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Hello Shay - I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis of ovarian cancer.   I can still recall when I was first diagnosed (February this year) and how it felt for me.   Its a really awful thing to be going through.   I am not sure everyone goes through the same treatment plans - it will be different depending on many things and I am certainly no expert.   For me, it was scan, multi disciplinary team meeting, then follow up meeting and plan of what to do next.   I had a full abdominal hysterectomy with everything gone (I waited about 4 weeks for this op), then they did a full biopsy of what they took away and that identified the type of OC - mine is mucinous, which is a rare OC.  Then 18 weeks of carboplatin although mucinous does not respond that well to chemo - they have given me a shot at this to give me the best outcome possible.   I did feel very dreadful the week before surgery and if I had not been going in for surgery - I would definitely have reached out to my GP/Macmillan nurse for advice.   I would recommend you do that.   Don't suffer in silence and ask.   If cancer has taught me anything - it is to make sure I reach out and speak to someone instead of putting it off.  Don't put things off.  Ask.   Especially if you're not eating and feeling sick.  Sorry if I have said that a lot but I honestly would just pick up the phone and let someone know what is going on and get checked out.

You will find so much support on here - there are loads of lovely people on here only too willing to reach out and support you.   You also have the Experts forum - I asked a question on there and got a great answer and really reassured me - so you could ask on there (my answer came back really quickly).  

To reassure you - the hysterectomy was so straightforward - despite it being major surgery (as I was told).  My physical recover was straightforward also - I just did as I was told!   Didn't overdo things and took each day as it comes.

One thing I will say is - I was surrounded by lovely kind professionals and they are only too willing to help you and support you.   I have had fantastic care and it has made all the difference.

Please reach out on here- lots of people here to support you.

Lots of warm wishes are sent your way. 

It is completely normal to feel tired all the time and I was also very nauseous and in pain. Speak to your gp who may be able to prescribe some stronger pain killers nd anti sickness meds while you wait to see the consultant. I also used a heat belt which I felt helped with the pain. In regards to treatment it varies depending on size etc. You will initially be sent for various scans, ct, mri, potentially pet scan, so they can have a clear picture of what they are dealing with. I had surgery to remove the ovarian part of the cancer but I also had it in the vulva and cervix so chemo and radiotherapy are part of my treatment now. My advice would be to carry a small notebook or make a note on your phone to mark down any questions that pop in your head, at completely random times, to ensure you make the most of the time with your consultant. Also this can be an emotional time and things go out of your head. Also be completely honest with your medical team so they can adjust things accordingly along the journey.

Good luck with your journey x

Thank you. I am having the meeting where they tell me what they are going to do. Its basically same as yours. They need to find out what type of cancer it is after the operation. x

Tthank you. I have had all the tests and scans. On Wednesday i have to travel to Addenbrooks for the meeting before the operation. They took me on as a emergency case at it is now 11 cm tumours with one that has another one attached to it. I am falling apart but infront of my three daughters putting on af front as they are all i have and  They are worried. I will face it when they tell me how bad it is. They also did CT scans to see if its spread to my upper biody. Thank you. x

Please tey to take someone with you when you see the surgeons as it can be very overwhelming. The mass on my ovaries was 15cm and they managed to remove it all with surgery. They also took my other overy. I know it is easier said than done but try to stay positive, you can beat this. Macmillan may be able to give you some advice on talking to your children and how to approach it. They are resilient, even if they are small. They may not understand fully but as you said they will pick up your mood so it is better to tell them something. Good luck for Wednesday and remember to ask questions if you don't understand something.

