New to this site

kwar

Hello. In reading all the posts on this forum for quite a while now, I have found that everyone's personal stories, theirs or family members courage and willingness to overcome this disease to be so uplifting and reassuring, I thought I would post my own questions regarding my mom who was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian CA in May of 2009. Her diagnosis came as a complete shock to us with no family history of cancer. Prior to CA diagnosis, my mother self-diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. Now researching, she had all the classic symptoms. I just want to make sure we are doing everything we possibly can and asking all the questions that need to be asked.

She had surgery in May - started first chemo treatment six weeks later. Taxol and IP cisplatin every three weeks. She has been delayed one week so far due to low WBC count. She goes for routine blood work, but we never know the results or really what they are testing for. No screening at this point has been made to determine how she is responding to treatment. No other tests have been performed to date. I am not sure if this is the standard care of treatment or not? I don't want to miss anything. Thank you...

TDodds68

new
If she is getting blood work before her treatments then more than likely they are running a CA-125 along with it, or at least my gyno/onco does every 3 weeks before my treatment. He was not giving me mine either so I started asking and he gave me a copy of my results during my consults before treatment. I too was diagnosed in May. My CA-125 has gone from 2838 down to 7 so that shows them the chemo is working.

kwar

TDodds68 said:

new
If she is getting blood work before her treatments then more than likely they are running a CA-125 along with it, or at least my gyno/onco does every 3 weeks before my treatment. He was not giving me mine either so I started asking and he gave me a copy of my results during my consults before treatment. I too was diagnosed in May. My CA-125 has gone from 2838 down to 7 so that shows them the chemo is working.

Hi TDodds68, thank you for
Hi TDodds68, thank you for responding to my post and so glad to hear your CA-125 is going down. I shall start to ask now. I keep reading everyone knows their CA-125; my mom and I have know idea what hers is now. She also does not have consults prior to her treatments. Should she be having regular appointments with her oncologist in addition to treatment visits? Thanks so much and my thoughts are with you.

Unknown

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TDodds68

6 weeks
In my case they waited six weeks because when they did the hysterectomy they cut me open verically to do an exploratory and they wanted that to heal first especially if I were to get sick I couldn't hardly caugh, sneeze, or laugh without hurting and if I were to get sick it could have reinjured some of the internal stitches whick I did pull some while I was still in the hospital.

As far as the visits each gyn/onc is different mine runs the CBC and CA-125 the same day as chemo after the blood is drawn you wait a little while for the results to get back usually 30 minutes or so then see Dr. he tells you if your counts are high enough to do that round every other time he has done an internal to see if everything is healing ok, I am still having pain in abdomin he thinks is scar tissue but he is keeping an eye one I also have an aherniated spot since surgery he is watching. Then if bloodwork is ok I go down to infusion and do chemo

saundra

Ask the questions...
Ask for copies of all blood test. They have to give them to you. Mine test for liver and kidney function, White, red and platelet cell counts and some others like calcium, salt...etc. in addition to the CA-125.
Saundra

kwar

unknown said:

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thanks much
Thanks for all the great information re: blood testing. My mother's gyn/onc is doing blood work, but have only told her about WBC/RBC. No mention of CA-125. She enters the hospital for her Taxol/IP cisplatin 3 day stay so she only has seen her doctor twice - she always sees other doctors in the practice. The following week she goes into the doctor's facility for five hours of Taxol only and then off a week. Once again, never sees her gyn/onc at that visit either. I think we need to be more agressive in asking questions. I think the fear is knowing too much may hurt, but in reading everyone's posts- it seems to be knowing as much as you can that will help in the treatment and recovery process.

Nancy, to answer your question - my mother was to have a 2 week recovery from total hysterectomy and tumor removal in omentum. Surgery was optimal and she recovered fine, but I think there was a lack of communication between surgeon and gyn/onc and scheduling of insertion of both ports which were done on two seperate occasions. I questioned that myself... It was rather frustrating. Thanks much and thoughts are with you all. Happy Thursday !!!!

LPack

we are all different
I too had to wait for chemo. Had vertical cut, was in hosptial 7 days due to infection. Went back two weeks later to have port put in and then one week after port started chemo.

My gyn/onc wanted to give me a little time to heal before she started chemo into my body. And it worked first time around with carbo/taxol. Still surprised I am going through recurrence!

Guess for me it is chronic, too.............. but still asking God for a healing! ☺

In His Grip,
Libby