I need information please

debbiejeanne
debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hi, my sister-in-law (47 yrs old) had a hystorectomy today for what her doctor/oncologist thought was uterus cancer. We were also told by the doctor that my sister-in-law (Linda) had a large fibrosis tumor (not cancerous)on the uterus. Well, when she opened Linda up to do the hystorectomy she discovered it was not a fibrostic tumor, it WAS HER OVERY THAT WAS EAT UP W/CANCER!! That's a huge difference. So now I'm scared to death b/c of all I've heard about that cancer. When the doctor was telling us that Linda was in recovery and doing fine I was ok but the minute she said ovarian cancer, I zoned out. I didn't ask any questions b/c I literally could not think past the words "ovarian cancer". The doctor said she will require chemo and possibly radiation as well. I didn't even think to ask her what stage of cancer she has, does she expect her to live, what are her chances, or anything else. My mind was frozen on the words "ovarian cancer". Can you please give me some inforation of this cancer? How long did it take to recover from the surgery, were you sick with the chemo, what can I do to help her through this (if anything, should she be eating specific foods, what questions should we ask the surgeon. Also, I know there are places that will supply you with a free wig, does anyone know how to go about this or the name of a company I can look up? We are in Cincinnati, Ohio. I just have no idea where to start.
I greatly appreciate you help b/c I just don't know what to do to help. Thank you in advance for helping!
I pray God will bless you all and keep you safe.
Very Sincerely,
Debbie

Comments

  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #2
    info
    Debbie, I am so sorry your sister=inlaw has ovca. She will be weak for awhile. I had my first chemo 2 weeks agter my surgery and was pretty weak for a few months. I never threw up as they have wonderful new anti=nausea drugs out there . you can eat bland foods a few days after tx. but make sure she stays hydrated before and after chemo , Also chemo can constipate her so tell her to ask dr for stool softener and Miralax. Tell her to take her pain meds and not to worry about being an addict as she will need them for a while she will need plenty of rest ,love understanding, someone to talk to ..she must have a positive attitude. I hope this helps you and wish you the best.
  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #3
    free wig
    the american cancer society will give you a free wig just call your local chapter they also have a look good feel good program that helps you with make up etc. sk md what stage , what chem will be given and for how long.ask md results of all blood work and scans.Tell md if pain meds are not working and be forthcomin ,hold nothing back. you can buy her scarves for now or hats as they are very comfortable. whenshe is feeling better tell to take a short walk and get out of the house for a bit....val
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #4
    poopergirl14052 said:

    info
    Debbie, I am so sorry your sister=inlaw has ovca. She will be weak for awhile. I had my first chemo 2 weeks agter my surgery and was pretty weak for a few months. I never threw up as they have wonderful new anti=nausea drugs out there . you can eat bland foods a few days after tx. but make sure she stays hydrated before and after chemo , Also chemo can constipate her so tell her to ask dr for stool softener and Miralax. Tell her to take her pain meds and not to worry about being an addict as she will need them for a while she will need plenty of rest ,love understanding, someone to talk to ..she must have a positive attitude. I hope this helps you and wish you the best.

    Thank you so much!!! I

    Thank you so much!!! I figured she'd be very tired for awhile. I didn't know about the drugs to prevent vomiting, so that's good info. also, the Miralax, I wouldn't have thot of that. Thank you so much for all the great info, I definietly will use it. By the time I'm done asking the doctor questions, she'll hate me for sure...lol.
    I pray God will keep you strong and you can keep a good attitude. Thank you again for your information!!
    Sincerely,
    Deb
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #5
    poopergirl14052 said:

    free wig
    the american cancer society will give you a free wig just call your local chapter they also have a look good feel good program that helps you with make up etc. sk md what stage , what chem will be given and for how long.ask md results of all blood work and scans.Tell md if pain meds are not working and be forthcomin ,hold nothing back. you can buy her scarves for now or hats as they are very comfortable. whenshe is feeling better tell to take a short walk and get out of the house for a bit....val

    poopergirl, YOU ARE
    Val, YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!! i knew I'd find everything I needed to know on here.

