Results at the half way stage :)

Tina Brown
Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
Thought I'd post my latest news. I am about half way through my treatment. I've had a CT scan and just received my 4th infusion of carbo/taxol. My CT scan shows that the thickening of my peritoneum has reduced (maybe you know it better as the omentum)and my left lung is still fluid free (which is fantastic news for me) My right lung still has a bit of fluid in there and I still have some fluid in my pelvic area. However it is all much reduced as compared to my previous scan.

The biggest encouragement for me is my CA 125 which has gone from 1119 - 156 after just 3 rounds of chemo.

The chemo does knock me off my feet initially and I am tired and feel sick for a week after. I have lost my hair - ALL of it and my eye brows and eye lashes have disappeared. When I look in the mirror I no longer recognise myself BUT it is working so I will endure it and hope it continues to "do its job"

Thank-you to all of you who have replied to my previous posts I think about you often.

Keep up the fight Tina xxxxxxxxx

Comments

  • nancy591
    nancy591 Member Posts: 1,027 Member
    #2
    great news
    I'm soooooooooo happy for you!!!
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    #3
    nancy591 said:

    great news
    I'm soooooooooo happy for you!!!

    This comment has been removed by the Moderator
  • catcan
    catcan Member Posts: 119
    #4
    Wonderful news
    Tina

    That is great news. The hair will all grow back and you look great without it. The eyelashes and eyebrows were the worst for me. I had one eyelash on my right eye and would put mascara on it. My sister would crack up. I was on dexamethasone for 3 days after chemo and never felt sick. I'm sorry you are going through that.

    Take care

    Cat
  • MichaelaMarie
    MichaelaMarie Member Posts: 163
    #5
    catcan said:

    Wonderful news
    Tina

    That is great news. The hair will all grow back and you look great without it. The eyelashes and eyebrows were the worst for me. I had one eyelash on my right eye and would put mascara on it. My sister would crack up. I was on dexamethasone for 3 days after chemo and never felt sick. I'm sorry you are going through that.

    Take care

    Cat

    Wonderful!
    Hi Tina,

    I'm so happy for you! That is such wonderful news about your marker! I had to laugh at Cat saying she put mascara on one last eyelash.......sounds like me! Losing my eyelashes was the worst thing to me too. The Cisplatin and Gemzar regimen that I just finished left me my eyelashes, eyebrows, and some fairly sparce hair. Unfortunately, it stopped working for me, and my marker is way up there. I just had my cat scan yesterday and haven't heard any news yet. But, I do have a question for all of you. After I came home from my scan yesterday, I started throwing up over and over again. It was mostly clear liquid. Surely that wasn't the cat scan drink still in my stomach??? I failed to mention that I had woke up with severe abdominal pain (gas-like) yesterday that lasted most of the day too. Both symptoms are gone today. Have any of you girls ever thrown up after a cat scan? This was my first time. Usually, if anything, I have diarrhea. Again, Tina, CONGRATULATIONS on the wonderful news! Lots of hugs, MM
  • MK_4Dani
    MK_4Dani Member Posts: 314
    #6
    Hang tough Tina!
    You are really getting hit hard with losing the hair and feeling sick...but the chemo is doing its job:) I wonder why some of us get hard and others do not with these drugs. The CA 125 looking good too. Congrats, it is happy news!
    MK
  • groundeffect
    groundeffect Member Posts: 639 Member
    #7
    Good news
    Tina,

    Your CA-125 level dropping that much is great! Going hairless is odd, but it will grow back when you go off chemo. I've noticed how surprised women who haven't had chemo are when I emphasize that you lose All of you hair-including pubic! I guess it doesn't occur to them!

    I'm losing my eyebrows and lashes now, just before I entered into my 6th round of taxol and ciaplatin treatments. I think I lost it a lot soon when I had IV taxol and carboplatin. I remember walking on a busy street after losing all of my eye hair, and I was miserable with how much dirt collected in my eyes despite my glasses.

    It's good to see you check in!

    Sue ♥♥♥♥♥
  • BetsyD
    BetsyD Member Posts: 5
    #8
    groundeffect said:

    Good news
    Tina,

    Your CA-125 level dropping that much is great! Going hairless is odd, but it will grow back when you go off chemo. I've noticed how surprised women who haven't had chemo are when I emphasize that you lose All of you hair-including pubic! I guess it doesn't occur to them!

