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Welcome to the Teal Thursday chat for October 2026!

It's another month and another chance to connect with others in the OVdialogue community. Hop into this discussion to share what's been on your mind, ask a question, respond to someone else, or just say hello.

It starts on Thursdays at 1 p.m. Eastern, but you can jump into the conversation whenever you can - even if that's later in the day or a different day of the week.

What do you want tot connect about this month? Maybe you have a question, something you've been thinking about, or an experience you'd like to share. Or maybe you're just looking to hear from others and feel a little more connected. Whatever brings you here, we'd love to hear from you.

And if you missed it, you can still see the September 2026 Teal Thursday conversation by clicking here.

As always, if you have questions about Teal Thursday or need a hand with anything in OVdialogue, feel free to reach out to me anytime.

Looking forward to chatting with you this month!

Marianne

Hello all,

My apologies for my absences from the site however I was travelling in Europe the last few weeks. It was in honour of our 30th anniversary. I was thrilled to be at a stage in my journey where I had confidence to continue to travel. It was also much needed trip for my husband. We were in Greece, Albania, Croatia and Belgium. We learned so much and experienced some wonderful cultures & people. I've attached some photos. 
It was also amazing to return yesterday to the Elahere news. Congratulations to everyone for your efforts to get this back on track. 
I also loved catching up on the stories & pictures from the "Walk of Hope" participants. I can't wait to hear how much was raised across Canada. Thank you to all  the Teal warriors who participated in whatever format you could!! Together we are going to beat the crap out of this disease!

@LeslieA thank you. I apologize for the pics being sideways. I could not figure out how to rotate them and I was uploading from my phone which for me, always adds that extra bit of challenge. It really was a great trip. Seems so long ago already 😆

#Anythingbutcancer

@Alwayslearning congrats on your 30 yr anniversary!  Your pictures are lovely, great weather too.  And you look beautiful too.  

Happy October everyone! Hard to believe.  Going to enjoy this beautiful weather we have for the next week.

My 1 year CT scan remains clear!  So happy for that.🙏🏻

I was so happy to read about the Elehere negotiations being restarted!

Word of the week…..HAPPY!   😂🩵

@Meinvan thanks and yippee!!! So glad to hear that your CT scan remains clear. Definitely a cause to celebrate. I love that the word of the week is HAPPY!!!

#Supportandencouragement

Hi everyone, happy October 😊 

The end of this month, October 29th, marks one year since my diagnosis, and what a year it has been! 

I met yesterday with the reproductive endocrinologist (fertility doctor) and he was very nice (what a difference that makes). He was surprised I wasn't referred to someone like him sooner. He explained how he treats early grade endometrial cancer with his fertility patients, it is a much more aggressive approach then what I am doing, but it works, he has only had one patient not be successful. He is ordering me an ultrasound too, I will do that one in London so that he can access and review the images himself, rather than just rely on the report, which I thought was good. He also knows/works closely with my new gyne oncologist and said that I will be in good hands/he will give excellent care. Later that afternoon, patient relations called to say that the department head echoed the same sentiment. So that is a huge confidence booster for me, now I can relax a bit about meeting my new gyne oncologist on October 22nd. 

Yesterday was a good day. I am grateful for my younger sister that came with me,there was absolutely no parking at Victoria hospital when we got there, so I left her in the car to park so I wouldn't be late for my appointment lol. She eventually made her way in to find me, thankfully. Then we did a bit of shopping after and had a nice day together. 

Yesterday was a good day, and I am actually looking forward to meeting my new gyne oncologist now, and can relax/feel okay about everything again.

Also, it was a lovely day attending the Guelph walk for Hope on Sept 27, I didn't know too much of what to expect, but it was a nice and moving day, the lady that spoke made me tear up, (and my calf muscles were not happy at all the next day, lol). 

Take care everyone 🩷

@MissERP it certainly does sound like it was a good day for you. After all the loops and turns you've been through I'm glad to see positive progress. Thanks for the update. Hoping your Oct 22nd gyne oncologist appointment goes well!!

Also, I'm glad you had a lovely day at the Guelph - Walk of Hope. It is definitely an emotional day. Well done on doing the walk! Hopefully our calf muscles have recovered.

#Supportandencouragement

@MissERP all of this news sounds like a very positive step forward.  Glad you are finding the right people for you.  

Thank you @Meinvan and @Alwayslearning it really is a breath of fresh air tto have a positive experience for once.  I am looking forward to this change. 

