Community Connection: Ovarian Cancer Canada is looking for volunteers! Could you help?
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis (mfallis@ovariancanada.org).
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Peer Support Volunteer. Over a few hours each week, you would be part of a team that helps connect people, support conversations and are thought leaders for OVdialogue. This is your opportunity to give back to those who have/continue to support you through the tough times, share your unique experiences, and help celebrate successes. For more details of what this entails, please reach out to @Mfallis (mfallis@ovariancanada.org).
TEAL THURSDAYS - Sign in and CLICK HERE TO ENTER LIVE DAYTIME ONLINE CHAT (1pm EST)
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@ToughAsTeal I am with you! This next year round will likely mean my hair, etc will go again. It was nice to have hair for the summer but my plan too is to have my daughter use the clippersand get to control the process. Rock a good sun hat and off we go!0
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So glad you could make it @Tinazzie and what great news about the wedding. You must be so excited. Yes, put everything behind you and just live in the moment.
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Gosh, every time I scroll up to refresh my screen I zip past those amazing paintings Gaylestorm shared with us. What a talent she is. Any of you have a creative bent you've been keeping secret from us?????1
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Haha every time I type I get a “bing” to refresh! Can you imagine if we all sitting in a Tim’s together! I feel I can learn so much from all of you just on your own topics.. trials..going stateside… head hennas! Losing my hair wasn’t a challenge for me first time either. It already feels so much better. It’s not down to the wood yet..will let the lint roller and Mother Nature do what’s left! @Tinazzie I hope you polka at the wedding! It’s such a happy dance. Or some rockabilly. My daughter moves next Tuesday to London for 2nd year Western. So happy she is right down the 401 for us! And she is happy, most importantly.1
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Best gift received this week was a box of “Smooth Move” camomile tea with senna. That is what Baskits needs to put in their prize box! Lol0
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How wonderful @ToughAsTeal to have your daughter close by. I went to Western myself, for awhile. My husband, at that time, was doing his MBA there and I was a law undergrad. Loved London and the school. But when he completed his MBA we moved to Montreal so not able to complete my degree there.
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@Fearless - Vol Mod my husband too went to Western and we too moved to Montreal while he took his MBA. Small world. Lol!0
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@ToughAsTeal wouldn't it be lovely to have a gathering somewhere. But I guess the advantage of our on line forum is that we can connect despite where we live in Canada. I do feel often though like you're all my neighbors. And love Smooth Move. It's really just Senekot in tea form although tastes a lot better. But it does work. And definitely Baskits needs some consultation on what might be more appropriate to cancer survivors than a load of chocolate and peanut brittle....although my husband my argue that one LOL.0
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If I may leave you all this week with suggestion to check out the app Rockabilly-radio.net. it free, 24/7, out of the UK, some guest DJs from other european countries which I love! toe tapin, jitterbug, dance in the kitchen, spirit lifting. Some days I need Enya…. Some days Elvis. I hope you all have good news weeks, good information weeks, good food or good poop weeks. Dance! 😀1
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@Taita yes, it is a small world. I'm sure over time we'll all find similarities and connections between us. I can remember travelling with friends for years and the husband was one of those guys that no matter where you were he'd bump into someone he knew...and always at whatever airport we were in. So, here the four of us were in Moscow, at the airport, waiting to catch our flight home and for once our friend Colin hadn't bumped into anyone he knew. So my husband bet him a $100 that we'd get all the way back to Toronto unrecognized. Colin accepted the bet and within five minutes we heard....hey, Colin, what are you doing here? Small world!1
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Have a wonderful week everyone:)0
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Great parting thoughts @ToughAsTeal. So thank you as I wish the same to everyone else....especially the pooping part that seems to be our biggest hurdle.
Have a great week ladies and hopefully see you all next week again. Big hugs to all for the time being.
