clear cell

GowNY

Are you automatically a grade 3 if you have clear cell ovarian cancer? My pathology report doesn't say what grade I am....

Thanks!

srwruns

That is what my gyn/onc told
That is what my gyn/onc told me. My path report does include the grade. I believe that there are some tumors that have mixed (clear cell and other) that might be graded differently; however my understanding is that if it is exclusively clear cell it is Grade 3.

GowNY

srwruns said:

That is what my gyn/onc told
That is what my gyn/onc told me. My path report does include the grade. I believe that there are some tumors that have mixed (clear cell and other) that might be graded differently; however my understanding is that if it is exclusively clear cell it is Grade 3.

OK thank you. I was afraid
OK thank you. I was afraid of that! :-/

srwruns

GowNY said:

OK thank you. I was afraid
OK thank you. I was afraid of that! :-/

True, clear cell is a grade
True, clear cell is a grade 3 tumor but don't forget we were both caught in Stage 1...I think you are 1A; I am 1C (tumor burst during surgery). Weird thing about clear cell is it usually caught early stage since it frequently grows a large tumor (mine was 17 cm. or almost 6 inches) before I had symptoms. Did you have a large tumor? So hopefully getting DX and treatment during early stage will trump the balance on the aggressiveness of clear cell DX. Clear Cell is one of the few OVCA that follows up with chemo even when caught in early stage due to its aggressiveness. Here's hoping! Stay upbeat! Susan

GowNY

srwruns said:

True, clear cell is a grade
True, clear cell is a grade 3 tumor but don't forget we were both caught in Stage 1...I think you are 1A; I am 1C (tumor burst during surgery). Weird thing about clear cell is it usually caught early stage since it frequently grows a large tumor (mine was 17 cm. or almost 6 inches) before I had symptoms. Did you have a large tumor? So hopefully getting DX and treatment during early stage will trump the balance on the aggressiveness of clear cell DX. Clear Cell is one of the few OVCA that follows up with chemo even when caught in early stage due to its aggressiveness. Here's hoping! Stay upbeat! Susan

Yep- I was stage 1a. My

Yep- I was stage 1a. My tumor was 15cm. in my right ovary. I was feeling fine until one night I was so nauseous and had the worst cramps I ever had in my life. The cramps lasted for a week and finally I went to the doctor and he sent me for a sonogram the next day and they found the tumor. My surgery was scheduled for the next monday and I had the tumor removed and a total hysterectomy. A few days after I got out of the hospital I got sick and was throwing up for 6 days. I was obstructed and had to go back in the hospital for another 5 days and had an NG tube put in (horrible!). The last spring I developed a hernia from the surgery and had to get that fixed. I had the standard 6 sessions of taxol/carbo like you're doing. So far my blood tests and petscans have been good. I'm feeling hopeful but I still get nervous because clear cell is so aggressive. Good luck with the rest of your chemo!

Hissy_Fitz

GowNY said:

Yep- I was stage 1a. My

Yep- I was stage 1a. My tumor was 15cm. in my right ovary. I was feeling fine until one night I was so nauseous and had the worst cramps I ever had in my life. The cramps lasted for a week and finally I went to the doctor and he sent me for a sonogram the next day and they found the tumor. My surgery was scheduled for the next monday and I had the tumor removed and a total hysterectomy. A few days after I got out of the hospital I got sick and was throwing up for 6 days. I was obstructed and had to go back in the hospital for another 5 days and had an NG tube put in (horrible!). The last spring I developed a hernia from the surgery and had to get that fixed. I had the standard 6 sessions of taxol/carbo like you're doing. So far my blood tests and petscans have been good. I'm feeling hopeful but I still get nervous because clear cell is so aggressive. Good luck with the rest of your chemo!

