Hi Redlizzie

I to have ovarian cancer diagnosed in Jan 2009. I had 3 lots of chemo, operation, and another 3 lots of chemo.

The main problems I had with the chemo were gross taste in mouth and nothing tasted like it should, neuropathy of fingers and feet, these got worse with each chemo, but taste improved after about 6 weeks, fingers and feet improved but I still have neuropathy in my left foot (and right but only when I walk!). Hair loss - very slow to grow back and now have corkscrew curls! Tiredness but only realised how bad once I returned to work!

Most of the complications I had with chemo have been rare ones but then I only got diagnosed with ovarian cancer due to a rare autoimmune disease! I developed arterial bloods clots (aortic settling in left Femeral artery) just before my 4th dose, had daily blood thining injections but still developed another clot 5 days after the 6th dose! The onchologist/haematologist aren't sure if its cancer or chemo related and they don't seem to have personally come across it before so please don't worry about it!

I would be interested in hearing about plans for followup when you get that far.

Best of luck

Jackie

Morning, I joined this site yesterday, I have battled breast cancer twice and I am now waiting to see a Consultant to seeif I have got ovarian cancer, I went to my GP 's surgery with a water infection and mentioned to this lady doctor who I have never seen before that I had breast cancer in the past, she examined me and said that she wanted me to make an appointment at reception to have my bloods taken and she wanted me to go for a kidney function test and also a scan of my ovaries, I nearly fell off the chair, she is worried that my stomach is swollen, I came home and cheked on the other symptoms associated with ovarian, I do have indegestion, back pain andI want to wee a lot more.  I am in shock, I am forty-eight years old.    The nightmare continues.

Hi Everyone,

Good news on your scan results Eileen, and so sorry to read about your break up. Easier said than done, but stay strong, sounds like you have good friends - and you have us, so sending you hugs x

Hope everyone else is ok?

I've not been too good since my chemo on tues. Feeling a bit brighter today, but basically been in bed or on the sofa not being able to move. Poor for a 34 year old! It's been so hard as everyone expects me to be ok as I'm young, but they can't see the pain. I cried yesterday and was a complete baby. Decided I'd had enough and couldn't go through with the remaining treatments. I'm back to asking why me? I'm being punished enough for not being able to have kids.

Anyway I won't bang on too much and I'm sorry for being so down right now, let's hope tomorrow is a brighter day.

Take care all,

Sarah x

Hi Reflexgirl,

I know that this must be a worry for  you, but I think that Eileen's (redlizzie) advice is good. My wife Mary  also had no symptoms as such, apart from the discomfort of a fast  growing ovarian cyst. I hope that your diagnosis is not as bad as  expected, let us know how you get on.

@Eileen - So  pleased to hear your good news, but very sorry to hear the bad. Hang on  to that good news though, your health is the most important thing, if  your partner feels he cannot support you anymore, then he is clearly not  the right guy for you. You seem like a very nice lady, I'm sure that  things will work out well for you.

@Sarah - I am so  sorry you are having a bad time of it again, it sounds terrible! What  does your oncologist say about this? Can he make any adjustments or try  you on something else? I hope you are feeling a little better by now,  hang in there!

Mary had a slight setback last Thursday,  they refused to give her treatment because she had an infection in her  arm. She seems to get this reaction a few days after having carboplatin,  even though she has the hickman line now the chemo seems to find the  old canula points and that where it gets infected. So it's a course of  antibiotics then back for her weekly Taxol this week hopefully.

We  celebrated our 29th anniversary yesterday, and of course it was  mother's day too so she had a good day, I guess it helped a little  missing the Taxol last week, looking on the bright side

Best wishes to you all,

John

Hi John

I just wanted to wish you and Mary a happy anniversary, take care both love Donna xx

Thank you Donna, that's very nice of you.

I hope that things are going ok for you.

Best wishes,

John

Hi John, thank you for your kind words.   I just dread the thought of going through it for the third time, if it is cancer.    I remember my oncologist saying to me the first time round that the ovaries are the route that breast cancer might take and a friend with breast cancer saying that she wished she had had her ovaries taken out, I wish I had too but I guess that hindsight is a good thing, will see the Consultant this Thursday evening and have tests either Monday or Tuesday next week, with the results on Thursday, if I don't get a phone call beforehand, it might be nothing but with my history I am not so sure, my stomach is very  swollen, I have indegestion and am going to the toilet a lot more, the thing I don't have is fatigue, which plagued me the first time round, love to you and your  wife,

Hi everyone and thank you all for your support. I am fine and breaking up is nothing compared with what we have all been through. 

