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?

Glad you're doing ok and especially glad you're saying yes to offers of help etc - now is the time to let people look after you

I've just read all your thread after reading your initial one
back in February.

Michaels post about her mother dying made me cry but is reassuring in a way isn't it, I think as mothers our biggest fear is how will our dc cope if something happened to us. We shy away from talking about dying and I was even hesitant to mention the post made by Michael but I hope it was comforting in some way.

On a more cheery positive note, a friend was diagnosed with stage 3 OC 5 or 6 years ago, not a close friend so I'm not sure of the ins and outs, but she looks pretty glowy and fantastic and is alive, well and kicking.

Good luck Twitter

Tx fab yes, made me cry too but it is a comfort. The dds are nearly launched and if the worst happens they won't be alone.

Bandanas & turbans arrived this am. I am v pleased with them & as a ex dog walker I do like a hat!

Just checking in and sending you some love and hugs TQ1.

Hi Chasing thanks for the love and hugs - always welcome! How are you doing? What did you do over the Bank Holiday?

DSis bought pup round for the day and cooked a turkey roast dinner, which was delicious (free range turkey is so, so different).

One major difference between her cooking and mine though - the only veg I parboil is potatoes. Dsis parboiled carrots, parsnips and squash - separately - whereas I just throw everything in with the turkey at the appropriate time. I'm not alone in this am I?

I'm going to get my hair cut today - a very short pixie cut. Talking to a friend yesterday, she said it happens very quickly, eg 20 minutes for it all to go. This has scared me somewhat. I assumed it would all fall out slowly and I would get some warning. But she said no, her head starting tingling and burning and out it came.

I'm on day 13 since the 1st Taxol and a couple of blog posts I've seen say that their loss stared on day 16, so I'm thinking today might be a good day?

Anyone got any experiences here?

I was going to go to Toni & Guy as they apparently have a hook up with Macmillan Cancer and offer specialist advice. But at £62 I think I'll stick with the walk-in place.

No idea on the hair loss TQ1, hopefully there will be others who can advise - maybe worth asking on the cancer support thread?

Hello TQ,

Re hair cutting - if you ask to speak to a "Strength in Style" Consultant at your nearest Toni and Guy salon they may be able to offer a discounted hair cut. They certainly do offer wig styling for free for cancer patients.

But I can understand you wanting to get on with a cut. Thinking of you. I don't have personal experience but from my days running a local cancer charity (where we provided wigs free for cancer patients) i believe that hair loss can be very sudden.

Hope today goes ok [flowers}

De lurking, Twitter to say I'm wishing you all the very best. It must be super tough but you really sound like you're meeting this challenge head on and you write so beautifully. Your DDs sound amazing.

My lovely friend had breast cancer a few years ago: we renamed it cuntcer..........(hope you don't find that too rude!)

I hope the sun is shining where you are today.

All hair falling out in 20 minutes is quite unusual Twitter. Similar happened to one lady I know. Everyone else's has fallen out more gradually.

Do pop over to the cancer thread if you can bear it, as there's various people who have lost hair fairly recently so you'll get a good range of experiences :)

Mine fell out over several months but as I was on a completely different regime. My scalp was quite sore and itchy.

Gonegrey I asked specifically about toni & guy's cancer hair cuts - the 1st receptionist knew nothing. The 2nd, who did know, quoted me £62

Bell Not too rude at all!

Leslie I do lurk on Lacies but it seems to be primarily breast cancer conversations (though I know yours isn't) and all the chemo regimes are very different. I haven't found anyone on there with ovarian cancer. Have a from me today. You are one stalwart woman.... (is that Neil Diamond's Crackling Rosie?)

I think Stila is the only one who posts at the moment. Taxol is also used for breast cancer though, so a few posters have had it recently :) I'm sure there was someone else having tests for ovarian cancer recently. I'll have a read back through the thread.

Oh and triplets, but she hasn't posted for a little while :)

What did you decide about your hair ?

TwitterQueen1 lots of warm wishes and I like your roast veg recipes.
How are the hedgehogs?

£62!!!!!

Blimey. Our lovely local hairdresser does that service for her clients for free if she knows them well. She stays open for t62 en or so mins later than usual so there's noone else in the salon and does it very sympathetically. She did my sister's when she had her chemo and then Dad's later.

