Hi Bonnie, Time really goes by very quickly. It doesn't seem possible that it has been 5 weeks since your surgery. Do you know what kind of chemo you are going to get? Are they going to do intraperitoneal chemo or the chemo where you go to the infusion center? I''m guessing the latter since you didn't mention a port being placed for chemo.

How far do you have to travel for chemo? I hope you have someone to drive you to your appts. One thing you should be aware of is to stay hydrated. I know they will hydrate you when you have your chemo, but be very sure that you stay hydrated. One time I didn't seem to get better, and I had to go back to the infusion center to have them rehydrate me. It took a couple of hours to do that, and then I felt much improved.

Is your new doctor a gyn-oncologist? If you're not comfotable with that doctor and there is another one avaialble, don't be afraid to ask for the other one. You need someone you can feel comfortable talking to about your concerns. Good luck on your chemo, and keep us posted. We care and will try to do what we can to help you through the low spots. Diane

Bonnie, Don't jump to any conclusions until you talk more with your doctor. And if you are not comfortable with him/her, don't be afraid to switch. As far as statistics, I've been told not to read them (which is hard for me, because I'm a math major!). But I do know that statistics are only numbers, and each person is different. There's a person in my support group who was diagnosed with stage 4 OV cancer 15+ years ago. So much for statistics! The other thing to remember is that treatments are so far ahead of where they were even 5 years ago. So the statistics you may have been reading about were correct 5-10 years ago, but not today. I know it's hard, but try not to look at statistics and just concentrate on you. Good luck with your chemo -- I just had my surgery a week ago so I'll be following in your footsteps very soon.

Hi Bonnie your surgery is done so thats one hurdle you've conquered and it is a big one to. Now it looks like the chemo merry go round and with chemo I found everyone has different experiences with side effects, and how to handle them. Having this disease gives you high's and lows, maybe all in one hour so if your feeling low it won't be long before your feeling better and in a more positive frame of mind. It's important to have faith in your oncologist because there will be a lot of nervous times sitting in front their desk. I really don't think it makes much difference whether your stage 3C or 4 because I am stage four and there has been a few 3C's in a worst state than me, I have been hanging in there for nearly two years now and with the help and support of others on this site my journey has been made a lot easier. It would be great to hear from you again.

thank you very much everyone. i do feel better today. had my first treatment yesterday and it was no big deal. we will see what happens in the days to come for side affects.
Ovariansu.. yes, i do have a port. and im getting taxol, and carboplatin. this doctor told me about the intraperitoneal chemo, and said it would have been what he did if he had done my surgery,( this is from the doctor i was transfered to) but then went on to say that less than half the people can tolerate it, and even more have to stop halfway through treatment.. so why he even told me this i have no idea. does not seem like it was even an option. so i go to a center right in my town, and get it through my port. yes, my new doctor is a gyn-oncol. and im going to try not to go by first impressions. i hope i get a better "vibe" from him at my next visit.
i finally found out my C 125 results from my very first visit.. 1000+ anyone ever hear of one so high???? after surgery, it was 261, still high, but what a difference!! and my officail stage is 3c. so im finding out more and more information. a little at a time.
right now im trying to find information on head wraps, hats, wigs and such... anyone know a number, or site to get some help with that?
thank you all so very much for your replys. i was very down for a few days, but i guess thats going to happen from time to time. im glad your all here .

I'm so glad you've made it through your surgery and the first chemo. Each chemo was a BIG STEP for me, so I tried to think of the first one as I'm 16 percent of the way through chemo. I found it easier to think about it that way than as I still have five to go. Therefore, my my thinking, after your next chemo, you'll be a third of the way through it.

I hope you don't get nausea, but in the event that you might, I hope your doctor gave you a good anti-nausea medication. I took emend the first two days and compazine after that if I needed it. Usually, if I got joint pain, it would be about the third or fourth day, and after that I'd start feeling better each day.

I went through IP therapy, but not everyone can do it. In the group I belong to here in Orange County, one of the women was treated at City of Hope. They wanted to do it on her, but because of where her cancer was, they decided not to do so.

Just keep on truckin and say to yourself every day that you will never again be as young as you are today, so now's the time to kick cancer just as hard as you can. We're cheering for you and wishing you the best!!! Diane

Hi Bonnie, I ditto what others have said about stage IIIC or stage IV. It often does not make much difference. My CA 125 was 1475 at diagnosis five years ago but it can be much higher. I was IIIC but did have pleural effusions and on one side the fluid drained from the pleural cavity had malignant cells. My advice after five years in the fight is to mainly focus on the day at hand. With a IIIC staging about one third are still alive after five years. I never thought about it until I reached this point and was nicely surprised to still be around.

I was still working when I lost my hair so chose to get a wig. My onc gave me a prescription for a "cranial prothesis" and my insurance covered the cost of a wig. I got it at a place where they also sold bras for mastectomy patients. The American Cancer Society has a catalog for head coverings. I believe it is also online. Call your doctor's office and talk to the nurse. They often are good resources for these things. Best wishes, Janet

Hi Bonnie,
In regards to the wig question, there is a catalog I picked up at the doctor's office - tlc. It stands for Tender Loving Care. I did order a couple of hats and a wig from them, but I didn't wear that wig too much. I think you really have to try one on if you can find a local store. They have real hair ones that are ridiculously expensive, but the synthetic ones are fine. I got one that matched my own style perfectly.
I have the same problem with my doctor. He is an excellent doctor, but not much personality! In two years I've never seen him smile, even when he's giving good news! Luckily, his nurse is wonderful and is always giving me words of encouragement.
At least you won't have your next treatment until after the holidays!
Take care.

@ iupui. scares the crap out of me to think of only a third will survive 5 years... i want to live a lot longer than 5 years. i do not like those numbers...

the fear that i may not be here next year, or tomorrow because of this stupid disease is overwhelming sometimes.

Bonnie, Two years down the track I feel exactly the same way, but these thoughts are getting less as time go's by. I have been seeing a psycho oncologist to help me with this, and in retrospect I wish I had done this earlier. Mindfulness meditation has helped me put these thoughts at rest and helped me deal with the moment and not the future so I can deal with things that are happening now. Doing something like this might give you peace of mind. Carol x

I too, when receiving chemo, sat near a woman who had stage 4 and had a reoccurance after 8 yrs. We live in a world where new and better treatments are developed everyday. I was dx in 2009 , unable to stage due to complications during surgery. I wonder if I would see the next year also, but I have been in remission for three yrs, going into the fourth. Sometimes what you read is either not correct or hasn't been updated. Please keep positive as hard as that can be sometimes. Hugs and prayers being sent to you
Linda

Hi Bonnie, I just wanted to offer encouragement. Sounds like you are on your way in this journey. You are not experiencing anything most of us have felt when starting down this road. We are here to listen and offer compassion when needed. I just wanted to say, do not listen to statistics, each person is different. I was diagnosed at age 20 with stage 3 ovca. I was treated with horrible chemo drugs and radiation back in 1980 and 1981. Now 32 years later, at 52, It came back and I did great for all those years. I started on chemo again because they could not operate this time. And have been on various treatments since. The carbo/taxol is tuff. Time to play with scarves, earrings, makeup, wigs. TLC catalog is great to look at because it gives great ideas. Hang in there, each day is a gift from God. http://www.tlcdirect.org/