Community Connection: Ovarian Cancer Canada is looking for volunteers! Could you help?
OVdialogue – consider joining our team in the role of Community Champion. 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 Community Champion. 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).
Ovarian Cancer Canada is thrilled to share that we have some exciting updates on the way for OVdialogue. These enhancements are designed to strengthen our community and make your experience even better.
Stay tuned for more details, and feel free to share your thoughts below. Let’s make this community even stronger!
Stay tuned for more details, and feel free to share your thoughts below. Let’s make this community even stronger!
Introducing new volunteer moderator
Hi everyone,
I am excited to announce that @Flowergirl has agreed to take on a new role within OVdialogue as a volunteer moderator. Flowergirl is a member of the group of women who worked with Ovarian Cancer Canada in setting up OVdialogue and she has been very active in the community since the beginning. Flowergirl also started the Teal Tuesday discussion and is online every week to talk to people at 7pm central time. She has been responding to new members, comments and new discussions and will continue to do that but in a more official capacity. She will also take on a larger role of moderation while I am away from the office over the next couple of weeks. I will be online, but on a more limited basis, and either myself or another staff member will be available to Flowergirl to provide her with back up support, as needed.
Thank you @Flowergirl for exhibiting such commitment and support for the women in OVdialogue. Please join me in welcoming her to this new role!
There are many of you who are active members in the community and it is because of your involvement, your ongoing activity posting comments and starting new discussions that OVdialogue is becoming the place to go for women with ovarian cancer to find answers to their questions, support, encouragement and hope. You are there for each other and it has been amazing to see this community grow in such a short period of time. Thanks to all of you for embracing and engaging in this new initiative!
I am excited to announce that @Flowergirl has agreed to take on a new role within OVdialogue as a volunteer moderator. Flowergirl is a member of the group of women who worked with Ovarian Cancer Canada in setting up OVdialogue and she has been very active in the community since the beginning. Flowergirl also started the Teal Tuesday discussion and is online every week to talk to people at 7pm central time. She has been responding to new members, comments and new discussions and will continue to do that but in a more official capacity. She will also take on a larger role of moderation while I am away from the office over the next couple of weeks. I will be online, but on a more limited basis, and either myself or another staff member will be available to Flowergirl to provide her with back up support, as needed.
Thank you @Flowergirl for exhibiting such commitment and support for the women in OVdialogue. Please join me in welcoming her to this new role!
There are many of you who are active members in the community and it is because of your involvement, your ongoing activity posting comments and starting new discussions that OVdialogue is becoming the place to go for women with ovarian cancer to find answers to their questions, support, encouragement and hope. You are there for each other and it has been amazing to see this community grow in such a short period of time. Thanks to all of you for embracing and engaging in this new initiative!
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Hi @midcanada and @Marilyn - and everyone else - agreed, this is a great community with lots of love and support!0
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Awesome
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Not sure how this works...I’ve never joined an online group before.
I’m 71, mother of three, step-mother of 3, grandmother of 12. I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in June 2017. I had three rounds of chemo (nine sessions) starting in early July 2017, debulking surgery in September, another round of chemo in October, one more treatment consisting of 80% of what a round would have been, and then opted out of the final round. One of the reasons I opted out of the last round was that the tumour markers had dropped from a high of almost 2600 to 37. The other reason was the fatigue. I’ve spent most of the last six months lying on my bed.
My oncologist has told me more than once that the cancer will recur within six to 18 months, but I feel well now (other than a mild outbreak of shingles during the holidays) and am gradually getting a bit of energy back. And my hair is starting to grow again.
However, I don’t have a desire to live. I feel very reluctant to admit this and haven’t told anyone, but I’m hoping that I get sick again sooner rather than later.
I would like to hear from anyone else who feels this way. I know this is group is about hope and support but surely I can’t be the only person who feels like this.
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Hello @Kitty - a warm welcome to the site. Thank you for sharing your story - you have been through a lot lately. I hope you will find lot of support here.
