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).
anybody had to postpone/stop treatment because of cellulitis or pancytopenia?
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72 and diagnosed stage 4b ovarian cancer in June, I've had five 2-part rounds of chemo (Carboplatin, Avastin, and Gemcitabine) so far, with a sixth due to start Nov 16. But last week's treatment had to be delayed to this week because my wrists developed cellulitis at the 2 chemo injection sites and I had to start an antibiotic for 10 days. Now this week's treatment has had to be cancelled because I now I have dropped to dangerously low levels of platelets (28 when it should be at least 150), along with very low levels of white and red blood cells (the combo of the three low levels is apparently called pancytopenia, and risks spontaneous bleeding, infection, etc.) . The low platelets are a new bone marrow side-effect for me and I don't know what the Oncology plan is next. Has anybody else been in a similar position? If so, what did the doctors suggest?
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@TotallySurprised
My sincere apologies for having missed this post. It is obviously well beyond a month now. What ended up happening for you with the cellulitis, pancytopenia and treatment options? How are you doing now?0 -
Thanks for checking in, Strongwoman. I never expect any responses to my posts, so don't worry about the timeline. I just post my questions on the off-chance somebody else might have encountered a similar situation.) The acute cellulitis eventually cleared up after the 10 days of antibiotics, although some tenderness remains at the sites. The blood counts stayed too low so the last part of the 6th chemo cycle was cancelled, and I now haven't had actual chemo drugs for about 2 months. A scan Nov 29 did show more tumour shrinkage, so they switched me to a maintenance-only regime (Avastin alone every 2 weeks) for the next 3 months, starting in late December, to see if the condition could remain stable for a while. But they only check CA levels every 3 months so I won't find out soon if those are rising. I'm not confident this switch will work, but for the moment I don't have a choice because of the unsafe blood counts. However, my latest test showed most of the blood levels had returned to bare normal levels (the minimums), so I'm going to push to return to more chemo if/when I can. My cancer was so advanced when discovered that it's just a question of which will finish me off first--the tumours or the chemo-- and when, so I'm willing to play chicken if the doctor is, if that might buy me a bit more time.
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@TotallySurprised You couldn't have said it better. I think we all play to some degree and some more than others, a game of chicken. It's why I live every day for what it is and choose quality over quantity. Relish the moments I get with family and friends and be thankful for little things. I do my best to revert back to childhood and do my best to view things with child like eyes, seeking anything beautiful and peaceful I can that brings me joy. Out with the negative and nay-sayers and in with the positive and why not attitude. Some days it's hard. Finished a book entitled "with the end in mind" and it reinforced my Legacy work and why I want to be there for others as well. Here is to the maintenance therapy working and the 3 mos remains stable for awhile. In the meantime, enjoy what you can when you feel up to it.
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