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).
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@PaulineJ It's humbling to have people in our lives that will go to such great lengths in order to help and it is so appreciated mentally, physically and spiritually. Then there are the other not so great friends as @Fearless - Vol Mod mentioned. I had one who joked that I should eat a lot of popcorn so that when they cremated me I would go 'pop, pop, pop'. I didn't find that funny at all:)0
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Question to all, no rush. I i need to down. Pros cons to switching chemos to a nearby vs travelling to Hamilton. Anyone know if i would still be under care of my gyne-oncologist? Is there any reason to think my local hosp chemo unit would not be "as good care" eg if i have reaction? I know these are things to talk wi my dr. I am just trying to ease things on my family.0
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@PaulineJ I'd defer back to the oncologist who you see for your chemo for advice. The surgeon may be concerned given chemo generally lowers your immunity levels and so risk of infection is greater. That could be the reason. One of the things I've learned in my five years of on and off and on again treatment is to ask questions. Why? is my favorite word so that I have a clear understanding of not just they're recommending but also why they're recommending it. But I"ve heard very good things about the Cancer Centers in BC, Vancouver in particular so you're in good hands.
And we have a few gals who participate on this chat regularly who hail from BC as well. Who knows, you might even be seeing them in the chemo room and not knowing it.1 -
@ToughAsTeal I have a girlfriend who is going to radiation presently and has had chemo at the Walker Cancer Centre in St Catherines while still being under the care of her gynecologist/oncologist at St Joseph's in Hamilton and a team Juravinsky so I would assume that you could do the same.1
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@Annie1950 thankyou😀0
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@Annie1950 That joke about the popcorn must have been devastating to you! So sorry to hear that you had to go through that kind of hurtful conversation. I have a friend who tried to show empathy with my plight by mentioning her good friend who died suddenly from a brain tumour; and then there is the other friend who sent me a copy of a Facebook post posted posthumously by someone who had died of cancer… I almost wanted to laugh, rather than cry, and then I also thought to myself, I wonder how many such zingers I have dropped inadvertently, over the years…0
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@ToughAsTeal it all depends on where/what your more local facility is. I was originally treated at PMH in Toronto since I had my foot in our condo in Toronto and the farm out here in SE Ontario. But just before treament began we sold the condo and I moved out here fulltime. Surgery done in PMH, and I started chemo there. But it's was a 3 ot 4 hour drive each way and it seemed my chemo sessions would almost always be early morning so as my oncologist and I agreed, if the cancer didn't kill me the commute for chemo would. His view...chemo is chemo and can be administered any where under his direction. And if I found I liked the new centre and was comfortable with there professional staff I could transition everything there but always welcome to come back to him any time.
So I went the the Kingston Cancer Center with a bit of trepidation never having been in anything but one of the biggies in Toronto for anything. That said I was pleasantly surprised with how warm and welcoming the staff were and how bright and clean and modern the facility was. So flipped my chemo there in mid 2017 and eventually all treatment and surveillance and have never regretted it.
If this a possibility for you to consider , ask your oncologist to facilitate a visit to preview where you'd be going and a "hello" with whomever would be overseeing your treatment there. Travel can be very draining but don't sacrifice your comfort and confidence for the sake of travel time...or that's how I looked at it.0 -
@PaulineJ I know I've said some pretty dumb things myself over the years. Some that I know of and others that I don't and have inadvertently upset or hurt. My popcorn friend I've put to the back burner and don't disclose much to. She's lacking the empathy gene.
It sounds like you have a few of those in your life as well. They're probably awkward not knowing how to respond but they should know that it's always best to keep quiet if in doubt.0 -
Bye lovely ladies...will chat next week.0
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@PaulineJ and @Annie1950 I hear you. It seems to me that those who have never experienced a life threatening disease themselves are often at a loss for words, so the strangest things will come out of their mouths or in an email. Pop, Pop, Pop probably thought she was adding some levity, without considering your sense of humour or your feelings about death and dying. Mine own sense of humour is very dry and almost black at times so that reference would have made me laugh hysterically. And, as Pauline suggested, I'm sure I've dropped my own zingers over the years not considering my audience and their unique sensitivities. I guess the best we can do with something like that hits us is to remember they are trying to help.0
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I have to leave the chat now. @Fearless - Vol Mod thank-you for the encouragement regarding the Vancouver center. Yes, the surgeon told me they were wanting me to have more time to heal. I have left a message with my oncologist for her and I to schedule a discussion regarding the treatment date. The original date was scheduled back when there was a possibility the surgery
would just be a little biopsy. Of course the surgeon informed me on a couple of occasions that the surgery could be a full hysterectomy, but they wouldn’t know until they were poking around. So, it is entirely likely now that the chemotherapy treatment will be delayed. I can see that such changes in plan are part of the process, as are the ups and downs - the roller coaster ride.
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Wow, I didn't realize the time. Ladies it's past the witching hour ( I can say that with Halloween closing in LOL), so time to say goodbye for another week. Thanks every one for joining today and welcome to Teal Thursday @PaulineJ. Hope you'll come back again.
For those in treatment right now, may it go well for all of your and produce the results desired.
For those with upcoming scans and test results coming, our thoughts are with you and sending our best for positive results
Enjoy the rest of your day ladies and hopefully see you again next week. In the meantime big virtual hugs to everyone...
