Fat belly? No. Ovarian Cancer belly (pt 2)

[TwitterQueen1]

The story of my ovarian cancer discovery is here

This is such an important health issue - there's a reason why OC is called the 'silent killer'. I really want more women to be aware of what few symptoms there are (I wasn't).

This is my story. I hope it's a long one.

Just returned from consultant appt and feeling very positive .

I start cycle 6 on Wednesday and they say I'm doing well. I still have some hair and I'm still working - I am knackered though. I planted 8 potentillas two at a time with a 5 minute rest in between yesterday.

After my last taxol on day 15 I will progress to Bevacizumab (Avastin) only, for 18 treatments at 3-weekly intervals = 1 year.

I realise not everyone would be thrilled by the idea of another year on chemo but given the dreadful recurrence rates for OC I'm delighted that the fucker is going to be repeatedly zapped . And Bevacizumab is not as toxic as Carbo or Taxol so I won't get all the side-effects. I can do this.

👏👏👏👏TQ. You are already doing it.

Positive news and fighting spirit, couldn’t be better.

Goof gardening —I have never had an acer—.

Good not goof!

That sounds really positive. And impressed at the gardening

That all sounds really great and positive ! Good to know the plan for the next year . And well done on the gardening, I am feeling overwhelmed by weeds and the remnants of summer vegetables to be picked/pickled /frozen and I only have my natural indolence to blame . You put me to shame with your efforts .

Hope dd 3 is managing ok and enjoying her course ,

DD3 is learning to stay up beyond 10pm (we lead a quiet life at home!). Also learning to drink too much, what a hangover feels like and how much of a pain it is that clothes not only need washing, but you have to collect them all together, walk 20 mins to the laundrette, find the correct change, buy washing tabs, etc etc.

My legs ache from the gardening!

I emailed 8 family members about being on chemo for another year, and only 2 have emailed back (and 1 to say moving thurs, will be in touch afterwards). I know IABU but I was expecting just a little bit more.. I'm old news now: (Cancer is a very boring subject unless you're actually going through it of course.)

All sounds great TQ - take it easy :-)

Just to acknowledge your posts and to say your upbeat mood is obvious. Here's to you, your daughters hangovers and her dirty washing.

Takes me back TQ, learning to stay up after 10pm, hangovers and the laundrette. I am a lark, not an owl, always have been. I have never been good at drinking and the laundrette was always my least favourite place to be .

Sorry you are feeling disappointed by your family members, I would struggle not to be disappointed as well. .

Lark here too.

Neutrophils are low - 1.16. they very nearly didn't give me the chemo today. I have to have jabs for a few days. Unfortunately they didn't tell me this til I'd got home so I've got to go back to hospital again tomorrow for one, pick up the other 2 and then arrange for the district nurses to come in on Friday and Sat. I am a wuss.

Am I going to feel fab after the jabs? I feel totally wiped at the mo.

Oh that sounds tough going, I can’t answer your question but do hope the jabs help . And you are NOT a wuss, far from it . Sending
Hope tomorrow is a better day

Not a wuss. I had to have daily injections after my c-section for 2 weeks and I had to get the midwife to cone out every day to do them.

hi tq

lovely to read your thread and hear how great you sound xx

all the best :)

Is it GCSF? I jab myself once a week for my stupid neutrophils. Not cancer related, my body just thinks it's fun to produce them fine but then kill them off
If it is GCSF (lenograstim or filgrastim) then there's some manageable side effects. I get a headache for a short time, bone pain (back and thighs) and sometimes shivery. Paracetamol usually does the trick
Works v v quickly usually. I injected at 1am and had bloods drawn at 10am and went from my usual 0.4 to 24

Glad your consultants appointment went well. Don't do too much and wear yourself out

twitter just found your story again, first remember reading about you when first diagnosed....I see you're having GCSF injections to boost neutrophils....that's good...they do work but just be warned you may feel like you've been kicked by a horse.....as they work by stimulating the bone marrow
I work with cancer patients,in clinical trials so know a bit about treatments/ side effects
Good luck with rest of your treatment and thank you so much for taking part in a trial, without your participation medical treatments would never advance

Hi TQ

Glad to read your treatment is going well! I've popped in and out of your threads but haven't posted before, I'm not very good at forums, however my mum has just been diagnosed with OC. I guess a different type than yours hers is luckily(?!?) very low grade and not aggressive and will be managed with hormone therapy as the cancer isn't aggressive enough to respond to chemo. The diagnosis definitely comes as a bit of a shock though!

Hope you don't feel too wiped after this bout of chemo and the jabs get your neutrophils back up. I remember my sister saying she felt achy when she had the jabs (BC treatment last year)

Only 2 more of my daily jabs left - I too am a wuss and the district nurses come in to do them. I am so looking forward to them stopping.

Hope you manage to get a chance to rest up soon

Hi Ollivander
It's Filgrastim. I had the 1st one yesterday and am waiting for the District Nurse to come today, and then I'll go to the clinic for the 3rd one tomorrow. I had jabs for 28 days after the hysterectomy! Fortunately I can walk to my surgery so only needed the DNs at weekends.

No noticeable side effects so far, and I have to say I feel better already! Bodies are weird things...

Ahh I'm on lenograstim which is the other type. Very similar stuff I think, it is rather incredible how fast it works! My side effects sometimes are none, it all depends how low I am when I inject
Glad you're feeling better

I feel rubbish this am, as if I've got flu. I guess it must be the jabs? Though I'd expected any side effects before now. Everything aches, a bit sick. I'm hoping they'll go soon?

Sounds like the jabs. The aching is from your bone marrow doing its thing

Yep, flu like is the perfect description! Shivery, achy, just a bit blah. If you can take paracetamol it does help a bit
Side effects usually go fairly quickly

Sorry you are feeling rubbish TQ. and to anyone else going through this. Hopefully you will feel better tomorrow.

I am feeling fairly normal today , three weeks on. We are away for half term, DH has just asked if we are taking our bikes. I haven't ridden my bike for months. We are staying on Mull, I am not sure if there is a hill between our cottage and the beach (which is only ten minutes away).

I wonder if I could get my leg over my top tube - no idea but I might take it anyway as it doesn't impact on space on the top of the car.

Wow :-) The idea of biking makes me happy - if I can make it round the next corner, metaphorically speaking, I'd be thrilled to get back on my amazing Dutch bike! Hope you enjoy your half term :-)