What caused the bowel
What caused the bowel obstruction? Mine was because the OC had spread to my bowel (2 tumors), but I am assuming that was not the case with you, since you were stage 1a. After surgery I had uncontrollable vomiting, due to an ileus, and like you, I got an NG tube shoved down my throat for several days, so I can certainly commiserate.
Carlene

srwruns

GowNY said:

Yep- I was stage 1a. My

Yep- I was stage 1a. My tumor was 15cm. in my right ovary. I was feeling fine until one night I was so nauseous and had the worst cramps I ever had in my life. The cramps lasted for a week and finally I went to the doctor and he sent me for a sonogram the next day and they found the tumor. My surgery was scheduled for the next monday and I had the tumor removed and a total hysterectomy. A few days after I got out of the hospital I got sick and was throwing up for 6 days. I was obstructed and had to go back in the hospital for another 5 days and had an NG tube put in (horrible!). The last spring I developed a hernia from the surgery and had to get that fixed. I had the standard 6 sessions of taxol/carbo like you're doing. So far my blood tests and petscans have been good. I'm feeling hopeful but I still get nervous because clear cell is so aggressive. Good luck with the rest of your chemo!

My situation sounds
My situation sounds similar..the large tumor, quick onset with nasty symptoms and BOOM, ultrasound, and surgery within days. I didn't have (and hope to always avoid it) the obstruction. My hospital room mate had an NG tube and my nose and face would squick up every time I saw her. Not sure about the hernia yet. I actually had a hernia repair in May from a hernia I had over 20 years...it was up high, several inches above my belly button. Thought I was done with surgeries! I may be prone to them and the DR did warn me esp. since they can pinch bowels. My incision was horizontal, bikini line; he followed the same incision line I had for endometriosis surgery over 20 years ago, but this one was much longer, across the whole pelvis. Keep up the good scans and blood work. It's hard not to be anxious...geez I am about the future and I'm not even done with chemo! Susan

GowNY

srwruns said:

My situation sounds
My situation sounds similar..the large tumor, quick onset with nasty symptoms and BOOM, ultrasound, and surgery within days. I didn't have (and hope to always avoid it) the obstruction. My hospital room mate had an NG tube and my nose and face would squick up every time I saw her. Not sure about the hernia yet. I actually had a hernia repair in May from a hernia I had over 20 years...it was up high, several inches above my belly button. Thought I was done with surgeries! I may be prone to them and the DR did warn me esp. since they can pinch bowels. My incision was horizontal, bikini line; he followed the same incision line I had for endometriosis surgery over 20 years ago, but this one was much longer, across the whole pelvis. Keep up the good scans and blood work. It's hard not to be anxious...geez I am about the future and I'm not even done with chemo! Susan

They wouldn't exactly say
They wouldn't exactly say what caused the bowel obstruction. My aunt who was a nurse thinks it was that my small intestine was aggravated because of my surgery and my surgeon might have hit into during the hysterectomy. Those were horrible days because I felt so nauseous and I was constantly throwing up. I went to the ER and the x ray did not show an obstruction--they mentioned a catscan but didn't do it....gave me some zofran and sent me home. About 4 hours after being home again I felt just as sick. Went back to the ER two days later and still to this day that was the worst day of this whole experience. I was on this uncomfortable bed the whole day and I felt so nauseous and then had to drink a whole quart of that nasty stuff for the catscan and wait an hour before it. I couldn't throw up or would have to do it over. 5 minutes after the catscan was over I threw up. Nobody would admit me and they were telling me I needed a NG tube but I kept saying no until I talked to my surgeon on the phone and he said I had to have it. It took them 3 times to get the tube in! It was horrible! 3 different people tried. The second nurse made me bleed so much from my nose. They finally admitted me and I was so uncomfortable with that tube in me. I had it 3 nights and 4 days because I kept producing so much bile (?) from my stomach. I didn't sleep for 3 nights.

The day I got the tube out this social worker came to talk to me because she also had ovarian cancer about 4 years ago. I had not even thought about chemo yet because I was going through so much and felt so sick but she was telling me all the horror stories about chemo and I was so scared after she left and never the same. None of what she said came true!! Her experience was totally different than mine Thank God.

