New, 31 with Stage 3C OC
Comments
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Hi
Hi,
So sorry you have had to join our group. This is a supportive group of strong women. If you have any questions, just ask.
It's such a shock at first. Outcomes vary, by age, general health, genetics... You are very young, so you should do better than the statistics, which lumps everyone together.
I am 2C and in June will be two years NED.
This is my email, if you need someone to talk to. kthrynmrks@yahoo.com0 -
Dr. JBEANS
I have been on this board almost 2 years now and I want to assure you there is hope.......I swear!!! My first suggestion is that you MUST ABSOLUTElY MUST find a gynecological oncologist, who specializes in Ovarian cancer....Are you near a major city? Let us know where you are and I assure you there are women here from all over who can make recommends about this.....Once your de-bulking has been done...you will get chemo and that should take care of any microscopic cells that may have been left....but again, this is stuff your oncologist can explain to you....I am sooo sorry that you have to go through this, but they have come a long way in dealing with this cancer!! Please keep us posted and find the right doctor, I cannot emphasize how important that is....0 -
Oncologist
Luckily when they opened me up and saw the cancer they called in a gyn/oncologist on the spot and she did the debulking right then and there. The gyn/oncologist was in shock when she found out why I originally was in for. So at least that is over. She did mention that the chemo will get all the molecules and other small particles of cancer which she did see on my liver but it didn't penetrate the liver so that is good. She did say that since I am young I have that going for me and because I am young they are treating me agressively. I have my 2nd chemo next tuesday so we will see how that goes. Thanks for the replies it means alot.0 -
omg too young
I am so sorry you had ti go through this at such a young age. I agree with the other posts find yourself a good gyn/onc. this a a great source if info and friendshps and support. It seems that some new members of this board are getting younger all the time. I hope you have a good support system to help you through the bad days after chemo. You are young and healthy and you will get through this. I hope you don't put off your wedding plans for too long. Live everyday of your life..no regrets. Good luck any questions we can answer is just a mouse click awat...val0 -
Good 3C outcome: NED
jbeans,
I was dx with Stage 3C July 2009. I have been NED (no evidence of disease) for 14 months. Your life is not ruined but will be a bit different. Did you cancel your wedding or reschedule? What does your fiancee think about this situation?
I know what you are feeling: anxious, unsure of the future, mad, sad, etc. It is a process/journey to get your mind from your current feelings to turn into feelings of hope, gladness for each day, joy for small things, and getting thru it all will give you an a overwhelming feeling of personal strength. That is why we are called teal warriors! I assure you that you will get there...and the ladies on this board will help. We have hope, encouragement, advice to get you thru treatments and cyber shoulders to cry upon.
You will like the port: makes receiving chemo so much easier.
Like others have posted: it is imperative to find a GYN/ONC!
Hang in there jbeans....you can do this.
Mary0 -
Like many of the others have
Like many of the others have said, sorry you have had to join this group but you will find a wonderfully supportive group of women. I just finished chemo last week, 6 cycles, started in November. It was very doable but I don't want to downplay that it does slow you down for several months. Since you already had a chemo it sounds like you are on dose dense (weekly chemo)? That seems to be the emerging aggressive course of treatment. You will find many women on here with far more experience than I who will give you wonderful advice. It was a Godsend for me when I started this journey back in October. Keep us posted....there are often annoying side effects that many on this board have experience with and have some great thoughts on how to deal with those.0 -
HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!
I know right now it doesn't seem so, but there is much to be hopeful for. You've received some very wonderful support and advice from all these ladies. I can only echo their sentiments. I'm glad to hear you have the right kind of doctor and that he/she is treating you aggresively. Hang in there and please keep coming back. Till then, sending hugs and prayers to you!
Monika0 -
hope for the best, stay positivemopar said:HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL!
I know right now it doesn't seem so, but there is much to be hopeful for. You've received some very wonderful support and advice from all these ladies. I can only echo their sentiments. I'm glad to hear you have the right kind of doctor and that he/she is treating you aggresively. Hang in there and please keep coming back. Till then, sending hugs and prayers to you!
Monika
Very sorry about your diagnosis,
i am 44 and was diagnosed with stage 3c back in november and having my chemo treatment now,
it is not easy but duable.
you can got to facebook page Heather Has Ovarian Cancer.
