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 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

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

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

Hi Jackie, hope you are OK. 

Have you started your new chemo yet, I think you said it was this week?

It all seems to be happening for everyone this week, I may be losing track a bit (and I can't even blame it on a "chemo" head).

Anyway, good luck if you've not started yet, and love to you and everybody.

Hazel xxx

Hi everyone

Sry not posting much but really not feeling good at the mo unusual for me, saw onc Fri and am awaiting chemo this week but as no spaces have to wait for a cancellation, can't come soon enough as plagued with abdo pain. Strangely seems to be brought on by movement! takes ages to wear off but if I remain seated it stays away lol does this sound familiar to anyone else or is it me doing everything backwards as usual lol

John, draining fluid is an option (the procedure has been well explained by Haze) however the problem is that it comes back so they prefer not to unless the symptoms are really bad, the abdo fluid contains a lots of protein and therefore if constantly reforming (cos it has the space to) will deplete the system of fluid and proteins. so it is an option but one they prefer to avoid if possible. I have known someone who had really bad symptoms from the fluid which needed draining and when it became obvious that it was required regularly, they left the drain in and he drained himself! hope that makes sense.

Eileen, doing things the hard way as usual! hope your begining to feel better and am thinking of you.

Haze fingers crossed all goes smoothly for you, the extra appointments are a fafh but that seems to be the way it goes! I'm looking forward to feeling more normal lol i know it will make me feel worse in some ways but at least the abdo pain and the itch will go! my onc was obviously expecting a fight to get me to have chemo (despite me phoning the Fri before and asking for it lol) he kept telling me i really do need it and kept going when I said I know lol.  he now feels pressurised as he said it would sort my skin/itch out and i told him it better or I would sort him out!!! bless him, don't know how he puts up with me! he got told off for laughing as another patient in another room was getting bad news lol he really has the most unfortunate laugh!!!

Hope everyone else remains ok, Dot did you have a routine appointment or am I dreaming or have missed it?

Take care

Love jackie

Thanks, Jackie - I wish you the same.  Sorry you aren't too good at the mo, I  have bad abdo pains too but mine are worse if I sit about for too long so I guess you ARE just being awkward!

It's good to know you still have a sense of humour -  what are you like getting your poor consultant into trouble?!

Love Hazel xxx

Hi

Just wanted to drop in and say hello to everyone again, and welcome to the new ladies, so sorry to hear that most of you, and me, are on the journey once again. Seems strange to be thankful for something (chemo!) that makes us feel so bad as we hope it will all be worth it in the end.

I've had one round of my 3rd cycle of chemo - gem/carbo this time - went for the second lot today but they wouldn't give it as neutraphylls too low. Has that happened to anyone else? They are going to reduce my dose too which I'm not happy about.

SO nice to have people to share this with that do understand.

Best wishes to all

Sue x

Hi Sue

Eileen is the expert on low blood counts! My dose was reduced last time round and it didn't seem to work any less, your body has got to cope with it and if it takes a smaller dose to do that then I suppose its for the better. I got 16 months out of my last lot despite the reduced dose so try not to worry!

Dot, great news!!! no more colds for the next 3 months please lol

Haze, yes I do give him a hard time but its his own fault!!!!

Take care all

Jackie xxx

Hello, Sue,

Thanks for your welcome.

Isn't this site brilliant - you only have to mention a worry and everyone is there trying to reassure you!  I hope Jackie's and John's responses have helped put your mind at rest, and that your treatment is soon under way again, it's so disappointing when things get delayed, I know.

Love, Hazel xxx 

Thanks for the reassurance Jackie. So your dose was reduced too? I know what you mean about your body having to cope with it but I think I'd prefer to soldier on if it was for the greater good, if you know what I mean. I was wondering whether to challenge the doctor about this next week when I go and I quite like the idea of having equal doses over both weeks like Mary does rather than more the first week so I might mention that too.

I dream of getting 16 months - only got 8 months first time, then 6 months so feeling pretty despondent about the whole thing at the moment. Just hope this different chemo works better. Delaying it has really thrown me, and I thought I was coping well - guess we're all nearer to the edge than we realise, or care to admit!

Thanks for the messages of support and love and hugs to you all.

Sue x

Thanks Hazel, hope you are keeping well and battling thru