Thank you again for sharing the exact feelings - so often difficult to do and I know I can relate. This is a safe space and we welcome the good and the so called "bad" or raw feelings - it is the reality.
You are a few months out of chemo and it is nice to hear you are getting energy back. I invite you to take some time and explore the topics on the site. I've noticed we have had an increase in participants and new comments/topics daily are added - thanks everyone - this is great!
Please do share your emotional and physical symptoms with your health care team.
If you would like to connect or request a participant to comment, you can use the @ and user name (like @Flowergirl )
and that will send a notification and perhaps prompt a comment or response. You can also direct message a user by clicking on their icon or name and those comments/messages won't be public. I'll connect with you so you can see how.
You have the option to share your story on your log in page or you can click on the "Let's get Started - Come Introduce yourself" topic and start there.
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Hello everyone - @CurlyHair @jemgirljeri @KarenMari53
We needed this cold winter day so everyone can be together online! Hope you are all doing well.1 -
@Flowergirl I could do with a wee less wind and cold (which is extreme today even for Winnipeg), but it sure is nice to see so many others online!
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I agree - welcome too @Missy!1
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@jemgirljeri I am in rural MB northwest of you and it was gorgeous today (-7 woohoo) so maybe a nicer day is on your way!0
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Welcome Kitty. I for one am humbled by your sharing these feelings you have with us. We all understand the horrible trials we go through fighting ovarian cancer. I'm generally a very optimistic person but I have had the same feelings too at times. When the chemo makes you so sick and weak and when the fatigue gets so bad you do just lie in your bed all day. At those times I feel like I just want it all over. My Dad had lung cancer and he fought for a year and a half and I remember he said he was sick and tired of being sick and tired. I didn't understand at the time why he didn't want to continue the fight but now I do. You have my prayers Kitty and please keep connecting here.2
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@Flowergirl...good for you for taking on a moderator roll. I am only on sporadically...gearing up to start chemo on Wed. Kind of nervous...read too much. I know everyone responds differently so will just be praying for the best.
@Kitty....I'm sorry you feel that way... life is precious and you have been through a traumatic time. Give yourself some grace, and spend some time making memories with those 12 grandkids. Hope you feel better soon.1 -
Kitty said:Not sure how this works...I’ve never joined an online group before.
I’m 71, mother of three, step-mother of 3, grandmother of 12. I was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in June 2017. I had three rounds of chemo (nine sessions) starting in early July 2017, debulking surgery in September, another round of chemo in October, one more treatment consisting of 80% of what a round would have been, and then opted out of the final round. One of the reasons I opted out of the last round was that the tumour markers had dropped from a high of almost 2600 to 37. The other reason was the fatigue. I’ve spent most of the last six months lying on my bed.
My oncologist has told me more than once that the cancer will recur within six to 18 months, but I feel well now (other than a mild outbreak of shingles during the holidays) and am gradually getting a bit of energy back. And my hair is starting to grow again.
However, I don’t have a desire to live. I feel very reluctant to admit this and haven’t told anyone, but I’m hoping that I get sick again sooner rather than later.
I would like to hear from anyone else who feels this way. I know this is group is about hope and support but surely I can’t be the only person who feels like this.
Hi all. Kitty i have said a couple times "i feel defeated". This can be an overwhelming journey to travel. The treatment, well you know all about the treatment. It is a lot to process when they tell us %'s and recurrence times. To be told the cancer is incurable, when it might return, what the next steps are, makes it all seem so hard. I so understand where you are coming from. Try to concentrate on the positives, the good things in your life, and plan/enjoy special events. I like to think the optimistic attitude helps. Keep in touch, as we all in this together.1 -
Some great support here - I hope you are all doing well. There are lots of new topics - we are at 3 pages now.
I invite you to take some time to scroll through the topics, it is easy for them to get lost in the shuffle.
When you can - please join us in the Live Chat - Tuesdays @ 7:00 PM CST
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