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

Hello, Eileen,

I guessed you were still not too good ( maybe same as Jackie, as you say), but glad you were able to have a little trip yesterday at least.

I am having 2nd chemo session tomorrow, blood result permitting.  I'll think of you having yours while I'm having mine!  Good luck!

Love Hazel xxx

Hi Hazel and Eileen,

Yes we had a lovely sunny weekend in Bournemouth, Mary said it's just what the doctor ordered and she is still feeling pretty good. We stayed 2 nights and came back on Monday.

Mary's chemo is tomorrow too, so that's three of you. It was only Weds last week because she had the port fitted and had to go on the ward rather than the chemo suite. Next week she has a break.

It has been very quiet on here lately, I hope everyone will be feeling a bit better soon.

Best wishes,

John

x

Hi Everyone hope your all doin ok lovely weather were having makes you feel better dont it!.

well results day tomorrow for me ive got everything crossed! just been sitting here thinking

as you do i no most of us have had more then one session of chemo but how much can

we have? or is that a stupid thing to ask! im just thinking about my appointment and what

there gonna say. can you tell im a nervous wreck!!.speak to al soon

take care sharon. xxx

Hi Sharon,

I know exactly what you mean. I have 3 more chemo's then scan and results and I am worrying already. I feel for me that if this doesn't work then nothing will as it's the top one apparently. Plus I feel for myself that I don't want anymore of this feeling awful for months on end.  I know deep down that it isn't working and I am not being negative just realistic.

I will be thinking about you tomor and I pray it is good news.

Everyone else chemo day again so we will all be feeling rough over next few days....

Love Eileen. xxxx

Dearest Eileen,

I feel very upset for you, but I too am a realist, and can perfectly understand how you feel, even though I haven't been through half as much as you.  I've said this before, but after my breast ca treatment I swore I would never go through it again, and though I chickened out when it came to the crunch this time, I really do believe if I ever got too exhausted by the treatment to have any quality of life then I would stop it. 

I SO hope you are wrong and that you will get some benefit from this chemo regimen, Eileen, and that you WILL feel a bit better afterwards.  I am praying for you, darling.

I hope I haven't upset anybody, or made them lose hope - there's always hope, and of course there ARE ladies who have both quantity AND quality of life, we mustn't forget that!  This is just my personal opinion and we all have to make our own decisions about these things.

Love to all,

Hazel xxx

Hi Sharon,

You have had such a long wait for your results, understandably you are so anxious about tomorrow. I hope everything is ok, I will be keeping everything crossed for you too.

Your question about how much chemo is not at all stupid. My understanding is that there are lots of things to consider, type of cancer, type of treatment, patient response and tolerance to toxicity etc. It's not a one size fits all even if you have the same cancer and are on the same treatment as someone else. I found this article which may explain it better - http://www.chemocare.com/whatis/how_long_is_chemotherapy_given.asp

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Best wishes,

John

x

Hi Eileen,

Oh you do sound very down at the moment, do ask your oncologist tomorrow if he can prescribe something different to help, it's worth a try. I know I keep going on about it, but Mary swears that the metoclopramide has made a big difference for her.

I also want to ask about Apirin, as it has been in the news again lately and it seems as though we should all be taking it. Of course I would not give it to her without getting approval first.

Have a look at this thread - http://cancerchat.cancerresearchuk.org/message/48891#48891

Good luck to everyone for tomorrow,

John

x

Hi Hazel & John,

I am not down but as I said being realistic, I am ok with new tablets so sickness has gone. I had those that Mary is on but they did nothing.

The reason for my little outburst the other day is that the cancer is in my right groin and I get pain that is constantly their. So that is why I know myself that the chemo isn't working, I am also getting the pain on my right side so for me on a personal level in my heart I know that it is still their.. I will see after my 4th one if I get any better. Also because I had been in bed so long I didn't get the pain but because I have been up and about this week that the pain has started because of me walking about.That is how it started back in July and when I went to see the Dr  he said where it had come back to and it was wrapped around the veins in my groin so the pain was going down my right leg.

Anyway thank you both for your concerns but honestly I am not down...

Love to everyone and thoughts are with you all for today. xxxxxxxx

Hi All

have decided you all know me to well!!! yes I've not been feeling brilliant, abdo pain when I move, so have energy to do things but can't as it leaves me bent in half! due for porta-cath at 8 tom then 2nd lot of chemo at 11.30. however my platelet are very low so not sure if any of it will happen

Eileen I know how you feel, due to my weird symptoms I normally know a few days after the first dose that it is working, however as my muscles have not been bad this time I have no indication that it is, both the rash and the abdo pain remain unchanged. Eileen the 'top' treatment is carbo and tax, however there is really no such thing as 'top' or 'better' when one doesn't work then others (in no particular order as far as I can see) are tried until one works or your bone marrow gets to a point that it won't take anymore. That don't mean that we won't get to a point where WE have had enough and decide to stop, its a personal thing and everyone has there own limits. Are they giving you anything for pain? I have discovered that they ask your symptoms, prescribe chemo and move on without thinking 'lets leave this person in pain for 3 weeks till chemo kicks in'. Had my tele appointment today and told the nurse about my abdo pain she immediately said sounds like the tumour is sticking to things, what pain meds are you on! the onc dr made out like is was unusual (as with everything) and changed the subject! anyway she is arranging for a dr to see me to sort it out while I'm there tom. Don't forget that if you decide to stop chemo you will still be left with the symptoms, they will give strong pain killers for the pain but there is no reason why they can't give these now while you continue chemo. Hope this makes sense but as usual my brain has gone walk abouts!!!

Hope everyone does ok with there treatments today and hope the results are better than expected.

thinking of you all

Jackie xxx

Sorry John, knew I'd missed something, from what I've read about the aspirin it reduces the risk of developing cancer if taken for 2 years and reduces the risk of the cancer spreading if taken for 5 years! I've been on it for nearly 3 to be fair my tumours are well defined with no signs of spread ? aspirin ?luck ?would have happened anyway! who knows. With the ovarian cancer if its going to spread I have my doubts it will wait 5 years, and as it effects blood clotting as does chemo its not something anyone should consider without the onc input (as you also suggested). I find for about a week post chemo i have nose bleeds/bruising and my platelets are now really low (which is unusual) having said that i also take a blood thining injection! Hope this helps a tiny bit 

Hope Mary continues to do well and the maxalon works from day one follow this lot of chemo! no nausea or sickness tell her its banned!

Take care of yourself to, being a partner is often worse than having the disease!

jackie xxx

Sorry John, knew I'd missed something, from what I've read about the aspirin it reduces the risk of developing cancer if taken for 2 years and reduces the risk of the cancer spreading if taken for 5 years! I've been on it for nearly 3 to be fair my tumours are well defined with no signs of spread ? aspirin ?luck ?would have happened anyway! who knows. With the ovarian cancer if its going to spread I have my doubts it will wait 5 years, and as it effects blood clotting as does chemo its not something anyone should consider without the onc input (as you also suggested). I find for about a week post chemo i have nose bleeds/bruising and my platelets are now really low (which is unusual) having said that i also take a blood thining injection! Hope this helps a tiny bit 

Hope Mary continues to do well and the maxalon works from day one follow this lot of chemo! no nausea or sickness tell her its banned!

Take care of yourself to, being a partner is often worse than having the disease!

jackie xxx