My scar goes up and down and is very big and still very red. I don't heal well. :-( I can't stand when people complain about their c section scars. First of all those are so small--mine is practically half my body! And second...that scar is for a wonderful thing..having a baby not cancer. A baby that I can never have now. Ugh.

Hopefully you won't need hernia surgery after all of this! I'll keep my fingers crossed!

nancy591

GowNY said:

They wouldn't exactly say
They wouldn't exactly say what caused the bowel obstruction. My aunt who was a nurse thinks it was that my small intestine was aggravated because of my surgery and my surgeon might have hit into during the hysterectomy. Those were horrible days because I felt so nauseous and I was constantly throwing up. I went to the ER and the x ray did not show an obstruction--they mentioned a catscan but didn't do it....gave me some zofran and sent me home. About 4 hours after being home again I felt just as sick. Went back to the ER two days later and still to this day that was the worst day of this whole experience. I was on this uncomfortable bed the whole day and I felt so nauseous and then had to drink a whole quart of that nasty stuff for the catscan and wait an hour before it. I couldn't throw up or would have to do it over. 5 minutes after the catscan was over I threw up. Nobody would admit me and they were telling me I needed a NG tube but I kept saying no until I talked to my surgeon on the phone and he said I had to have it. It took them 3 times to get the tube in! It was horrible! 3 different people tried. The second nurse made me bleed so much from my nose. They finally admitted me and I was so uncomfortable with that tube in me. I had it 3 nights and 4 days because I kept producing so much bile (?) from my stomach. I didn't sleep for 3 nights.

The day I got the tube out this social worker came to talk to me because she also had ovarian cancer about 4 years ago. I had not even thought about chemo yet because I was going through so much and felt so sick but she was telling me all the horror stories about chemo and I was so scared after she left and never the same. None of what she said came true!! Her experience was totally different than mine Thank God.

My scar goes up and down and is very big and still very red. I don't heal well. :-( I can't stand when people complain about their c section scars. First of all those are so small--mine is practically half my body! And second...that scar is for a wonderful thing..having a baby not cancer. A baby that I can never have now. Ugh.

Hopefully you won't need hernia surgery after all of this! I'll keep my fingers crossed!

obstruction
I had an obstruction when I was initally diagnosed and suffered for several days. The doctors poohed-poohed me without doing any diagnostic testing. One doctor even told me maybe I was depressed because I was crying from the pain. The NG tube is awful too. Did they tell you to put your chin down to your chest and sip water while they insert it? That should help! One nurse tried just jamming it in my nose.

Yes, the scar is something to get used to. At the time of diagnosis my stomach was beautiful, flat and scar free. Now, not only do I have my surgical scar but I also hae my ostomy scar, my chest tube scar and my IP port scar. They remind me of how precious life is.

I noticed over the past several days you seem really nervous about the cancer coming back. I hope you can enjoy your cancer free time and not worry so much. I know it is easier said then done!

srwruns

nancy591 said:

obstruction
I had an obstruction when I was initally diagnosed and suffered for several days. The doctors poohed-poohed me without doing any diagnostic testing. One doctor even told me maybe I was depressed because I was crying from the pain. The NG tube is awful too. Did they tell you to put your chin down to your chest and sip water while they insert it? That should help! One nurse tried just jamming it in my nose.

Yes, the scar is something to get used to. At the time of diagnosis my stomach was beautiful, flat and scar free. Now, not only do I have my surgical scar but I also hae my ostomy scar, my chest tube scar and my IP port scar. They remind me of how precious life is.

I noticed over the past several days you seem really nervous about the cancer coming back. I hope you can enjoy your cancer free time and not worry so much. I know it is easier said then done!

