I’m in the same situation as your partner. I’m 46 and also diagnosed as stage 3 ovarian cancer. I was diagnosed after done abdominal swelling and discomfort which has since disappeared as it’s all very surreal as I have started to undergo treatment but physically I feel very well. After a laparoscopy I was advised to have 3 rounds of chemo to shrink everything as ovarian cancer is quite often tiny tumours scattered and when they do operate they like to get it all and they then give 3 lots of chemo after surgery. It’s terrifying and I’m having good and bad days. I’ve had one lot of chemo so far and I can reassure you that it was nowhere near as bad as I expected. I was a bit like a zombie for 3 days and some heartburn but thankfully nothing nasty and no sickness. I’m hoping that bring younger and fit and well at least gives me the advantage of being able to cope with the treatment and the same will go for your partner. I’m not googling statistics as they can be terrifying and meaningless as I think this is an individual battle. My husband keeps me going by reassuring me that they are treating me and I’m just concentrating on one treatment at a time st the moment. I have the most common type of cancer apparently which is good as it normally responds well to chemo. Modern medicine is amazing and a lot of the statistics on line are out of date and I know I’m determined to get over this. Best of luck to yourself and your partners. I don’t know if she has a treatment plan yet but I know I felt better when I knew what the plan was and felt better on chemo day that battle had commenced! 

Clarexx

Hi Sarakate123,

I am sorry to hear about your partner. My wife was told 10 days ago that there are 'masses/ abnormalities' in her ovaries and beyond. The biopsy was last week, we've not yet received the actual diagnosis, but we know it will be ovarian cancer. My wife was in hospital for 6 nights, they had to drain 10 litres of fluid from her abdomen, which had pretty much rendered her immobile. Like your partner, my wife is mentally very strong, and has remained so, and like you I am praying that my wife's body responds to treatment (we have been told this will be chemo, in the first instance). You're not the only one who's scared, it's perfectly natural to feel that way, sometimes I am okay, then I get moments of terror for my wife. All we can do is be as strong and supportive for our partners as we possibly can, through a thoroughly rotten time for them. I wish you and your partner all the very best for the future.

L&H

Mark

XXX

Hi Claire

Thanks so much for your response, it's reassuring to hear that you've been feeling ok since starting your first chemo. I just feel so helpless as it's all happened so fast. We have to wait about 4 weeks before her chemo starts as they want to do a biopsy so the chemo doc can get the doze of chemo just right and also a kidney function test to make sure they will handle the aggressive chemo. We are taking it one day at a time too, we've agreed that it's best not to over load our minds! 

Love to you and your husband

Katie and Kate x

Hi mark

Thank you for your response.

My partner was totally fine and bloating was her only symptom! . She had been complaining about it for about 8 weeks but put it down to age/menopause symptoms. Same as your wife, she was so uncomfortable with it that she made GP visit and they gave her the CA125 Blood test. Lever was 8000! She has 6ltrs drained on Friday and a scan. Home now until chemo starts in 4 weeks! It's horrible seeing the person you love going tbrouth something so scary and feeling g helpless. I wish you and your wife all the best too. Xx

For me the worse bit was waiting for treatment to start but I understand that they have to get it right and not just steam in. There are different types of ovarian cancer so they need a biopsy to get chemo right. The diagnosis and having this disease is awful but as I said chemo honestly wasn’t the nightmare I thought it might be. I’m looking forward to a week tomorrow when I get the next dosr because I feel better on the attack! I think it’s wise to take one step at a time ... it’s the only way. It’s so surreal because I feel so well but clearly I’m not but the doctors are amazing do we have to put our trust in them XX 

Hi there sorry to hear about your partner but I feel the waiting time is too long 

Hi Sarakate,

Gawd blimey, you and your partner's experience sounds so close to ours! My wife has always been a bit overweight, but her tummy started to really bloat over the summer. She put it down to just putting on more weight. But then, in July, she got constipation (which she never suffers from), and went to the GP about it. He did a CA125 test and a level of 350 came back. That set the whole ball rolling... ultrasound scan, CT scan... and so on. It was such a relief when all of that abdominal fluid was drained, as it was literally crippling my wife. Other than that, she's felt fine. We're both very slimline now (my wife from the draining, me through stress)!!! Yes, it is absolutely horrible and heartbreaking to see your loved one going through such an awful experience, and the feelings of helplessness can be overwhelming at times.  I will send you a friend addy, always here if you ever need to chat.

L&H

Mark

XXX