New Caregiver

Lmm041
Lmm041 Member Posts: 33
edited March 2014 in Ovarian Cancer #1
My dear wife of 28 years was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer in March of this year. Her stomach was extremely distended due to the ascites. This was the first clue she was sick. She is 53 years old and a mother of three adult children.

Oncologist surgeon decided to go with three initial rounds of chemo (taxol/carboplatin). She went from a CA-125 of 266 to an 11 before surgery. She had a successful surgery on June 16th. She is now on her second set of three rounds of chemo. Her last CA-125 was a 2 (happy dance!) prior to her second to last chemo.

I look at her and I don't see a sick person. She is looking great and is full of life. Do women actually beat this disease? We are both scared to get off chemo. Her last treatment is in three weeks.

Should we wait and see if she is in remission, or is there a maintenance treatment we should request?

Dazed and confused in Texas.

Comments

  • Hissy_Fitz
    Hissy_Fitz Member Posts: 1,834
    #2
    I'm in Texas, too!
    I live
    I'm in Texas, too!

    I live between Dallas and Ft Worth. I was diagnosed with Stage IIIc last Sept. My CA 125 was 4000 and yesterday it was 7, and has been as low as 4.8, and my CT scan after 6 rounds of chemo was clear, so I am considered in remission.

    That was the good news. The bad news is that a full 85% of us achieve full remission after first line chemo, only to suffer a recurrence within 2 years, and usually much sooner.

    Do women beat this disease? Yes....but the woman with late stage OC who never has a recurrence is very, very rare. Most of us are destined to manage it as a chronic condition. I know a woman who is an 11 year survivor, but she has had many, many rounds of chemo.

    I am doing a year of Taxol maintenance. My doctor recommends it for some of his patients, but not all doctors agree that it is worthwhile.

    This is a great place to find support and information. I don't know what I would have done without these wonderful ladies.

    Carlene
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #3
    Hello,
    Sorry to have met you
    Hello,

    Sorry to have met you this way due to your wife's cancer. However; I am happy to hear that her numbers are plummeting and her surgery was successful.

    As hard as it is to believe; stage IV ovca usually means a life of lifelong maintenance of chemotherapy from time to time.

    I am a stage IV and am now approaching my 4th year living with ovca. After my first round of treatment of carbo and taxol for 8 months, I went into remission for one year and a half upon which shortly afterwards I was faced with the reality of having to begin another round of chemo because my numbers had gone back up significantly upon which following a subsequent cat-scan showed my para aortic lymph-node had enlarged. (A sign that my cancer was attempting to rear its ugly head again.)

    As far as waiting to see if she is in remission; her oncologist will let her know that right away following lab work. Actually if your wifes' last ca-125 was a 2, she is already technically in remission. Afterwards; the next few months will be filled with lab, keeping on top of her ca-125 readings and overall condition.

    It took me a quick minute to realize that I would live with condition for the rest of my life and for me after much soul searching, my stance is that every woman living a full life with this disease HAS beaten it.

    For me, I was initially told I would not live beyond 4-6 months; however; as you can see I am shooting for year number 4. :-).

    People look at me and tell me "you don't look like you have cancer" or "you look so healthy" or "you don't look sick".

    But I am very much not over this disease, right now it's a bit under control by way of treatment, healthy living and a positive spirit. I just refuse to let it take away my joy, but you have to understand as this disease progresses and takes hold of my mind and body it may very well become a different story.

    As time goes by, your wifes' oncologist will recommend various treatments she feels are warranted. But you never know she could also go into remission and stay in remission for quite some time.

    Take care,

    Sharon
  • msfanciful
    msfanciful Member Posts: 559
    #4
    Hello,
    Sorry to have met you
    Hello,

    Sorry to have met you this way due to your wife's cancer. However; I am happy to hear that her numbers are plummeting and her surgery was successful.

    As hard as it is to believe; stage IV ovca usually means a life of lifelong maintenance of chemotherapy from time to time.

    I am a stage IV and am now approaching my 4th year living with ovca. After my first round of treatment of carbo and taxol for 8 months, I went into remission for one year and a half upon which shortly afterwards I was faced with the reality of having to begin another round of chemo because my numbers had gone back up significantly upon which following a subsequent cat-scan showed my para aortic lymph-node had enlarged. (A sign that my cancer was attempting to rear its ugly head again.)