She is amazing girl - she is only 26 , she completed chemo last month and now NED ( no evidence of deasease). She is amazing women, very inspirational and strong, also very active with ovarian cancer community. she will be happy to share her experience with you and give word of advise and support. She also organized non profit - Cancer has a cancer.
Be strong, try to stay positive,eat healthy, less sugar and white bread, excersise, or at least walk. And of course come here with any questions. This board help me a lot and i have learnt a lot
good luck
blessings
Victoria0 -
Welcome,
Jbeans! I am so sorry you had to join our group! How is your fiance' handling all this? I agree with the gals that have already posted, there is lot's of hope for you! Come back anytime, to share.
Take it one step at a time, and don't look too far ahead.
Hugs,
kathleen0 -
Thank you so much ladies
I can't thank thank everyone enough for giving me wonderful words of encouragement. My fiancé and I are taking it one day at a time and even though I am upset about not being able to have children he said that we can adopt and he would love them like his own. I even told him that when I got thru this and hopefully go onto remission I am getting a tattoo of a teal ribbon with the word warrior or survivor, and I don't even have one tattoo. When I was younger I never could put something on my body that had no meaning, but this definitely has meaning. We are ALL teal warriors!0 -
love
I wish you weren't having to experience this stuff, but I was glad to see that you are still engaged. Having your love in your life will be a definite plus while you go through all of this. My husband has given me a lot of strength. Not as much as my Heavenly Father, but still I am very thankful to have him in my life. When you get married, you do so for better or worse, in sickness and in health. You never know when you get married how long either one of you will be here. There are wrecks, slips in the bathtub with terrible results all sorts of things that could happen, but when you love someone you are willing to take those risks. I am one who believes that God is in control of out time and we will be here until it is time for us to go back to him. I pray that everyting will go very well for you. Don't stress too much on statistics because we are absolutely all different. I was diagnosed in Sept. 2002. Have done lots of chemo and am now doing tomotherapy, but I have had a good life and have had some wonderful things happen, that make me glad that I was willing to do the chemos, etc. Hang in there and enjoy all the time that heaven has allotted to you. Patty0 -
I want a tattoo also !jbeans888 said:Thank you so much ladies
I can't thank thank everyone enough for giving me wonderful words of encouragement. My fiancé and I are taking it one day at a time and even though I am upset about not being able to have children he said that we can adopt and he would love them like his own. I even told him that when I got thru this and hopefully go onto remission I am getting a tattoo of a teal ribbon with the word warrior or survivor, and I don't even have one tattoo. When I was younger I never could put something on my body that had no meaning, but this definitely has meaning. We are ALL teal warriors!
It sounds like you are handling this life changing disease pretty well. You are so young !That is heartbreaking but is a definite plus as you are strong to deal with the treatment. Take your time and just process a little at a time , it is overwhelming to deal with everything at once. Your fiance sounds wonderful, sorry you had to join us but welcome .
Colleen0 -
jbeanssofarstillhere said:love
I wish you weren't having to experience this stuff, but I was glad to see that you are still engaged. Having your love in your life will be a definite plus while you go through all of this. My husband has given me a lot of strength. Not as much as my Heavenly Father, but still I am very thankful to have him in my life. When you get married, you do so for better or worse, in sickness and in health. You never know when you get married how long either one of you will be here. There are wrecks, slips in the bathtub with terrible results all sorts of things that could happen, but when you love someone you are willing to take those risks. I am one who believes that God is in control of out time and we will be here until it is time for us to go back to him. I pray that everyting will go very well for you. Don't stress too much on statistics because we are absolutely all different. I was diagnosed in Sept. 2002. Have done lots of chemo and am now doing tomotherapy, but I have had a good life and have had some wonderful things happen, that make me glad that I was willing to do the chemos, etc. Hang in there and enjoy all the time that heaven has allotted to you. Patty
Welcome and you already have become a Teal Warrior. You sound full of p and vinegar. you will need it! I am stage 3C and have been NED since May/09. No physical side effects but the stress level can grab you if you let it. Go forward with your plans, sounds like you have a good guy. Stay in touch and keep everyone's best wishes in your pocket.
Verna0 -
Welcome
I was diagnosed stage 3C at 30 and I do not have children. I know EXACTLY how you feel. It's a load of crap!!
My biggest advise is go on an anti-depressant and/or anti-anxiety medication asap. I did and it really helped me. Cancer is hard to handle but I think it's worse emotionally at our age because we have so much more to deal with. Good luck to you. If you want to ask questions or talk feel free to message me.
