Posts by gentlemoose62

105 posts shown.

Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness in Health · Dec 4, 2007

[gentlemoose62 says:

On Monday, I'm taking my results to the oncology board to decide our next steps. It'll probably be more chemo since they can't radiate my pelvic area anymore—it's reached its maximum limit...Vasa din

I really hope you and the medical board have put together the perfect "battle plan." Whatever they decide, I'm crossing my fingers for a loooooong remission for you!
If you've been checking the forum lately, you know I've been fighting ovarian cancer since 2001 too. I've gone through three surgeries and nine rounds of chemo—every 21 days, or 12 weeks...
I've been in remission since 2003, at least according to my markers, which stay steady between 2 and 7. My check-up is coming up soon, so I've started overthinking everything again...but you know how it goes! What worries me is whether I'm actually being monitored properly. Right now, every six months it's just CA125 and a pelvic exam, maybe a transvaginal ultrasound here and there.
No PET, CT, or MRI scans. They tell me... only if the markers start rising. I was wondering, are you perhaps being treated at MD Anderson Cancer Center? What kind of follow-ups did you have during your four-year remission? And did your markers spike with every recurrence? For me, they always have, so maybe that's why they focus so much on them. I don't know, but it really eats at me... what if something starts somewhere far away and the marker doesn't catch it!
My "sentence" is a little shorter than yours, but I'd love to help you out with my own experience if I can.
For now, all I can give you is one veeeery big hug. Hang in there!

→ go to post

Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness in Health · Dec 1, 2007

Nancy Thomas18 said:Hi everyone!
I've been reading through all your posts for a while now, going through every single page. I was diagnosed with colon cancer myself and went through two surgeries in just one month. Finding this group and all the kind words you share has been such a huge comfort to me. It's just me and my son right now—he's studying in NYC—so I've been leaning on this community through all my rough patches, and I know I'll keep doing that. I really admire Angela Wright; she seems like such an incredible person you'd want by your side whether life is good or bad. And I have so much respect for Diana, who is such a fighter, something I feel I'm still working on. I'm about to start chemo and I have so many questions that I can't seem to find answers to. If anyone is willing to share some tips on diet, managing chemo, or dealing with post-op complications, I would be so grateful. I'll keep reading and will reach out whenever things get heavy, but mostly, I'm just here... and maybe one day I can help someone else with what I learn. Hang in there, we're fighting this together till the end!

Honey,
let me give you a warm welcome too! I was just like you, lurking and reading for days before finally feeling ready to jump in. You just know when it's time to take that next step. I'm also fighting cancer, but mine is ovarian, so I might not have the best specific advice for you. But generally speaking, while you're going through any phase
of illness and treatment, the most important thing is to focus on yourself (which us women rarely do!). Keep that immune system strong so you can get through every round of chemo, drink plenty of fluids, and get enough sleep! Also, if you ever feel like you can't carry this weight alone, please don't hesitate to see a psychologist. After every surgery I had in gynecology, they had a counselor available, and it helped me so incredibly much. I truly believe mental health support should be a standard part of
care for any oncology patient, but... well, our reality is a bit different.
Just to give you a little hope, my dad had Dukes B stage and lived for 11 years after his surgery. He passed away eventually, but it wasn't from the cancer!
Gather your strength, sharpen those claws, and keep pushing forward! We're right here with you.

→ go to post

OB/GYN experiences at Mercury in Health · Nov 29, 2007

Angela Murphy74 said:Is the OB-GYN department at Mercury really that bad? Honestly, I’ve heard some horror stories that just blow my mind. Has anyone actually had a good experience there?

My experience has been pretty decent! Gynecology covers so much ground though, and there are tons of different specialists... I'm curious, what kind of horror stories have you been hearing? What specifically went wrong?

→ go to post

Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness in Health · Nov 29, 2007

koMišice said:

Kokice,
I'm so happy my story gives you some hope. Honestly, I feel amazing today! I go in for checkups every six months, and yeah, I get those pre-appointment jitters every single time, but mostly, it's fine. I live my life and work just like anyone else. Of course, I can't just forget about being sick—there isn't a day goes by where it doesn't cross my mind—but I've learned how to live with it. I've accepted it. I try to stay informed because, like they say, the better you know your enemy, the easier it is to fight back! But hey, everything happens in its own time, until we feel ready for the next step. I truly think your mom is on the right track; the fact that she’s already making changes shows just how much fighter spirit she has! Trust me, she is way stronger than you realize! You can never view this disease as a death sentence. We have to believe that even if there’s a relapse, there are still so many treatments out there and so much new research happening. We just have to hang in there and do everything in our power!
Your sweet mama is so lucky to have you!

→ go to post

Resources and support for families dealing with cancer and serious illness in Health · Nov 27, 2007

Grace Fowler said:Hey there, everyone!!!
So, the results are finally in... honestly, I don't even know what to say... basically, things haven't changed much since May when they diagnosed the recurrence with some metastases in my lungs (something just decided to settle in there and won't budge). On the bright side, they saw some calcifications which means the chemo actually did something, and the disease hasn't progressed too much. This Monday, I’m taking everything to the oncology board to figure out our next move. It'll probably be more chemo because I can't do any more radiation in that area—I've hit the limit for that spot... I'm not feeling super down about it, though. Maybe I was hoping for a slightly better result, but hey, it is what it is... I'm pushing forward... though I have to admit, even after fighting this war for almost nine years, whenever bad news hits, that anxiety still creeps in. I won't keep repeating myself since I can't change the past, so I'm just moving ahead... Thanks to all of you for the support... I'll check back once I get the orders on what happens next...
Stay kind and stay brave.
Your Diana

This is actually my first time posting on a forum, but I decided to start right here with you, Diana, because I truly admire your strength and spirit, especially now when you were probably hoping for so much more. I totally get where you're coming from, because I've been battling ovarian cancer since 2001, and I know exactly how it feels when the illness comes back. So far, I've dealt with three recurrences, and I've been incredibly lucky that since my last one in October 2003, the beast hasn't shown up again! My stage was IIIc with a CA 125 of 1750—so yeah, it had progressed.
I just wanted to reach out and encourage you, because there are so many similar stories where the disease either stabilizes or just stays away, even after multiple recurrences.
You're a fighter, this is your battle, and you're going to win it!

→ go to post