Hello all,
I was diagnosed with high-grade serous ovarian cancer on Monday, after a couple months of testing. As seems to often be the case, it was discovered by accident. I came to London for unrelated medical issues, and stopped by my GP as my stomach was in a lot of pain and I thought it was gastritis. She asked me if I had bloating and I said yes, but thought it was just my high-fiber diet or something. She ordered the CA125 test. It was 414 (now higher).
My husband works for the foreign office and we are posted (far) abroad. So we don't have a home here in London. I have been moving from friend's flat to friend's house as I go through this, and it's not ideal. My husband and 12-year-old daughter are far away, I am alone, and without much of a support system here. I miss my daughter infinitely and painfully. My parents and sister are in the US. I am terrified, both for myself and my daughter. She does not yet know, as I want to tell her in person, so my husband will bring her here this week. I'd love advice on how to talk with her about it. I am hellbent on surviving (as I am guessing we all are) because I can't leave her. We're so close.
My cancer is metastic, so in the lymph nodes around my liver near the port hepatis, lymph nodes near my sacrum, all over my omentum, peritoneum, and maybe in one ovary and uterus. I don't really know what this constellation means. It is manifesting atypically. I don't know what stage it is, and right now I do not want to know. I need to believe, whatever the odds, that I will survive, or I can't get through the days. I'm really struggling.
I'm a novelist, and have more books to write. And am in the midst of a PhD. I'd love to connect with others, especially anyone nearby in London. I'm feeling very alone. I'm a worrier, and ask please try not to make me more scared than I already am. Though of course I want to be prepared for the battle to come. I start chemo on Wednesday.
Healing thoughts to all of you,
Cadence
Hi Cadence and a very warm welcome to the online community which I hope you'll find is both an informative and supportive place to be.
It sounds like you've been through a great deal and I can't begin to imagine how difficult this must be to deal with so far from your family. However, you've joined the right community to connect with others who will know what you're going through.
The online community is divided up into different support groups and I can see that you've already joined and posted in the ovarian cancer group which is a great place to ask questions, share experiences and get support from other others with the same type of cancer. I'm sure you'll get replies from the other members of that group soon.
It would be great if you could pop something about your diagnosis and proposed treatment into your profile as it really helps others when replying to you and also when looking for someone on a similar pathway. It also means that you don't have to keep repeating yourself. To do this click on your username and then select 'Profile'. You can amend it at any time and if you're not sure what to write you can take a look at mine by clicking on my username.
If you have any difficulty navigating the community just drop me a reply and I'll be pleased to help
x
"Never regret a day in your life, good days give you happiness, bad days give you experience"
