Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer

bbarry07
bbarry07 Member Posts: 2
in Ovarian Cancer #1
My sister-in-law has just been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer it has moved to her lymphoids the doctor gave her a 17% survival rate. She is 29 yrs old with a 12 yr old son I'm scared to talk too much about it with her I was wondering what I should do or not do for her we are scared for her but do not want to make it harder on her.Any suggestions on care for her to help her through this . -Brenda

Comments

  • poopergirl14052
    poopergirl14052 Member Posts: 1,183 Member
    #2
    So young
    To have these odds. Has she had chemo? You can help her by just being there and listening. Also your nephew will be scared.....hug him and let him know you love him and will be there always..tell us more please,,,did she have surgery..chemo...sounds to mr like her Dr. Is giving up on her...please do not let this happen
  • kkend1
    kkend1 Member Posts: 15
    #3
    Fight
    Tell her to fight and have hope and find a Dr. who will fight with her. Listen to her and tell her there is a lot of love and caring for her and we will continue to hope for her and all of us. We have so much to live for and be thankful for. She'll be in my prayers.
  • Tethys41
    Tethys41 Member Posts: 1,382 Member
    #4
    Second Opinion
    She needs to find a good gynecological oncologist who is willing to fight for her. MD Anderson is one of the best hospitals for ovarian cancer. Maybe she can get a consultation there.
  • lovesanimals
    lovesanimals Member Posts: 1,366 Member
    #5
    kkend1 said:

    Fight
    Tell her to fight and have hope and find a Dr. who will fight with her. Listen to her and tell her there is a lot of love and caring for her and we will continue to hope for her and all of us. We have so much to live for and be thankful for. She'll be in my prayers.

    Dear Brenda
    I don't like hearing or reading about the survival statistics because they are frequently wrong and people can and do beat the odds. What's the game plan for her? As the other ladies have said, be there for her, listen to her, and hold her hand as she (and you) goes through the rollercoaster of emotions. Help her put on her "boxing gloves" and prepare to beat cancer's butt. As a young woman with a precious son, she has so much to live for. Please keep us posted and know that we're here for her and you.

    Hugs,
    Kelly
  • kimberly sue 63
    kimberly sue 63 Member Posts: 421 Member
    #6
    Don't focus on survival
    Don't focus on survival rates. Everyone is different and are individuals on how they get through this. Your sister in law is young and strong. She can get through this and beat those odds. That's what we all have to think. It is our goal to beat the odds!!!
    Tips that helped me....
    Flowers always put a smile on my face
    Sweet cards often just to say you are thinking of her
    Find info that is positive and gives her hope and strength to fight as hard as she can!! Inspire is another support group site. It has support groups for everything. There is an ovarian one. I like it because I can always find a post on survivors. I like reading survivor stories especially when I feel down and deflated about my cancer.
    Talk to her about these sites of ovarian survivors. It helps especially when you can post and all of the women on the site can give some insightful thoughts.
    I don't always get on the group sites....sometimes depending on my emotional state...these sites overwhelm me....especially when we lose a member to the disease.
    I have been getting intermittent facials. They feel great and help me feel better about how I look. Treatment makes us go through many changes physically, so anything you can do to feel good is important.
    Make sure she walks every day!!! She needs to keep up her strength.
    Good diet with foods that help fight the cancer and reduce side effects of the chemo. I got the book "Keeping cancer out of the kitchen" It has some great recipes.
    Green tea at least 3 cups/day. It is cancer fighting. I find when I drink green tea I actually feel empowered against the cancer.

    Hope this helped! Kim
  • debrajo
    debrajo Member Posts: 1,095 Member
    #7
    May I add my two-cents
    May I add my two-cents worth? I know the stress and depression, survival rates, Dr. Google are enough to SCARE you to death, but if she just can't pull it together for herself,she has the greatest reason in the world to fight for...her precious son! We mothers will fight and beat all odds if we know our children need us..and her son does! Prayers to all...God is good! Best Debrajo

    P.S. Hope I haven't offended anyone!
  • garden gal
    garden gal Member Posts: 212 Member
    #8
    debrajo said:

    May I add my two-cents
    May I add my two-cents worth? I know the stress and depression, survival rates, Dr. Google are enough to SCARE you to death, but if she just can't pull it together for herself,she has the greatest reason in the world to fight for...her precious son! We mothers will fight and beat all odds if we know our children need us..and her son does! Prayers to all...God is good! Best Debrajo

    P.S. Hope I haven't offended anyone!

