Hi ladies

I just want to wish you all a Happy and as Healthy a New Year as possible - bring on 2012.

Its good to drop in and see what others are up to - scan and more treatment (fingers crossed!) in January for me.

Best wishes

Sue x

Hello everybody, may I join you and introduce myself?  I opened a new thread on this subject the other day in the "introduce yourself" section, but I really wanted to get onto this site.  I  am 67 yo and live in Essex, UK and have recently been diagnosed as having tumours on both ovaries, plus some areas on the omentum and outer bowel.  However, my hospital MDT  wants to ascertain whether my ovaries are the primary site or secondary to breast ca I had 15 years ago before planning my treatment, so I've just had a biopsy and await results on 22nd Feb.  I found your site about a month ago and was both heartened by all your posts, and at the same time scared - not of the treatment particularly but the outcome.  Some days I feel that I won't get through this, other days I think "No, you won't get me, you (expletive deleted!)"

The last post on your site was 28th Dec, I have been checking, so I hope you are all getting along OK

Best wishes, Hazel. X

Hi Eileen,

Yes, I got the link to the article before the Mods deleted it. Nothing wrong at all with eating asparagus and no doubt it is good for you, but I got the impression that the article was written by an asparagus grower with a vested interest in the sale of his product. As there are other veggies that have similar if not better properties, I thought you may want a variety incase you got sick of the sight of asparagus. I would not recommend eating bricks however, they do not count as one of your five a day LOL!

I am just as bad though, I have got Mary back on the Liquid Iron Formula as I'm convinced it did her some good last time. I remember looking up all of the ingredients in the formula on the internet and guess what? For just about every ingredient, you can find an article claiming how good it's cancer fighting properties are. Again like you, I thought well it can't do any harm so it's worth persuing, trouble is Mary hates the stuff!! so I feel bad giving it to her, but because she responded so well to treatment last time, I wonder if the formula had anything to do with it, probably not but you don't know for sure.

Anyway, Mary had a good day today, we went to visit friends for a coffee and stopped off at the pub on the way back for lunch. Only a diet coke, she hasn't had a glass of wine since Christmas and that's very unusual for her. She has just popped into town with my daughter, probably overdoing it and I expect I will be heating up the wheat bag for her tummy again when she gets in.

I was concerned you may take my post the wrong way, I'm so glad you didn't as I was trying to be helpful. Hope you are feeling ok and that all goes well for you and Mary on Thursday.

Best wishes,

John

Hi Sharon,

Not heard from you for a while are you ok ? Have you got your scan appointment yet ?

Anyway you are always in my thoughts. Dot and Jackie and Tony.. xxxxxxx

Hi Eileen, how you doing im not to bad still got real problem with feet though!

dont know what to do with them doctor as upd my medication for them but not

much inprovement.yeah ive had my scan date 13th march so glad its not friday!!.

its the results im not looking foward to. take care lots of love sharon xxxxx

Hi to everyone else hope your ok always in my thoughts x

Hi All

Have new internet provider so I'm back, can actually load the reply page now

Everyone sounds like there having a hard time at the mo! I to am heading towards chemo, have onc appointment Fri and assume chemo next week. Actually quite looking forward to it as actually not feeling great which is unusual for me . Lots of gut ache, back hip ache and no appetite, this is the women who eat her way through chemo putting on over a stone lol

There has been so many posts recently I can't remember them all but hope all is heading in the right direction for everyone.

Judy the feet are a total pain, mine went but it took about a year, there fine now. They never were bad enough for treatment - what has the gp given you?

John the only thing i would add to the reply of the others is be careful with the strong act, it can stop others telling you how they feel and if they know you well enough they will know its an act, and therefore not want to put more pressure on you (if you see what i mean). you and your immediate family (kids) are all in the same boat and regardless of there ages they will need the same support as you, I also feel supporting each other makes 'family members' feel they have a function or a bit of control which is important when illness so often takes all control away. As for Mary tell her to ignore anything she does not feel lol they have being telling me for over 2 years that mine is treatable but not curable, that the second lot of chemo probably wouldn't work etc I now listen but only take on board what fits with how I feel! I know I'm dying but my body tells me its not gonna be that soon thanks!

Eileen is it thurs for PICC line then Fri you go for treatment? if so good luck tomorrow

Nice to be back

lots of love of all

Jackie

Hi Jackie,

Just wanted to say welcome back, glad you've got a good connection again. Thanks for the advice, will take it on board.

I've said enough for now, chemo starts for Mary tomorrow so will let you know how it goes.

Best wishes to you all,

John

Jackie it's so good to have you back with us.....

Thanks for your e-mail today and sorry I didn't reply until now but I have been in bed all day very sleepy..I didn't get up until 6pm and I am back in bed again.

I am the same as you with my treatment which is Friday your right. I have the picc line fitted tomor then bloods, then Dr, but I have a funny feeling my bloods are low as I feel faint most of the time and nausea. I am dreading the chemo because it is one I have never heard of ( Rotterdam ) and I have to stay in overnight for it as it takes 13 hours, I am going to be taking tablets as well. But because I like you feel crap I want it to reduce whatever is lurking in me...It is really catch 22 isn't it ? feel crap with chemo and crap without.

