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 ...
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Hi Ladies!
My name is Sarah, I'm a college student doing a paper on Online Support Groups. I chose to write about this group because my Nana, my maternal grandmother, is currently fighting (and winning!) the Ovarian cancer battle. Back in March, the doctors located a grapefruit-sized mass on her left ovary. She had eight chemo sessions over the summer, which shrunk the tumor by 50%. She celebrated her 70th birthday this past Saturday, and on Monday she had surgery to remove her tumor. I just wanted to comment on how supportive you all are. I'm thankful that I don't personally have cancer, but if I did, this is the group I'd be turning to. I wish you all much success and many more birthdays. Remember, you're "living with", not "dying of"! Blessings, Sarah PS Please don't let my "I'm writing a paper on your group" worry you...I only counted the number of posts each day to keep track of how active the group is, and I made observations about how the group members interact with each other. No names, usernames or personal information were used! Posted on 10/08/09, 09:10 am |
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Dear Sarah:
I think it' marvelous that you are writing a paper. I think this group is wonderful and offers not only emotional support but so much knowledge, and they are always right on target. Having someone who has had the same treatment and experiences is a tremendous help. Not only has it helped me with the questions to ask the doctor, but also with side effects along the way. In addition, I have found about special programs, such as "chemo angels," which has greatly benefited my mother. I too do not have disease, but my 82 year old mother had a grapefruit sized tumor. Her doctor also elected to do the surgery after 9 chemo treatments. My mother responded so well to the chemo that her tumor was gone after three treatments. But the oncologist did not do the surgery until after the 9th chemo. He then staged Mother at Stage 1 with the tumor totally encapsulated in the ovary. I hope they will discover the same about your grandmother. We have discovered that the great thing about discovering the tumor in a patient above a certain age group is that they can live until the die of natural causes, and not necessarily of the cancer. Also, we discovered that Mother's cancer was not genetic, it was because of her age and the cell production going awry, which happens in the elderly. And if the doctor can extend the life for 15 years, then this is the age Mother may have died naturally. This is a comforting thought. My heart goes out to the younger women. But every day the treatments are becoming better and better and there is great hope for ovarian cancer on the horizon. I hope you have a wonderful day! Love, XOX Susan Wales 
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I do want to mention is that you are not seeing most of the activity on this site. Many people who post discussions or seek advice are either worried about an ovarian cancer diagnosis or may be newly diagnosed. However, many of us living with OVCA have added one another as friends. Most of that communication (which can be extensive and personal) is only available to other friends. The real value of support, in my opinion, comes from other women dealing with similar issues. I, myself, do not add people as friends unless they are diagnosed with OVCA or have a close connection with an OVCA woman.
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