Hello from a new member

teranarmstrong
teranarmstrong Member Posts: 10
in Uterine/Endometrial Cancer #1

Dear Ladies,

I came across this discussion board and have been so uplifted by your positive attitudes. My run in with uterine cancer has been a car wreck.

On Christmas Eve 2019 I was with my sister in California enjoying a program when I laughed out loud and thought I wet my pants. I ran to the bathroom and found blood everywhere. I rushed home and six days later found I have Invasive Endometrial Serous Carcinoma. I never missed an annual exam, never felt any symptoms except fatigue and weight loss but I attributed that to a nasty divorce. It is stage IV and I was not a candidate for surgery due to distal metastisis. Other than this beast I am in perfect health: no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no heart disease, not overweight. Nothing, no warning, nothing. I'm in round 5 of carbo/tax and a double blind clinical trial but everybody looks at me like a walking corpse. 

My grown children are devastated and I don't know how to talk with them.

My exhusband disappeared from the face of the earth (a good thing IMHO)

I invited a pastor and his wife and children to move in with me last year so I wouldn't be depressed and alone after the divorce. Praise God because they are my main line of support. 

Is it normal to be weepy, depressed and scared learning only 4 months ago you have a beast in your body you're fighting?

 

Teran

Comments

  • MAbound
    MAbound Member Posts: 1,168 Member
    #2
    Hope

    Well, you are certainly entitled to feel and behave as you are saying. I think that is all of us at diagnosis, during treatment, and when treatment ends. This is scary stuff!!  But if you aren't ready to give up hope, don't let those around you do it either!

    The thing is, you are in a battle for your life and you can't be passive about it just accepting and doing whatever you are told. Uterine cancer has so many variables that the statistics you have most likely read are pretty meaningless as far as applying them to individuals. We like to say we are each are own statistic which means there is plenty of reason to get feisty and fight what at the moment seems so insurmountable. We have stage 4 ladies here that are still with us, so the fat lady isn't necessarily singing for you yet!

    We need a lot more details about your story to better understand what's going on with you and to share any information that might be of benefit for you. Have you had 2nd opinions? Have you had genetic or genomic testing? What's your clinical trial? How are you faring with chemo?

    While I wish you hadn't needed to find us, I'm glad that you did. Welcome to the club nobody wants to belong to!

  • Donna Faye
    Donna Faye Member Posts: 427 Member
    edited May 2020 #3
    Yes, it is normal!

    Teran, you will find you are not alone anymore. We ladies on this site have had so much experience with the cancer beast that we know exactly how you feel.  I hope you will let us hear your questions - what concerns you have - how can we help. We will listen and someone will have just the right answer. I am one of the oldies and still fighting cancer but determined to do it my way. You have had many blows in a short time and you need to feel you can trust others to help when they can. Know you are starting in a strong place as you are healthy except for the cancer. Trust the doctors and meds to do the best job and stay positive as much as you can. Glad you found us . Hugs, DF

  • NoTimeForCancer
    NoTimeForCancer Member Posts: 3,486 Member
    #4
    Teran, welcome.  I wish you

    Teran, welcome.  I wish you weren't in the position you were in but I am glad you found this wonderful group of women and their families.  

    I couldn't agree more with MAbound and DF's statements on not being passive on your treatment and what you are feeling is completely normal.  

  • dgrdalton
    dgrdalton Member Posts: 161 Member
    #5
    Welcome

    So sorry you need this group, but in my opinion this is the best place to come to find good information. You will also feel loved and accepted no matter what. All of those feelings you are having sound normal. The best advice I got from this group was to be my own advocate and it is never wrong to get a second opinion. Hang in there, Teran!

    Donna D

  • teranarmstrong
    teranarmstrong Member Posts: 10
    edited May 2020 #6
    MAbound said:

    Hope

    Well, you are certainly entitled to feel and behave as you are saying. I think that is all of us at diagnosis, during treatment, and when treatment ends. This is scary stuff!!  But if you aren't ready to give up hope, don't let those around you do it either!

    The thing is, you are in a battle for your life and you can't be passive about it just accepting and doing whatever you are told. Uterine cancer has so many variables that the statistics you have most likely read are pretty meaningless as far as applying them to individuals. We like to say we are each are own statistic which means there is plenty of reason to get feisty and fight what at the moment seems so insurmountable. We have stage 4 ladies here that are still with us, so the fat lady isn't necessarily singing for you yet!

    We need a lot more details about your story to better understand what's going on with you and to share any information that might be of benefit for you. Have you had 2nd opinions? Have you had genetic or genomic testing? What's your clinical trial? How are you faring with chemo?

    While I wish you hadn't needed to find us, I'm glad that you did. Welcome to the club nobody wants to belong to!

    Chemo

    I've had 4 chemo sessions and they also are giving me the clinical trial treatments at the same time so I'm in the infusion section of the hospital for 11 hours! The trial is triple blind for Dostarlimab. Pray I'm in the drug group not the placebo! It's a stage III trial and is adding lots of time to ladies post chemo. 

    I am having almost no side effects to the chemo. The first day after dosage I feel great still but the next two days I'm fatigued and a bit nauseous but I've never vomited, nor had any other side effects. I'm able to go outside and garden, do housework, pretty much anything I want to do with one caveat: I have to balance my activity with rest or I will be over fatigued and nauseous the next day. So I work an hour then rest three or so hours, then do something else. 

    I haven't had second opinions. I have one tumor in my uterous and three micro tumors, two in my right lung, one one next to my sternum. There really isn't any other good cancer center near where I am: I'd have to drive three or four hours. I had genomic testing and my cancer is serous but I don't have Lynch Syndrome. It's HER2 negative and not hormonal either which is good and bad because off label use of breast cancer drugs generally focus on HER2+ or hormonal treatments.

    Most days the only way I know I have cancer is I have no hair and that is an ugly look but if I live long enough without lots of need for chemo I might get my beautiful hair back. Where's Cinderella's godmother when you need her?

    Love and Prayers,

    Teran

  • teranarmstrong
    teranarmstrong Member Posts: 10
    edited May 2020 #7
    dgrdalton said:

    Welcome

    So sorry you need this group, but in my opinion this is the best place to come to find good information. You will also feel loved and accepted no matter what. All of those feelings you are having sound normal. The best advice I got from this group was to be my own advocate and it is never wrong to get a second opinion. Hang in there, Teran!

    Donna D

    Thanks

    You are all so wonderful It's amazing: people without cancer don't understand. Why is it that the most understanding humans are those who have cancer, too?

     

    Teran

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