Ovarian Cancer

mopar said:

Rae:
I'm so sorry to hear of what you are going through, especially at this time of year when we usually feel joy and peace.
First of all, I too had cancer (Ovarian stage 1C) discovered during an operation for a fibroid. They ended up removing everything, including the omentum and some lymph nodes. The cancer was contained in the one ovary, but when they removed it it ruptured, causing it to spill into my system. My doctor was speedy to recommend chemo (6 heavy-duty sessions). That was in March 2000. I just had an appointment last Wednesday. Although I do have some abdominal pain and pain in other areas, all tests show totally clear as well as the examination. I am so grateful and blessed, but it will always be a big part of my life, wondering if it will return.
Now to my treatments: I had taxol and carboplatin, IV, which took 8 hours to infuse. My doctor monitored this regimine very carefully to insure I had no reactions. I started the night before with a dose of oral steroids. The day of the chemo they began with Benadryl, Anzemt and a couple of other medications. This was to minimize any allergic reactions or nausea. He also gave me anti-nausea medication to use at home (which I only had to use once or twice). So my recommendation to you is this: Can you be premedicated to minimize any side effects and/or reactions? Can they infuse SLOWLY so you will also have fewer side effects? One day, when they seemed to be ready to go home, they speeded up the infusion. I IMMEDIATELY got very ill. So they had to slow it down. My doctor was upset about this. He is a trememdous doctor.
Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you. Please let me know what the outcome is of this situation. I highly recommend you ask your doctor those questions, at least to ease your mind. Please keep us informed. And try to have a peaceful holiday. All things are in His hands. He is watching over you. Read Psalm 91, the one that really got me through my ordeal and to this day is my comfort.
Monika

groundeffect said:

I'm sorry to hear that you had a bad reaction to the taxol, but it's my understanding that it's not a rare thing to have because it's a plant derivative; that's why it's usually administered in a hospital setting for the first treatment, so if there's an adverse reaction, you can be given as aid as possible. My ob/gyn said that when she was an intern, the taxol was still being filtered in the drip line because it sometimes had plant matter in it!

I had ovarian 1C and uterine 1B cancers, and was diagnosed in Sept. 2002, followed by 6 taxol/carboplatin treatments. It was scary at first, and I was very leery of what they were putting into me. I have since learned that it is standard treatment, and doses are administered by doctors are the same at hospitals or other facilities. I remember calling and demanding to know what I was given the second time, because it didn't seem to exactly match what I was given at the first!

You didn't mention if you were given steroid pills to take the night and morning before the chemo administration; I was given a prescription to have filled each time to aid in preventing reactions to the chemo.

Taxol is given to enhance the effect of carboplatin. It basically "freezes" the fast-growing cancer cells and allows the carboplatin to do its work. Taxol is what causes hair to fall out, because it slows down any fast-growing cells such as hair. I read a great book that gives descriptions of chemo drugs and why they should work-it's called "Gilda's Disease", by Dr. Steven Piver and Gene Wilder. I think it told me a lot more than I knew about ovarian cancer before my surgery and chemotherapy.

I highly recommend that book to anyone who has an experience with ovarian cancer. My ob/gyn said Dr. Piver wrote the handbook that all the interns carried during their oncology rotation.

Have you looked to see if there are any ovarian cancer support groups that you could meet with? I have found that my fellow survivors have a vast amount of knowledge about treatments, and they've all been scared and confused, just like us.

Don't despair! Your anxiety should lessen as you learn more about what you have, and what treatments are available. Don't be afraid to question your doctors and other health care professionals about your course of treatment. One thing that I've found useful is the deep breathing technique I learned at a yoga class. It's very relaxing when you need to do something to keep your mind off what's going on. I wish you luck, and remember-you are not alone.

Mherna6103 said:

Dear Rae,

I had been on chemo since 2001. You name it and I have been on it. I was given a 5 year survival period. So....technically I only have about two years to go. I done the single treatment only once and the doctors stopped doing it because it did absolutely nothing. I also had violent reactions to chemo. Pretty scary indeed!!!! I know how you feel. The doctors now have decided that chemo is not going to work for me because my body has developed a resistance to it. She decided two weeks ago to put me on Gleevec. It is a chemotherapy pill designed to work on the molecular level to try to stop the cells from multiplying. I don't know what to tell you. All I know is that it is very hard to stay positive. I am 50 years old, have a terrific husband and 3 children ranging from 16 through 27. The feeling of hopelessness creeps in often and I feel that life here will end soon for me. I am christian and I do pray to God that he grants me mercy and heal my body of this affliction or at least let me see at least one grandhild be born. I don't fear death so much.....my only pain is leaving my family behind and how they will feel when the Lord decides to take me. On a positive note, I do thank God for every day that he gives me.