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).
Stay tuned for more details, and feel free to share your thoughts below. Let’s make this community even stronger!
TEAL THURSDAYS - Sign in and CLICK HERE TO ENTER LIVE DAYTIME ONLINE CHAT (1pm EST)
Comments
-
Good Day EVERYONE!!!
Welcome to the 1st day of MAY!!!
What is the weather like in your corner of the world? Today I am looking out my window as I type this message, listening to the sing song of the birds and watching them flit in and out of the feeder. I was looking in my garden and my tulips and bleeding hearts are emerging amongst the daffodils, hyacinths and mini irises. Spring brings to mind the hope for change and newness. The colours bold reminders against the green of the grass and trees that are beginning to fill in. The smells in the air can range from the flowers, fresh cut grass to BBQ. The warmth of the sun warms us from the inside out and puts a smile on many a face. It is a refreshing relief from the dark and dreary days that it rains.
How is everyone this week? How is treatment going or results? I imagine there may not be a big following today given the nice day outside but who knows. Here in southern Ontario we are to reach in the 20's today. So, please if you are online, reach out and say "hi". I would love to hear from all of you today.
Take care💕
1 -
Good afternoon @strongwoman and fellow teal sisters. I am presently enjoying a coffee while gator watching behind the safety of the fence in the backyard. Today is Coral Springs it is 29 degrees and rising . Might jump in the pool soon!
0 -
1 -
I just got home from my appointment with the chemo onc. He said I will be on an oral medication after my final round of chemo (May 8th) but I didn’t write down what it was, ugh and now I can’t remember the name. Oh well I will find out on Wednesday when I go for my chemo. It is a beautiful sunny day here and I have my sheets in the washer and I will hang them in the clothes line to dry. I can’t wait to have spring fresh smelling sheets on my bed! Tomorrow I have my post op follow up appointment and hope I will get the ok to return to my yoga class. I really miss it!
I hope everyone is enjoying a beautiful spring day. 🌺
1 -
@JoanEG the pool has been so therapeutic I love to swim but have not done so that much for many years. Mix the pool with the sun and beautiful smells and breeze it's just been wonderful and I am grateful to have been invited to stay at my brother in law's for soo long. I'm glad you're last IV chemo is approaching, how are you feeling? This oral medication you will be taking is it a PARP inhibitors?
Another pic, please let me know if you guys get tired of looking at pics cause I'm capable of sending lots lol
0 -
@JoanEG How do you feel about going on an oral chemo? I know I was fine with it. Mine took a little to adjust to but I truly have minimal side effects from it especially compared to an IV chemo. I bet you will be glad with the less appts, time and accessing veins. That will certainly be a welcoming relief.
Sounds like the follow up next week will be good to. Will that be it for returning to the surgeon or no?
Yes, the smell of fresh sheets on the line and on one's bed. Soooo nice!
0 -
@melissa Heck no! Bring on the pics! Where is that house located and any history behind it? Any alligators around as well?
The pool looks divinely inviting. I am so happy you got away and are enjoying it!
0 -
This was taken at Epcot,such a beautiful theme park
This one is from Hollywood studios theme park. This ride was called "the tower of terror" I've always wanted to go on it. I must say it is hands down the most thrilling ride I have ever been on. In fact, I went on it twice in a row with my 14 yr old niece. Nobody else would go on it! Ladies, go on YouTube and search tower of terror Florida for fun. Watch a quick video
I'm the one holding on to my glasses lol
0 -
Looks like so much fun! You look very happy @melissa
I think it is awesome they can capture pics like that on rides.
The Epcot photo is stunning! Thank you for sharing. 🤗
0 -
Wonderful to see how much fun you’re having 💕
0 -
Hello beautiful teal sisters 👯♀️ Another gorgeous, sunny day here in London Ontario!!! I’m at my 5th chemo appointment today and feeling ok 💕
My CA-125 has been going up at the past 2 appointments which is scary 🫣
Pre surgery in October it was 1055
January 326
February 234
March 143
April 182
May 254
I’m really enjoying pictures of Florida!!!
We’re planning to drive down straight from my final chemo appointment on May 23, and am very hopeful. We’re going to stay at our condo so won’t have to be around anyone. It’ll be great to swim every day-my favourite 🥰
0 -
Hi everyone.
