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).

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Comments

  • @Readersmaven
    I'm so glad the radiation is going well.  Easier than chemo eh? That's good to hear. I've never had any or know anyone who's gone through it.  I hope it produces the desired result for you.  Glad you found that radiologist in London.  But agree, I do the same. Farm to Kingston General and home again.  Order groceries at Loblaws on line and have them delivered to the car on the way home.  Not much else. But better safe than sorry right now.  I'm lucky that where we are we've never been a hot spot. We've been climbing of late but still no where near where any other areas are. No one even hospitalized in the last two months and no one ever in ICU out here. So we've been lucky.  
  • Welcome @Rad
    Great you could join us.  I love that with this chat we can just pop in and out as is convenient.  Well, not so much for me but I enjoy this and it's about the only thing on my calendar I have committed each week anyway.  Wonderful today though that everyone seems in good spirits.  Rad how are you?
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    Hello ladlies! I have missed the chats but read all of them so caught up! Beautiful day here. 
  • Hi @CountryLiving, hope your doing well. 🤞
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    Great news! I had my one year post treatment appt via phone yesterday with my oncologist. CA125 is great so I am a one year survivor!!!!!!

  • Taita
    Taita Legacy
    Awesome news @CountryLiving Congratulations!!

  • @CountryLiving sending big cheer your way, that's great news. Bet you're breathing a sigh of relief, congrats!
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    This past Monday my son who is a high school teacher was told to isolate because a student in his class tested positive. Good news is my sons covid test cam back negative. It has been 9 days since he has seen that student so wethink my son has dodged the virus. Greatnews all around.
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    Thank you @Readersmaven and @Taita

  • @Fearless - Vol ModI am doing great. All the best to everyone going through treatments or waiting for scan and test and a great weekend to all!!!
  • THURSDAY APRIL 15 and WELCOME  to today's live chat.........

    Wow, April at the halfway mark.  Rainy gray day here in SE Ontario but mitigated by the sight of blooming daffodils in my garden and knowing the tulips won't be far behind.  I do love the spring, despite being in the middle of a Stay Home order here in Ontario. 

    A heads up though ladies....took the first tick of the season off my husband's shoulder the other day. Those mean little devils are out there again. Being rural we're used to doing a daily tick-check on each other, but I'm hearing even those of you in urban areas are seeing an increase the past couple of years. Even more so with so many now using the parks and conservation areas more than ever for a reprieve from being housebound.  

    Lots of upcoming activity for us from OCC.....April 21 the next speaker series event, May 9 the half day virtual symposium reflecting World Ovarian Cancer day and registration for this year's Walk of Hope, September 12, is now open.  

    Good news at my end. After the last two aborted chemo attempts with my usual Carboplatin for which I have developed an allergic reaction, the Cisplatin replacement worked just fine last week.  So cycle 5 now complete and moving ahead with the Cisplatin for cycle 6 Day 1 April 28.  Very much hoping my last cycle but we'll see what my CA and a follow up CT show. Other than some stronger side effects, which also may have been a combination of the Cisplatin and the Covid shot I had three days before, I really feel well....and I'm intending to keep it that way!!!!!  

    And last week, I signed off before hearing some great news from CountryLiving. She was celebrating 1 year NED.  You got this gal.....!

    So, how are all of you? News to share?  What's going on in your neck of the woods?  Questions?  LET'S GET STARTED.....
  • Grey and gloomy in Windsor also. Greetings all!
  • @Woody , wonderful to see you here. Welcome to your first and hopefully not last visit with us.  
  • Hello! @Fearless - Vol Mod so glad to hear this latest treatment was good with few side effects...feeling good is so important. 

    Does anyone have any information on whether cancer patients will get second covid shot early or do we wait like everyone else? 
  • Taita
    Taita Legacy
    My treatment nurse said they are trying to get us our second dose within 3 weeks of the first shot. It is up to the local health unit here. I am already at three weeks.  
  • sunny and warm in vancouver.  In BC we have been told we will get second dose with everyone else.  Their rational is that once everyone is vaccinated we will be safe

  • @Readersmaven
    It's totally confused here in Ontario.  So far they haven't yet opened up to those in cancer treatment as a priority but those of us who have had our shots by virtue of age or one of the other criteria have been getting mixed signals. On one hand the system automatically sets up our 2nd at just under 3 months. But my friend Janice had her shot the other day and when setting up her second was manually input by the centre she was at to a 4 week window and told that that's the process. Ask our cancer centre and you'll get twelve different answers and a shoulder shrug.  I was intending to call to see about accelerating mine, which is booked for end of July, but then realized I'd better check with my oncologist first. She was pretty involved in selection of optimal dates for me to get the first one and even rearranged some of my chemo schedule to maximize the effectiveness of the shot. So I"ll stick with the date I have until I either see her again in two weeks or someone informs me otherwise. 
  • @Taita my appointment is next week so guess I'll just ask when I go.  Would be nice but...
  • Hi Ladies! Missed you last 2 weeks! I did finally get my 1st shot on April 1st, no news when I can get the 2nd dose. 
  • Hi ladies, grey,rainy and gloomy day..@Fearless glad to hear your treatment is working. Getting my covid vaccine tomorrow. My genetics testing for Brca1 and Brca2 came back this week and it negative. I was really happy about that because a positive result would have affected my daughter. 
  • @ Readersmaven just received call from the Windsor Regional Cancer Centre for my second shot for this Monday in lieu of July 8th that was predicted by Ministry. Nurse said speeding up vaccines for chemotherapy patients
  • Hello!  Sunny but cool here in NS!

    Glad you're feeling good, @Fearless - Vol Mod, and ready for the next - and perhaps last cycle!! 

    Vaccinations going very slow here so far.  Still waiting for my 1st dose!
  • I have stage 3c peritoneal cancer, and have had two surgeries, the last one a total debulking and omentectomy and done a round of chemo, completed in november.  In january I went on Zejula 100 mg.  I did have some complication with drug so have stayed at 100 but my CA125 count is climbing steadily.  I am willing to try 200 mg in order to slow the process down.  When do peolpe get concerned about ca125 numbers?  Thoughts?
  • @Woody that's great news getting your 2nd vaccine so early.
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    Good afternoon... thank you @Fearless - Vol Mod for your acknowledgment of my 1 year NED.
  • CountryLiving
    CountryLiving Peer Support Vol
    @Fearless - Vol Mod glad to hear your treatment is moving along. Hang in there!
  • @Rad so happy for you and your daughter about the BRCA negative.  @Sylviequebecbc welcome back.  @taita, what province are you in...I've forgotten.  I do hear from friends in BC they are sticking to the 4 month window there but my friends are also not in cancer treatment.  But it is so wonderful to hear so many have taken that first step. I still can not fathom anyone declining the shots, unless a real medical reason.  But, as they say, you can lead a horse to water.......

  • @Rad I know exactly how you feel about genetic testing, I'm positive but thankfully my daughter's tests came back negative! I breathed a huge sigh of relief. 
  • Some good news, however on my recent check-up.  Things appear to be all good with the physical exam and CA-125 even lower than my post-chemo test, so I'm really relieved!!  I was very worried about the pain and lump in my abdomen, which is still there, but it is thought to be likely due to G.I. issues and not cancer or the hernia.  Again, really relieved to hear that!  I'll monitor the issue with my family doctor.