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

Jackie,

I am worried about you as I have not heard anything from you and the other Ladies..xxxx

Hi all

Eileen I hope you cope better with this chemo, I could never understand why I had to leave home at 9am and not get back until after 5pm for what was really a couple of hours treatment,  I do hope that it won't be as long for you every time and that you don't have too many side effects.

I hope you are able to settle into your friends place and not have this house hunting hanging over you anymore, you have enough to deal with at the moment.

Jackie great to hear your news, I don't have much energy either but I am not sure it is because I have just become lazy haha.

Sharon and Maisie I hope all is going along as it should with you both

Hugs to all

Dot xxxxxxxxxx

Hi dot jackie and all you other ladies,  thanks.for your good wishes things turned out a little different to what I expected !!!!!.Horrendous diarrhoea for this last two weeks it rather limits leaving the house ,,  the only plus is that my time for running upstairs to the bathroom has improved greatly I might even apply to enter the olympics . Have felt very lethargic have had much more pain than before BUT it all seems to be settling down now not out of the woods yet ,but I feel I'm getting there .Wont know for another 6 to 8 weeks if has done any good .I'm sure you have all coped with worse,and some of you are coping right now ,my thoughts are with you .I was stunned to hear how long hospital waits for chemo some of you have had.Over two 6mth sessions of chemo, I was only I ever late once for an hour and that was because the pharmacy was late sending up the chemo all other times it was about 2hrs. Then home.I go to Weston Park Hosp Sheffield which is specifically for all types of cancer very busy ,with a large catchment area.so they don't do so bad.They even offered me a manicure  ,( there is a beauty treatment room just by the chemo suites ) on the day I had to wait ,my nails are rubbish but I had them done anyway !!!.   Love and Best wishes to everyone take care.      Maisie.     XXX

Hi Maisie

Glad to hear from you, shame about the diarrhoea and the lethargy but hopefully everything will start to settle down soon.

Like you I've never had to wait for chemo (though I did once have it on a hardbacked chair in the middle of the day unit lol).

Will be keeping fingers crossed for the next 6 weeks!

Take care

Jackie xxx

Hi Maisie

Sorry you are having a rough time but I love that you are keeping your sense of humour about getting to the loo faster lol. It might be worth you enquiring about Loperamide, Eileen and I have IBS and every step of the way of my treatment I had to take it just to get out of the door, it caused me a bit of a problem with the operation because 'it bunged me up' lol and they were trying to empty my bowels teehee.

The not knowing is difficult to handle, we just have to trust in what 'they' are doing, are you given anything to manage the pain? Stay as positive as you are!!

Hi Jackie Eileen Sharon and everyone else

Hugs to all xxxxxxx Dotxxxxxxxx

Hi Ladies,

Sorry not been on but I was in hospital for 4 days. I only got out last night. I should have had my 2nd chemo last Friday but my bloods went down to 0.8 so they wouldn't do it. I had been have in trouble with my bowels after the 1st chemo but (   consipated then watery stuff ) It was awful as I couldn't keep off the loo.  Anyway Sunday there was blood and a mucus in my stools so I rang the hospital and they had me in...

My bloods went up to 1.6 on Monday then down to 1.1 on Tuesday so I had to have the injection in my tummy which brought them back yesterday to 11..... So I should be having my 2nd chemo now a week tomor, so fingers crossed.....

I had a leak in the house last week, well actually 2 leaks... So the scaffolding went up yesterday and they need to do the bay window and some pointing ....Not as bad as what your going through Jackie.. Hope your coping with it all..

I hope everyone is and keeping the bloods up.....

Love as always Eileen xxxx

Redlizzie,

Sorry those plans have fallen through but sounds like theback-up ones will keep you going for just a while anyways.

I look for forward to all your news after storing it up for a few days ;+)

Much Love

Tony xxxx

Hi Eileen,

Sorry to hear you had to go into hospital yet again, I thought you would have done better this time with a different chemo. I wish I lived closer to you and could give you a big hug, nothing seems to run easy for you at the moment.

Let's hope the house gets sorted quickly for you.

Love to all

Dot xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi all

Poor Eileen like Dot I though you would get away without a hospital visit this time, must be the carbo which is affecting you bloods (?)

Glad the leaks are being sorted but its something else you don't need right now. Mines going well thanks, its so much chasos its easy to ignore lol. The first extension is up, waiting for widows wed then they can sort the inside. They needed to attach it to the roof and found the old batons were rotten and the felt torn in places, so they are replacing it, at the moment all felt in place (so it can rain if it wants) but no tiles! They rebuilt the front of the bungalow (don't ask) so have no radiators in sitting/dining room, I have a gas fire but they are removing the chimney so that will go to . The builder is trying to get his plumber friend to install radiators Mon . so its all go, total madness but me and my dogs are just ignoring it all. On a plus side no point in housework!!!!!!!!!!

Hope you stay well till your next chemo

Hugs

Jackie

xxx

Hello ladies,

Sorry to interrupt your lovely thread but I thought some of you might be able to help. We have a new lady on Cancer Chat who is awaiting results for ovarian cancer and has an appointment on the 28th regarding those results. She seems quite nervous about it and would like some advice on the kinds of questions she should ask at her appointment. Last time she had an appointment, she was too upset to think of questions to ask so I think now she wants to feel prepared. So far nobody has replied to her so I thought I'd drop you a line and see if you have any advice to give her as you have all been there and gone through that first appointment before and might be able to advise and/or comfort her. Anyway, you can read her story and, if you wish, respond to her thread here.

Thanks a lot for your help!

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Jackie, I just read your post and wanted to thank you dearly for your brilliant response. You have really covered it all and I am sure your positivity will make a difference in this young lady's long waiting days. She will also probably feel less lonely knowing that all of you are here if she needs to talk so it was a great idea to put a link to your thread and your link worked very well.

Sorry again to have popped in your thread like a Jack-in-the-box  but I thought it would have been a shame to leave her waiting and so anxious on her own knowing  that you lot are so supportive and knowledgeable in the matter!

Lucie

Jackie, I just read your post and wanted to thank you dearly for your brilliant response. You have really covered it all and I am sure your positivity will make a difference in this young lady's long waiting days. She will also probably feel less lonely knowing that all of you are here if she needs to talk so it was a great idea to put a link to your thread and your link worked very well.

Sorry again to have popped in your thread like a Jack-in-the-box  but I thought it would have been a shame to leave her waiting and so anxious on her own knowing  that you lot are so supportive and knowledgeable in the matter!

Lucie

Hi Lucie

No problem pop in anytime! As we have all been living with this for so long now we tend to rely on the e-mail to tell us when to pop in, very lazy I know, but looking though main thread daily does take up time which is precious when its limited! So if you come across anything which you think we can help with plz do pop in and let us know.

Also thank you very much for the positive feedback, I do wonder at times if i go to far, its very hard to judge when its a personal response.

Jackie

Thanks a lot Jackie - I completely understand you don't have time to read all the other threads and if I see anything like this again, I'll let you know! Dot agreed with me that your answer to her was very helpful. Thank you Dot also for replying and being so welcoming. You are a great bunch !

Lucie