Missed today’s session…had to go fridge shopping! Our fridge conked out on us last night. Luckily we caught it early and didn’t lose anything. Although we were transferring food to our downstairs fridge at midnight!! We went to Canadian Appliance Source (CAS). They always seem to have the best price for the exact appliance we are looking for. Previously bought our washer/dryer and oven from them. New fridge coming on Saturday. Thank goodness we have the additional fridge and freezer in the basement!!
Puppy shenanigans…while I was in Toronto…my husband went outside to do some weeding and when he came back in, he found the puppy had chewed through his sweater pocket to get to a handful of special treats!! Hmmm…maybe he should stop hanging his sweaters and coats on the kitchen chair (drives me crazy because you pass right by the coat hooks on the way in!!).
After the dog park…🐾🐾
0 -
@Sandi6 Other than scary, do you have any other feelings/concerns about the trend in your CA 125 numbers? I think your plan to high tail it out of here when you are done is a fantastic idea. Do you know how long you will go for? I wish you the best in the weeks to come and hope you are thinking of all the things you will do when you get to your destination. Something positive and fun to look forward to. 🤗
0 -
Florida…great way to celebrate your last chemo!! What area of Florida will you be going to? How long are you planning on staying there? Are there any special sites, restaurants, malls you will be going to see or are you going to decompress from cancer treatment? Sounds wonderful!
I have read a lot about how unreliable the CA125 count can be and how it fluctuates for some people. For me, it is a marker that I rely on. Your Onc will use the CT scan, not the CA125 level, to determine how you are doing. If you are concerned, ask your team what their thoughts are.
I live in St Thomas. If you ever want to meet up and talk, I’m available ☕️ 🧋😀0 -
@GloHo My goodness……so thankful you did not lose anything in the fridge or freezer. Sounds like you had a successful shopping trip to pick out a new one as well. Glad it is coming sooner rather than later for you.
Oh puppies and men! Silliness! Leaving treats hidden or not where the ever sensitive snout of the dog can sniff them out is too much temptation to resist for them. The good thing is that the puppy ingested only the treats! Your puppy is adorable and is looking very innocent like on that couch. What a face! How can you resist that?
Thanks for sharing your puppy tales! 🤗
0 -
Good Morning all,
I hope everyone had a nice weekend. I am feeling better than last week which is super nice for me. I ate my first "meal" last night since a week ago. I had some nice salmon and rice. Since I can't have tartar sauce and am to keep things on the moist side of things when eating, I made a sauce of my own for it. 2 tbsp mayo, 1 tbsp yogurt, lemon juice and dill. It is very nice and I am glad I thought of it. Anyhow, my meal sat well with me the entire night which is good news too. I hope it stays. It has been a long week of having clear fluids mainly and at the end of the week a couple of Ensures. I made it through to the other side but wasn't sure about mid-week if it was going to turn around. It definitely took longer than I thought. I can't tell you what it was exactly and if it was in fact another obstruction. My insides felt raw and tender and spasming. It didn't matter what I ate at all. On Thursday, the Palliative Doc prescribed a stomach coater med to take with Dex that seemed to help calm everything down. It took a couple of days but all seems to have resumed back to normal for me. I am thankful and grateful for that. Today I am meeting some friends for lunch but sticking to my safe foods to ensure I don't go backwards at all.
On the weekend, I found this article which I found interesting. It talks about the delirium or dream state that some go through before they pass on and a lady who has been doing some research on it. I thought I would share it with you all. Most may not be anywhere near this part but for me, I find it settling to know more about it and the why as the occurrence of it. I hope you find it just as fascinating.
0 -
Good morning @Strongwoman, I’m glad to hear you are feeling better. Thank you for sharing that article. I found it really interesting and comforting.
0 -
I am so glad to hear you are feeling better!!
Thank you for sharing the article…very enlightening.0 -
@Strongwoman thank yo for the article. I read a lot about NEDs, and find them all comforting. I know I will meet my loved ones on the other side. I am so glad you are feeling better.
1 -
Hi ladies,
Just to add to the topic above, when my father in law was sick in the hospital in October he must have been visited or dreamt of his late sister. Only thing is, his sister passed away the year prior and nobody told him as we felt with his dementia he would forget, and ask about her over and over again. Long story short about a week before he passed away we went to see him with a close family friend who happened to be a priest. With a peaceful look on his face and a calm expression he said " my sister's gone, nobody told me" he continued to ponder in what looked like deep thought for about 20 seconds...we all looked around the room to find the person who must have told him, of course nobody had...