£62 for what is, essentially, a buzz cut is taking the piss, frankly!

TQ i have a friend whose daughter has downs, which led to leukemia, which led to brain damage etc etc

He writes a blog, which means he updates everyone in one go. And allows him to rant, praise, share in equal measure. But also means he doesn't need to repeat.

You write so beautifully I thought it might be something you could look into.

My mum died at 38 from breast cancer 40 years ago, leaving 4 kids from 16 - 7. Her friends were brilliant with us. And it's left us siblings very close. But she left no writings behind at all and I regret that. I particularly regretted having no family info when I was pregnant etc.

Anyway just something to consider if it might be your thing.

wally you are a gem and a star . I used to have a local newspaper blog and I do a lot of social stuff for work. You have inspired me to start one - I have been thinking about it but will now do it.

hairy I did nothing about hair in the end. Ran out of cash (waiting for new card). I will wait until 1st signs I think and then get a close shave.

It's Wednesday so it must be chemo! I remembered both the chocolate and the tena lady.

V tired today. Went out for dinner last night and it's really taken it out of me. Otherwise fine. Lebanese restaurant was v tasty, especially fatoush and dips.xx

TQ that is a really shabby response from your local Toni and Guy salon, I am so disappointed for you. So much for all their publicity about how they help cancer patients!

I don't want to pry into what area you are but my nearby independent salon would help and would not charge you (in South East). If this is remotely feasible, do pm me.

Hope today goes well.

Been reading this and impressed by you and your courage: bravery is most evident when you don't want to be.

Few thoughts:
My hair started off just bits, then whoosh, chunks in comb, brush, on pillow. Grows back.

Hope bandanas and scarves looking great: toques are fun.

I found ginger and mint helpful for nausea. And if in pain, despite what they say, a small with morphine goes v well. Red, pref, not too heavy, not too light.

I too went to stuff alone and took notes and had worked out my questions beforehand. Felt much more in control that way,

30% of us will get cancer of some sort, I think the stat is; and increasingly it's chronic. So many of my friends - not all but many- are now just living with it, into year 3-15.

Good idea if not too late to let exam boards know. If too late, life is much more than exams and your DDs sound wonderful. No, I don't parboil anything other than the spuds.

Cheers. Good luck, thinking of you, .

good on yer twitter :) you sound like you are doing great.v inspiring to read. best wishes. x

wth is parboiling?

Ha! I knew you lovely people would vindicate my no-parboil policy! potatoes excepted of course, though hasselbacks don't need it either.

And now I want dauphinoise....

Is par boiling, boiling a little bit furlinedsheepskinjacket?
I'm learning lots on this thread, cheers!
Write a local blog TQ1 it'd be lovely and very valuable to readers, we're all mortal after all.
Link for new cancer hairdos:

www.mynewhair.org

Hiya - glad to hear you're holding up ok and that friends and family are trying to look after you properly. In answer to your hair loss question, mine definitely took longer than 20 minutes to fall out! It did start to drop about day 16 - it was mostly strands in brushes, on pillows and hats etc but we did have a breezy day when I was on the school run and a chunk drifted off into the sky like a McDonalds balloon. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry but the kids found it hilarious, which was lovely as they were a bit freaked out by the idea of me being bald. I had mine cut into a short bob before treatment and didn't actually shave it off completely until after my op (between cycle 3+4). I had enough 'fringe' for it to poke beneath a hat/scarf for a couple of months, but it was too thin after cycle 2 to go without a head covering of some sort - kind of like a very old lady's hair. It started to regrow as soon as chemo stopped and I had a very short crop within about 5 months and a chin-length bob within 18 months. My eyebrows took longer to fall out, eyelashes fell out and grew back at quite random intervals, several times. Hope that helps and that you get your dauphinoise! xx

Silk scarves fall off unless wound round turban fashion tightly, far too slippery.

Have you heard of Look Good Feel Better TwitterQueen? They do make up workshops for women having cancer treatment and you get lots of good freebies. It's helpful if your eyebrows and eyelashes fall out or thin a lot.

But if make up isn't your thing they also have some videos on other things, including headwear. You can view some of the website or send off for a DVD.