Blessings,
Natalie0 -
im so sorry
I read your story and its kinda similar to mine and all those emotions and thoughts come flooding into my mind again.... Nothing can prepare you for it when you wake up outta surgery and find out CANCER & Hysterectomy! That's exactly what happened to me! I mean I knew going in something was def wrong and having to sign the consent forms for a hysterectomy was heart breaking! I am 27 and I too do not have any children and even 9 months after surgery I am still completely heart broken and at a loss for words...
I had 3 rounds of chemo to make sure all the cancer was gone and just had my 4 month check up and so far so good!
I am very sorry that you were another victim to this horrible disease called cancer... I had Adenocarcinoma Endometriod type Stage 1A Ovarian & Uterine Cancer. I still have my days that I cry and cry but one thing is for sure I am thankful my Dr's did what was necessary to save my life. I know I cant have kids but I also get to adopt and there are sooo many kids in the US that need good home and wonderful mothers like you and I will be one day! Please allow your self to grieve the loss, but also allow others to be a shoulder to you in those dark times... I know its way easier said then done and I it feels like no one will ever understand how you feel and that's why were here! I am fairly new to the boards here but I am so thankful I can come on here and everyone knows exactly how I feel.
Some thing that will help hmmm...
get a journal and write write write everything you cant say out loud! Be it good bad happy sad... it helps get the thought outta your mind! One of my best friends got it for and and I was like I'm not using it but when I got home it helped sooo much.
Be prepared for the hair loss it should start soon... I'm not sure what type of chemo your receiving but I lost my hair a week and a half after my first treatment and even though I knew it was comming it was soooo very tough, so as soon as I noticed I cut it short (like annie type hair do cause my hairs curly) then a few days later it was just pointless and so I had my brother shave my head and a few days later I was completely bald...
and wore tons of great scarves I got for free from American Cancer Society at there discovery shop! If you have one in your town go there and they have info and sometimes even free wigs! I was sooo no into wigs when I first started so I wore lots and lots of scarves to match with all my outfits but then I went for my first time between treatments to VEGAS! And I made myself buy a wig and I loved it and so did everyone else! I had to buy one more wig after that cause my hair started to grow back around my neck and I needed a longer wig but I loved that one too, It had bangs and I cant have bangs w/ my real hair... so yeah it sucks being bald but its soooo much fun with wigs makes you feel like a diff person!
Well I stop at that but please know even though we dont know each other personally we are connected at the heart! Cancer is not easy to deal with and I am glad you found the boards I didnt find this till this month and It woulda been nice to have a whole lots sooner!
I pray nothing but the best for you! Please let me know if theres anything I can do or help with!
Teal Warrior,
Nicole ♥(((hugs)))♥0 -
jbeansnicolegarza said:im so sorry
I read your story and its kinda similar to mine and all those emotions and thoughts come flooding into my mind again.... Nothing can prepare you for it when you wake up outta surgery and find out CANCER & Hysterectomy! That's exactly what happened to me! I mean I knew going in something was def wrong and having to sign the consent forms for a hysterectomy was heart breaking! I am 27 and I too do not have any children and even 9 months after surgery I am still completely heart broken and at a loss for words...
I had 3 rounds of chemo to make sure all the cancer was gone and just had my 4 month check up and so far so good!
I am very sorry that you were another victim to this horrible disease called cancer... I had Adenocarcinoma Endometriod type Stage 1A Ovarian & Uterine Cancer. I still have my days that I cry and cry but one thing is for sure I am thankful my Dr's did what was necessary to save my life. I know I cant have kids but I also get to adopt and there are sooo many kids in the US that need good home and wonderful mothers like you and I will be one day! Please allow your self to grieve the loss, but also allow others to be a shoulder to you in those dark times... I know its way easier said then done and I it feels like no one will ever understand how you feel and that's why were here! I am fairly new to the boards here but I am so thankful I can come on here and everyone knows exactly how I feel.
Some thing that will help hmmm...
get a journal and write write write everything you cant say out loud! Be it good bad happy sad... it helps get the thought outta your mind! One of my best friends got it for and and I was like I'm not using it but when I got home it helped sooo much.