    I'm losing my eyebrows and lashes now, just before I entered into my 6th round of taxol and ciaplatin treatments. I think I lost it a lot soon when I had IV taxol and carboplatin. I remember walking on a busy street after losing all of my eye hair, and I was miserable with how much dirt collected in my eyes despite my glasses.

    It's good to see you check in!

    Sue ♥♥♥♥♥

    eye hair
    I'm just about to have weekly treatment #7 (of 18) and have lost head hair but not eye hair. How does it fall out, a little at a time for along time or quickly? I've found a few eye lashes on my desk at work, but can't notice the difference yet. Silly question, I know. This web site it super. I really felt like I was alone going through this. I know I'm not now. Thanks ladies!
  • BonnieR
    BonnieR Member Posts: 1,526 Member
    #9
    congrats!!
    Tina that is awesome news, thanks for sharing. Bonnie
  • arbor3
    arbor3 Member Posts: 103
    #10
    Very good news
    Hi Tina

    Wonderful news that your CA125 is coming down. I have lost my hair 3 times since my dx in 2006. I got to the point I was enjoying being bald, no drying the hair, no more curling irons just wash my bald head with baby shampoo and go. I would get colored scarfs and baseball hats in different colors. It grew back fairly fast. Now I am on Toptotecan and it has thinned, harder to work with. What bothered me the most was my loss of eyebrows but with a little practice i finally got them straight, I used the powered eyebrow makeup.

    Have a good day
    HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!Dinora
  • Mawty
    Mawty Member Posts: 133
    #11
    arbor3 said:

    Very good news
    Hi Tina

    Wonderful news that your CA125 is coming down. I have lost my hair 3 times since my dx in 2006. I got to the point I was enjoying being bald, no drying the hair, no more curling irons just wash my bald head with baby shampoo and go. I would get colored scarfs and baseball hats in different colors. It grew back fairly fast. Now I am on Toptotecan and it has thinned, harder to work with. What bothered me the most was my loss of eyebrows but with a little practice i finally got them straight, I used the powered eyebrow makeup.

    Have a good day
    HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!Dinora

    Great news, Tina
    Thanks for the update. Losing the eyelashes was hard for me too, but I just used a thicker eyeliner and it looked like I had eyelashes unless you looked up close. You're so beautiful, I bet you can do that and you'll look just as beautiful as always.

    Marty
  • azgrandma
    azgrandma Member Posts: 609 Member
    #12
    Mawty said:

    Great news, Tina
    Thanks for the update. Losing the eyelashes was hard for me too, but I just used a thicker eyeliner and it looked like I had eyelashes unless you looked up close. You're so beautiful, I bet you can do that and you'll look just as beautiful as always.

    Marty

    I am happy for you
    I am so happy for you
    My lashes are mostly gone also
    We are a family on here now, it is nice that we do get well.
  • Chemo_Princess
    Chemo_Princess Member Posts: 105
    #13
    Yay!!
    Thanks for sharing your good news! Reading other peoples good news is very encouraging to me. Blessings! Natalie
  • Tina Brown
    Tina Brown Member Posts: 1,036 Member
    #14
    BetsyD said:

    eye hair
    I'm just about to have weekly treatment #7 (of 18) and have lost head hair but not eye hair. How does it fall out, a little at a time for along time or quickly? I've found a few eye lashes on my desk at work, but can't notice the difference yet. Silly question, I know. This web site it super. I really felt like I was alone going through this. I know I'm not now. Thanks ladies!

    Eye hair
    Hi Betsy
    Eye lashes and eye brows tend to come out when you're not expecting it. What I mean is it is really slowly & you don't really notice it until they have already become thin. But make-up is a saving grace and you can ALMOST re-create your old look with eye liner, eye shadow and eye brow pencils.

    Take care Tina xxx
  • Mwee
    Mwee Member Posts: 1,338
    #15
    Great news, Tina
    Hi Tina,

    Great news/ and I'm at the losing the rest of my eyelashes and eyebrows stage also. I don't recognize myself and kinda feel like "Uncle Fester" from the Addams Family. I also find that without nosehairs that my nose runs most of the time.... ugh.
    (((HUGS))) Maria
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #16
    Tina Brown said:

    Eye hair
    Hi Betsy
    Eye lashes and eye brows tend to come out when you're not expecting it. What I mean is it is really slowly & you don't really notice it until they have already become thin. But make-up is a saving grace and you can ALMOST re-create your old look with eye liner, eye shadow and eye brow pencils.

    Take care Tina xxx

    Yea!
    It's soooo good to get great news isn' it?

    Will continue to keep you in my prayers.

    Sharon :-)

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