    As far as waiting to see if she is in remission; her oncologist will let her know that right away following lab work. Actually if your wifes' last ca-125 was a 2, she is already technically in remission. Afterwards; the next few months will be filled with lab, keeping on top of her ca-125 readings and overall condition.

    It took me a quick minute to realize that I would live with condition for the rest of my life and for me after much soul searching, my stance is that every woman living a full life with this disease HAS beaten it.

    For me, I was initially told I would not live beyond 4-6 months; however; as you can see I am shooting for year number 4. :-).

    People look at me and tell me "you don't look like you have cancer" or "you look so healthy" or "you don't look sick".

    But I am very much not over this disease, right now it's a bit under control by way of treatment, healthy living and a positive spirit. I just refuse to let it take away my joy, but you have to understand as this disease progresses and takes hold of my mind and body it may very well become a different story.

    As time goes by, your wifes' oncologist will recommend various treatments she feels are warranted. But you never know she could also go into remission and stay in remission for quite some time.

    Take care,

    Sharon
  • Lmm041
    Lmm041 Member Posts: 33
    #5
    msfanciful said:

    Hello,
    Sorry to have met you
    Hello,

    Sorry to have met you this way due to your wife's cancer. However; I am happy to hear that her numbers are plummeting and her surgery was successful.

    As hard as it is to believe; stage IV ovca usually means a life of lifelong maintenance of chemotherapy from time to time.

    I am a stage IV and am now approaching my 4th year living with ovca. After my first round of treatment of carbo and taxol for 8 months, I went into remission for one year and a half upon which shortly afterwards I was faced with the reality of having to begin another round of chemo because my numbers had gone back up significantly upon which following a subsequent cat-scan showed my para aortic lymph-node had enlarged. (A sign that my cancer was attempting to rear its ugly head again.)

    As far as waiting to see if she is in remission; her oncologist will let her know that right away following lab work. Actually if your wifes' last ca-125 was a 2, she is already technically in remission. Afterwards; the next few months will be filled with lab, keeping on top of her ca-125 readings and overall condition.

    It took me a quick minute to realize that I would live with condition for the rest of my life and for me after much soul searching, my stance is that every woman living a full life with this disease HAS beaten it.

    For me, I was initially told I would not live beyond 4-6 months; however; as you can see I am shooting for year number 4. :-).

    People look at me and tell me "you don't look like you have cancer" or "you look so healthy" or "you don't look sick".

    But I am very much not over this disease, right now it's a bit under control by way of treatment, healthy living and a positive spirit. I just refuse to let it take away my joy, but you have to understand as this disease progresses and takes hold of my mind and body it may very well become a different story.

    As time goes by, your wifes' oncologist will recommend various treatments she feels are warranted. But you never know she could also go into remission and stay in remission for quite some time.

    Take care,

    Sharon

    Thank You
    Carlene and Sharon for sharing your knowledge and spirit. I am up giving my wife her meds in the wee hours of the morning and cannot get back to sleep.

    I pray I continue to have these sleeplessness nights for many years to come if it means I am still giving my wife the care she deserves.

    Thanks again,

    Morris
  • Barbara53
    Barbara53 Member Posts: 652
    #6
    Lmm041 said:

    Thank You
    Carlene and Sharon for sharing your knowledge and spirit. I am up giving my wife her meds in the wee hours of the morning and cannot get back to sleep.

    I pray I continue to have these sleeplessness nights for many years to come if it means I am still giving my wife the care she deserves.

    Thanks again,

    Morris

    more caregivers here
    Hi Morris, sorry to welcome you to this club. Your wife is gonna be with you for a long time, though every day feels scary. I'm a caregiver, too, been helping my mother with her ovarian cancer struggle for a year and a half.

    In addition to the wonderful help you will get here (some of these teal warriors know as much as a doctor!), by all means check out the caregiver forum (scroll down the list of forums), especially on those long nights when you can't sleep. There you will find yet another group of kind and caring people who understand the special challenges and rewards of being a cancer caregiver.
  • saundra
    saundra Member Posts: 1,370 Member
    #7
    Stage IV and Texas too!
    I was diagnosed 3/3/2007 and have been in a battle since then. I did the 10 months of low dose Taxol andd developed an allergy. I also did about 8 months of anti-estrogen. These got me off the chemo for vacations and gave my body a rest. All of us are a little different and yet the same in many ways. We can help your wife with side effects etc, should she have any questions. In the meantime it is important that you take care of yourself. Get out of the house and do things for yourself, exercise, etc. You husbands have just as heavy of a load and in someways worse. Saundra

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