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

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

Thanks, John.

It goes without saying that I shall be thinking of Mary and you on Thursday as well.

Love to you both, 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

Dear Eileen,

hope you feel a bit better today, your body is certainly taking a pounding, hopefully it will get easier for you.......hugs

Hi to everyone else, sorry I haven't had time to respond to everyone, but I do hope you are all bearing up.

I got the all clear for another 3 months, yeahhhhhhhhh,   breathing a sigh of relief until June.

Love to all xxxxx

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

Dot, I second that, yeeeah!  Fantastic news, feel as pleased as if it had been said to me!

Brilliant, well done!

Love Hazel. xxx

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 Dot,

That's great news! Many of the ladies are having a tough time at the moment so it gives us all hope when we hear good news, enjoy the next three months and hopefully much more

Jackie, thanks for the info on abdo tap, I will discuss it with the onc team also at next clinic.

Eileen, I do hope you're feeling better soon, I am so thankful that you started this thread, I bet you never imagined it would attract so many nice people and be as popular as it is. I know that Jackie was the first to respond to you and has helped you a lot on your journey.

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News: Mary had a call from the hospital bed manager today, and they have arranged for her to have her port fitted on 23rd March, hopefully that will go well and she can avoid a lot of distress from attempted canulas.

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Hi Sue,

Welcome back, so sorry to hear that you're also are back on the journey again. Mary is on Gem/Carbo too but her onc is prescribing both doses spread equally across the 2 weeks (he always has to do things differently) , only good news is you don't lose your hair!  She had her chemo postponed once last time around because of low neutrophils, yes it is a bit frustrating if you're making good progress but they have to put your safety first. I agree that it is good to be among people who understand and can compare notes and support  each other.

Good luck and best wishes to everyone,

John

Hi Dot,

That's great news! Many of the ladies are having a tough time at the moment so it gives us all hope when we hear good news, enjoy the next three months and hopefully much more

Jackie, thanks for the info on abdo tap, I will discuss it with the onc team also at next clinic.

Eileen, I do hope you're feeling better soon, I am so thankful that you started this thread, I bet you never imagined it would attract so many nice people and be as popular as it is. I know that Jackie was the first to respond to you and has helped you a lot on your journey.

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News: Mary had a call from the hospital bed manager today, and they have arranged for her to have her port fitted on 23rd March, hopefully that will go well and she can avoid a lot of distress from attempted canulas.

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Hi Sue,

Welcome back, so sorry to hear that you're also are back on the journey again. Mary is on Gem/Carbo too but her onc is prescribing both doses spread equally across the 2 weeks (he always has to do things differently) , only good news is you don't lose your hair!  She had her chemo postponed once last time around because of low neutrophils, yes it is a bit frustrating if you're making good progress but they have to put your safety first. I agree that it is good to be among people who understand and can compare notes and support  each other.

Good luck and best wishes to everyone,

John

Thanks John and it's a lovely picture of you and your wife - you both look so happy!

Hi Sue,

You're welcome, and thank you for the compliment. We really did enjoy that evening but have had to cancel a few things since then. Yes, do talk to your doctor about treatment options, of course it is too early to say whether Mary's treatment is going to be good for her, nobody really knows that.

Jackie,

pleased to hear you got in early on a cancellation, I hope all goes well for you tomorrow.

Dot,

I know exactly what you mean about posting your good news when everyone else is struggling, I felt the same when Mary was doing well last time around. But please do not feel bad about it because it is so important for everyone to hear good news, gives us all hope. Long may your good health continue.

Laura,

Good to hear you are feeling good, hopefully it's working for you now.

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Mary has been feeling awful since her good day last Saturday, last night she went to bed at 6pm. The nurse that visits has prescribed her some different anti-sickness tablets, Metoclopramide, anyone tried these? She hasn't had any yet but felt much better today, just as well because she went for her 2nd chemo. The Gem hurts her arm so they had to run it very slowly, having her portocath fitted and 2nd cycle on 26th March so should be better.

We are supposed to be going to a charity ball on Saturday  for Muscular Dystrophy (Mary lost her brother to this when he was just  14). Tickets were £50 each but we will have to wait until the day to see  if she feels well enough to go.

Best wishes to everyone,

John