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 Sue,

I feel the same wanting to get out in the sun, at least we can see it shining through the window. I hope you start to book up a bit in next few days.

My bowels are back to normal ( well as normal as they can be ) I have slept really good for 2 nights now which makes such a difference. I am still a bit nausea's but nothing like I was. I have a 2 week break now from my chemo and then another 3 to go.

Good  your nuetrophyls are up. mine have been ok up  to now ...

Love to everyone.

Eileen xxxxx

Hi Hazel,

Yes I am feeling good ( dare I say )  I do think my bowels had a lot to do with me feeling so bad.

I am still in my pjs all day but I have been down all yest to watch the football. I have been sleeping really good as well...

Happy Mothers Day to all you mums and I hope you all have a lovely day.

Eileen xxxxxxxxx

Hi everyone,

it is great to see everyone so positive even through their struggles.

I got myself into a pickle......I had a little dry patch on my calf, I scratched it trying to see what it was and thought no more about it, a wart appeared (yes on my leg) how the heck that happened I have no idea, anyway it was inflamed and was painful, waited a while then saw the Doc, as most of you know I have lymphoedema following the removal of my lymph glands (this doesn't happen to everyone by the way) I was told to be careful to not break the skin as once there is an infection it is difficult to control.........as you can guess it is infected lol I am on antibiotics and Doc said if it didn't clear up I had to go back as I could get Cellulitis, so I am sitting with fingers crossed.

This isn't a whinge, just thought I would update you all.

On a lighter note, I take it you all had the vertical cut for your hysterectomy, now this is a whinge,  they stitched my belly button back wrong hahaha, I am now lopsided, when I saw the hospital doc I joked around with him and told him I wanted a tummy tuck lol, I have put on a lot of weight which I hate and my belly swells up and down, no chance I will ever wear a bikini again hahahahahah.

Oh dear, Dot,  what ARE we going to do with you, eh? Here we all are thinking you're OK, and now what do you do?!

Seriously though, please be careful, never mind about the bikini!   (Do you know, I've never worn one, always too plumpish, and now I'm skinny for a change I'm too blooming wrinkly and saggy!  Can't win!   Not that I really want to at my age, prob scare everyone off the beach!)

Take care, Dot,

Love Hazel xxx

PS. I haven't even had my hysterectomy yet, so I'll make sure I give them instructions to sew me up neatly!

xxx

Hi, Eileen,

I am so pleased for you!  I agree about the bowels, I always feel worse and have more twinges if I can't "go".

Maybe you'll be able to get out for some fresh air and sunshine - if it's still about - during the next few weeks before your next chemo.  Bet you're glad to be having a break, aren't you?

Lots of love,

Hazel xxx

Hi Dot ,

That is funny about your belly button. I couldn't get into mine after the hysterectomy so I couldn't clean it. Anyway since my tummy started to swell it opened like a flower ha ha so I now have a clean one.

Hazel so now you know what instructions to tell the surgeon..

Dot that sounds painful and I hope you can get it sorted out soon. Always something new to worry about.

Love Eileen xxxx

Hi Hazel,

Re chemo, I guess Mary was different to everyone else. She had her surgery first followed by weekly Taxol/Carbo with no weeks off, it was a regimen that was trialled in Japan with good results, and she did respond well to the treatment although it left her with some neuropathy in her toes which has still not gone. That is why her onc has opted not to give her any more Taxol  http://cancerchat.cancerresearchuk.org/message/31764#31764

Mary agrees with you about gardening being very therapeutic, she loves her garden and it does take her mind off of other things. I personally love to listen to music and that does the the same for me.

Sue, good to hear that you are starting to feel a bit better. Mary has noticed a big difference by taking the anti-sickness tablets as prescribed whether or not she feels nauseous. Like Hazel, she was wondering if she was ever going to feel better. Mary has had five good days in a row now and had a lovely mother's day at home with our family, our daughter cooked the roast dinner (with a little guidance from Dad).

Eileen, Sounds like you're starting to feel a bit better too. Just out of interest, do you take your anti-sickness tablets whether or not you feel nauseous? Mary's nurse recommended some different tabs (instead of Domperidone) which also help to keep things moving in the bowel. They are called Metoclopramide, and she is convinced they have made a big difference.

Dot, what are you like?! Just when you were doing so well you start having another problem. Hope that the antibiotics sort it out for you. Mary was very lucky with her vertical op scar, she thought it would look horrendous and was really worried about that. But it healed really nicely and is hardly noticeable now.

Sharon, I hope you had a good day today too and are feeling ok, I know you must be anxious having such a long wait for your scan results.

Best wishes to everyone,

John

x

...was it something I said? Hope everyone is ok.

Oh, poor John - don't be daft, of course not.  Don't know why but we all seem to be resting at once, for some reason.