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HEY, HEY, HEY...another Thursday and ready to say hello to everyone.
Yes, it's Thursday October 7 and instead of visions of sugar plums dancing in my head, I have visions of turkey, and gravy and cranberry sauce....and yummm, pumpkin pie loaded with whipped cream. But in the meantime, making my list of things to be grateful for, some of which include:- A spring rain to wash away my sorrows
- The summer sun bathing my face in joy
- The cool crispness of a fall day to invigorate me
- Catching snowflakes on my tongue one more time.....
- And my family....my son and my husband.....happy and healthy and so incredibly patient and supportive
- Those who've shown me true friendship over the past five years of my journey....some of whom are you ladies who I'm so grateful to have met along the way
What about all of you? What are your plans and thoughts for this Thanksgiving weekend?
But before we get to that, a couple of announcements.....- We now have the agenda and registration link for the fall Symposium, Nov 5/6 A must attend, at least some if not all of the sessions. Info is posted in the Discussion topics list
- Also posted in the Discussion topics list is the link to register for the next Speaker Session where we'll hear the final outcome of the Every Woman Survey - Canada. That's this Wednesday, Oct 13.
- Go the Events page/Local Events on the OCC website for the updated list of Teal Teas for October and their registration links
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/neuroscientist-nadia-chaudhri-has-died-1.6202139?fbclid=IwAR14LTUcFha7Pi0hOvdzeP752KwmGSnhc205WzMNRIU5mx5ru96LA_pM1OA
Now time to open the chat today and WELCOME to all with us, the new and the old (not literally of course)....say hello and tell us what's on your mind ...........1 -
Happy Thursday ladies!
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@Annie1950
Glad to have you on today. Looks like just you and me right now but expecting others to join in progress. How are you? Any news about your possible surgery?0 -
@Fearless - Vol Mod I just had one of my favorite meals...superman stew. It's an offshoot of English 'mince' but loaded with vegetables, whatever's in the fridge will do, ground beef, spices and tomato sauce. It originated when my now 50 year old son was young and wouldn't eat vegetables. I'd mush them up in his stew and he didn't know the difference. It's become a family tradition and asked for by my grandkids. So healthy and great to do especially after holidays with leftover vegetables.0
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@Fearless - Vol Mod No news yet but thankfully my obstruction problem hasn't raised it's ugly head for three months. I'm hoping it stays that way for a long time. Maybe it's the coke? Who knows.
How about you? Did you get your results from your blood work and scan?
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Sounds great. I haven't felt much like cooking the past few days so those "everything in the fridge and in one pot or pan" has become a favorite of mine.0
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So sad to hear of your friend's passing. She sounded like a remarkable woman.
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I go through periods of cooking for an army, freezing it and not bothering for a few weeks to do anything substantial. Now that there's two of us I'll have to cut down on the quantities.0
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Get my results on Tuesday. Haven't been feeling great the past couple of weeks and that's usually a sign the cancer is on the march again so I'm prepared for whatever. Glad to hear that colon of yours is not bothering you right now. Sure would be nice if it did stay that way and you didn't need the surgery after all. Some times I wonder if we're better off waiting until something is necessary or better to act as a preventative for something that might never occur again. Six of one, half dozen of the other I guess.0
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Hi all,
@Fearless - Vol Mod I am sorry to hear the news. a time of thanks and reflection.
@Annie1950 - I love the name for the stew.
My CT scan results yesterday. the last 3 rounds chemo have been ineffective. tumours have all grown, not a lot, but not the shrinking we were hoping for. plan moving forward, my chemo next week, will be switched to Caelyx, which, I believe is aka 'the red devil'0 -
Oh I sure hope all is well and that your body is just in need of a little more rest. If you're somewhat like me we forget our age and push ahead as if we were forty years younger.
I haven't made up my mind what to do, be preventative or wait until the next horrific episode. Drinking a few cokes a day while not medically endorsed seems to be helping.0 -
Yes, Nadia was quite the force. She's left behind a remarkable legacy for her profession, but for us an inspiring example that one just can't give up living, even when the end is coming. She documented almost every day the past year, right from telling her son she was dying to every day she was in palliative care. She had given me permission to share her story with our members so I may well post her blog link for those who might be interested.0
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I'd like to read it if you don't mind posting it. It's inspiring to see human beings finding the strength to accept what nature has thrown at them and still maintain a life with dignity and purpose.0
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Hi ladies just want to pop in and say hi.Hope everyone is doing well and for those in treatment or waiting for scans and blood work all the best.I do read all the comments later,have to get back to work and a wonderful Thanksgiving to all1
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@Fearless - Vol Mod Thank you for posting the article about Nadia's passing. My daughter and I have been following her for sometime. While we are two decades apart in age, her timelines, diagnosis and platinum resistance mirror mine. It has been hard to watch her short journey, she was such a brave and impactful soul who gave us her strength. She was far, far too young.
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This link should connect you to a site called MealTrain that a friend set up for her about a year ago when treatment had pretty well ended. Nadia used the Updates section to chronicle her days right up to last week. She and I shared emails when she was up to it, and told me to go ahead and share her story with our community. So here is the link:
https://www.mealtrain.com/trains/w1zv0e/updates/
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@Fearless - Vol Mod Thankyou for the link0
