankfully, I am now cancer-free. This year I have pretty much adjusted to my “new normal”. I have taught three days a week at my school in southern Sydney. I have also taken up painting, something that I have always wanted to do.nnI consider myself to have been fortunate indeed to have been treated by the St George Peritonectomy Unit. I simply owe them my life.nnJanis Grigg