I just finished my treatments and am done!!!

Unknown

Hi everyone. Im new to this site but im so glad i joined. I just finished my last treament on saturday november 24th, im extremely excited. but im also feeling so many emotions i didnt feel before being so caught up in just beating this. My self esteem is at an ultimate low seeming as i lost my hair (its growing back now) and im still extremely fatigued,and i gained lots of weight. i was wondering if any one has any advice or anything theyve done for making your self image feel better. I hope to make lots of new friends. it would be niceto talk to people that know what im going through. My prayers go out to everyone that is going through such a tough time. I hope someone replies.

mopar

I am so glad to hear you are done with treatments! That is a milestone. Now, everything else will just take time and patience. Focus on your 'freedom' right now. Concentrate on life, and just take each day, each moment one at a time.

Most of us can attest to the weight gain. Lots of factors here, but focus on eating well - lean sources of protein, lots of veges, fruit, good grains, water - all the good stuff! Do you like to walk? Is it warm where you are? Exercise is great for the emotional aspect of things - just a casual stroll around the block or even a good indoor exercise program. I really rely on both diet and exercise, not just for weight loss, but overall good health. It's up to me. And I actually find that when I exercise I do my best thinking! It's as if I can put everything aside, get those endorphins going, and clear my mind. It's very therapeutic.

The first time, my hair came back very quickly. The second time took a little longer. Either way, it will come back and you just might enjoy the short, classy style as it's growing back. I sure did. It was easy to take care of and, surprisingly, everyone really loved it! I would never get it cut that short, but I realized that it was just a 'phase' and made the best of it. I focused on my make-up, earrings and necklaces to play it up. My brows and lashes didn't come back as well as I had hoped this second time, so I just have to make do with what I have.

There's no doubt all of this can affect your self-image. But remember, you have won a battle, and now you just have some 'battle scars' to show for it! And those scars will fade in time. We have a tendency to 'become' that which we are going through. At first, my 'identity' was cancer. When you realize that you are more than that, you can focus on what needs to be done, not what 'isn't. And now you can focus on moving on in life - making the best of everyday.

Well, I hope I haven't rambled on too much for you. I could hear and feel and relate to your emotions - I'm sure many more will as well. You definitely will meet many here. There are so many inspiring testimonies, words of hope, encouragement, support, information, and some really good friends! My prayers to you also. And please let us know how you are doing - we care.
Luv and hugs!
Monika

saundra

Congratulations on finishing your treatments. I agree with Monika.
Exercise is the best. I would not have been able to fight off this disease as well as I have, had I not been going to the gym for eight years. Now, I am back going 3-4 mornings a week and gradually working up my stamina as I feel like it. My latest CT was clear but I am taking a several month course of low dose taxol every four weeks that might buy me a longer remission for Stage IV. My hair is slowly growing back and I don't know what this maintenance dose will do but have 4 wigs that will handle that. I plan to go to entertaining things as much as I can and have friends over for dinner more often and anything else to get back into living a life that has been on hold since Mar. 2. ((Hugs))

Unknown

mopar said:

I am so glad to hear you are done with treatments! That is a milestone. Now, everything else will just take time and patience. Focus on your 'freedom' right now. Concentrate on life, and just take each day, each moment one at a time.

Most of us can attest to the weight gain. Lots of factors here, but focus on eating well - lean sources of protein, lots of veges, fruit, good grains, water - all the good stuff! Do you like to walk? Is it warm where you are? Exercise is great for the emotional aspect of things - just a casual stroll around the block or even a good indoor exercise program. I really rely on both diet and exercise, not just for weight loss, but overall good health. It's up to me. And I actually find that when I exercise I do my best thinking! It's as if I can put everything aside, get those endorphins going, and clear my mind. It's very therapeutic.

The first time, my hair came back very quickly. The second time took a little longer. Either way, it will come back and you just might enjoy the short, classy style as it's growing back. I sure did. It was easy to take care of and, surprisingly, everyone really loved it! I would never get it cut that short, but I realized that it was just a 'phase' and made the best of it. I focused on my make-up, earrings and necklaces to play it up. My brows and lashes didn't come back as well as I had hoped this second time, so I just have to make do with what I have.

There's no doubt all of this can affect your self-image. But remember, you have won a battle, and now you just have some 'battle scars' to show for it! And those scars will fade in time. We have a tendency to 'become' that which we are going through. At first, my 'identity' was cancer. When you realize that you are more than that, you can focus on what needs to be done, not what 'isn't. And now you can focus on moving on in life - making the best of everyday.