I totally agree with Nancy
I totally agree with Nancy about trying to enjoy your cancer free time...there is a good chance it will be forever being caught early stage. Plus if it ever does come back it will be picked up early since we are getting tested all the time. I've been kinda curious why I didn't end up with a vertical incision. Maybe just a doctor's preference as to how he/she wishes to open one up. I do have about a 3 inch vertical scar from my spring hernia surgery. But in that one they didn't even need to cut muscle. My local cancer center is offering a 6 week life coaching class specifically focussing on moving from "survivorship" of cancer to "thriving". I will be front and center since I have alot of anxiety about my cancer returning and I'm NOT even done with chemo yet. It's a real struggle for me because until I got sick anxiety was not something that plagued me. I think it must be because this whole thing was so out of my control and stunned me unlike anything else in my life. Best thoughts for you! Susan

GowNY

srwruns said:

I totally agree with Nancy
I totally agree with Nancy about trying to enjoy your cancer free time...there is a good chance it will be forever being caught early stage. Plus if it ever does come back it will be picked up early since we are getting tested all the time. I've been kinda curious why I didn't end up with a vertical incision. Maybe just a doctor's preference as to how he/she wishes to open one up. I do have about a 3 inch vertical scar from my spring hernia surgery. But in that one they didn't even need to cut muscle. My local cancer center is offering a 6 week life coaching class specifically focussing on moving from "survivorship" of cancer to "thriving". I will be front and center since I have alot of anxiety about my cancer returning and I'm NOT even done with chemo yet. It's a real struggle for me because until I got sick anxiety was not something that plagued me. I think it must be because this whole thing was so out of my control and stunned me unlike anything else in my life. Best thoughts for you! Susan

i NEVER had anxiety until
i NEVER had anxiety until this happened to me. And my anxiety became worse this fall for some reason about 5 months after chemo ended.

You're right--I have been worried lately about it coming back. I think joining this site and reading a few posts made me very anxious. Hearing about relapses and I saw one girl who was a little younger than me and having stage 1 clear cell like I did and she was clean for 4 years and then it came back. That freaked me out a little! I know it can happen but actually reading it just made it hit home. I've been depressed all weekend. I know I'm lucky it was caught early (unlucky it was clear cell) but I will keep going to my doctors and doing what they say....

I will try to enjoy being "cancer free." Hopefully over time it will get easier. Thanks- :-)

srwruns

GowNY said:

i NEVER had anxiety until
i NEVER had anxiety until this happened to me. And my anxiety became worse this fall for some reason about 5 months after chemo ended.

You're right--I have been worried lately about it coming back. I think joining this site and reading a few posts made me very anxious. Hearing about relapses and I saw one girl who was a little younger than me and having stage 1 clear cell like I did and she was clean for 4 years and then it came back. That freaked me out a little! I know it can happen but actually reading it just made it hit home. I've been depressed all weekend. I know I'm lucky it was caught early (unlucky it was clear cell) but I will keep going to my doctors and doing what they say....

I will try to enjoy being "cancer free." Hopefully over time it will get easier. Thanks- :-)

If reading the posts are
If reading the posts are bringing you down, take a break from reading the boards. I have done that. There's another board that I haven't read in weeks because it really affects me. If participating in a board is more harmful than helpful, take a break. You have been posting frequently since you joined so just let us know that you are taking a break. When someone has been a regular poster and suddenly they haven't posted in awhile the other "regulars" worry. No one takes it personally if you need to stay away...I have found nothing but support for whatever I needed to do to stay physically and emotionally healthy during this process. Best of luck, and do know that I have found nothing but whole hearted support on this board for my journey, including the times I needed to just stay away. Take care, Susan

srwruns

GowNY said:

i NEVER had anxiety until
i NEVER had anxiety until this happened to me. And my anxiety became worse this fall for some reason about 5 months after chemo ended.

You're right--I have been worried lately about it coming back. I think joining this site and reading a few posts made me very anxious. Hearing about relapses and I saw one girl who was a little younger than me and having stage 1 clear cell like I did and she was clean for 4 years and then it came back. That freaked me out a little! I know it can happen but actually reading it just made it hit home. I've been depressed all weekend. I know I'm lucky it was caught early (unlucky it was clear cell) but I will keep going to my doctors and doing what they say....