I won't have Internet access until the 11th as it's the earliest I can get connected so will message you all then.

Rose we will one day meet up I am sure and hope that goes for everyone here. Wouldn't it be nice to have a big party when we are all feeling well.

Anyway will chat next week. Hi Dot, John, Mary, Sharon, and not forgetting Jackie..and of course anyone else I forgot..

Love to all of you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  

Hi Reflexgirl,

If it's any consolation, my understanding of ovarian cancer is that most experience little or no symptoms at all, that is the very thing that we found so scary. Maybe my understanding is wrong, but Mary certainly felt perfectly fit and well prior to her diagnosis and surgery.

I wish you all the best with your appointment and tests over the next week, try to stay positive.

John

Hi Everyone,

I am back online now It is awful having no internet.

Since I have been offline I see we have some more new ladies so hello and welcome. I hope you are all coping with your chemo.

I have settled in really quickly and am feeling happy, my partner is coming up to see me on Thursday as he is missing me, so who knows what the outcome will be but as you said John my health is more important than any relationship.

Will keep you all posted, hi Rose, Dot, Jackie, Sharon, and anyone I have forgot.

Love Eileen. xxxxxxxxxxxx

Glad the move went well and you are settling in.Take time out for you and get your strength back brfore making any more decisions,you have been through so much and handled it well.Lots of rest and walks in the sunshine.

Take care.

Rose xxx

Hi everyone,

Update on Mary:

Cycle 5a today (so only 5 weeks of treatment left). It's been a long day at the hospital, 9am till 7pm!!! But the good news is that her CA-125 levels had fallen again from 48 to 39, so the dose-dense chemo is clearly working.

Best wishes,

John

Hi everyone,

Update on Mary:

Cycle 5a today (so only 5 weeks of treatment left). It's been a long day at the hospital, 9am till 7pm!!! But the good news is that her CA-125 levels had fallen again from 48 to 39, so the dose-dense chemo is clearly working.

Best wishes,

John

John that is the BEST news - love to you both.

Miras

Always great to hear news like this.

Good luck to you both

Rose xxx

John that's great news I'm so pleased for you both Donna xx

Thank you all for your kind messages, it means a lot.

I wish all of you the best of luck too in your own journeys.

John

Hi Everyone

Thought i'd just drop in and say hello.

Good to hear about the ca125 levels John. In Jan last year mine were over 4000 pre-chemo then after treatment and op went really down - in November they were 28. Unfortunately went back up to 175 in Feb this year then to 250 (I seem to be very sensitive to this test) but down to 99 after the first chemo. I've just had 3rd chemo so praying that its reduced further. The levels seem to be very different for everyone.

Hope everyone on treatment is coping well, felt pretty rough the last few days myself but think I'm over the worst for this cycle.

Is anyone out there on the ICON 6 trial Cediranib? It would be good to hear from you if you are.

Bye for now.

Sue

Thank you Sue,

We're trying to be optimistic without being complacent, I know it's early days.

Re Cediranib, I know how you feel, I still haven't found anyone to compare notes with on Mary's treatment

Sorry to hear you've been feeling rough, are you still managing to work?

Best wishes,

John

Hi John,

You've not posted for a while now so was just wondering how Mary is doing at the moment?

Hope you're both as well as possible

Much luv

Dizzie xx

Hi Dizzie and everyone else,

I was trying to give others a chance to post, but it has all gone very quiet on this thread at the moment, hope all is ok.

So sorry to hear this latest news,hope it is all under control quickly.So many strange things happen during this time and we are not in control of our own bodies.All the luck in the world to you all.Good luck to all the new people here and hi to Eileen ,Dot and Jackie,hope you are all  coping well.

Rose xxx

Hi all

Sue, no bladder is normal size! it just feals bigger and holds more without the tumour pressing on it lol

John hope Mary gets over the infection quickly, Eileen was plagued with infections and admissions during her chemo but she got through it. Hang in there not long to go.

Eileen, Dot, Rose and everyone else am hopeing no news is good news!

As for me I've done better after this lot of chemo than the first lot! energy still not brill but can do a lot of things that i haven't really managed for 2 years. Got a rash over most of body very itchy, but at least the muscles are still behaving so busy ignoring it at the moment! got oncology appointment on 6th June so fingers crossed the rash don't mean anything

Hope your all well

Thinking of you all even if I don't post often

Jackie

xxx