Be prepared for the hair loss it should start soon... I'm not sure what type of chemo your receiving but I lost my hair a week and a half after my first treatment and even though I knew it was comming it was soooo very tough, so as soon as I noticed I cut it short (like annie type hair do cause my hairs curly) then a few days later it was just pointless and so I had my brother shave my head and a few days later I was completely bald... and wore tons of great scarves I got for free from American Cancer Society at there discovery shop! If you have one in your town go there and they have info and sometimes even free wigs! I was sooo no into wigs when I first started so I wore lots and lots of scarves to match with all my outfits but then I went for my first time between treatments to VEGAS! And I made myself buy a wig and I loved it and so did everyone else! I had to buy one more wig after that cause my hair started to grow back around my neck and I needed a longer wig but I loved that one too, It had bangs and I cant have bangs w/ my real hair... so yeah it sucks being bald but its soooo much fun with wigs makes you feel like a diff person!
Well I stop at that but please know even though we dont know each other personally we are connected at the heart! Cancer is not easy to deal with and I am glad you found the boards I didnt find this till this month and It woulda been nice to have a whole lots sooner!
I pray nothing but the best for you! Please let me know if theres anything I can do or help with!
Teal Warrior,
Nicole ♥(((hugs)))♥
The day I found this site I too cried while I was typing because I was so happy to find a place where people knew exactly what I was going through. The day of my diagnosis when my house was full of family and friends, everyone so sad, I told my mom, "It is what it is and we're just going to deal with it." With this horrible disease you also receive strengths and blessings you didn't know you had. I found out how much I mean to people and how much they mean to me. I learned that today is all that matters because it is all we really have. The past is gone and the future is unknown. I can't say I haven't had my share of days when I think this all sucks, but I want to enjoy each day and not let this disease take any more from me than it already has. I was dianosed stage IIIc on 3/16/2010, had chemo, then had debulking surgery on 6/21/2010, then more chemo. I was pronounced NED (no evidence of disease) in early November 2010. I have been feeling great, like before this all happened. I do have aches and pains and I get fatigued if I try to do too much. I am 63 and this did take a trememdous toll on my body. You are young and I am sure you will do very well. Like the other women on this board, I am sorry we had to meet like this but you will find strength, hope and answers to a lot of questions you will have along the way. You will find the strength to deal with this and come out of it a stonger person who understands what life is really about.
Good luck to you,
Karen0 -
I'm so sorry you are going
I'm so sorry you are going through this. Our stories are very similar... I went into surgery on July 27, 2009, for an elective, partial hysterectomy for a fibroid, and woke up to a full hysterectomy and stage 3C Primary Peritoneal Cancer (similar to ovarian cancer). Like you, there was a gyn/oncologist on staff and she came in and did my debulking surgery while I was still under. I finished my Chemo December 10, 2010, and have been cancer-free since then. The journey you are on is an emotional roller coaster, but you will get through it.
Although it was not because of my cancer, I was not able to have children (I had several miscarriages). However, my husband and I have a beautiful son who was born in Korea and came home to us in 2003. We went through a lot of heartache prior to adopting, but when our son was placed in our arms at the airport, we knew the path we had traveled had to be taken in order to become the parents of this precious boy.
I'm sure you are completely overwhelmed by this situation, but there truly is hope... I pray that you will stay strong and know that there are many women who are fighting this with you.
Take care!0 -
You can make itSouth Jersey said:I'm so sorry you are going
I'm so sorry you are going through this. Our stories are very similar... I went into surgery on July 27, 2009, for an elective, partial hysterectomy for a fibroid, and woke up to a full hysterectomy and stage 3C Primary Peritoneal Cancer (similar to ovarian cancer). Like you, there was a gyn/oncologist on staff and she came in and did my debulking surgery while I was still under. I finished my Chemo December 10, 2010, and have been cancer-free since then. The journey you are on is an emotional roller coaster, but you will get through it.
Although it was not because of my cancer, I was not able to have children (I had several miscarriages). However, my husband and I have a beautiful son who was born in Korea and came home to us in 2003. We went through a lot of heartache prior to adopting, but when our son was placed in our arms at the airport, we knew the path we had traveled had to be taken in order to become the parents of this precious boy.
I'm sure you are completely overwhelmed by this situation, but there truly is hope... I pray that you will stay strong and know that there are many women who are fighting this with you.
Take care!
There are alot of stage 3 c surviors here, I am one of them.
I also think you need to get a good onocologist surgeon, once you start chemo, the cancer can all go away.
There is hope , please do not loose your hope. God is still here all you have to do is ask.
Stay strong and remember someone cares.
Here is my e mail if you need me
petelynda@gmail.com
Hugs Lynda0
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