Cancer Survivors Network

Hi, my name is Brenda.
I am 50 years young and in Jan 2001 I was diagnosed with Stage IIIc ovca. Since that time I have had the surgery and six rounds of chemo (Taxol and Carboplatin). Quite honestly, I have felt terrific up to this point. Had very few negative side affects to the chemo other than the obvious hair loss but during treatment really felt pretty good and did not experience much discomfort. However, now a year+ later I am experiencing some serious swelling in hands and feet; feet ALWAYS feel like lead and am feeling extremely fatigued. My most recent CA125 was done three weeks ago and came back at "7". I am thrilled to be in the single digits but am depressed about feeling so lousy and exhausted all the time. Until just recently I walked three miles each day in an effort to keep up my stamina but that has become all but impossible now. Some days I can barely muster the energy to drag myself out of bed to go to work. Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to overcome these problems? While I have discussed these matters with my oncologist and regular physician, I have yet to find any pratical way to surmount the problems. Is diet the solution, exercise, a combination of both? My weight gain has become a huge psychological problem for me and I am so uncomfortable in this new body which has become me. I am most grateful to be alive and able to carry on in an almost normal fashion but I no longer recognize myself as the person I was. The bloating and swelling has become not only physical but psychological for me now. Any thoughts and recommendations would be most appreciated.