Obese but with pretty normal legs / arms etc but very fat, enormous belly ***Ovarian cancer diagnosis - title edited by MNHQ at OP's request***

[TwitterQueen1]

Hi
I'd be glad of any advice or personal experiences here. I am around 4 stone overweight, so definitely obese. Most of it is on my stomach though, which now looks like I'm 11 months pregnant with triplets. I'm in my 50s so this is not a possibility. It's very painful and I am short of breath when I walk etc.

I've put on a lot of weight in a short period - 10lbs in 2 months.

Six months ago I was bodyboarding in the sea, walking every day and doing an exercise class every week. Now it's a struggle to do anything.

I'm having bloods done on Friday but any ideas / comments? Am I just unlucky to pile it all on in one place?

It's your (not so great) party, my love, you can bloody cry if you want to.

Thank you Iougle

You're right - it's no time at all really. I'm sitting here at my work desk but I can't do it. My brain won't work. But I have to try. I have a mortgage to pay and 3 DCs to support on my own. But I also know I need to be less hard on myself. I'm not superhuman. And I'm in trouble here. I do need to let people help me - not something I'm very good at!

That's a lovely post Lougle

Are you going to apply for Personal Independence Payments (PIP)? (Practical head on). Most of the time they say you can count from the time you started treatment for cancer, because that's the time you knew you were ill, but as you were symptomatic before your treatment started, your clock started ticking then, so you can get a claim pack, and put the date you started feeling breathless when you walked as the date you stated having your difficulties. Then they will award your rate from 6 months after that. The CLIC Sargent person tried to tell my SIL that she'd be able to claim from 3 months after my niece's chemo started when she was Dx with cancer, and I (mother to child with SN) looked up and said 'I don't think so, she's been up all night every night for a year with her screaming daughter while people have failed to diagnose her. Her claim will start immediately ' so you might have to ignore some standard advice that doesn't fit your situation.

Also, have you checked if your house insurance gives any critical illness cover?

Twitter is there a Maggies attached to your hospital ? They will have someone there who can help with forms /phone calls etc if you have to make a claim.

Sending a (( hug )) TQ
Don't care what anyone thinks.

Tx for hug hairy

Here I am having 2nd chemo, hoping side effects won't be so bad this week.

I forgot to it chocolate in my handbag 😢 this am so nothing to nibble at. Feeling dopey but they say that's the piriton.

Amaziningly puppy is now lying down and sleeping with feral cat at Dsis. Good to know she is so happy and playful - the pup that is !

Yes definitely the piriton , I had these big ideas of all the books I was going to read during chemo ( I was pretty much keeping school hours due to the cold cap ) . . . . NEVER happened !
Fingers crossed for a good post chemo week

Some people go to sleep after the Piriton. I've only managed it once

How long does your chemo take? Mine is an all day affair so I take various things to do (and eat!). I usually get lots of knitting or crochet done.

Hope it's going ok.

Is there a vending machine? Can you ask someone to get you chocolate? If you were near me I'd drop some over

Would audiobooks help pass the time?

Hope you're done soon.

Does your chemo unit provide food? We get tea, coffee and biscuits mid-morning and mi-afternoon. And also lunch, but I always decline as it doesn't look all that appealing.

I hope it is going well and not making you feel rubbish

I'm so sorry to hear of your diagnosis. It's shit, isn't it? I had a very similar path to diagnosis - apparently fit and healthy, sudden massive abdominal ascites (12L!!), stage 4 oc - within a few weeks. Such a shock. I had a 3 wk chemo cycle of carbo/paclitaxol for 3 cycles, then a radical hysterectomy, then a 3 cycle follow-up and a year of bevacizumab (no bowel issues!). I do a mix of private and NHS (both my surgeon and oncologist work across the two systems), with chemo privately and surgeries in the NHS and have had great treatment in both. I think everyone responds very individually to treatment, so any advice/experience I have may not be yours, but I'd be happy to share anything you think might help. A few more generic things that could help - feel free to ignore: a) a portacath has been a literal life-saver. I have crap veins and this device is genius. b) people will say eye-wateringly offensive and thoughtless things, but they are just ham-fistedly (mostly!) trying to be kind. I'm saving it all for a book that I'm bound not to write!! c) the day after your steroids wear off will be the day that you feel most rubbish; immediately after chemo you think you've dodged a bullet and then a few days later ... BAM! d) get used to talking about your bowels. I speak of virtually nothing else. e) have fun with your wigs. simplywigs.co.uk have some good ones and youtube often have videos of people trying them on, which can be more helpful than thumbnail pics. Losing your hair is a weird thing - not a big deal in the scheme of the illness, but a massive deal nonetheless - so try to make peace with it if you can. I looked like an 18th century peasant in scarves, so can offer no help there! f) say yes to help. I found this hard as I'm quite the stoic and from your posts I would guess you're pretty brave and independent, but take it when you need it. g) be as honest as you feel appropriate with your dcs. Mine are younger than yours but it's a long road and there will be so many conversations you need to have and it's better (imho) if you don't have to lie. I don't burden them with detail but they know most of the score. There's loads more, but this is getting long and concentration spans after chemo aren't always the best in my experience! Love and strength to you and bloody good luck. x

www.gaynors.co.uk/brands/buff/adult-buff

These head coverings were the best I found for me (Back some years ago now) as they have some elastic ability to stay on your head but he cotton square scarves just slid off a bald head...

Hi all
Post-chemo euphoria here! Feel better than I have for probably weeks?

Bloody hell Nicky I thought 8 LRS on 2 occasions was going some, but 12! !!! Thank you so much for your story. I hope u r OK now? (1 finger typing, sorry)

I have declined a 3rd drain this week. Didn't feel well enough and chemo is reducing it slowly. Managed to pee my pants at hospital because all the saline went straight thru me and I'm not used to a full bladder. Elegant. Had to sit on coat for rest of time. Lost 3 kg in weight this week so fluid going.

Short one today. I have bevacumizab, taxol & carbo on 21 day cycle and more rtaxol on 7 day cycle. So basically every week, 3 cycles then scan & hopefully op, followed by another 3 cycles then bevicuzumab until next April / may.

Just had some fun with dds practising bandana tying.

Am now actually going to cook!! Stirfry. May not eat it though.....

Brave TQ

All sounding positive.

Enjoy the post-chemo euphoria and long may it last.

So glad you have updated TQ. Treat yourself to some Tena Lady 😃
Hope you continue to keep well emotionally and as well as you can be in health.

Thinking of you TQ, no words of wisdom but here is a virtual hand hold. I agree with the suggestion of seeing if you can access a Maggies centre, I had a lot to do with the Oxford based one(not as a patient but as a donor), brilliant places, helpful for your dds too.

Hope you are doing okay, TQ.

Just read the whole of your thread TwitterQueen1, and I agree that cancer is an utter bastard. I'm sending you much love, strength and a virtual steel cap boot to kick it's butt.

Hi all.
Feeling better this week (touch wood), not so brain fogged or sick. Friends all being fantastic and sorting lifts for me - it's around 45 mins each way, so a fair chunk out of someone's day. Local cancer centre is still years away unfortunately.

Dsis bringing puppy round tomorrow and cooking roast turkey dinner. Am learning to say 'yes please' to offers and to stop trying to be quite so independent...

Enjoy the weekend