Help Guys, need some sanity

moanamcara

I recently had surgery for my endometriosis. This is my second surgery for this, the first was in 2005. In 2005 they found a tumor that was the size of a baseball but it was benign and so they removed that and my right ovary and fallopian tube. The doctor was horrible and a quack and i was young. So he didnt tell me to take birth control or do anything. He really was horrible. So anyways i switched and in the past 6 months my pain was getting worse so my doc said lets do surgery. It was supposed to be routine but when she went in she found growths on my left fallopian tube and ovary. She sent them out and it came back i believe Borderline Ovarian Cancer. I then had my CA 125 test which came back as 50. I know the norm is 0-30 but i also know it matters where it started at. So im not sure where mine was at. 9 months ago i had a scan and it was clean so this must have been a recent thing. I go see the oncologyst for the first time tuesday but i need some clarity before hand. I hate to say this but yes i jumped on google and did tons of research but it all says different things. Some say that its not that bad that myb all you will need is surgery for a hysterectomy which my obgyn had already told me. SOme say borderline ovarian cancer can spread and that you might need surgery plus chemo. has anyone had experience with this, i mean can anyone give me a little clarity on what to expect. I'm not sure if borderline is even what she said, as i was in shock but im sure i didnt get that from nowhere. Also when people write you back how do you respond to the discussion board? Is 50 high? Please help im going crazy and tuesday seems like a year away. if it makes a difference im 26 and just need to know some answers...

leesag

The Calvary is coming!
I'm sure that this is the first of many posts you will get! My first advice echos your counselor's...stop googling! Next.. Breathe.

50 is not high. Mine was almost 10,000 before my surgery for IIIC ovca. I WISH I had been borderline (I know that doesn't make it any easier for you right now). Some suggestions:

FACT:

Ask your oncologist for a referral to a Gynecologic Oncologist to do the surgery. They are specialists in this area.

MY OPINION:
I know that sometimes people with borderline are given the choice of chemo or not. My opinion is this...if you are otherwise healthy and active then, if it were me, I would do the chemo as an extra precaution. Chemo can be rough, but (and again this is just my opinion) the peace of mind is worth it.

TO REPLY
There's a little blue "reply" at the bottom of the posting box. Just click it

THIS WEEKEND:

Hang out with some really good girlfriends or family. Talk about all kinds of stuff, including cancer. Find the "ridulosity" in things and laugh. Make stuff up. I know one woman who named her tumor "george" and her family made up wildly funny eviction notices for him. My husband and I joked that it had been so long since we had been intimate the doctor would have clear out the cobwebs and spiders first. My friend suggested a variety of Dr. House-like situations that the doctor could find, our favorite was Worms.

I had a party the weekend before my surgery, to get some positive energy flowing.
We laughed, and cried, we drank and ate, and, we talked about cancer and we didn't talk about cancer. In fact, when I look back on my journey, I've handled some of the most stressful situations with a party. Before my surgery, before my head shaving, and now, I'm having a party this weekend after my last chemo and before my CT SCAN. This strategy has worked wonders for me!

Finally, Where are you from? Someone on the board might be familiar with docs in your area and be able to point you in the direction of a good one!

Hugs,darlin'!

Leesa

ten101

Hi, this will be a very
Hi, this will be a very stressful weekend for you but if you can find something fun to do to take your mind away a little bit try to. I played in a tennis tournament the weekend prior to my surgery. Leesa is right, get yourself to a gynecologic oncologist. 50 is not high but it is an indication that something is abnormal. The gyn/onc is the best surgeon who will be able to find any signs of cancer and get them removed if that's what it is. And if they have found something very early your chances of complete recovery are very good. I was lucky, mind was found at stage 1C. I had a very large tumor removed and did have 6 rounds of chemo. the chemo is never easy but if you are otherwise healthy the side effects are manageable. The bad part is not knowing what to expect and once they come it's tough until they go away again because you're not convinced they will go away.

Think positive thoughts and I hope for the best for you.

Mary Carol

saundra

50 is not all that high
Everyone's CA125 is individual to that person. Take all your lab reports to the oncologist and discuss it with him. A gyn/onc surgeon is the best one to do surgery if you have to have further surgery. They know what to look for where a plain gyn does not. Don't jump ahead until you talk to the oncologist. Stay in the moment and you will not torture yourself so much. Had I been dianosed borderline (I'm Stage IV) I would have done chemo to wipe out the remaining cells. It is not that bad considering the alternative. That I can say for sure with three and a forth years hindsight. Hugs to you, Saundra

moanamcara

leesag said:

The Calvary is coming!
I'm sure that this is the first of many posts you will get! My first advice echos your counselor's...stop googling! Next.. Breathe.

50 is not high. Mine was almost 10,000 before my surgery for IIIC ovca. I WISH I had been borderline (I know that doesn't make it any easier for you right now). Some suggestions:

FACT:

Ask your oncologist for a referral to a Gynecologic Oncologist to do the surgery. They are specialists in this area.

MY OPINION:
I know that sometimes people with borderline are given the choice of chemo or not. My opinion is this...if you are otherwise healthy and active then, if it were me, I would do the chemo as an extra precaution. Chemo can be rough, but (and again this is just my opinion) the peace of mind is worth it.

TO REPLY
There's a little blue "reply" at the bottom of the posting box. Just click it

THIS WEEKEND:

Hang out with some really good girlfriends or family. Talk about all kinds of stuff, including cancer. Find the "ridulosity" in things and laugh. Make stuff up. I know one woman who named her tumor "george" and her family made up wildly funny eviction notices for him. My husband and I joked that it had been so long since we had been intimate the doctor would have clear out the cobwebs and spiders first. My friend suggested a variety of Dr. House-like situations that the doctor could find, our favorite was Worms.

I had a party the weekend before my surgery, to get some positive energy flowing.
We laughed, and cried, we drank and ate, and, we talked about cancer and we didn't talk about cancer. In fact, when I look back on my journey, I've handled some of the most stressful situations with a party. Before my surgery, before my head shaving, and now, I'm having a party this weekend after my last chemo and before my CT SCAN. This strategy has worked wonders for me!

Finally, Where are you from? Someone on the board might be familiar with docs in your area and be able to point you in the direction of a good one!

Hugs,darlin'!

Leesa

Thank you guys so much> I am
Thank you guys so much> I am going to an gyno oncologist tuesday for my appt. My onbgyn reffered me when she found the ovarian cancer. If given a choice i will do chemo because my aunt died from this and i dont want that to happen. So id rather be safe then sorry ya know. Thanks so much for all the write backs and the support. Ill let everyone know how it goes on tuesday. Hopefully it will come quickly. Thanks guys