I do hope your not going anywhere just yet as you always boost me up with your wise words....

Hope the house is back to normal and may be you can have your Christmas now that you missed..

Love always Eileen. xxxx

Ah, Eileen,

Glad you have your mate Jackie back, hope she perks you up.  So sorry you're feeling rough, and hope all goes well today and tomorrow. 

Lots of love, Hazel xxx

John,

Wishing Mary good luck today!

And you take care of yourself,too!

Love, Hazel xxx

Jackie,

Good to see you back, Eileen has really missed you!  Sorry you aren't feeling too well -  I'm right at the start of everything but I know how you feel because I have the same symptoms and like you I am looking forward to having treatment next week. 

Love, Hazel xxx

Eileen hope everything goes ok with the picc line and that you can go ahead with the new chemo, you sound exhausted and that is awful for you hugss.......... sorry I haven't posted much doesn't mean I don't think about you all, I have had one cold after another and can't shake them off but I am fine, didn't want to whinge on about it as you and the others are going through the mill at the moment.

I have had my bloods done and see the consultant on the 6th I try to think positive but like everyone else I detest waiting for the results.

Love and hugs to everyone xxxxxxxxxx

Eileen hope everything goes ok with the picc line and that you can go ahead with the new chemo, you sound exhausted and that is awful for you hugss.......... sorry I haven't posted much doesn't mean I don't think about you all, I have had one cold after another and can't shake them off but I am fine, didn't want to whinge on about it as you and the others are going through the mill at the moment.

I have had my bloods done and see the consultant on the 6th I try to think positive but like everyone else I detest waiting for the results.

Love and hugs to everyone xxxxxxxxxx

Hi all

poor Eileen can't think of much worse than being stuck in bed, i don't have a lot of stamina but not really tired yet! Now time to be positive about this chemo, each one is different, just because its strong and takes a long time to give don't mean it will make you feel like your previous ones did!!! the PICC line will make it so much easier for you - jealous as I want one but they won't do one cos of my clotting

No the house is not finished!!! I have told them I want them out by Fri as can't cope this it anymore, I think the only thing that won't be finished is the painting and the garden and driveway. we can do the painting ourselves (probably a lot quicker than the bloke that has supposedly being doing it for the last 2 months lol) and the garden just needs tuft (can't seed cos of dogs lol) the driveway will get done when I feel a bit better! I like my own company and it has really drained me having plp around for the last 6 months plus I haven't been able to escape on the Internet to de-stress for about a month!!!

Haze good luck for Friday, it seems to be the day its all happening for all of us!

John thanks and wishing Mary the best for Friday, fingers crossed as usual. I'm about to undertake course 3 and got nearly 16 months from the second one (only 8 from the first gold standard one) so playing around with the chemo is worth it.

Dot! great to hear your still doing good (except colds) I can remember the first check up and being terrified, have actually found it easier since I know its not cured! odd as it sounds when you know its not gone but merely dormant the routine consults aren't so scary cos you know it will be back.

take care all

lots of love

Jackie

I'm sure you can all relate to this story.

I had almost forgotten what a humbling experience it is visiting the Chemo suite at the hospital. The nurses are just wonderful, caring, professional and friendly all at the same time. There is a feeling of a bonding between you and some of the other patients, we smile at each other and are polite and courteous. We are all on a similar journey, having had to come to terms with a diagnosis that we thought would never happen to us, and all of the distress that it causes. Our specialist oncology nurse Kath seems more like a good friend that we've known for years, it feels like she is just there for Mary, but of course she isn't.

We visited the Lynda Jackson MacMillan Centre on the hospital site to get some info on travel insurance, the ladies in there are lovely too, they will make you a coffee and sit and chat with you for as long as you need.

As Mary was about to go in for treatment, the nurse asked me if I would mind getting some water as she needed to take some tablets. A lady opposite had just got herself some water but gave it to Mary to save us the trouble. When we left, a gentleman patient in reception smiled and said "goodbye, have a nice evening". As we left the car park, we gave our pay and display ticket to a gentleman at the pay station to save him money (a practice that many of the fellow patients all do). Just a handful of examples of all those little things that all together make a big difference. These people are complete strangers and yet we seem to know each other.

If we want to draw on some positives, I feel that the biggest one is how our experiences have helped to bring out our best qualities, I am sometimes overwhelmed by the human kindness displayed by people, and that includes the people on this site who are there for each other, and the moderators who make it all possible.

Mary is exhausted after a long day, so an early night with two hot wheat bags and a couple of Domperidones! Hopefully the chemo is doing it's work and she will feel brighter tomorrow.

Thank you all for listening and supporting,

Best wishes,

John

John,

Hope Mary is feeling OK, I'll be in the same boat next week!

Love, Hazel. xxx

Dot, have just noticed you've sneaked your photo on to your messages, and you have hair and look good!  Lucky thing, I'm about to start losing mine for the first time, so have chopped a load off today in preparation and have got the clippers and scarves ready!