Hope Mary is OK and pre-assessment goes well today.  Wish her good luck for tomorrow, sounds like a busy one!

Love to both,

Hazel xxx

Hi,

I am feeling nausea's again and am taking  6 anti-sickness tablets a day. I can't say I wait to take them but as soon as I lift my head off the pillow in morning I need one. I am eating even though I feel sick. I keep trying to watch tv in the evening but can't settle. I am in touch with a girl who is on same chemo ( she has finished her 6 cycles ) she has been desperately sick and no signs of it clearing. I still have 3 to go and god knows how I will get through it.

Hope everyone is doing good.

Eileen xxxxx

Hi,

I am feeling nausea's again and am taking  6 anti-sickness tablets a day. I can't say I wait to take them but as soon as I lift my head off the pillow in morning I need one. I am eating even though I feel sick. I keep trying to watch tv in the evening but can't settle. I am in touch with a girl who is on same chemo ( she has finished her 6 cycles ) she has been desperately sick and no signs of it clearing. I still have 3 to go and god knows how I will get through it.

Hope everyone is doing good.

Eileen xxxxx

Hi everyone, I know I am not writing much but I do try to read the posts, I sometimes just don't know what to say.

Eileen I feel so much for you having this nausea it is an awful thing to have to tolerate, I just hope it will settle soon and you can have some peace.

I wanted to say that I feel very sad that Carole (Dizzie) passed away, she fought hard and long, I have been following her blog along with Tony and our dear Rose, my thoughts go out to her lovely family, Carole helped a lot of people on this site and was much loved. This made me think of Jayne and her lovely family too. I have to say I avoided checking her blog and the main site this week as I didn't want to read what I knew I would find.

Thinking of you all

Dot xxxxxxxxxxx

Dear Dot,

I didn't know any of the people you mention, though I have read bits of their stories on here and elsewhere, and I would just like to send my condolences and sympathy to all their families and friends. 

God bless and love to them all, and to you, Dot.

Hazel xxx

Hi Eileen,

Ask your doctor if you can try some different anti-sickness tabs, worked for Mary.

John

x

Hi John,

These are the new ones. It is the cistplaten that makes you sicker than the other chemo's..

xxxx

Eileen, it's so awful feeling sick like that.  I found that pure root ginger capsules used to make a "tea" helped me last week (the pack says you can use them like that). Not the best of drinks, but manageable with a bit of sugar, and worth it if it works, and you only need to have one cup with luck. I got the capsules in Holland and Barrett.

Hope they help!

Lots of love,

Hazel xxxx

Hi Dot,

I am very sorry to hear the news about Carole (Dizzie), she was very active on the forum (1400 posts!) and I'm sure most of us must have been involved in a few discussions with her. My most memorable was when she told me about the meaning of her user name "Dizzie" on This Thread, very amusing, have a read.

Always very sad to hear news like this, my thoughts are with her family.

John

Hi Eileen,

It may be worth asking again to try something else as there are various anti-sickness tablets available and different people respond better to certain types (according to Mary's nurse), just as everyone may respond differently to types of chemo or anything else. Mary notices that when she delays taking her Metoclopramide tablet, she starts to feel the nausea coming back, but taking another tablet straight away seems to sort her out. I can't offer any more advice than that, it can't make you feel any worse experimenting.

Hope you feel better soon,

John

x

Hello, Eileen

How are you?  Hope you are feeling a bit better. xxx

Well, the deed is done - I have chopped off the hair as it was beginning to come out in handfuls (already, only 2 weeks!).

The wigs and scarves are now in use, hence my new avatar.

Hope everyone is bearing up,  lots of love to all,

Hazel xxx

Hi Hazel,

Love the new avatar, as I said before the new wig makes you look younger. Very brave attacking the hair, I know it's a difficult thing to do.

Mary had her port fitted and chemo yesterday, we were home by 4.30 but she'd had so many meds she was away with the fairies! I had to help her to the loo in the night, when I brought her back she was trying to get into my side of the bed! Totally zapped!! She is fine again today apart from feeling like she's taken a bullet in her chest, been pottering in the garden again. I have booked a hotel saturday night so we can spend the weekend in Bournemouth, providing she is still feeling ok, it will be great to get away.

Hope everyone else feels better soon, I do get concerned when it goes quiet but I understand how you must feel.

Best wishes,

John

x

Thanks, John.

Poor Mary - why was she so zapped, did she have to have a general anaesthetic for insertion of the port?  Hope the pain has abated now.

I did my gardening again yesterday as well, great minds think alike!

Well, looks like you've picked the right weekend for a trip to Bournemouth, John, weather looks set fair, so you have a lovely time both of you - I am quite jealous!

Love to both,

Hazel xxx