    Thank you so much!!!
    deb
  • jloe
    jloe Member Posts: 174
    #6
    poopergirl14052 said:

    info
    Debbie, I am so sorry your sister=inlaw has ovca. She will be weak for awhile. I had my first chemo 2 weeks agter my surgery and was pretty weak for a few months. I never threw up as they have wonderful new anti=nausea drugs out there . you can eat bland foods a few days after tx. but make sure she stays hydrated before and after chemo , Also chemo can constipate her so tell her to ask dr for stool softener and Miralax. Tell her to take her pain meds and not to worry about being an addict as she will need them for a while she will need plenty of rest ,love understanding, someone to talk to ..she must have a positive attitude. I hope this helps you and wish you the best.

    I hope this helps
    Debbie,
    The best thing that you have done in such a short time is to reach out for help and the best source should be your medical team. This is such a difficult and complicated disease. Not only do you have a surgeon but chemotherapy experts and hopefully an internist (your choice of that). I keep my internist involved because he can communicate with the other doctors and cut through the red tape to save me time. I also have a gastroentronolgist because I've had bowel surgery (very common with OVCA) and he helped me with the consipation problem. Please always try to keep them at your finger tips and in the loop. It is impossible to make these decisions on your own and they should work together. This surgery (debulking) if that is what she had is a very invasive surgery and you feel like you've been run over by a train. It took me almost 2 months to get back to nomal. Shortly after that there would most likely be several rounds of chemo and weekly blood tests to check your white and red blood count. There are many drugs that are or will be given prior to chemo treatments to help eliminate the side effects such as nausea or rashes and they are very effective. They would most likely recommend putting in an IV port (highly recommended).
    Continue to reach out to the medical team and make them all work together. This is a tough thing to learn quickly how to deal with and I wish you the best!
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #7
    jloe said:

    I hope this helps
    Debbie,
    The best thing that you have done in such a short time is to reach out for help and the best source should be your medical team. This is such a difficult and complicated disease. Not only do you have a surgeon but chemotherapy experts and hopefully an internist (your choice of that). I keep my internist involved because he can communicate with the other doctors and cut through the red tape to save me time. I also have a gastroentronolgist because I've had bowel surgery (very common with OVCA) and he helped me with the consipation problem. Please always try to keep them at your finger tips and in the loop. It is impossible to make these decisions on your own and they should work together. This surgery (debulking) if that is what she had is a very invasive surgery and you feel like you've been run over by a train. It took me almost 2 months to get back to nomal. Shortly after that there would most likely be several rounds of chemo and weekly blood tests to check your white and red blood count. There are many drugs that are or will be given prior to chemo treatments to help eliminate the side effects such as nausea or rashes and they are very effective. They would most likely recommend putting in an IV port (highly recommended).
    Continue to reach out to the medical team and make them all work together. This is a tough thing to learn quickly how to deal with and I wish you the best!

    Dear Jloe, thank you so much
    Dear Jloe, thank you so much for your fantastic advice. I just love this site for the hope, advice, experience, and every thing else one gets here. You guys are absolutly the best source of info and I will definiely share it. Thank you again!! I pray God will take care of everyone on this site and keep us strong enuf to fight the battle.
    God Bless,
    Debbie
  • Lisa 00
    Lisa 00 Member Posts: 134 Member
    #8
    debbiejeanne said:

    poopergirl, YOU ARE
    Val, YOU ARE AWESOME!!!!!!! i knew I'd find everything I needed to know on here.

    Thank you so much!!!
    deb

    Deb
    Many health insurance companies will pay for a wig for those doing chemo. Mine did. Just call the ins. company and ask them. My insurance covered up to $400 for a wig. By the time I found that out I had already bought one for $100. Rather than put more money into the wig thing, I just had the $100 one reimbursed. I could have gotten a killer wig for free and didn't know it in time!!
    L
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #9
    Lisa 00 said:

    Deb
    Many health insurance companies will pay for a wig for those doing chemo. Mine did. Just call the ins. company and ask them. My insurance covered up to $400 for a wig. By the time I found that out I had already bought one for $100. Rather than put more money into the wig thing, I just had the $100 one reimbursed. I could have gotten a killer wig for free and didn't know it in time!!
    L

    Dear Lisa, thank you for
    Dear Lisa, thank you for sharing. I just love this site. It was helpful to me last year when I had throat cancer and I knew everyone here would help me with my sister's-in-law cancer also.
    God Bless you all,
    deb
  • jloe
    jloe Member Posts: 174
    #10
    debbiejeanne said:

    Dear Lisa, thank you for
    Dear Lisa, thank you for sharing. I just love this site. It was helpful to me last year when I had throat cancer and I knew everyone here would help me with my sister's-in-law cancer also.
    God Bless you all,
    deb

    Wig info
    Debbie,
    There is another online wig shopping, Rene of Paris ("Amore" line) is popualar. I have not tried it but I think it's popular with a few of the women on this site.
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #11
    jloe said:

    Wig info
    Debbie,
    There is another online wig shopping, Rene of Paris ("Amore" line) is popualar. I have not tried it but I think it's popular with a few of the women on this site.

    great!! thank you. I am
    great!! thank you. I am going to look things up tomorrow and call a few places.
    Thanks everyone for sharing you knowledge, as I appreciate it more than i can express!!!
    deb
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #12
    Debbie....
    You are a great
    Debbie....

    You are a great sister-in-law. Linda is very lucky to have you in her life. Encourage her to sign up here, but feel free to hang out yourself. There are a number of Look Good Feel Better sites in your area. Go to http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs and put in the zip code for the nearest one. When she is feeling better Linda will can sign up for one of the sessions and they will give her a ton of free makeup, scarves, hats, etc and teach her lots of beauty tricks for camouflaging the "cancer girl" look we all dreaded so much.

    The chemo effects vary from person to person. My first session was rough, but the rest were much easier. They routinely give anti-nausea meds via IV and pills for afterward. The standard is 6 rounds of Carbo/Taxol. It took me 6 units of blood to get thru the protocol but I am in remission almost a year later, and I feel like I was never sick.

    Linda will start to lose her hair about 2 weeks after her first chemo treatment. I suggest that she get it cut really short (think Jamie Lee Curtis) as soon as she feels up to it. That will minimize the shock, as once it starts to fall out, it comes out in handfuls.

    You might want to ask what stage Linda's cancer is. Her prognosis and treatment will be influenced, to a large extent, by that information.

    I don't follow a special diet but a multi-vitamin with iron is essential during chemo.

    The ladies on this board are amazing. They are the strongest group of women you will ever meet. You and Linda will receive encouragement, advice, and a lot of love here, though it's a club nobody wants to join.

    Carlene
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #13
    jloe said:

    Wig info
    Debbie,
    There is another online wig shopping, Rene of Paris ("Amore" line) is popualar. I have not tried it but I think it's popular with a few of the women on this site.

    I love the Amore line from
    I love the Amore line from ROP. I am wearing my "Wendy" wig in my profile pic and I also own one called "Emily".

    I have a human hair wig, as well. Some ladies find the wigs to be hot and uncomfortable. I made friends with mine early on and have worn one daily since Oct of 2009. I also have a whole wardrobe of hats. Losing your hair is traumatic at first but I promise, Linda will adapt. And there is an up-side; there is a lot to be said for wash 'n wear hair. And you never have a bad hair day as long as you have a nice wig.

    Carlene
  • Sandy10
    Sandy10 Member Posts: 80
    #14
    Hope this helps
    Debbie,

    it is very nice to meet you!! Sorry it had to be under such crappy circumstances. I know what you mean by being stuck on the words "ovarian Cancer" it happened to me too when i was first diagnosed. One thing I would suggest is to make a list of questions for the doctor and bring it with you to the appointments. That way you can just read from your list. I would ask one question and forget to ask the other 3!! so, i made a list and it helped me a lot. Also, take it one day at a time. Everyone is different as to how they respond to Chemo and Meds.Some women have no problem at all with the chemo and some have issues.That's one thing you won't know until she starts Chemo. She will need a few weeks to recover from surgery so they probably won't start chemo until she has recovered from that. She will be tired a lot. She will be going through mood swings, not only from the surgical menopause but because of the stress too. Give her lots of support and love. A positive attitude and lots of support are VITAL to her. Come to this site often because we some wonderful women here who help us a lot. this site has been a Godsend to me and many other women. anything you want to know, you can find out here. Just let her know that she is not alone. She has an army of teal sisters behind her and you too!!!! I will be praying for her, you and your family!!

    Sandy
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #15
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    Debbie....
    You are a great
    Debbie....

    You are a great sister-in-law. Linda is very lucky to have you in her life. Encourage her to sign up here, but feel free to hang out yourself. There are a number of Look Good Feel Better sites in your area. Go to http://lookgoodfeelbetter.org/programs and put in the zip code for the nearest one. When she is feeling better Linda will can sign up for one of the sessions and they will give her a ton of free makeup, scarves, hats, etc and teach her lots of beauty tricks for camouflaging the "cancer girl" look we all dreaded so much.

