I am over the moon

HeatherAL

This is my first post but have been reading so many posts and replies in the past 2 months.

I was diagnosed 2 months ago with stage III ovarian cancer. I had a full hysterectomy with debulking on 3/10/17. My scan showed 4 lymph nodes possibly effected, I had a 19 cm mass on left ovary and 7cm on the right, it spread to my uterus and fallopian tubes. My ca125 was 1501. There was a tricky node behind my kidney that the surgeon wasn't sure he could get to. My surgeon is a surgical gynocoligical oncologist, Dr. Tyler Kirby from Huntsville, AL, and has a stellar reputation. After the surgery he told my husband that he was able to get all visible cancer including the lymph node behind my kidney and 2 of the 4 nodes had cancer. After the surgery my ca125 went all the way down to 40!

I started carbo/taxol treatments 4 weeks later (6 cycles - 3 treatments each weekly for 18 weeks). After the first cycle, my white blood cell counts among others were to low and had to skip the next treatment until the following week and was scheduled for 3 Neupogen shots for the following 3 days after that. Before that treatment I had an evaluation with the doctor and the first words out of his mouth after saying hello was that my ca125 is down to 9! And on top of that all my numbers were within normal range, including my white blood cell count. I don't have to the Neupogen shots and am thrilled because of the possible side effects I have read about. I can't begin to express the joy I am experiencing. He even said that depending on how things go for the next cycles up to the end of 4 (I just finished first treatment of cycle 2) we might be able to skip cycles 5 and 6 if the chemos side effects are doing more harm than good to other parts of my body, mostly ability to fight off infection. The only bad side effect so far has been the low cell count and feeling tired. But if the side effects are minimal I will probably go ahead with all cycles due to the chances of recurrency but that is months away to evaluate and decide.

Have any of you chosen to have less treatments than originally planned for for reasons such as mine?

This has been such a wild ride and my life and my husbands will be forever changed. Thanks for letting me share this wonderful news with all of you. You all have been such a help and insipiration to me these past months. My prayers and toughts are with all of you!

LorettaMarshall

Ah sweet victory after a wild ride!

Hey there Heather -

What a joy to hear some positive news.  My chemo treatment regimen has been the same as yours.  Neulasta worked better for me than the Neupogen.  It gave me less "bone pain."  And personally, I would not stop short of the full prescribed cycle.

Many of us have been on a similar "wild ride."  We know the emotional roller coaster you've been on. 

Your story gives new meaning to the old familiar phrase--"The agony of defeat and the thrill of victory!"  Thanks for sharing this news with us. 

God bless you Heather

Love Loretta 

Janissi1

What a blessing!

Heather,

I am so happy for you! Congratulations! Your story is very encouraging to me. I love hearing the positive outcomes of those who are experiencing ovarian cancer.

Thanks for sharing!

Tethys41

Congratulations, Heather

Hi Heather,

It sounds like everything it going very well for you.  That's great news!!!  Regarding your choice to stop early on the chemo, I would recommend having a discussion about this with your doctor.  The recommended 6 rounds is based on clinical trials, which have concluded that 6 is the most effective amount.  If your doctor is suggesting you stop at 4, you may want to ask him whether he has seen success in other patients who are in a situation similar to yours.  Presumeabely, he is basing his suggestion on some sort of research or personal experience, but on the face of it, he seems to be modifying the typical treatment plan.  If you are considering stopping after your 4th cycle, it might also be a good idea to get a second opinion to help you with your decision.  Keep up the good luck!!!

ladychodan

Good news

Hello everyone, 

Well,it's been 1 year since my diagnosis of stage 4 ovarian cancer.  I was afraid many times over this last year that I'd never make it this far. But I have!   My CA125 is 8.2 , and the nodules on my right lung are stable.   God has been so very very good to me.   Yesterday,  Mother's day was wonderful.   It feels surreal to say I'm a one year Survivor but it's true. I'm a survivor!!!   And yes I know it could come back  tomorrow and kill me, but I could also live another 20 or 30 years.  I'm trying hard to focus on living but the scary thoughts are always in the back of my mind.   

Anyway, just wanted to share my one year anniversary with everyone.  And it might sound trite,  but one day at a time, I'm fighting for me and all my sisters out there. Prayerfully, we all shall survive.

Love, 

Marilyn 

 

LorettaMarshall

Happy 1st anniversary & many, many more Marilyn!

