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PARP

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Scarstef
Scarstef
in Encouragement and Support
Hi girls. I'm having a bad few days.  My sister lost her son to brain cancer last year. Diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the same time as her son.  Anyway, she had a recurrence one year later. She just finished chemo a month ago. Impression by doctor, chemo cleaned her up but two cells around her liver. The cells did shrink but still there.  Now she is on PARP inhibitor.  She is obsessing about this word "maintenance". 
She sees it as her life is hanging on a thread...
Any good stories?  
Does PARP kill cells? How long can PARP help? Any insight on this, please and thank you so much

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  • Flowergirl
    Flowergirl Legacy
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    Hello @Scarstef - sorry to hear you are having a tough time; cancer just seems to impact everyone and everything.
    I suppose it may be how the doctor has presented it to her. Does your sister have support group or interested in this online chat?There are a few PARPs out there now.
    You can see some of the experiences from the chat participants if you type Olaparib into the search bar above right.
  • Fearless_Moderator
    Fearless_Moderator Moderator
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    Hi @Scarstef  So very sorry to hear about your sister. I can't think of much worse than losing a child while also battling this disease.  My heart goes out to her.  And I take it you're who she leans on for support...that being the case, we are so grateful to our caregivers for being there for us..physically and emotionally. It's a huge burden to bear and so much appreciated. 
    As for the PARP, there are a few out there now.  I can understand her obsession but maybe if she likens it to having something like diabetes. You're never cured but insulin allows you to live a longer and more fulfilling life.  I am aware of women who have been on PARP for over 10 years now and still standing strong.  
    As @Flowergirl said, input PARP or Olaparib into the search function on this site. There have been many interesting discussions on the subject that you and your sister might find helpful.  And please encourage her to reach out to us here directly.  We'd love to hear from her and be there when she needs some inspiration.  

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