I will try to enjoy being "cancer free." Hopefully over time it will get easier. Thanks- :-)

If reading the posts are
If reading the posts are bringing you down, take a break from reading the boards. I have done that. There's another board that I haven't read in weeks because it really affects me. If participating in a board is more harmful than helpful, take a break. You have been posting frequently since you joined so just let us know that you are taking a break. When someone has been a regular poster and suddenly they haven't posted in awhile the other "regulars" worry. No one takes it personally if you need to stay away...I have found nothing but support for whatever I needed to do to stay physically and emotionally healthy during this process. Best of luck, and do know that I have found nothing but whole hearted support on this board for my journey, including the times I needed to just stay away. Take care, Susan

srwruns

srwruns said:

If reading the posts are
If reading the posts are bringing you down, take a break from reading the boards. I have done that. There's another board that I haven't read in weeks because it really affects me. If participating in a board is more harmful than helpful, take a break. You have been posting frequently since you joined so just let us know that you are taking a break. When someone has been a regular poster and suddenly they haven't posted in awhile the other "regulars" worry. No one takes it personally if you need to stay away...I have found nothing but support for whatever I needed to do to stay physically and emotionally healthy during this process. Best of luck, and do know that I have found nothing but whole hearted support on this board for my journey, including the times I needed to just stay away. Take care, Susan

oops
Sorry for double post. It seems to happen to me when I work on my Mac. Does anyone know how to redact a post?

GowNY

srwruns said:

oops
Sorry for double post. It seems to happen to me when I work on my Mac. Does anyone know how to redact a post?

OK I will. I felt better
OK I will. I felt better today.
Everyone is so nice and supportive here. I'm thinking of joining a support group but not sure yet.

nancy591

GowNY said:

OK I will. I felt better
OK I will. I felt better today.
Everyone is so nice and supportive here. I'm thinking of joining a support group but not sure yet.

support board
I didn't join this board until 1 year after I was diagnosed. Yes, it freaked me out and I couldn't handle reading some of the stuff. Now that I am living it, well, I guess it brings me comfort. There are tough stories and people die. There are also good stories too.

I'd suggest you stay away. Live your life and try not to obssess over the 'what ifs'

Karen9182

nancy591 said:

support board
I didn't join this board until 1 year after I was diagnosed. Yes, it freaked me out and I couldn't handle reading some of the stuff. Now that I am living it, well, I guess it brings me comfort. There are tough stories and people die. There are also good stories too.

I'd suggest you stay away. Live your life and try not to obssess over the 'what ifs'

I just am popping back in
I just am popping back in after being away for a few months. The boards scared me too at times. Other times they brought me much comfort. Mostly they let me know I was not alone. Remission or recurrence, living or dying, we are all sharing varied paths in this cancer jungle; sometimes our paths cross and we can share directions or suggestions as we move along on our journey. It is comforting to know that there are guides and companions for when we are scared or confused. Karen

Karen9182

nancy591 said:

support board
I didn't join this board until 1 year after I was diagnosed. Yes, it freaked me out and I couldn't handle reading some of the stuff. Now that I am living it, well, I guess it brings me comfort. There are tough stories and people die. There are also good stories too.

I'd suggest you stay away. Live your life and try not to obssess over the 'what ifs'

I just am popping back in
I just am popping back in after being away for a few months. The boards scared me too at times. Other times they brought me much comfort. Mostly they let me know I was not alone. Remission or recurrence, living or dying, we are all sharing varied paths in this cancer jungle; sometimes our paths cross and we can share directions or suggestions as we move along on our journey. It is comforting to know that there are guides and companions for when we are scared or confused. Karen

Karen9182

Karen9182 said:

I just am popping back in
I just am popping back in after being away for a few months. The boards scared me too at times. Other times they brought me much comfort. Mostly they let me know I was not alone. Remission or recurrence, living or dying, we are all sharing varied paths in this cancer jungle; sometimes our paths cross and we can share directions or suggestions as we move along on our journey. It is comforting to know that there are guides and companions for when we are scared or confused. Karen

Obviously I don't know how
Obviously I don't know how to redacted a post....