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Enjoy the rest of the summer weather everyone!! So great to connect with all of you! 🙏0
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@Fearless - Vol Mod @Annie1950 @Tinazzie Good Morning all. I missed yesterday session. Lost of good news fearless. And waiting for others. our world. I've had a week of scans and appointments and all that intailes. my markers only went up a bit, good news. report from scan, not so good. I am primary peritoneal cancer which is same type as ovarian but affects different areas first. As a result my my upper abdomen has been the problem. The last scan showed that its on and in liver and encasing large bowel and stomach and spleen etc, leaving the passage of food and fluid more difficult My oncologist is new, but very good, has outlined 2 choices, no treatment, 1-2 months life, chemo 40% chance for the possibility of a year. No Taxol this time, but the cel... and charbo. at 75% to lesson the side effects. While my body is the shits, my spirit is strong and happy. I can have coffee and chocolate for breakfast, tums and wine for dinner. I have a wonderful supportive family and friends, who at their own emotional cost rise to the challenge.
I am planning a christmas in sept and am shopping for grandkids toys. I have more painting that needs work when the steriods settle down.
Life sometimes takes us for a surprise, only to allow us to have wonderful new experiences and encounters. I would not trade my life for anyone!
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Oh, @gaylestorm, two choices, what a situation, I can hardly imagine.
Your paintings are wonderful, absolutely amazing!0 -
@gaylestorm Your beautiful paintings are a reflection of you. Your diagnosis is horrible but here you are chatting away and looking at the wonderful things in life that you have. You and others like you make this site such a blessing for all of us going through this rotten journey but you're right, we have to count what we have when we have them.
Glad to hear someone else is affected by steroids as well. Me and Dexi did not get along too well. I almost cleared out a Costco with my covid cop attitude and mouth to match:(
Big hugs from Ontario to a very lovely person. xo2 -
@gaylestorm I think your paintings are beautiful. Bright. I suspect the one seagull was the chatterbox, and it did immediately make me think of a past co-worker… so… you brought me joy! It’s been an interesting recent shift in my own taste departing from group of seven style towards west coast Morrisseau and Ted Harrison. I do wonder what a steroid induced painting would look like. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas. 🌻🌻🌻🎄🎄🎄1
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@gaylestorm - Love all the paintings but the Beetle in particular! You have a gift with the brush and colour.Christmas in September sounds wonderful! ...and so is your attitude! Hugs!!!0
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@gaylestorm, you're an inspiration to us all,my thoughts and prayers are with you!!!0
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@gaylestorm I am so sorry to hear your latest update. We all start out with such high hopes for our futures. The truly lucky achieve a cure, yet few seem to ever let go of the fear of recurrence even many many years later. The rest of us pray for advances in treatments that will be more tolerable and allow us to extend our lives longer term and with more quality but that hope seems hit and miss so often.
To find you at choice, but neither of those choices being optimal, makes me so sad. That's personal. I'm just getting to know you, admire your grace and humour and talents, and I'm not ready to lose you my friend. But this is not about me, it's about you and what's right for you.
I do hope you'll feel well enough to join us again on Thursday, or any Thursday that suits. We miss your candor and lightheartedness. But in the meantime, what can we do for you? Please reach out to the group or in private message if there is anything any of us can do to help you navigate this time in your journey.
A huge virtual hug to you...
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Well lovely ladies, it's time for our live chat today, Thursday September 2nd.
Wow. Woke up this morning and for the first time in weeks needed my cuddly robe and fluffy bunny slippers it's so cool here. This, after a three week heat wave that was brutal. Gosh the weather shifts so dramatically and quickly these days.
I have to admit though that I think fall is my favorite season. There's something about the changing colours, getting back to comfort foods, the cooler air that just seems to suit me, no matter what my mood. May be just the anticipation of a great Thanksgiving meal and a time to reflect on all the things I am truly grateful for in this life of mine. What's your favorite season?
Reminders?- Walk of Hope is fast approaching. It's still not too late to register and raise donations or just donate yourself. Every dollar goes to enhancing awareness, advocacy, research and support...which includes this site.
- Also noticed OCC has posted a Teal Tea schedule for September. One session specific to young survivors, one generic and one specific to those who are 10 year+ survivors. Go to https://ovariancanada.org/Events/Find-Local-Events for the schedule and to register to participate.