    The chemo effects vary from person to person. My first session was rough, but the rest were much easier. They routinely give anti-nausea meds via IV and pills for afterward. The standard is 6 rounds of Carbo/Taxol. It took me 6 units of blood to get thru the protocol but I am in remission almost a year later, and I feel like I was never sick.

    Linda will start to lose her hair about 2 weeks after her first chemo treatment. I suggest that she get it cut really short (think Jamie Lee Curtis) as soon as she feels up to it. That will minimize the shock, as once it starts to fall out, it comes out in handfuls.

    You might want to ask what stage Linda's cancer is. Her prognosis and treatment will be influenced, to a large extent, by that information.

    I don't follow a special diet but a multi-vitamin with iron is essential during chemo.

    The ladies on this board are amazing. They are the strongest group of women you will ever meet. You and Linda will receive encouragement, advice, and a lot of love here, though it's a club nobody wants to join.

    Carlene

    Carlene, you don't look like
    Carlene, you don't look like you're sick either!!!! That is an excellent pic of you. Heck, I'm not sick and I still don't look that good...lol
    Thank you so much for the information. Thank you for the kind words about me. The really weird part is this is the FIRST time Linda has ever been sick. The FIRST time and it is this horrible, horrible disease!!
    I learned about this site in 2008 when I was diagnosed with throat cancer and I knew it could help me with this cancer also. I definitley plan to get Linda on here. It was my husbanc, this site and the wonderful people here who got me thru my cancer. I know it will help Linda as well. It is amazing how people will go out of their way to help someone on this site. I believe their info is the best b/c it is not statitics, it is their new way of life.
    Thank you, Carlene, I defintley plan to share this with Linda and who knows, maybe she and I can go to look at wigs together so we can put some fun in the day.
    Thank you again Carlene and the others who answered my post. I promise you all that I very much appreciate the help.
    Sincerly and praying for everyone to get better,
    Deb
  • malarkyinc
    malarkyinc Member Posts: 5
    #16
    Hissy_Fitz said:

    I love the Amore line from
    I love the Amore line from ROP. I am wearing my "Wendy" wig in my profile pic and I also own one called "Emily".

    I have a human hair wig, as well. Some ladies find the wigs to be hot and uncomfortable. I made friends with mine early on and have worn one daily since Oct of 2009. I also have a whole wardrobe of hats. Losing your hair is traumatic at first but I promise, Linda will adapt. And there is an up-side; there is a lot to be said for wash 'n wear hair. And you never have a bad hair day as long as you have a nice wig.

    Carlene

    wig purchase
    Hi Carlene

    Can you buy the wigs from the ROP site? Seems like you need to find a store to go to? I guess you are pleased with the quality?
    Thanks
    Annette
  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #17
    malarkyinc said:

    wig purchase
    Hi Carlene

    Can you buy the wigs from the ROP site? Seems like you need to find a store to go to? I guess you are pleased with the quality?
    Thanks
    Annette

    I am very pleased with the
    I am very pleased with the quality. The "Wendy" and "Emily" styles are both what they call monofilament, meaning the cap looks like real scalp and you can part the wig anywhere without it looking "fake".

    I actually went to a wig shop (the one where I bought the human hair wig) and tried on synthetic wigs, thinking I'd get a back-up because the human hair wigs are prone to everything your own hair is.....humidity, etc. They have to be styled with rollers or you can use a curling iron on "low", if you are really brave. I set mine (wet) on rollers and leave it all night. Anyway, I found the brand/styles I liked and ordered online, because it was LOTS cheaper.

    Carlene
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #18
    Hi Debbie,
    I am so sorry to
    Hi Debbie,

    I am so sorry to hear the news about your siste-in-law.

    I am a facilitator with the American Cancer Society's Look Good Feel Better program.

    My understanding is that the patient is entitled to 2 wigs, turbans, hats, scarves, caps, bras, prosthesis (for breast cancer patients) and we also give them (all free) a color-coded make-up bag (red) filled with everything from cleansers, moisturizers, foundation, powder,blush, eyebrow-pencils, lipstick,lip-pencils, etc...

    This is all done, to give the cancer patient a means to look good while undergoing treatment and thus feel better.