Well, I hope I haven't rambled on too much for you. I could hear and feel and relate to your emotions - I'm sure many more will as well. You definitely will meet many here. There are so many inspiring testimonies, words of hope, encouragement, support, information, and some really good friends! My prayers to you also. And please let us know how you are doing - we care.
Luv and hugs!
Monika

Thankyou So much for your replies Monika and Saundra. No you didnt ramble on to much! I wish I would have found this site when i was going through this. Did you both have ovarian? are you guys doing ok? This site has helped me so much the past couple of days. Im only 20 so looks really matter alot but thankgod for wigs and my boyfriend who has loved me unconditionally through this along with his family and friends. Im to weak to exercise. My blood is low so i have to stay on high sodium foods. I cant wait to be able to go back to work again. Although I always have a scared feeling of it coming back because ovarian cancer has such a high rate of coming back. and I live in buffalo new york so its cold here. but i dont mind the cold walks. you get used to it!! let me know about you guys please. thanks so much!

kris43

Congratulations on being done with treatment! I have 2 more left to go and am trying to prepare myself for all the emotions the wonderful women on this sight have talked about once you are done. I think we get so caught up in "the fight" that we forget to breathe during it.

I have battled the weight gain also but the doctor assures me once I stop taking the steroids things will start to return to normal. I finally went back to the gym a couple of months ago only to find myself basically incapacitated with side effects after the last 2 treatments that I just stopped and will resume in January when treatments are done and I can return to work.

You need to remember that you are still you and that you need to be living with cancer - not letting your life be dictated by it. You are so young - my son is 21 - and I feel so bad that he has been going through this with me. I cannot imagine it being the other way around. I do not wear a wig - but my friends had a bandanna party for me and I have the most amazing selection to chose from each day as I get dressed. I also am sure to put on my make up and get dressed each day and most importantly, keep up with my friends and family and what is going on in their lives. People get diagnosed with cancer each and every day and I do not want to focus on "me" only. Life goes on around me and I want to continue to be a part of that.

I wish you well and just keep hanging in there. It will get better. Kris

saundra

unknown said:

Thankyou So much for your replies Monika and Saundra. No you didnt ramble on to much! I wish I would have found this site when i was going through this. Did you both have ovarian? are you guys doing ok? This site has helped me so much the past couple of days. Im only 20 so looks really matter alot but thankgod for wigs and my boyfriend who has loved me unconditionally through this along with his family and friends. Im to weak to exercise. My blood is low so i have to stay on high sodium foods. I cant wait to be able to go back to work again. Although I always have a scared feeling of it coming back because ovarian cancer has such a high rate of coming back. and I live in buffalo new york so its cold here. but i dont mind the cold walks. you get used to it!! let me know about you guys please. thanks so much!

I think everyone on this site is ovarian or the spouse or daughter of . I had four doses of taxol + carboplatin, debulking surgery and liver radio frequency ablation, and then four more doses, followed by one dose of Doxel. Now on taxol (lower dose) every four weeks as a maintenance even though the last CT scan did not show any tumors. Stage IV because it had spread to my liver. The maintenance is still fairly new and only one study to show that it bought the remission time up on the average of 10 additional months. Check in ofter as there is a wealth of news and support here.

mopar

My goodness, 20 years old. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. But youth is on your side for recovery and sustained good health!

Was there a family history? I had no family history, no symptoms - just went in to have a uterine fibroid removed and Stage 1C ovarian was discovered. I was very, very fortunate in that it was caught early. That was in 2000 - complete hysterectomy, lymph node removal, etc. 6 rounds of carbo/taxol. Recurrance in 2006, surgery again, and 6 rounds again.

I am so glad you hear you have such a wonderful support system - that is so important. And I knew you would get tons of responses. Everyone in this group is the best! I can remember many a long, lonely, sleepless night during chemo, coming to the chat room here. It kept my mind off things and helped me to relax and eventually sleep.

I also had low blood pressure. Mine is normally 110/60 at most, and it dropped as low as 85/65 at times. Low blood pressure is hard to deal with. But it will get better, and that fatigue will also.
Thank you for the added information. Come back and visit us soon!
Luv & Hugs!
Monika

lindachris

The most amazing thing about this site is everyone's ability to share and help without being intrusive. It's like a big waiting room where we're all actually allowed to talk about what's going on in each other's lives. It is great you're done, jennarose87! And your life will come back together. Hair and all! Be happy, but be diligent. My wife gained weight and we walked and walked. Sometimes it was hard because her feet were numb, or it was cold and dark. But on we walked. And it gave us time to talk. Then we walked in a cancer center fundraiser on a fine spring day and had all those memories of getting through tough times together as we walked. And it prepped us for what lay ahead. This is a journey, and as everyone will tell you, it's choosing how you want to go on that journey that makes all the difference what it looks like while you're on it. God Bless, because you're not alone.

BonnieR

Welcome JennaRose and congratulations on finishing treatments. Time to take a deep breath and enjoy the upcoming Christmas Celebrations!

You will find lots of support here. Prayers to you for a continued cancer free life!

Hugs N Prayers BonnieRose

floridajo

Wecome Jennarose!!
What a pretty name, and so unusual too. You'll love this group,you'll find lots of love,strength and support on here as well as lots of infor. I'm sorry that you have this beast and are so young,but you have a great support system, and that means alot too. Your hair will grow back and like the other ladies said excercise and eating right will help alot. Some of this weight gain is from the steriods given at each treatment,so some of the weight will come off simply because you are not on any steriods anymore. Good luck, and be patient you'll be back to your old usual self in no time. Also the fatique will get better,it's just a side effect of the chemo,sometimes it takes months to get over all the side effects. (((hugz)))..Joanne