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carol1945
carol1945 Member Posts: 7
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Hi, i was diagnosed in march 2007 with stage 3c ovarian cancer. I went thu 9 rounds of chemo plus surgery.Taxol i became allergic to so i finished with taxotere. i had my last treatment on Nov 29 2007. will go back to doctor in March for another ct scan and 125 test. I am struggling with depression and anxiety right now. Have been to physc and therapist. I am on lexapro for 2 weeks now. I hope it gets better because right now it is hard to cope everday. I can't seem to get back to work even. I would appreciate any help.....Thanks

Comments

  • Here
    Here Member Posts: 1
    i was dx with ovarian cancer aug 21 2006. i also deal with sometimes crippling anxiety. im 32 now and test after test brings positive news. i dont think the fear ever goes away, it does get more managble though. this dx definatly sucks but i have to remember the women who died before me to remember how lucky i am
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    I also was diagnosed March, 2007 at Stage IV, because of spread to the liver. I had in intiial CA125 of 2988. After 9 doses of Taxol and Carboplatin and debulking surgery and radio freq. ablation of the three liver tumors, I am now on a schedule of taxol every four weeks at a reduced dose for maintenance or consolidation treatment. I have done 4 of 12 of those. My CA125 dropped with each treatment and last week it was 4 so I am responding and still kicking! I have had several CT scans since the original and the last one in December showed no tumors. That is considered to be NED or no evidence of disease by CT, Blood test, and physical exam. I have another CT in May scheduled and will probably be watch closely for awhile. I am on 10 mg of Paxil daily and intend to stay as it helps me sleep and with the hot flashes. It helps me cope and life is just better.
    Hope this site helps you. Saundra
  • curlyq1971
    curlyq1971 Member Posts: 56
    Hi Carol and Welcome,
    My name is Leslie and I was dx in Aug. 2005 at the age of 34,underwent total hysterctomy, ovaries, omentum, and 9 lymph nodes removed, I was staged at stage 2 and my lymph nodes all tested negative, and my gyne/onc surgeon was able to remove all of the cancer, before surgery my CA125 was 50,500. I also did 6 chemo treatments of taxol/carbo and my treatment ended in January of 2006. I have been cancer free for almost 3 years now with a CA125 at 13 and that is where it has been for over a year now. I saw my oncologist in January of this year, and I was promoted to 6 month visits which I was extremely happy about, another milestone reached. It is completely normal to have the anxiety but I promise you that in time it will subside. My life has pretty much gotten back to normal, and I find that I think about reoccurence less and less. During my treatment I was on lorazapam which helped alot with the anxiety and I was able to sleep at night, but after treatment ended I didn't take it anymore. I am a firm believer in always thinking positive and never losing faith, and never ever letting cancer have all the power. You need to believe that you are stronger than this disease and that you will prevail.
    Keep us posted on how you are doing, and if you have any questions or just need someone to listen I am here.
    Sending you a GIANT HUG!!!
    Leslie
  • lindachris
    lindachris Member Posts: 173
    The honesty of your post is probably the first, best response. Acknowledging your feelings may not help you feel immediately better, but I know it helped my wife get help during her treatments. And she has pulled through emotionally even though for a couple weeks she was like a blank slate of anxiety and depression. It can feel like a wall, or like you have blinders on. Or something. It can be hard to cope, for sure. I don't know the meds you are taking, but I know that anxiety medicine helped my wife, along with a regimen of depression medication following surgery and start of chemo. It just whacked her. And I dealt with some emotional challenges and took Lorazepam as a caregiver. That helped. Didn't solve all the problems, but it gave us strength and support, along with friends and prayers, to make it through each day. Working wasn't in the picture for my wife during her treatments. She was just too tired. But it's three weeks out from her last treatment and she went to the preschool to begin teaching again. I hope you find help and solace in the replies from all these great people, Carol. Keep posting.
  • lady342008
    lady342008 Member Posts: 82

    Hi Carol and Welcome,
    My name is Leslie and I was dx in Aug. 2005 at the age of 34,underwent total hysterctomy, ovaries, omentum, and 9 lymph nodes removed, I was staged at stage 2 and my lymph nodes all tested negative, and my gyne/onc surgeon was able to remove all of the cancer, before surgery my CA125 was 50,500. I also did 6 chemo treatments of taxol/carbo and my treatment ended in January of 2006. I have been cancer free for almost 3 years now with a CA125 at 13 and that is where it has been for over a year now. I saw my oncologist in January of this year, and I was promoted to 6 month visits which I was extremely happy about, another milestone reached. It is completely normal to have the anxiety but I promise you that in time it will subside. My life has pretty much gotten back to normal, and I find that I think about reoccurence less and less. During my treatment I was on lorazapam which helped alot with the anxiety and I was able to sleep at night, but after treatment ended I didn't take it anymore. I am a firm believer in always thinking positive and never losing faith, and never ever letting cancer have all the power. You need to believe that you are stronger than this disease and that you will prevail.
    Keep us posted on how you are doing, and if you have any questions or just need someone to listen I am here.
    Sending you a GIANT HUG!!!
    Leslie

    WOW Leslie, this was very encouraging to read. You're a Blessing!!! THANK YOU. :-) I'm new at this too and trying to learn all I can about replying and adding people. I don't have the adding friends down yet. I would like to add you and don't know how. LOL
    I KNOW you're having GREAT DAYS!!! :-D
  • lady342008
    lady342008 Member Posts: 82

    The honesty of your post is probably the first, best response. Acknowledging your feelings may not help you feel immediately better, but I know it helped my wife get help during her treatments. And she has pulled through emotionally even though for a couple weeks she was like a blank slate of anxiety and depression. It can feel like a wall, or like you have blinders on. Or something. It can be hard to cope, for sure. I don't know the meds you are taking, but I know that anxiety medicine helped my wife, along with a regimen of depression medication following surgery and start of chemo. It just whacked her. And I dealt with some emotional challenges and took Lorazepam as a caregiver. That helped. Didn't solve all the problems, but it gave us strength and support, along with friends and prayers, to make it through each day. Working wasn't in the picture for my wife during her treatments. She was just too tired. But it's three weeks out from her last treatment and she went to the preschool to begin teaching again. I hope you find help and solace in the replies from all these great people, Carol. Keep posting.

    Lindachris, I'm new at all this stuff and I did see you yesterday, but didn't now how to use this thing. I see this posting dated Feb 25, so hopefully you're still on here. My question to you is, did you know every step of the way about your wives issue's before she was diagnosed with cancer? If you know how to write me on my page I've started about "Complex Solid Mass" that's my thing I put up. I'm interested in a husbands views on these issues. I'd VERY MUCH appreciate hearing from you. Thank You and Hope things are going well for you ALL!!!