I was diagnosed with Cancer in March and although we knew it was Cancer its still a shock to be told it. I have had 2 chemo cycles now and have my 3rd at the end of the month. I would love to chat about the chemo side affects to anyone..
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.
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.
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.
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.
Well it's all gone pear shaped this weekend!
My daughter rang me at work on Friday morning to say that Mary had woken up freezing cold and shivering! I told her to take her straight to A&E and I would meet her there. So glad I did, because when I got there she was in a dreadful state. She has picked up an infection from somewhere, and because her immune system is so weak at the moment it all got a bit scary and upsetting!
Anyway, they got her stable and we thought she was on the mend. Then early hours of Sunday morning it all kicked in again and they had to stabilise her again. She seems ok at the moment, just very tired and upset, and frightened it will happen again.
They're giving her a cocktail of antibiotics as they do not know yet for sure what type of infection she has, so cannot target it as they would like to. We believe it is to do wth her "hickman line", it may have got contaminated when they took blood through it at the hospital on Thursday. They have stopped using the line for meds and bloods now as a precaution, and have managed to get a canula into her stubborn veins.
I spoke to the doctor last night and they will not let her come home until all of her tests are normal for 48 hours, anyone's guess when that will be, hopefully sooner rather than later but they are of course doing their job responsibly.
It's a real knock back as she was doing so well, her chemo was due to end this coming Thursday but she still has 3 weeks of treatment left due to the postponements (i.e. neutrophils to low to receive chemo). The final hurdle is proving to be the toughest, but we're determined to get over it very soon!
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.
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
I honestly thought I was going to lose her on Friday, it was very difficult for me to hold it together for Mary and for my daughter.
Hospital is the best place and the worst place to be when you're unwell. Of course Mary needs to be there to be monitored around the clock until she's fit to come home, but she has hardly slept because of all the noise that goes on 24/7! And that surely is counter productive. The tiredness makes it more difficult to cope with the cocktail of drugs and she is getting really upset about it all.
I wish I could bring her home to get a decent night's sleep, then take her back in the morning, but that's not going to happen! They say at least another 3 nights!
What next eh? You think you are plodding along nicely and then a hurdle pops up in front of you and down you go for a while.
Someone bought me a sleep mask when I had a long stay in hospital. They were marvellous at blocking out the light which is a huge problem in hospital, like trying to sleep in constant dayligh!!. You can get them from any chemist, usually with the travel bits and pieces. They may well help Mary - I do hope so.
Be strong John, as you always are, and roll on Mary coming home.
What next eh? You think you are plodding along nicely and then a hurdle pops up in front of you and down you go for a while.
Someone bought me a sleep mask when I had a long stay in hospital. They were marvellous at blocking out the light which is a huge problem in hospital, like trying to sleep in constant dayligh!!. You can get them from any chemist, usually with the travel bits and pieces. They may well help Mary - I do hope so.
Be strong John, as you always are, and roll on Mary coming home.