Hello Marilyn,

Your “1^st-year anniversary” message was short but sweet and uplifting.  What mother doesn’t want to see another anniversary?  Now let’s just all be honest, who doesn’t have the thoughts of dying creep in often once we’ve had a cancer diagnosis?  But….are we going to let those negative thoughts crowd out the blessings we can still enjoy.  You know I make no apologies for believing in God’s word.  He has given me the inner strength that enables me to be a “survivor” with a positive attitude.   So when “fear” creeps in and tries to steal the spotlight, God reminds me that He holds me in His hand, and He will never leave me.  Each time I start to be “consumed” with “fear and what-ifs”, and from time to time, I do—He reminds me that He has not given me the spirit of FEAR.    https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2+Timothy+1:7&version=AKJV

So your letter cheers my heart.  I truly thought that I would never be alive 4 ½ years later.

All my children remembered me on this Mother’s Day, and even though they are all grown now, to me, they are still “my children” and there’s never a time that “our children” don’t “need” us.  (Also I admit to still telling them what to do on occasions.)  We want to be around to see all of them living on their own and being successful.  Then along comes the “grandchildren”. And now there are 3 “great grandchildren” and now’s no time to exit.  We want to see them grow up too. 

 Now I’m “old”, yes I said “old” at 78.  That’s way past middle age unless there’s a town full of folks that are still alive at 156!  So actually, there’s no perfect time to exit this life, and that’s why at some point God will just have to take me. 

My husband and I are both miracles, having lived longer than stats would indicate.  He has survived Stage III Esophageal Cancer (a killer with few survivors) for over 14 years now, and I with Stage IV Ovarian Cancer and Peritoneal Carcinomatosis.  That just proves to me that only the Great Physician actually knows my true prognosis.  Some time ago I read a good definition of “worry”. 

“Worry is interest paid on a debt that is not yet due!”

Most of us pay our bills on time, but I’m not in the habit of paying a bill before it is due.  So in my world of Stage IV cancer, I’m most at peace when I concentrate on the day I’m living in, and telling “fear” in so many words, “just stay in the back seat—I’m not into tomorrow, next week, or next year yet!”  Now, of course, I’m not closing my eyes to what the future holds for me, but I can “bury myself alive” each and every day that I let “fear” ride in the front seat and do the driving! That would “drive me” to despair.

So keep on thinking about the positive things that you can still enjoy.  Keep the “steering wheel” firmly in your hands, and put “fear in the rumble seat!”  You would have to be around my age to know what a “rumble seat” is, but it’s further back than the back seat! 

There’s plenty to be thankful for each day!  Keep on smiling.  Once more, I’m happy for you.  Thanks for checking in and sharing your success.

Wishing you and all the rest of us many more happy anniversaries!

Loretta

P.S.  Here’s a link that shows you where the “rumble seat” is on the antique cars.    https://www.pinterest.com/pin/172544229451317786/

(Some of these antique cars also had a big back bumper that would carry luggage.) 

NoTimeForCancer

HeatherAL, that is great news

HeatherAL, that is great news on how things are going.  It is nice to hear from people who visit the board and want to post on their experience as well. I am a visitor from the Uterine board as below the belt cancer gals need to stick together. 

I would agree with Tethys41on number of treatments.  Unless you have a serious adverse reaction to the chemo, six is not an arbitrary number and is based on research.  I had a high grade uterine cancer, staged at 1A, but because of its agressive nature went through with the full series - again, I did not have any reactions to the drug though. 

Continue to celebrate the news. 

HeatherAL

Thanks to you all

Yes, The more I think about it, I want to complete all 6 cycles and the way things are going and very minimal side effects I don't see why I can't. I started Neupogen shots last week and thank God no side effects, not sure if it's the Zyrtec or my blessed biology to hardly have side effects from medications. I know recurrence is definitely an issue so it is in my best interest to do all treatments. Turns out my white blood cell count is still an issue even after the first week of Neupogen but I'm scheduled to keep gettting them until they say I can stop. I will ask my doc about his experience with patients who don't do all 6 but my husband and I agree now to go all the way.

Thanks to all of your for your comments. Much appreciated. 

Varun Bhardwaj

need help

my mom , has ca 125  - 156 .. doctor is saying its suspicious .. although ultra sound is saying "there is heterogeneous SOL measuring 8.0X 5.6 cm seen in operated bed posterior to urinary bladder -likely mitotic in nature. mimimul free fluid is seen in the pelvis ".

CEA IS 1.41

COLONOSCOPY - NORMAL 

 

i m very tense and scared .

 

please help 

Mare215

Thanks for posing this question

Dear Heather,

I am glad you shared your news and want to thank you for posing your question to this group, because we just had similar good news and my wife's reaction was "can I stop early?" She had her CA 125 level drop from over 480 to 12 after the first round of chemo, and she was hoping this would mean fewer treatments. After reading everyone's response to your post, I will convince her NOT to stop (she is not in a place yet where she wants to look online for answers.  Since I just found this community, I am going to encourage her to join for support). Bless you and I hope you progress well.