    I think she needs another dr
    Don't believe in odds and especially if a dr tells you that. We're all beating the odds with this disease. I've been battling this cancer for 3 years now. A year and a half ago they told me I had 6 months to live. OH REALY here I am. will be praying and hoping and wishing she gets through this. Kathy
  • aewest1
    aewest1 Member Posts: 1
    #9
    Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer survivor
    Don't pay attention to statistics, I am a 6 month survivor of Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer, I was 30 when diagnosed, and I am a single mother of 2. Chemo sucked, I did 16 weeks, and had 2 ports. Like your sister in law I had it in my lymphnoids and the fatty tissue around all my stomach organs. But you push through, and you look at your son(s) and say they need me. My advice is give her lots of hugs. Show up with her favorite tea/movie/snack and just be. She will open up and talk. Being a young mother and dealing with the emotions of cancer, you need someone who will just sit and listen. I hated all the questions, I started a blog which helped my close friends and family know what I was going through. Call her up and tell her something funny that happened during the day, send her cards in the mail that say I love you and I am here for you. Its not ignoring the hard facts of cancer, but its embracing them and moving forward one day at a time. Good luck, and my prayers are with your sister in law. Ahminda

    PS and don't be offended if she doesn't want to talk when you want to. This is about her, and how she is going to be dealing with the treatment. Its hard, I know. Believe, me, its all to fresh to me!
  • bbarry07
    bbarry07 Member Posts: 2
    #10
    Hello Again
    I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.I wanted to give ya'll an update on my sister-in-law she went to another doctor and they took her uterus and left one ovary her cancer was not stage 4 but was late stage 2 going into stage 3 she does not have to take chemo she will have to do radiation she was blessed beyond belief.Thank you again on all the responses I will be praying for each and every one of you and your families.
  • brandall
    brandall Member Posts: 1
    #11
    kimberly sue 63 said:

    Don't focus on survival
    Don't focus on survival rates. Everyone is different and are individuals on how they get through this. Your sister in law is young and strong. She can get through this and beat those odds. That's what we all have to think. It is our goal to beat the odds!!!
    Tips that helped me....
    Flowers always put a smile on my face
    Sweet cards often just to say you are thinking of her
    Find info that is positive and gives her hope and strength to fight as hard as she can!! Inspire is another support group site. It has support groups for everything. There is an ovarian one. I like it because I can always find a post on survivors. I like reading survivor stories especially when I feel down and deflated about my cancer.
    Talk to her about these sites of ovarian survivors. It helps especially when you can post and all of the women on the site can give some insightful thoughts.
    I don't always get on the group sites....sometimes depending on my emotional state...these sites overwhelm me....especially when we lose a member to the disease.
    I have been getting intermittent facials. They feel great and help me feel better about how I look. Treatment makes us go through many changes physically, so anything you can do to feel good is important.
    Make sure she walks every day!!! She needs to keep up her strength.
    Good diet with foods that help fight the cancer and reduce side effects of the chemo. I got the book "Keeping cancer out of the kitchen" It has some great recipes.
    Green tea at least 3 cups/day. It is cancer fighting. I find when I drink green tea I actually feel empowered against the cancer.

    Hope this helped! Kim

    NEED SOME HELP
    My mother has been diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer and because of major surgery, her oncologist is not offering the option of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. The surgery was to remove stool from her stomach because of a hole in her bowel wall that was created by a tumor destroyed by chemo. Do you know of some things that we can do to fight the cancer while we wait for her to get strong enough to resume treatment?
  • AnneBehymer
    AnneBehymer Member Posts: 738 Member
    #12
    bbarry07 said:

    Hello Again
    I wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.I wanted to give ya'll an update on my sister-in-law she went to another doctor and they took her uterus and left one ovary her cancer was not stage 4 but was late stage 2 going into stage 3 she does not have to take chemo she will have to do radiation she was blessed beyond belief.Thank you again on all the responses I will be praying for each and every one of you and your families.

    I am glad to hear it is not
    I am glad to hear it is not stage four but in any stage I would not look at the numbers it can only bring you down. My doctor did not tell me what stage I was he wanted me to fight as hard as I could with Hope not fear. I found out about six months later from his NP that I was stage four, I thin I knew somewhere in the back of my head it was bad but with not finding out rignt off the bat I did fight hard and am still fighting hard even thou the cancer is back.

    Anne

Discussion Boards