Time to get started my friends, so who is with us today.....what's new? what can we help with? Or just say hello.
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@Fearless - Vol Mod
Good morning everyone from the west coast. Its a beautiful fall day here too. I echo fearless thoughts on seasons and fall too. nothing better than getting into a warm bed on a cold night. Labour day weekend was always our boating on the water. colder evenings and nice and sunny and warm mornings to wake up to.
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@gaylestorm So happy you can be with us today....or actually right now with me LOL. It doesn't look like anyone else has signed in yet this afternoon but we always have those who come in later in the chat.
How are you feeling? Is there any relief that allows for more than chocolate breakfasts and tums/wine for dinner? What about treatment status. Are you opting to try the chemo that's been suggested?
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@Fearless - Vol Mod. I did the chemo. Ofcourse I had a reaction, which my sister observed and had it stopped before any problems. Side effects very minor now. A couple of days ago I was able to eat soft foods for the first time in weeks. Such a treat! unfortunately i think i had a touch of food poisoning, so one minor step backward and two forward..
Today I woke feeling so great that I was up at 5:30 am to start my day. and that was before my dose of steriods. lol
This life is life a great big roller coaster, which is lucky that i like excitement and theme parks!1 -
@gaylestorm, I just love your ability to see the humour. Not unlike me and how I communicate to my friends. Somehow laughter makes me feel so much better. But I know what you mean about one step forward, two back.....my recovery this time is sooooo slow. And while the last chemo did their job halting progress and stabilizing me for awhile, the neuropathy is so much worse as is my memory. Can't believe I was talking to a friend yesterday and couldn't remember my husbands name when I went to refer to him. So while I'm on hiatus from chemo...she refers to it as my holiday....I'm now taking Gabapentin to see if it might help my neuropathy, and my middle is cluttered with bruises fro injecting the blood thinner that's supposed to clear up the blood clot in my lung. Some holiday!
But like you, wouldn't trade places with anyone. I've had a great life and I'll just continue to squeeze out whatever joy I can continue to find for as long as I'm able.1 -
@Fearless - Vol Mod you are a trooper, but what choice is there. Stand still or move forward, however slowly we go. Those blood thinners are the worse. i tried on myself and my husband not to leave a bruise, but its impossible. the all leave marks. The one good thing while I was on them is i showed my 3 year old grandson how to give the injections and he did it on his own. I like preparing the next generation of roles they might lead
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BTW so excited. I finally scored a hair appointment. They asked if I minded that its with one of their JUNIOR stylists...my response: No problem, even it's her first day holding a pair of scissors she can't make me look worse than I do today. So Tuesday I'll feel like a new woman. Trust me, salt and pepper hair that's now half way down my back is not a pretty site.1
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lol. I do love your sense of humour. I take a great delight in cutting my own hair. I counting on the fact that we are the "invisible" generation!
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@gaylestorm hahaha, thanks to you we likely have a future doctor, or nurse, or EMT to look forward to. Of course he may end up a Vet. Must admit I was really squeamish about injecting myself. But when my husband offered I quickly decided to try it to avoid his "deft" touch with anything delicate...if you know what I mean LOL. Every now and then I do one with out bruising but can't figure out what I might have done differently. That said, when I started the first four shots were done in ER at my local hospital while my pharmacy waited for my supply to arrive and they bruised me even more than I've done myself. Besides, not sure why I'd be concerned about it...it's not as if I'll ever wear a bikini again. Then again maybe I should be adding that to my bucket list.0
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I thought about trying to cut my own hair but couldn't figure out how I'd manage the back. Mr. Deft Touch offered but all I could picture was my bangs when I was a kid and my mother kept cutting and cutting trying to get a straight line and I ended up with them about a half inch long and still crooked. So I thanked Mr Deft Touch for his ongoing support and quickly called my hair salon.
@gaylestorm have you finished that painting you had in progress yet? Love to see it when finished.
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