What is Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is a malignant ovarian neoplasm (an abnormal growth located on the ovaries). It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death in women, the leading cause of death from ...
Join Now
|
Some hope to share
|
Watch this |
| View More Posts Ignore |
For those of you suffering through ovarian cancer, I want to send a message of hope.
I have this disease, also, and have been riding an emotional roller coaster of fear, confusion, grief over losses the cancer has wrought, and terror of the unknown. I find that when I search for some good news about this cancer, there basically is none. But I want to share with everyone not my whole cancer story, but how I am miraculously overcoming it. The message is this: we live our lives around the CA 125 number. We may be in remission and then put the number aside, but it is always "there" looming in the background for our next blood check a few months later. I want you all to know that I have had a crazy CA125. After chemo # 3 it basically fell flat, and the "flat" number was not way down into the teens or single digits. It was hovering around normal, then slightly above normal, then a point or two below normal. Because of this, my oncologist wants to see me every 2-3 weeks. In three weeks time after my last chemo, the CA 125 rose 15 points from 33 to 48! The doctor sadly admitted it may mean more chemo for me. Two weeks later, (and this is without any chemo treatment), it dropped 7 points to 41. The oncologist said, "Ok, let's test you again in 2 weeks before we decide on a course of action." It is now 2 weeks later, and the number dropped to 33 again! My point is that even when you think the number is not behaving, even when it points to activity and more chemo, it may not be that at all. I never was declared in remission, but the number dropped back down despite no further chemo treatments. It's been two months and 2 weeks since my last chemo treatment. I wanted to put a "happy" post out there because I know how scary and frightening all of this is. There is always, always hope! Hugs to all. MaryAnn Posted on 06/29/09, 07:06 pm |
| 6 Replies | Add Your Reply |
| View More Posts Ignore |
Same happened to me.. the biggest drop in CA125 I had throughout the previous course of chemos was three months after the final treatment.. and it had been either stuck or rising for ages. So pleased for you and hope it continues to drop.. Love and hugs xxx 
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
MaryAnn, Thank you for this post! I've just posted a journal about my rising numbers although there is a difference since I'm over a year out of chemo. In any case, I'll take your experience to mean that the same thing could happen to me. I hope you continue to have good news. Best wishes and many hugs, Janet
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
Janet, point me in the direction of your journal so that I may read your current prognosis.
Halli...how is it going with the Doxil? I hope you can get through this quickly and be back into the "normal numbers" range. I hope you are not experiencing any side effects from Doxil and are holding onto your hair this time around. I asked my doctor today if it were possible for someone with ovca (especially those of us who are younger) to live until 80. He remarked that tomorrow he is seeing a woman who has been 20 years out of diagnosis (ovca stage 3) and is in remission! He said we need to put more women there. I COMPLETELY AGREE!! Love to all, MaryAnn
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
For someone having their first Chemo today...this is all good news! Thanks for sharing....
xx
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
Hey ladies! This is good news, and I would think there are many circumstances that can make the number fluctuate. My mother's doctor increased his order for her chemo after her surgery because the CA-125 was still 141, even though there was no evidence of cancer when he did the surgery. The first round of chemo had totally dissolved the grapefruit sized tumor on her left ovary. (Mother's CA125 had been 579 so 141 was an improvement!). He said this was the reason he increased the chemo to 9 treatments instead of 6. But then when she was tested just before she began her chemo it had dropped to 88 . . . that was without any chemo but just five weeks of recovering from the surgery. Next week they will test again, but the nurse said if Mother could endure 9 treatments, it would be best to have them. However, Mother is so homesick and wants to return home, so she is hoping he will stop at 6 treatments. I told her three more weeks is a small price to pay though.
|
|
|
|
||
| View More Posts Ignore |
That is encouraging. I finished six treatments of chemo two weeks ago, next week I go for a CT scan, then the CA125 test and doctor. At my last chemo, the CA was down to 5.4. I guess I will spend the rest of my life worrying about the "number" and hoping cancer isn't lurking. But at 63, with a grand daughter coming, I intend to live life to the fullest.
|
|
|
|
||
| Add Your Reply |
