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..
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
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.
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:
Oh you poor thing - every weekend! Hardly time to get your breath back in between! I sincerely hope the next one isn't as traumatic, I think I'd feel like giving up - but then I always swore I'd never have chemo again but when it comes to the crunch I'm a coward and want to stay alive for as long as poss!
Yes, I went for pre-assessment today and got told again everything my oncologist had already told me plus some (and acquired more paperwork saying the same thing as well) but at least I got a few queries sorted and had blood done, so wasn't a wasted journey. My chemo starts on Thursday morning, and will I be glad to get going at last!
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.
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.
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?