    I have truly seen this class transform it's participants in a very positive way.

    Also; utilize the ACS for other services i.e, finances, insurance info/and rights, transportation issues...just a bevy of things to get you started.

    I volunteer once a month for this cause and believe it's somethings you should look into for your sis.

    Take care to you,

    Sharon
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #19
    msfanciful said:

    Hi Debbie,
    I am so sorry to
    Hi Debbie,

    I am so sorry to hear the news about your siste-in-law.

    I am a facilitator with the American Cancer Society's Look Good Feel Better program.

    My understanding is that the patient is entitled to 2 wigs, turbans, hats, scarves, caps, bras, prosthesis (for breast cancer patients) and we also give them (all free) a color-coded make-up bag (red) filled with everything from cleansers, moisturizers, foundation, powder,blush, eyebrow-pencils, lipstick,lip-pencils, etc...

    This is all done, to give the cancer patient a means to look good while undergoing treatment and thus feel better.

    I have truly seen this class transform it's participants in a very positive way.

    Also; utilize the ACS for other services i.e, finances, insurance info/and rights, transportation issues...just a bevy of things to get you started.

    I volunteer once a month for this cause and believe it's somethings you should look into for your sis.

    Take care to you,

    Sharon

    thank you

    Sharon, thank you so much!! That is why I love this site, if you need to know it, you will find it here!! I have told Linda about this site and she does plan to visit. She got to come home today and is doing pretty well after her surgery (1/5/11). She is pretty positive right now but hasn't started trmnts yet. She also has a wonderul faith in God which will help her thru this also. People like you and the others here will also be fundamental. Thank you for taking time to reply. I'm going to print your post so she can see what ACS has to help her out.
    God bless,
    debbie
  • debbiejeanne
    debbiejeanne Member Posts: 3,102 Member
    #20
    Sandy10 said:

    Hope this helps
    Debbie,

    it is very nice to meet you!! Sorry it had to be under such crappy circumstances. I know what you mean by being stuck on the words "ovarian Cancer" it happened to me too when i was first diagnosed. One thing I would suggest is to make a list of questions for the doctor and bring it with you to the appointments. That way you can just read from your list. I would ask one question and forget to ask the other 3!! so, i made a list and it helped me a lot. Also, take it one day at a time. Everyone is different as to how they respond to Chemo and Meds.Some women have no problem at all with the chemo and some have issues.That's one thing you won't know until she starts Chemo. She will need a few weeks to recover from surgery so they probably won't start chemo until she has recovered from that. She will be tired a lot. She will be going through mood swings, not only from the surgical menopause but because of the stress too. Give her lots of support and love. A positive attitude and lots of support are VITAL to her. Come to this site often because we some wonderful women here who help us a lot. this site has been a Godsend to me and many other women. anything you want to know, you can find out here. Just let her know that she is not alone. She has an army of teal sisters behind her and you too!!!! I will be praying for her, you and your family!!

    Sandy

    thank you
    Sandy, thank you for your post. Can you tell me what questions to ask. I just don't know. I would like to get a list together for her and print it out so she'll have it for her 1/18/11 appt. I'd really appreciate any direction you can give me. Thank you very much again for your post and help.
    God bless,
    debbie
  • Sandy10
    Sandy10 Member Posts: 80
    #21
    debbiejeanne said:

    thank you
    Sandy, thank you for your post. Can you tell me what questions to ask. I just don't know. I would like to get a list together for her and print it out so she'll have it for her 1/18/11 appt. I'd really appreciate any direction you can give me. Thank you very much again for your post and help.
    God bless,
    debbie

    questions
    Debbie,

    Hello again!! I hope your sister in law is doing well after her surgery. As far as questions for the doctor, begin by asking what stage the cancer is in. then what treatments the doctor recommends. If the docotor says sge needs chemo, i would ask what cheno they will start with and the side effects of that chemo. Also ask if any of the other abdominal organs were involved. As you ask questions and get answers, you will think of other questions. it's kind of like the domino effect.One question leads to another question. One thing I will advise against is to not look online for information about ovarian cancer. A lot of the info there is from a few years ago and can be scary. listen to the doctor. he will have the most updated info and treatment options. Also, read the posts here. There are MANY woman here who have been dealing with this for a long time and they have the best information. Hope this helps. please keep us posted on how she is doing.
    ((((HUGS))))

    Sandy

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