New Dz UPSC 3C

Ann55
Ann55 Member Posts: 48
edited June 2013 in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

I'm fairly new to all this.UPSC stage 3C.I had my post op visit today,will be getting a port a cath on Thurs and first chemo Rx next Friday. Treatment plan is for sandwich method  with external radiation. This is scary business.Wish me luck.

Comments

  • debrajo
    debrajo Member Posts: 1,095 Member
    #2
    Hi Ann55

    Welcome to another UPSC sister! I'm UPSC also(1a,grade 3) and just passed my three year exam and am still NED(no evidence of diease).  It is all scary and life changing, but you are at the right place here to find someone who has been there and done all of it to help you get through.  All questions are allowed, nothing out of bounds(believe me!).  Let us know what you need and one(or all) of us will be here soon.  Best, debrajo

  • Kathy G.
    Kathy G. Member Posts: 245 Member
    #3
    Welcome Ann 
    Best of luck

    Welcome Ann 

    Best of luck with your treatments. This IS a scary disease, but you will find a lot of support on these boards especially from your fellow USPC survivors.

    Kathy

  • cheerful
    cheerful Member Posts: 261 Member
    #4

     

    Hi Ann:

      I am a UPSC survivor (Stage 1). I was diagnosed with UPSC in February of 2011.  So far, I am without evidence of disease for which I am very grateful and thankful and I just passed my 2 year mark in February.  I go for blood work next week and my cat scan the following week. I have had cat scans done 2x a year and blood work done 2x a year as well. My oncologist is very experienced and very knowledgeable on UPSC as he has many years of experience. He has women from all over the country coming to see him for his expertise.  His office is located in Upland, PA and he is affiliated with the Cancer Center at Crozer Chester Medical Center.  I live about 15 minutes away so it is very close his office and the Cancer Center from my home.

      UPSC is a very scary diagnosis and cancer does change you.  Enjoy life and live each and every day to the fullest.

      As far as your chemo treatments go I am assuming you will be on carboplatin and taxol, you will feel tired after each treatment. You will definitely need to rest the next day after your treatments and just take it easy.  I had 6 chemo treatments which is the standard treatment.  I then went through 3 brachytherapy treatments after my chemo treatments were over in August of 2011 and started the brachytherapy in late Sept. of 2011 and finished 3 weeks later in October of 2011. I only went through 3 brachytherapy treatments because I had Stage 1 of UPSC.  If you have a higher stage, you obviously according to your radiologist he will decide on the amount of treatments that you will need to have done.

        I was very happy when all my treatments were over as I felt I could rest and recover from everything I went through.  You also will lose your hair (your oncologist should have mentioned this to you) probably around 2 weeks after your first chemo treatment, so hopefully you have already bought your wig.  I bought a wig and shopped for a few weeks and bought a wig in March of 2011 a few weeks before I started the first chemo treatment that was very close to my own hair and you really could not tell the difference. My hair stylist trimmed my wig for me which was really nice. It is a shock to lose your hair, but I felt to lose your hair is only temporary and it will grow back.  It took about 15 months after chemo was over that my hair all came back to a very long length and I had it cut for the first time in October of 2012.  Now, my hair is a bit shorter which I like even more and I do wear a one length shorter bob.  I do feel very good having my own hair come back as my hair does grow very fast so I have it cut and trimmed about every 2 to 3 months and my bangs trimmed once a month.

      I wish you all the best and good luck with your treatments.  Any questions that you have you can contact us ladies here on the Board - everyone is very caring and very helpful.

    Cheerful

      

  • Stabler
    Stabler Member Posts: 51
    #5
    Welcome Ann.  You have come

    Welcome Ann.  You have come to the rights place to get information.  Theses women are amazing and very supportive and I admire them immensely.   Good luck with your treatments.  I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. 

     

    Debbie

  • Ann55
    Ann55 Member Posts: 48
    #6
    Thanks!

    Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel like I have a good team and UNC and a good team at home but it will be really nice to be a member of this great group of ladies that really know the score.

  • Ro10
    Ro10 Member Posts: 1,561 Member
    #7
    Ann welcome to this site

    Sorry you have to be here though.  I too was diagnosed with UPSC stage 3-C.  I had the sandwich treatment with 28 external radiation treatments as well as a 28 hour internal radiation treatment.  

    I wish you well with your treatments.  I am glad you are getting a port.  This is so helpful for lab draws, CAT scans and chemo.  Feel free to come back with any questions you might have.  I am glad you have a good medical team.

     

  • LizGrrr
    LizGrrr Member Posts: 127 Member
    #8
    New diagnosis = head spinning

    No one expects this, looks forward to this, knows what to do with this.  Throughout my treatment, I noticed my pattern:  doc would give me some news (recommended treatments, results, prognosis, whatever) and I'd be a basket case for about 24-48 hours while I mentally and psychically digested the information.  

    After the initial shock, it was getting on with getting on.  And the sand shifted many a time.  There were bad days and awful days but there were good days and great days too.

    Good luck with your treatment and never hesitate to come here and ask questions or vent.  This group was the best support group/group therapy a gal could ask for.

    Caring Bridge offers a blog forum - that was also helpful.  I could write about whatever I was feeling, the latest on my treatment, anything - and that way I could keep in touch with people and not have to go into much detail because they'd already read about it.  I was stunned to see that after 8 months of treatment I had nearly 5,000 visits to my blog!  That's a lot of whining and updating that I was glad to take care of en masse.

    Liz in Dallas

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