Hi REDLIZZIE, I had my first chemo yesterday for an ovarian borderline tumour also diagnosed in March/April. I was told at first that I didn't need chemo but after about ten weeks post op my abdomen started to fill with fluid again and so they think there could be some cancer activity in my abdomen. The chemo thay gave me was taxol and carboplatin. I had a very bad alergic reaction to the taxol and they had to stop it., but the carboplatin was fine. I have to go back now to the consultant to see if I can continue with the taxol on a lower dose or if I need to change to a different chemo. Today I don't feel too bad, does the side affects hit you all of a sudden or does it come gradually with each chemo cycle? I hope you are well and managing to cope with this awful diagnosis.

Love Kathym xx

Hi Kathym

I too reacted to one of my doeses of Taxol, they stopped it for an hour and then ran it over a longer period of time, the next time I took steroirds before hand (on top of the pre-med one) and it was fine. My cancer is back again and this time I'm having Doxil instead of the Taxol, its supposed to give less side effects (I still have neuropathy in my left foot) but the Taxol is still the treatment of choice (gold standard). Start on the 16th July lucky me!

If I remember rightly i got gradually worse over 3 days and then improved after 7, it is accumulative and things like the fingers, taste ect get worse with each treament. It's all bearable though just don't try to do to much, listen to your body and take it easy when you need to. Memory gets worse too and takes forever to improve!!!

Long time since RedLizzie posted, hope your OK.

Keep your spirits up, hopefully you've only 5 to go!

Love Jackie

Hi Kathy

Will be thinking of you on the 13th I'm sure you'll be fine. Colostomy's are never nice as Tonysong will testify! glad you avoided it, only, what, 3-4 months to go we can handel it.

Stay strong

Love and best wishes

Jackie xxx

Hi Plaxie,

Thank you for the email. When you say it is only 3-4 months to go it makes it sound so much easier, if you think of it as 5 more sessions it seems ages. I hope you enjoy your walks and shopping before your chemo, there the things I love too. I will also be thinking of you on the 16th, so hope all goes well. It is good that there are three of us (also REDLIZZIE) with similar problems and it really does help to have someone to talk to.

Take care,

Lots of love,

Kathym xxx

Hi Eileen and Kathy

Bit late but happy birthday Eileen hope you have a good one and the food /drink don't taste too bad!

It may sound like I've been through the mill but without rare side effects I wouldn't have know I'd been treated! Whenever you read somebody elses journey it always sounds worse than your own, take all the infections you had Eileen that would have driven me up the wall!

Have had 3 great days, bit hot for my present likeing but hey can't complain, bit panicy yesterday as walked too far and thought the car was much further than it was. struggled a bit but got there in the end, knackered by the time i got home!

Both you ladies need to prepare for finishing chemo, something you look froward to loads, when it finishes you look forward to getting your taste back and then your hair, gradually your energy picks up and then the scareness sets in. You wonder how sucessfull the treatment has been, you miss the 3 weeekly hosp visit which you know realise was very reassuring. It does settle but constantly in the back of your mind is the fact you have a cancer and that normal is no longer normal. I belive that as time goes by you adjust to the new normal but I didn't get that far! Not trying to frighten you just trying to give you a chance to think about it and hopefully it may help!

Strange thought but in 2 weeks all 3 of us will be on chemo lol,

Keep well and roll on October/ November

Love Jackie xxx

Hi Jackie,

Thats a great message you sent as I suppose its like when your learning to drive you can't wait to be able to drive on your own. Then when you do its scary as there is nobody to tell you where to go. It must be a bit like that as you will feel on your own. I never looked ahead that far...

I had a great day thank you, went to Carmarthen shopping. We don't have many shops here so for Argos & Wilikinsons its an hours drive away. I bought a garden umberella and guess what its raining today, ha ha .......That big black cloud just wont leave me alone thats over my head.

Anyway I will chat later..xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Eileen

Glad you enjoyed your day, I could have used your umberella as roasting in Norfolk! Thank god for air conditioning units, don't seem to tolerate the heat since chemo nor the cold come to think of it lol, maybe just more aware of it???

Big black cloud is only rain clouds and they all go away in the end leaving lovely sunshine, every cloud has a silver lining so they say, just need to look hard to find it :p

Have fun

jackie xxx

hi redlizzie listen there is nothing 2 worry about this whole thing will be absolutley

fineee!!!

you will wake up the next morning saying wowwwww that went quick so do not worry!!!

Ashleigh

xxx

Hi there, i too have ovarian cancer. Diagnosed in january this year, had total hysterectomy in march and 6 cycles of chemo. Chemo ended 30th july. Had carbo and taxol so lost my hair. Felt very tired and was constipated until i sorted it out. Remain tired now. Didnt really have any other side effects. Would like to tell you that i am now in remission and trying to get my life back in order. Have only just joined this site but will check in.

