Ovarian Germ Cell Tumour

Isabel76

Hi there,

I had a rare type of cancer on my right ovary called a germ cell tumour. It spread gradually to stage 3 to my omentum without me knowing this (I thought I merely had a bladder infection)...

I had an operation in which I lost my right ovary, and three months of rigorous chemo, which killed it )

This was in April.

I'm posting on here basically because I would like to help anyone going through something similar. I knew when I was going through this I just wanted to ask someone so many different questions who had been through something similar (or just chemo!).

So if I can be helpful to anyone with questions, please let me know.

Best wishes for the New Year to everyone. xoxox

bbhelen

Dear Isabel76
My cancer situation sounds like your experience.I also started in April with what I thought was a bladder infection.Mine has spread as yours had although I do have a mass around the colon which the chemo is designed to shrink. After 3 cycles of chemo I'm to have surgery to remove the shrunken tumor.I received my diagnosis on Nov 28.

I'm so glad to hear that the chemo has worked for you. I just had my first treatment (12/22) and I'm having a tough time.I can't keep down anything but ice chips and Gatorade.

My cancer had started affecting my digestive system, indigestion, bloating, vomiting, ulcer symptoms. The chemotherapy has made this really bad.Did you have digestive trouble?

What sort of things were helpful that you ate and drank?

It's really early in the morning, but I'm up and did want to try to make a contact.

Thanks for your willingness to share!

Isabel76

bbhelen said:

Dear Isabel76
My cancer situation sounds like your experience.I also started in April with what I thought was a bladder infection.Mine has spread as yours had although I do have a mass around the colon which the chemo is designed to shrink. After 3 cycles of chemo I'm to have surgery to remove the shrunken tumor.I received my diagnosis on Nov 28.

I'm so glad to hear that the chemo has worked for you. I just had my first treatment (12/22) and I'm having a tough time.I can't keep down anything but ice chips and Gatorade.

My cancer had started affecting my digestive system, indigestion, bloating, vomiting, ulcer symptoms. The chemotherapy has made this really bad.Did you have digestive trouble?

What sort of things were helpful that you ate and drank?

It's really early in the morning, but I'm up and did want to try to make a contact.

Thanks for your willingness to share!

Hi bbhelen,

Sorry to hear that you are having problems keeping down some food. Are you taking anti nausea pills? I foujhnd that they really did help once I found the right ones that suited me.

Some of the foods I found really helpful while going through chemo (and ones that I could taste) was rockmelon, grapes, watermelon, flavoured noodles, sushi (believe it or not although they do sday not to eat seafood while going through chemo). Also, fizzy orange drink was sometimes good. And really flavoursome things like chips (i.e. packet of flavoured corn chips etc)(I am writing from New Zealand so Im not sure what brand of stuff to write down here as they may not be the same as you are used to). I just foujnd al lthis stuff easy to keep down, and also it didnt taste as horrible as a lot of other things. When I wanted to eat healthily at dinner and actually taste it I'd have brocolli or cauliflower cheese - that always worked.

Although it is awful at first, you just have to keep telling yourself that you will get past this.

I didnt find I had digestive problems as such. It took a while after the operation (which I had in November 2004, then started the chemo in December 2004 and finished it in April 2005) for the digestive system to come back into its routine. But it did return.

Have you tried taking aloe vera juice? Sometimes that is really good with digestive problems. Its something you could look into anyway.

I hope this helps - let me know if you need to know anything more.

Im send you good wishes for a full recovery and remember to keep positive and focussed )

Rideno12

Hi Isabel76,

I am so glad to read your post. I am a 20 year old college student recently diagnosed with an ovarian germ cell tumor. I was just thinking earlier today how nice it would be to talk to someone who had experienced what I'm going through.

I had a large tumor on my left ovary that was removed on 12/21/05. It was diagnosed as a Stage I, as the tumor was still encapsulated around the left ovary. The cancer had not spread anywhere else. My gyn oncologist has prescribed 4 rounds of chemotherapy for me. I have already completed the first one and go for the 2nd one starting on Feb 1st if all of my blood counts come back alright.

