visit this morning with my gyn-onc: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Kaleena said:

Maggie:
Sorry I left out
Maggie:

Sorry I left out some stuff in the post. Initially I had a total hysterectomy for severe endometriosis in Sept of 2005. After the hysterectomy, they path came back indicating they found cancer. So in October of 2005 they had to go back in to do a staging. All testings and nodes were clear. However, since cancer was found in the uterus and part of my ovary, I was diagnosed with Endometrial Adencarcinoma Grade 2 Stage ii/iiia. As a prevention, I had chemo. I had an allergic reaction to Taxol so I was given carboplatin and gemzar. In August of 2006 I had three brachytherapies.

My original doctor retired. I went to a new doctor who did not want to deal with me I believe because I was NED. It wasn't until July 2009 that he decided to do something with a small mass I had since 2005 which was causing me pain. So he decided that it couldn't be operated on, I needed to start chemo right away, if it shrank they would do surgery, and then probably more chemo. I changed doctors to another hospital who did a biopsy on it who said it was positive for endo cancer. He told me he would suggest 7 weeks of daily radiation, but that he couldn't do surgery, so he sent me back to the other doctor!

Thats when I went out of state and found another doctor. He told me he could operate. I had clear margins, etc. I had operation in February of 2010. Everything was clear and the mass was negative! They did, though, on a lymph that was sent away, find microscopic cells, but the treatment for that would have been removal and it was already removed.

Well enough about me, I am glad you had a great time; We all need that! I have three sons, 16, 17 and 19. They have been keeping me busy. We took them on a cruise at the end of July. We had a wonderful time.

Best to you and healthy thoughts!

Kathy

kathy thank you for all the additional information
geeze, you've really been through it. it's so luck of the draw whether we have cancer or not, where it is and where it isn't, what doctor we get, and what options each doctor is willing to pursue. it's so hard to keep track of. wow, three teenaged boys, they must eat you out of house and home. hope you have help with them. is the photo one of your partner?

again, thanks for all the details. for me, no detail too small. a friend once had a tee shirt made of for me of that saying.

sisterhood,
maggie

Kaleena said:

Yes, that is my husband,
Yes, that is my husband, Chuck. He takes very good care of me and has been by my side through everything.

We have always taken the approach of not "why me", but "it is what it is" and so how are we going to handle it? Throughout my chemo we would make jokes, laugh, sometimes cry. When I would get a face that looked like I would cry, he would make the same face and then we would laugh together. Deep down I knew how worried he was but he never let me know and I did the same with him. We always try to stay on the positive side and try to keep all negatives out.

My boys are really active. My oldest is now doing his college semester in Italy. I miss him but I am glad that he is getting the chance to experience so many wonderful things. My other two are in high school, they are in the marching band and jazz bands at school. So I will be going to a football game tonight! One thing about my boys is that they try to eat healthy and try to stay fit. (something our parents didnt have the knowledge at that time).

((Hugs)) Health and Happiness to you!

Kathy

kathy, thanx for sharing your family with me

it was really great reading your post; i know what it's like to have a partner with you through everything; it's hard to think we could have done it without them. chuck sounds like a dear; sounds like you're both lucky to have each other. that's great about your boys, lucky kid to be able to be in italy for a semester, and your other two sound like they have very interesting, healthy lives. if your teenaged boys try to eat healthy, that has to be because of you two, and what you've instilled in them.

we, too, have never taken the "why me" either, more like why not me? we're no different than anyone, and certainly not immune to bad things happening. it is strange to me, though, how extraordinarily healthy i was before diagnosis, so it was a huge shock, as i think it is to everyone. how could it not be? in any case, we're muddling along; it's been nearly a year since i've finished treatment, and i'm feeling almost normal again, though after cancer, nothing is really quite normal again. still, it's so nice not to be in treatment, hopefully this will last for awhile.

thanx again for your post, kathy, and your good wishes, health and happiness to you as well.

sisterhood,
maggie