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I typically feel good in the morning, and if I'm low, low at night, but I feel so much better this morning and part of the reason is having people to talk to about this. I feel very isolated right now. Crying, yesterday, and reading other peoples' posts about their experiences, helps really a lot. Thank you!
By "normal life" I mean, one can go on and live out one's life without chemo or radiation, and being constantly ill. Will not get the biopsy result until the 28th. And all tests have come back normal: pap, mammogram, lung x-ray.
He hinted that there might have been some cancer cells in the removed tumor, but I decided yesterday to move to a state with med. mj; I'm not going to do radiation or chemo. I'm just not. He said we would "discuss cancer treatment" on the 28th.
I have advanced breast cancer. I was only stage II when first diagnosed. The chemo was harsh, I was on dose dense, so we really hit it hard. But it was VERY DO-ABLE. I also had 33 radiation treatments, also VERY DO-ABLE. You have the right,of course, to decline treatment. It's possible surgery removed all the cancer so gambling on no further treatment might be a consideration. I just wanted to tell you treatment is not the worst thing. There are many drugs to help you stay comfortable during treatment. I will be on chemo the rest of my life now that I am stage IV. Yesterday I fed my horse, worked in the yard, rode my horse for over an hour, planted strawberries, watched the guys install a new pump on a firetruck in between washing bunker gear and restocking the water (I am a volunteer firefighter) and Gatorade, and cleaned my tack. I still work full time and volunteer with my Church. So yes, you can live a normal life after, and even WITH, cancer. Wishing you the best, whatever you decide to do.
One of my dear friends got ovarian cancer at 17. She had a hysterectomy and 4 months of very intensive, in-patient chemo (which is more typical of children and teens - protocol tends to call for hitting them with all medicine has). She finished most of her treatment over the summer and was back at school for her senior year of high school right after ending. She was elected prom queen, still mostly bald, went to college on a scholarship for computer science, and now is 26 and has a fantastic job and life. You would never know that she had cancer as a teenager. I actually found all this out the day before I discovered my swollen lymph node. Her walking the path (albeit an entirely different cancer) before me was incredibly helpful through my battle.
And you know what - treatment has probably improved since then! I am active in the young adult community and there are many young women who had reproductive cancers in their late teens, 20s, and 30s who are 2, 5, 10, 15+ years out now and doing well. Cancer is not a death sentence - especially for those of us young'ns! (and you are under 75 - you're a young'n!)
Think silver linings - at least you aren't losing your fertility, going into premature menopause, etc. There's nothing "nice" about a hysterectomy at ANY age, but that is a little hidden benefit.
Cancer is scary. No matter what the prognosis, statistics, anything - it's scary. Let yourself process it. I know you feel alone both practically and emotionally. I did it all on my own without letting many people in at 23. That was stupid and I wish I had been able to reach out to the community around me for more help. Don't be afraid! Many people want to help.
When you go in to see the oncologist, have a list of prepared questions to ask. You forget when you're in the moment. I strongly suggest asking to meet with the cancer centers' social worker and/or mental health staff (psychologist or psychiatrist). You are depressed - and that's normal! You are having a normal reaction to an extraordinary circumstance. Don't think there's any shame for asking for help in those regards - it's JUST as important as treating and kicking the crap out of cancer.
As for myself, I worked full time during chemo - even working 80+ hour weeks for our yearly big event. I got dumped, and then dated, while my hair was falling out all over the table at dinner. 2 weeks after I ended chemo (my cancer was too spread throughout my body to consider radiation), I started an MBA in healthcare management (on top of working full time and volunteering). Yes, chemo was really hard on me - particularly because I had a 2 hour commute each day and worked 40 hours a week. I only had to take a few days off because I was either too tired to safely drive, having serious bone pain (I had tumors in my long bones, so as they died, I knew it was happening because of the pain), or having serious neuropathy issues. I don't think I even threw up once - there are great medications for that! You can and SHOULD lead a full life during chemo. Radiation is short and while those side effects are no fun either, they are manageable.
>> I would strongly discourage you from considering alternative medicine treatment for ovarian cancer. Had Steve Jobs not gone that route for his pancreatic cancer, he might be alive now.
@SuzyQ: Yes, I read the book about Steve Jobs. He made a bad decision. I won't do the same. At the initial interview the doc wanted to show me pictures of the kind of tumor I had. I told him I'd rather not. I have a very active imagination and photos would have freaked me out. Everyone says, do research. But I can't. I just can't, not right now.
Totally understandable. I have so much cancer info that I can't stand it. I don't want to even look at it most of the time. I keep it in a dresser drawer. If I have a question, I'll pull it out and look at it, then I put it back. It's too overwhelming.
I have an online support group I go to for my kind of cancer (breast). It is immensely helpful. But I can't check in every day. Some days, I just don't want to think about it any more than I have to.
And sadly, sometimes well-intentioned people think it is helpful to tell you about what they think causes cancer, or what kind of treatment is best, etc. etc. I see either my oncologist or one of his P.A.'s every single week, I have a support group, and I have a mother and an aunt who have gone through this. I really don't want advice from every Tom, Dick and Harry who thinks they have the one piece of information I need.
I hope you are doing okay. Just take it a day at a time, an hour at a time if you need to.
>> I hope you are doing okay. Just take it a day at a time, an hour at a time if you need to.
Thank you. My thing is, I don't want to feel sorry for myself. I do, but I don't want to. Everything is so scary now but really, I have it better than many people do. I'd really like to finish my doctorate, and teach, and live my life. I may not get to. The only way I can make my life meaningful, I believe, is to be a good and a brave person. I'm going to try.
So many people have died of cancer; why should I be special?
I'd take copies of lab reports, copies of surgical reports, ct scan results the whole gamete. I'd suggest a three ring binder to keep them all organized.
I'd take copies of lab reports, copies of surgical reports, ct scan results the whole gamete. I'd suggest a three ring binder to keep them all organized.
I'm sorry SD, I don't follow you; take them where?
It is, and it's a life changing event. I never thought it would happen to me (as so many people point out in the face of natural disasters and illnesses). Being faced with possible premature death, possibly a lot of pain, certainly a lot of financial worries and concerns about life events; this is not easy.
The bioposy is not available yet but will be when I see the doctor next week. What I'm wondering is, is there any history of someone having a 30 cm tumor removed from the ovaries (along with a complete hysterectomy), and then not having cancer and living a normal life. That's what I want to know.
Me. I had it removed October 2009. No cancer, they said. I had apparantly had it for some time and it had been overlooked by the doctor on more than one occasion..
Now, I have not read to the end of this thread so don't know the outcome.
Last edited by AnnieA; 03-21-2012 at 02:01 PM..
Reason: eta: my tumor was huge, like yours. They looked at it while I was in surgery. But I only had ovaries left inside anyways..
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