Hope you've shaken off the colds and feel better.  Fingers crossed for your blood results on Tues., it is worrying waiting for all these results I know from all my years of breast ca check-ups!

Love, Hazel xxx

Hi Hazel,

I got sidetracked while putting my pic up lol.

I had long hair when I first had my chemo, I decided to have it cropped back before it started to fall into my food lol, I wasn't satisfied with that so I took the scissors and slid it across my scalp to get rid of the rest, I didn't make a very good job of it so when my daughter came over I got her to razor the rest off, I did get follicilitis which was rather uncomfortable, having a velcro head was distracting to say the least hahaha.

My hair was blonde but now it is just grey.........at my age it is to be expected but I am still miffed as I was always saying how lucky I was not having many grey hairs lol.

I will be posting tomorrow when I get back from the hospital.

Hi to everyone..........stay strong (I know it is hard)

Dot xxx

Hi everyone,

Just a quickie as still feeling bad. I should be getting my steroids out of  my system today as took last ones yest. I was awake all night feeling sick and heartburn ( hiatus hernia ) it always gets it. I am telling myself to be strong and positive and only 5 more to go.. I am also taking the chemo tablet everyday as well. Back in clinic Thursday for bloods and to see Dr then overnight stay Friday for chemo again. It is going to be tough but I am trying ????

Dot you look great for your age, and you and Hazel are so young at heart. I love you both you know as you are very similar. John and Mary ? Well what can I say what a beautiful looking couple you are. It is funny how you imagine people look and I thought you were older so got a shock seeing your picture. Mary is a very attractive lady and now I know what she looks like it's easier to get the whole picture when your talking about her...

I have my chemo brain so have forgot who is going where and when ? I think it's you Dot tomor so if it is good luck and we are with you...xxx Hazel I think you are there this week but not sure. I apologise if I am wrong. Sharon hope your good , Jackie my mentor let us know when you get word on what's happening.

Love you all Eileen. xxxxx

Ps John I agree about what you said at the hospital and the kindness we all share, the smiles and yes the tickets we give to others for the car. I call it gods waiting room as we are all just waiting for our name to be called and hopefully take us somewhere pain free. xxxx

Dear Dot,

Well, I reckon a velcro head could be quite handy for keeping wigs or scarves in place - bit drastic though!  I must remember not to shave mine off, just use clippers!

Mostly I want to say good luck for your blood results tomorrow - please, please, please God they'll be OK.

Love Hazel xxx

Hi Dot and Eileen,

Thank you for your nice comments on our photo, we had a really good time on NYE.

Hazel, I hope all went well for you today, let us know how it went.

Question: Have any of you heard of, or had an abdominal tap procedure? It is used to drain excess fluid from the abdomen which causes bloating and discomfort. Mary is getting quite bloated and I was just searching the net to see if I could find anything, and sure enough I found some info here on the cancer research site. I may ask our onc team if it is appropriate for Mary to have this. I would be interested to know what your thoughts or experiences are of this, here is the link:

http://cancerhelp.cancerresearchuk.org/type/ovarian-cancer/diagnosis/further-tests-for-ovarian-cancer#fluid

The last paragraph is about abdominal tap.

Best wishes,

John

Thanks John, today wasn't too bad, I've gone into more detail in my post to Eileen.

I was due to have an abdo drain last month in prep for a biopsy - CT scan showed fluid obstructing biopsy site.  I was admitted for 3 days - NBM first day for afternoon op. to insert drain, but in the event the doc couldn't find any fluid when he did the ultrasound (he was rather cross as everything was ready to go ahead, had a look at CT himself and said even that showed no fluid, so don't know what radiologist was looking at - makes you wonder, doesn't it?) so was wheeled back to ward to await biopsy couple of days later (more NBM!)

I looked it up beforehand online as well, and found a site with a video of the drain procedure, but can't remember where it was, I'm afraid. As far as I could tell, it was much the same as the biopsy procedure, i.e. swab area with iodine, several anaesthetic injections around proposed entry site, which was the worst bit but bearable, then a small incision to insert the drain.  It's done in conjunction with ultrasound or CT so the doc can judge where the drain is going.  I'm sure there are other ladies who have actually had it done, and Jackie will probably have better info, I expect.

Do bear in mind though that it may not be fluid - I get very bloated but mine is mostly from wind (and other unmentionable stuff) caught up in my partially obstructed bowel - but of course it's worth discussing with Mary's team as you say.

Love to you both, take care,

Hazel xxx

Hazel,

It must seem strange to some to be looking forward to chemo, but I know what you mean. I guess we need to feel that something positive is being done to help.

Thanks for your help re abdo tap, and of course you are right, it may not be fluid. It's easy to misdiagnose using the net, but from your experiences and ours, some of the doctors seem to be getting things wrong too! When Mary was in hospital in Jan with a serious kidney infection, one of the docs told her not to worry, it has nothing to do with the ovarian cancer. How wrong did he turn out to be??!!

Mary will be back on Thurs too for 2nd treatment so will be thinking of you.

Good luck,

John