Take care all Teresa xx

Hi Teresa, and welcome.i to was diagnosed with ovarian cancer oct 09.

like you had total hysterectomy and chemo till march this year.

got to see oncoligist wednesday bacause when i had ct there was

somthing showing so going to find out if im having surgery again or

chemo again.dont fancy surgery again! fingers crossed hey!

nice to meet you.julygirl58 xx

Hi all

I am doing ok, just poodling along waiting for next chemo lol, haven't had a lot of energy so not posted much.

Theresa

welcome to our lovely group. It is lovely to know you are in remission and doing well.

It is nice that we are having lots of lovely posts

Dot xxxxxxxx

hi all so pleased you are all getting better thats good to hear i dont have ovarian cancer but got on wrong post so sorry I am going to have total hysterectomy and lympectomy on 21st for uterine cancer not sure how far it has gone but hopefull. good luck to ypu all liz xx

hi all so pleased you are all getting better thats good to hear i dont have ovarian cancer but got on wrong post so sorry I am going to have total hysterectomy and lympectomy on 21st for uterine cancer not sure how far it has gone but hopefull. good luck to ypu all liz xx

Hi Liz

hope all goes well with you on the 21st......I wish you well

stay positive...........keep strong

Dot

Hi Liz,

It doesn't matter if you don't have the same cancer as us...We are all in the same boat regardless so please saty on here, I think it will help you..We are a mad lot though especially Rose Ha Ha ( only messing Rose )

Keep smiling everyone...

Love Eileen xxxx:love:

thankyou dot now packed etc but have a bit of a cold hope they still do me even thous i feel a bit worried i know i have to do it asp as its 4 months scince i went to the doctors .thanks for your support you sound as if you have been so brave good luck love liz xx

Good luck tomorrow,hope it all goes well for you.

Rose xxx

thankyou almost ready but everything to do at home my daughter is off to austria with a friend as its half term she is 16 to stay with our exchange student we were hosts to in march this year so have done all the ironing and her case will worry she forgets something but taking my mind off it .my HUSBAND IS TAKING HER ON SATURDAY to stansted and then seeing our son and our little granddaughter imogen who will be a year 2nd dec hope to see her soon too.Said its busy we have the builder in sat starting a new kitchen too so lots to take my mind off stuff thanks would like to talk to you all love liz xxx

Hi All,

I would like to pick your brains...

My hair is growing back grey & Black ( I was a red head ) Anyway my face has like baby hair on it and want to know does it go on its own ?? Also my skin was so soft when I was on chemo and now its dry and rough can anyone recomend anything to soften it up ?

Hope everyone is doing ok, Jackie your quiet hope you are alright.....

Love Eileen.. xxxxxx:love:

Hello, sorry if I'm butting in, I haven't posted before. Mine has grown back grey and black too. I had my last cycle of chemo nearly 10 months ago but I'm still not used to the new me. It used to be light brown. I also developed black downy fuzz on my face after my surgery. Lots of it. It was so noticable I felt uncomfortable leaving the house but it disappeared after a month or two, I can't remember exactly when as my memory seems to be affected by the chemo. Anything to do with times or dates is just so hazy.

Ladies,

Have you all been abducted by aliens ?????????????

I have not heard from anyone for a week now, hope everyone is ok. Please get in touch soon... :confused:

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi all,

hope you are all doing ok, it really has been quiet on here!

Hi Eileen

I am here just fed up with moaning to myself lol. Weekly chemo is better than the 3 weekly but I had that rotten cold to contend with and my fingers and toes have pins and needles. I am just a grot bags lol. It is Wednesday and Friday (chemo day) is looming already.

Hope you are doing well, I could see your hair on your photo, I wish mine was at that point, I have stubble which at the moment is pure white lol I prefer to say it is platinum blonde ha.

Dot xxxxxxxx

sorry ladies have lost all track of time! Had my last chemo Fri (I hope!) so only this week of grott to go then can get back to normality hopefully!

Eileen my hair first came back grey/white but it did darken over time, my overall colour didn't change but I have heard that it does esp in red heads (sorry!) are you having more chemo? Can;t comment on the fuzz as have lots anyway due to steroids which I need to decrease as hate the fuzz lol. My skin gets very dry doing chemo E45 or after sun I find best, the after sun (i read somewhere) is supposed to be one of the best moisturers there is (sort of makes sence as usuing on sun damaged skin) but its not cheap, I like it cos its not greasy and sinks in quickly.

Dot know what you mean about the cold had it for 4 weeks! fortunately didn't feel to bad and they didn't stop chemo but the cough was a nightmare! Eyes still leaking but not as bad and have fingers crossed it will disappear once the chemos out of the system. The tingling in the hands feet does usually go overtime, mine settled a lot but tough months post chemo and my left foot never did manage to recover! this time round he put me on Doxil which is supposed to be less harsh on the nerves and while It has got worse its only about the equivalent of 2 doses of the Taxinol so can't complain and I've got so used to it it don't really bother me!

So far for me only 'minor' irratations this time round which is good! I have 10-14 days before safely out of the woods with blood clots but so far so good lol.

Will try harder to keep in touch but don't expect much for the next week!

Hope everything goes ok for you all

Love and best wishes

Jackie xxxxx