Hi everyone.

I have been reading some of your posts about your mums and friends having primary peritoneal Cancer and it being incurable but treatable. 

I was admitted to hospital for emergency surgery in October 2018. I had 3 tumors completely blocking my colon.  I had it removed and was left with an iliostomy to deal with.

A few weeks later I was given the news that I was suffering from Primary peritoneal Cancer.  Stage 4.  Severe and complex in nature.  I was blown away.

My wound was refusing to heal properly so my chemo was delayed by 12weeks.  Whilst waiting I started with kidney pain and blood in urine.  I was admitted and diagnosed with pressure on kidney caused by the cancer.  They inserted a stent into kidney to prevent blockages and have replaced this every 6 months ever since.

My chemo began February 2019 and I finally felt that the cancer was being treated when a scan showed another tumor on my uterus. Chemo was halted and I underwent admission for surgery and a total hysterectomy.   Chemo resumed in June and finished August 2019.

I finally felt thst I could start to live my life again. I had been retired on ill health grounds from work.  I had a new granddaughter to enjoy and my husband and I bought a campervan and managed to get away a few time to visit friends in Wales and Derbyshire.   Life was looking up.

7 months later I experienced some symptoms similar to original cramps and scan results confirmed signs of cancer again on bowel.  So summer 2020 was taken up with another 6 sessions of chemo.  But hey the covid situation was grounding us anyway so I wasn't really missing much else.

I completed the course and was given some good news that I qualified to begin a new medication called Zejula (naraparib)

It was so new that I was only the second patient from out local cancer treatment centre to be offered the medication.  It required regular blood tests to monitor side effects and the drug company even provided a phlebotomist to visit my home for the first Yr of treatment.  It is supposed to target and attack any new cancer growth to prevent it developing into tumors.  It gave me and husband so much hope. I felt that I could dare to plan for a future.  It felt quite amazing to actually be able to plan things.   I Feb 2021 I started with symptoms of a blocked bowel resulting in hospital admission and intervention to help unblock it. And again a fortnight later the same happened again   my oncologist informed me that my CA125 blood test results suggested that the cancer cells were increased agai  this was causing my bowel to be sticky instead of lubricated and hence it was twisting up and creating pockets which were blocking.  He offered me chemotherapy to reduce these cells before the grew into tumors.  So it seems that the medication worked to the extent that I had the opportunity  for intervention before tumor growth required surgery.

So here I am having had the first cycle of chemo again.  Not doing do great as my bloods have been shot to bits and I am in hospital having blood and platelets transfusion  and lots of supplements.     But I feel well.  I remain positive in my outlook. I continue to be incurable but treatable.  So my daily aim is to continue to be as physically and mentally strong and well as possible.  I live everyday to the full. I enjoy time with my husband who is my rock. My Son. Partner and family and friends  but the one person that keeps me clinging on to life with every morsel of my being is my little granddaughter who is 2 thus week.   

Reading your posts has given me an insight into how dsughyers and partners feel I just hope my post will give you insight into how I feel.   

Stay strong 

Valentine87