I'm taking the semester off of school for the chemotherapy, but the doctor has told me that my prognosis is excellent and I expect to be back at school in the fall.

Thus far, the side effects haven't seemed as bad as I've heard. I did experience some nausea the first few days after returning home from my first chemo round. Otherwise, I have felt good and my spirits have been high. I have just started to recently lose my hair, which has been a little more emotional than expected, but have already gone wig shopping and found some really cute ones!
When did you start to lose your hair and how did you cope?

I hope to hear back from you!

Stefanie

Kook

Disgermonia
Hi, my niece 21 has disgermonia and is starting treatment at Sloan Kettering stage 3. We are anxious and concerned would love to chat

ptharp

Isabel76 said:

Hi bbhelen,

Sorry to hear that you are having problems keeping down some food. Are you taking anti nausea pills? I foujhnd that they really did help once I found the right ones that suited me.

Some of the foods I found really helpful while going through chemo (and ones that I could taste) was rockmelon, grapes, watermelon, flavoured noodles, sushi (believe it or not although they do sday not to eat seafood while going through chemo). Also, fizzy orange drink was sometimes good. And really flavoursome things like chips (i.e. packet of flavoured corn chips etc)(I am writing from New Zealand so Im not sure what brand of stuff to write down here as they may not be the same as you are used to). I just foujnd al lthis stuff easy to keep down, and also it didnt taste as horrible as a lot of other things. When I wanted to eat healthily at dinner and actually taste it I'd have brocolli or cauliflower cheese - that always worked.

Although it is awful at first, you just have to keep telling yourself that you will get past this.

I didnt find I had digestive problems as such. It took a while after the operation (which I had in November 2004, then started the chemo in December 2004 and finished it in April 2005) for the digestive system to come back into its routine. But it did return.

Have you tried taking aloe vera juice? Sometimes that is really good with digestive problems. Its something you could look into anyway.

I hope this helps - let me know if you need to know anything more.

Im send you good wishes for a full recovery and remember to keep positive and focussed )

Hi Isabel..Have you had any
Hi Isabel..Have you had any reoccurances since April 2005?

tatem222

Kook said:

Disgermonia
Hi, my niece 21 has disgermonia and is starting treatment at Sloan Kettering stage 3. We are anxious and concerned would love to chat

Hello, I saw your post. I am
Hello, I saw your post. I am 28 and finished four rounds of chemo in April for a dsygerminoma cancer stage 3C. I hope your niece is doing well. It is a really tough chemo plan but worth it to be cancer free. Prayers to you and your family!! If I can be of any assistance, please advise.
Ashley Paul

Kook

tatem222 said:

Hello, I saw your post. I am
Hello, I saw your post. I am 28 and finished four rounds of chemo in April for a dsygerminoma cancer stage 3C. I hope your niece is doing well. It is a really tough chemo plan but worth it to be cancer free. Prayers to you and your family!! If I can be of any assistance, please advise.
Ashley Paul

Dysgerminoma
Hi thanks for responding very hard to find someone within the same age group for this cancer she is at Sloan they say 3a and she just finished her second round we are very worried because she has been having lower back pain before and after her surgery and we are wordless about spread to the spine are ct scan before chemo did not show up anything. Please email me at Alizajeff@aol.com I would
Like to talk further if that is okay with you BTWY where were you treated?

Kook

tatem222 said:

Hello, I saw your post. I am
Hello, I saw your post. I am 28 and finished four rounds of chemo in April for a dsygerminoma cancer stage 3C. I hope your niece is doing well. It is a really tough chemo plan but worth it to be cancer free. Prayers to you and your family!! If I can be of any assistance, please advise.
Ashley Paul

Dysgerminoma
Hi thanks for responding very hard to find someone within the same age group for this cancer she is at Sloan they say 3a and she just finished her second round we are very worried because she has been having lower back pain before and after her surgery and we are wordless about spread to the spine are ct scan before chemo did not show up anything. Please email me at Alizajeff@aol.com I would
Like to talk further if that is okay with you BTWY where were you treated?