1 -
sorry, I used the abbreviation NED, when I meant NDE, Near Death Experience.
0 -
Good Afternoon Ladies,
How is the universe treating all of you? Today, in Southern Ontario, the sun is smiling, the wind is up slightly and cool and nature is doing what it does best out there. Emerging new growth and the birds and wildlife are enjoying the bounties to create new life.
What would you all like to talk about this week. I had put up some links earlier to view which included a prominent member of society entering the Palliative or end stage of her journey publicly. I am grateful and honoured that she has been able and willing to be so public with it and not hide it. To use it as a medium to create awareness around Ovarian Cancer and make more aware of how prevalent it is in society today. That from onset to the end, it is something to be discussed not hidden but shared and to learn from others and self. I wish her much peace, love of family/friends and as pain free as she can be. The other article I posted was about the end stage of disease and what some call delirium and others like this researcher is stating a more of a dream state that is soaked in reality. It was an interesting read and take on it and I, myself, found comfort in it. I truly believe we are more aware than most know when we are at that stage. Anyone else have any thoughts or beliefs they want to bring forward from either article?
Some of you may be starting treatment, in treatment, been informed you are NED, informed you have recurred, or informed that you are at end stage. That is the way it goes and none of us will always be on the same wave length due to our different journeys. What we do have is a sense of community and friendship where we can talk about or vent about where we are at and what is bothering us or what is going right for us. A place we can hopefully feel like we make a difference by sharing our experiences because we never know who may be fighting a similar fight. That we may give that person a ray of hope where they could not find one that day. To feel the strength in the number of ladies on this forum and the support they pour forth in their posts as a way of standing by you as you fight your fight. A place that you can air what is truly inside you because sometimes our families are not prepared to hear what we are truly feeling. It is too hard for them as they watch helpless from the sidelines.
I was able to wrap and write notes for two of my Legacy gifts this morning. Both tearful as I wrote what I needed to for the individuals they are for. I have more to wrap and write but I called it a day because it is emotionally too difficult to do one after another. I have worked on a pottery piece today and was going to set to duplicating some recipes I wrote out so that both sons have the exact same in their books that I will be leaving them. Once that is done, I have pictures to add and some little notes on the sides. I am almost done the temperature blanket for my oldest son. I am in the month of November now. I will post the final picture when I have completed it. After it, I will work on the youngest son's blanket of the same but for the year he was born and in purples as that is his favourite colour. Day by day I am getting there.
As for my own health, well eating is becoming an issue. What are supposed to be safe foods for me, I had trouble with digesting yesterday. It was quite painful but am thankful the Palliative Doctor prescribed Dex and Pantoprozole so that I can medicate as needed myself and not get into these acute episodes where the nurses need to come. I know it means things are changing for me and my only fear is that I will run out of time before I finish my Legacy gifts. I have to remind myself to pace myself and be kind to myself. The eating well, it is what it is. I will scale back and get it so that I am comfortable with the food I eat without needing meds. How long this will take I have no idea. I am still here for all of you and love hearing the stories of the day to day and any journeys you are taking. Life is what you make it and I still plan on doing what I can. My son is going to make Eggs Benedict for me this Sunday morning and I am looking forward to it. We are having a chill not planned kind of day which is fine by me and what I wanted. We will take it for what weather we are given and how I feel that day. Any of you have BIG or LITTLE plans this Sunday? Whatever they are and whomever you are, I wish you ALL a truly wonderful day with your family to be joyful and create ever lasting memories for years to come!
So, my Teal Sisters, who is out there today and wants to chat, vent, cry or laugh?
1 -
Hi @Strongwoman
I had a nice Mother’s Day dinner at my son’s when I was in Toronto on Tuesday. It was for both moms which was great because we have been trying to meet up, without any luck, when I’ve been in Toronto. So I got to visit with her as well. Her hubby stayed home because he is just recovering from a bad cold and didn’t want to put me at risk. And seeing my granddaughter is always a joy!! It is my granddaughter’s birthday this weekend…and they are going to be very busy with her birthday requests. 🤣🤣
I’m the one with white hair. Thinning hair from weekly Paclitaxel starting to grow back!!
1 -
@GloHo How wonderful! You look great and I am not just saying that. I am glad you were able to spend time with your son and your extended family. It looks like you were both very happy that day. Thank you for sharing the pic. Now I get to see what you look like. ;)
How have you been doing with treatments thus far? How has staying in Toronto been going? Tiresome yet or doing ok?
1