Take care x

Thank you.  My girls are older. 31, 26, 27.  We are really close and i can see how they not coping well with the situation so far so i am pancaking about what's going to happen on Wednesday and the operation. I'm 54 and overweight because i am on meds that make me put on weight so it makes me worry more.   I suppose losing weight so quickly by the time my operation comes round i will be a lot lighter. They did say they are taking my case in as a medical emergency so that made me panicky on its own.x

Hello Shay - although everything you and your daughters are experiencing is perfectly understandable - doesn't make it any easier.  My daughter is 32 and must have really panicked but has been stronger than i realised she could be.  Giving her things to do - to help me really helped her.  I was not there for her really on an emotional level as much as I wanted to be as i was so terrified.  But we kept on talking about it and she understood.  With the weight thing - I was very much overweight and did lose a couple of stone before going in - then lost more weight after the op as I wasn't that hungry.   I have put a little bit back on but not much.   I was fine for the operation though and that was the important thing so I wouldn't worry too much.   As the surgeon said to me 'its got to come out' - and that is a fact.  When I went for my meeting to decide what they were going to do - I was also really terrified.  But the surgeon was lovely but very straightforward - its got to come out, we will examine it properly then and this is the date and did I have any questions.  I didn't have any questions - I just wanted it all over.   I only waited 4 weeks (which seemed a long time at the time but apparently that was quick!).   The operation could not have been easier.   I was out like a light and woke up in the recovery room without any pain at all.   The wound healed really quickly.  I did as I was told and looked after myself and this is where your three daughters will come into their own.  If they have jobs to do to help you - that will help them.   Hopefully, after Wednesday - you will have a better idea of what is going to happen.   Pudgy Wombats suggestion of taking someone with you is also good.  I took my daughter and and had to ask her to remind me what the surgeon had said (pretty much as soon as I went out the room I forgot).   If you cannot take anyone - don't worry as they will probably have a MacMillan nurse in there or another nurse and they will talk to you afterwards as well.   I hope this is helping Shay - I dont'want to be sending you war and peace all the time but I felt so isolated when I was first diagnosed and coming on here and hearing about other people did really help.

Warm hugs sent your way x

Thank you.  My middle daughter works but she will take two days off and come to the appointment with me. I am in so much pain and discomfort , it' s going to be hard to wait four weeks.  I am having very bad gall bladder attacks as i have gallstones and a hernia so i am hoping they will sort that out too.  I am not able to eat much as i feel very sick afterwards.  Yesterday i had one boiled egg for breakfast and two bites of chicken for dinner.  I felt so sick. But thank you so much for your feed back.xxx

Hi ,  have you heard of Target Ovarian Cancer,  they are amazing as is the private Facebook support group.  They have nurses who you can phone for support too.  Val is amazing . 

https://targetovariancancer.org.uk/

They are truly amazing. 

Alex 

Hi I am so sorry that you are in this place which is a horrible place to be. The unknown is the worst place to be and waiting is hard. If it is any consolation, today my husband and I agreed that I am feeling better now (after 2 rounds of chemo) than I was before it started. Then I often couldn’t  eat much, felt bloated, in pain etc. Now, while there are Chemo side effects they aren’t as bad as the symptoms before. Also having a confirmed diagnosis and plan takes away the “what ifs” of the unknown. I am stage 3 cancer. 

in terms of what happens next, I think you are having a meeting with an oncologist and they will talk through the treatment pathway (do you have the MacMillan book on ovarian cancer? If not look it on this website). You will have various blood tests (there are always blood tests!) and maybe another CT scan before making a chemo pre assessment appointment and then starting chemo. I remember seeing the chemo ward and thinking “I don’t want to be here, I don’t belong here” but chemo wasn’t as bad as I thought. Do you have access to a MacMillan  nurse? I do hope so because my wonderful nurse always made me feel better even though she never promised me a miracle. ️. Be aware that however kindly they speak the oncology meeting may be scary as they do speak frankly about side effects and risks. They have to tell you everything but it won’t necessarily all apply to you. Do take someone with you to appointments and ask if you can record the discussion on your phone. You will not take it all in and the recording helps. 

Finally, buy a notebook to become your diary of how you feel, what happened on each day. It is useful for each cycle to know how you might feel the next time and to manage the symptoms. 

Gid Bless.