Hi Highlandwoman, 

Oh poor you. It's not easy having to deal with a stage 4 ovarian cancer diagnosis and I hope that you recovered well from the surgery and that the chemotherapy treatment is not causing too many side effects. Getting through each day must be hard and it's often at night that our brain plays tricks on us and the insomnia sets in with the recurrent dark thoughts. With everything you've been through, you deserve a good night's sleep. 

This lack of sleep, the lying awake at night with these worries about dying is something that many other members of our forum are also experiencing and I hope you can comfort one another here on Cancer Chat at any time of day or night. There is useful information on our website on difficulty sleeping (insomnia) and cancer with tips to help you manage insomnia. For support and information, you can call the Cancer Research UK information nurses. They can give advice about who can help you and what kind of support is available on freephone: 0808 800 4040 - Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. 

I would also ring the GP to tell them how you are feeling at night and would tell the doctor about these thoughts and this fear which is preventing you from falling asleep. I am sure they will have some good advice and suggestions to help you drift off to sleep and stay asleep. Good sleep is very important  to help you get through the day and lack of sleep can interfere with everyday life so do talk to your doctor if you haven't done so already. It's totally understandable though given your situation that you are struggling to sleep; it can all feel deeply unfair but I know it's easier said than done, but don't focus on any prognosis you might have been given as this is often not very accurate and try if you can to take one day at a time and enjoy each day with your loved ones. Hopefully the chemotherapy will work its magic to keep the cancer at bay for as long as possible and I just wanted you to know we are there for you anytime you want to reach out to others who have had a similar diagnosis. 

Keep strong Highlandwoman, we are all here for you and I hope that you will soon talk to your GP and manage to sleep a bit better. 

Best wishes, 

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hi there,

 I’m a stage 4 ovarian too. I’m 56 and have the same fears about the people I’m leaving behind. I’ve had a lot of chemo and debulking surgery. I’m currently waiting on recent scan results. Happy to chat anytime, it’s sometimes helpful to support each other or just talk about things. 

I am in same boat I am 57 thought I had loads of time to spend with granchildren I am still in shock as thought I had a chest infection in January and then getting the news in February that it was secondary in lung had pet scan which showed stage 4 ovarian had my operation last week radical hysterectomy 

I hope you’re recovering ok after your hysterectomy, sending positivity to you x

So sorry not been on here for a while operation went well have recovered well had ct scan will get results next month hope your results were good and you are cancer free x

Thank you and apologies for not responding sooner. I’ve gone back to work which has been a struggle at times. Sometimes it just feels futile then other times I am full of positivity. It’s a real rollercoaster.

hope you are doing well x

I have just read your post and finding out you have got through the sleepless nights and are back at work has made me feel so much more positive x 

Hi Tree-M

here I am having another sleepless night but I am really glad me being back at work has helped you be more positive. It’s hard, and I don’t know that people at work really understand but it was the right thing to do, it gives me something else to focus on other than worry about the next scan results. I hope you are doing ok. Like so many on here, I feel such an intense loneliness that is hard to explain to people who don’t have cancer x

Hi Highlandwoman I know you how feel about the loneliness.  I have terminal breast cancer with mets in spine and pelvis.  I am still at work and I appreciate just being treated as normal.  But sometimes I just want to scream as I feel nobody knows how I feel on the inside.  Outwards I am being positive and joking and trying to keep as normal as possible.  Inside I am scared and lonely and nights are the worst with so much going through my head.  It is such a rollercoaster of emotions and I know I am not alone when I come on this forum.  At least we all understand.  xx

Hi I was also 54 ( nearly 55 ) when I got my diagnosis ovarian cancer stage 4b .. no surgery for me they refused 4 times and I do keep asking ( must me mad eh ) .. I too spent the initial few months year in a total fog of depression crying constantly as I didn’t want to loose my life and leave my children I too felt the complete injustice of my diagnosis I was a fit woman , ate well exercised days a week ( spinning gym weights ) and bam this diagnosis .. I’ve been fighting now for 2 years 4 months and it is a fight more with your emotions I’ve seen a clinical physiologist who did help bu you only get so many sessions with the nhs . Everybody’s journey is different I’ve been unlucky I had a bowel bleed in august where the cancer had invaded the bowel CT didn’t pick it up , and two da ago they confirmed i have lesions in my left breast so waiting to find out which cancer that is .. so although your fighting stage 4 they have a lot of medication to try for you .. I wish you all t luck in the world but the surgery is a godsend you’re so lucky .. look after yourself