Ovarian Cancer Survivor Stories

My experience with ovarian cancer I am a 10-year survivor of stage 1 ovarian cancer. I was diagnosed at age 49, and I am now 59 years old.

One day, suddenly I was not eating very much and drink a lot. There was finally no poo. I did not know I had no idea what was going on in my body. I found out that this is early satiety. It is a good symptom of ovarian cancer. I had a slight fever as well. I did not feel well. I spoke with my friends and we thought I had diverticulitis. My belly pooched very much. I had recently lost a little weight and now my belly sticking out.

I have a appointment with my internist who tested me for diverticulitis. He had no idea what that might be, and he was willing to release me and tell me to wait a while to see what would turn up other symptoms. I heard from his office on my way, and I leaned against the doorway and told him that I just do not feel good.

Then he decided to prescribe a CT scan for me. When he got those results, he organized the surgeon and sent me to Methodist Hospital. The surgeon had examined me before the surgery, and he refused to do the surgery. My internist referred me to a gynecologic oncologist. I was called into his office to set up my appointment. I waited and called out for 3 days for someone to call me one for my appointment. (These dates should office to office) are produced. Remember that I'm not eating or drinking. The oncologist was on vacation for 2 weeks and asked me if I would wait until he came back, of course not. So he said to his companions, to be able to see me the next day (Thursday) and I had surgery was on Friday.

The surgeon was very good, giving me and my family the news of the cancer. I was told that because of the aggressive and fast growing cancer that she had been found quickly. And it was quickly removed. The mass had wrapped itself around my intestines and that is why I could not eat.

I had six courses of chemo was Taxol and cisplatin. I got into the veins on the backs of my hands.

A complication of this situation is that I had a pulmonary embolism. I took an overdose of Premarin, I was sitting too long on a driving vacation, I had had chemo. I was overweight and I had a family history of my mother phlebitis in the legs. Now I can not take estrogen. I have a genetic tendency to clot, and I'll be on blood-thinning medication for the rest of my life.

I finally grew up convinced that I can survive cancer. I also went to a doctor, board certified in Family Medicine, which specializes in alternative medicine. He prescribed me a product that combines a variety of supplements to a patient, to increase immunity. Wholly Immune and it says I have to order on line at Organic Pharmacy.org. I do not know the correct dosage. I'm loyal to this supplement and I only had two colds in the two years that I have been on chemo with a very low white blood cell counts.

After 5 plus years of repeated cancer. I felt a little alien in my disposal and it mentioned the oncologist. You want a CT scan, and quickly discovered the new mass. It was quickly found.

There was also a blood clot in my vena cava. I had been carried out regularly with my negligence in Pro time test. So the doctor had to be concerned about the clot migration during the operation. The hematologist recommended insertion of a device, the captured blood clots in my artery in my neck. Fortunately, technology has had enough, that this screen was now progressed after surgery removable. Since the decision for surgery I have been on Lovenox too thin my blood, Lovenox is administered by injection into the area below the navel. It is a blood thinner no residual effect so it will be no excessive bleeding during surgery.

The surgery removed the mass. That night I slept in my room was the effects of anesthesia. My husband was living in the room with me. He said: I was sitting in bed, snoring with my eyes wide open. He called the nurse who my blood pressure, of which 40 were over 20 and called a Code Blue was. I was brought to the intensive care unit was tested and found that all my media had migrated to third place in my body. This was a result of over sedation.

Now I was set for 6 Chemos. A biopsy, the doctor sent for analysis to determine USE THE CHEMO for me. THIS IS an unusual procedure. Most doctors JUST START on chemotherapy and then "run" through the list. MY CANCER BIOPSY SO had the doctor we need to know if I was not examined for a certain SENSITIVE CHEMO for this disease. The chemo she was used Taxotere and carboplatin.

The chemo-infusion was given into the veins on the backs of my hands. I had pain in the blood vessels. I was told that hot compresses on the backs of my hands and antibiotic ointment. The result was the vein was hard and then solved the vein in my left hand and right hand vein is diminshed in size. I remember not told that the chemo I was there was a vascular irritant and this could be a side effect.

I also had a chemical burn from the inside of my body. Apparently a small amount of chemo made when the needle was inserted into the vein transpired in my arm. The burn was about 2 "x 2" and bubbles.

The doctor has not said, or I have not heard, or there was light, that if ovarian / peritoneal cancer recurred, it would recur.

So here I am 22 months later with a different mass. The same oncologist did the surgery this time. She is very courageous to keep me as a patient, because so many things can go wrong with my body. My husband and I had planned a vacation in New Jersey, in the autumn leaves and see, then visit our daughter. So my oncologist said I should go and they would schedule my surgery when I returned.

My surgery was on 10-25-06. They joined me and said the mass was inoperable because they cause food to move around the vessels that had wrapped around my body from my gut.

She did not then take a biopsy. She had seen the same mass in the previous operation.

She came into my hospital room and looked so beaten. She was sure this was a death sentence. She offered hope, that might work would be one of the Chemo for me. And it has created new all the time. etc.

I'm friends with a woman who is very mentally. She suggested that I ask for a second opinion. My oncologist office organized the second Opinion and I decided to change doctors.

The new doctor wanted me with a more aggressive chemo-therapy Doxil as a treat, the other suggested that oncologists.

My husband and my family felt like aggressive therapy was what we wanted.

So, now one and a half years later I have all the standard treatment for this cancer has failed. I've written my letters, and Good by planned my funeral.

My oncologist made career move and the new young doctor saw an e-mail or a post-it from a colleague that the examination of biopsy mentioned genetically. That was really a godsend. Most doctors do not test the cells. They do not realize that there is a reason to test the cells.

This has shown me that we must demand that examination by our doctors.

Thank God for serendipity.

It turns out that my mass is 90% of HER-2 cells and 10% regular ovarian cancer cells. The HER-2 cells are commonly found in breast cancer and there is a specific chemo for those cells. My doctor said no more cancer cells are specific region. I was with someone in the lobby, CT scan, talk colorectal cancer cells in her breasts had. After the first month Herceptin and Taxol on my CA 125 dropped 77-21. It really looks like I will survive this disease. My last CT scan indicated that the mass had decreased. But do not give the radiologist, the measurement is how much smaller the mass. This is frustrating because there is usually a measurement if the mass is greater.

Since Herceptin was not approved by the FDA for use in any other cancer than breast cancer, it is determined by experimental and not my husband's insurance company covered. I'm not on subsidies from the manufacturer to qualify the chemo. And I'm not able to connect all the studies, because the chemo I started too early.

Since I wrote this essay, I got a message that the insurance will cover the cost of my chemotherapy. This is such a relief, because the last statement was for $ 50,000.00. My husband and I felt like a feeling of relief.

Good luck and blessings to all those who will read this article.