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

Thanks Hazel, hope you are keeping well and battling thru

Thanks Hazel, hope you are keeping well and battling thru

Hi all

Sue, I think that's the point! there is no point soldering on if it means you have to keep delaying each treatment, which is worse: a) chemo reduces bloods and you have to delay treatment or b) chemo reduced and you get treatment on regular basis? don't know the answer but my reduced dose worked well for me and I think I'm starting at the reduced dose again this time. Ask you onc along with your question regarding spreading the dose more frequently. Know what you mean about it not keeping you going, I only got 6-8months the first time so was delighted when I went 14 months this time (however have been symptomatic for 12 months lol), think I left it a bit late this time as have never been so symptomatic and CA125 up 200 in 6 weeks higher now than at any other time!

Just heard from onc department and have cancellation for tom at 10.30! sorry for the other person but wow do I feel I need it!!!

am worried that I'm expecting to much from this chemo! itch, skin and stomach sorted within a week????? too much to ask???

Hope Eileen is recovering and everyone else is coping!

Take care

Love jackie xxx

Jackie,

Good luck for today, hope it gives you some relief (eventually). 

Love, Hazel xxx

Hi Jackie xxxx

What chemo are you on now ? I have been trying to find out but so much has happened since my break... My hair should start to come out this week....All the Drs think I am mad as I have said I love it.. You feel so clean..  I am looking at trying to book a week in Dorset in May but because of the way the chemo can take us then I am not sure. I should take a leaf out of John and Mary's book and just plan and book it. This is the thing that annoys me, not being able to plan such a small thing like a break away..

Anyway hope you are feeling good and the chemo is not too hard.

Love always Eileen xxxxxx

Hi Eileen, nice to see you back in the land of the living, I'm on carbo/Doxitol same as last time, was ok till yesterday then really light headed and vague feeling (probably normal for me but) not feeling brilliant, still getting stomach pains which leave me not being able to move, strange as it sounds, they seem to come on with movement which is leaving me very limited! Have a CT tom, routine as didn't have one pre-chemo (last was about 9 months ago) not looking forward to it as don't feel i've recovered enough from the chemo, the thought of sitting around for most of the day is not thrilling me lol. Don't think I can drive that far so friend is picking me up at 1.30ish, appointment not till 5.40 and then have to wait for friend to finishing work at 7.30 ah well gotta be done I suppose.

Haze, my chemo is every 3 weeks, so next due 30th though in pending tray as no room yet lol

Take care all

Jackie xx

Jackie, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow, if I'd had to go anywhere feeling as I've been feeling for last 4/5 days I don't know what I'd have done!   Hope you manage to get through it OK.  Have you got to drink the large flask of radioactive muck (or whatever it is) ?  Oh my god, poor you!

I am beginning to recover now, thank goodness, but was beginning to think sickness and cramps would never go.

Take care,

love Hazel xxx