Well I watched this one. I just have no words right now so I'll hold off on that bit.
I have a question about her actual surgery. She has said she had a PE and we are supposed to google it. I read all PE surgeries involve the reproductive organs, and then other organs depending on which version you have. Do they all entail being sewn up/shut rectally and vaginally? Or are there lesser versions where that doesn't happen? And from what I read a PE is for the reproductive organs primarily, I never recall her saying anything had spread there except for when she briefly mentioned the back vaginal wall, I could be wrong? Any healthcare people want to help me understand what she may have actually had done by the only clues we get in the videos since she's obviously not going to tell us anytime soon?
Here is a brief synopsis of her case:
She had a T4BN1bM0 adenocarcinoma colorectal cancer tumor prior to any treatment. This was locally advanced colorectal cancer. Post chemo-radio-therapy, the tumor grade became T4BN1cM0.
For colorectal cancers, T4B designates a tumor that has grown out of the colorectal area and has adhered to or invaded nearby organs. The cancer she had was therefore locally advanced, and remained that way, even after the chemo-radio-therapy.
The N1c means that tumor nodules are present. Tumor nodules are cancerous regions that are
discontinuous with the primary tumor.
There were also other parameters that described her case, but the relative good news was that distant metastases were not present. (That is what the M0 designation means.)
Tiffany did mention in one of her videos with the key words 'organs' and 'removed' in the title that the following was going to be removed: colon (At the time she had made that video, only part of the colon was going to be removed.), rectum, uterus, ovaries, and vagina, with the bladder remaining in question.
Pelvic exenteration surgery is when most pelvic organs are removed, but some may remain. That depends upon where the cancer has spread.
Tiffany had a partial pelvic exenteration (as opposed to total pelvic exenteration) because her bladder was preserved. The type of exenteration she most likely had was a posterior pelvic exenteration, which is surgery to remove all or part of the colon, rectum, uterus, ovaries, cervix, and vagina. The reason she has an incision also in the front of her body is because the female reproductive organs were removed from the belly.
(When laparoscopic surgery is done to remove the uterus, there is no big incision, but a series of small ones to detach the uterus from the abdomen. The uterus is then pulled out via the vaginal opening. However, in cases of cancer or when the uterus is filled with big fibroids, the uterus and other organs need to be removed the 'traditional' way: from an incision in the belly area.)
Much earlier Tiffanythinks threads on this forum have extensive medical detail on her case, as many of us would link medical journal articles pertaining to colorectal cancers and even publications from her surgeon, Dr. Shahnawaz Rashid.