Hello all from the sunny shores of Lake Erie (Ontario),

Checking in to see how everyone is doing out there. Did you see the positive news on Elahere discussions? I did a separate post on that however glad to see forward momentum on such an important treatment option.

I was in London (Ontario) yesterday for my annual mammogram/boob MRI. As I'm BRCA2 positive I'm considered 'high risk' for breast cancer so I get the scan done annually. I'm normally scanned late Oct/early November however they are so overwhelmed with appointments that the earliest they could give me was January. Makes me sad that our system is so overloaded relative to this topic. Anyway, I took a flyer and called them on Monday to see if they had any upcoming cancellations. As luck would have it they did for Wednesday. It pays to be proactive sometimes. I was very impressed with the efficiency. My scans were done within 15 minutes of the 'scheduled' time. I was shocked to be in and out in under 2 hours. My oncology team is at PMH in Toronto and originally (two years ago), when I was designated as high risk, I was supposed to be managed at PMH in Toronto. I asked to be moved to London for my 'boob' scans. It's much closer to where I live and easier to access vs the GTA. I greatly appreciated the flexibility and again it proved that we need to advocate for ourselves.

Today I'm focused on feeding my sourdough starter and making rosemary sourdough crackers. I found a recipe I love that's pretty simple to follow and I've used it throughout the summer. Anyone else still on the sourdough kick? I was late to the game on this one but got starter from my future daughter in law last year. My hubby and I don't eat a lot of bread so I look for other things to make. I LOVE crackers so was happy to stumble upon this recipe. If anyone has non-bread recipes to share I'm all ears!!

For now, I'm off to our gym to get some weights done and some treadmill walking. I think I'll also go for a nice walk outside later this afternoon. Get some natural vitamin D into my system.

Hope to hear from some folks. You guys feed my soul with your energy 💙

Nice to hear from you @Alwayslearning 

I am tempted to try a sourdough starter, but like you, I don't eat a lot of bread/it takes a while to get through a whole loaf by myself. Crackers sound like a neat idea though, and I have seen people use their starter for pancakes, etc. 

That's great you could get a cancellation appointment for your scans yesterday. I am heading down to London Monday night as I have my MRI on Tuesday (Oct 27) morning at 7:30am at Victoria hospital (my new gyne onc that I haven't met yet went ahead and ordered it, I'm floored lol!). Then back down to London on Thursday, October 29 to meet my new gyne onc (it's also my one year date). So, London twice in a week, which is a bit much, but I am excited! I never thought I would be saying that about a doctor's appointment! Lol! 

Enjoy the sunshine, it looks nice out over Lake Huron here today 😊 

Hi @MissERP ... I'm liking the proactive nature of your new oncologist!! I hope your appointment goes well. So far he/she is definitely giving positive vibes.

I have a similar schedule to you this coming week. I'm off to the GTA for a CT scan and then back on Friday to the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) for an appointment at the Sexual Health Clinic and some bloodwork. It's definitely a lot of driving (3 hours each way) however we maximize our time when we are in the GTA with visits. So we will see my in-laws, son/fiancee/granddaughter Sunday night (my appointment is early Monday so we go in a night ahead). Then when we return for the Friday appointment we will go in a day early and stay with friends to catch up. I'm also going to hang around for the weekend and go "trick or treating" with my granddaughter. I hope the weather stays nice. The weather is notoriously crappy for Halloween in the GTA although it was nice last year so I'm hoping for a repeat.

Safe travels this week and again, I hope it all goes well. I know you'll give us an update.

Hugs

#Supportandencouragement

Hello from the sunny west coast of BC,

   We have had remarkably sunny weather lately, which is truly a gift, as it is usually grey and rainy by now. It was 15C today, barely coat-donning weather! As for my health check-in, I have nearly completed my first month of a dose increase (500 mg from 400) of olaparib. I have not noticed any side effects, but we will see what the bloodwork reveals next week. The concern was my kidney function and if olaparib was to blame when I started at the full dose last September. 

   I am taking full advantage of my good health these days. I decided to get myself as fit as possible with some serious strength training at my gym. This isn't heavy weights, but it is enough to fatigue the muscles to build more endurance. It is actually a good feeling, especially afterwards. I am also doing the Gina Livy Program. If you haven't heard of her, she is from Toronto and focuses on helping people lose weight through an excellent nutrition plan with no weighing or measuring. It is mostly about eating a balance of protein, fats and carbs throughout the day. I like it because I eat more vegetables and drink more water than I do ordinarily. My hope is to optimize the areas that I have control over, such as diet and exercise. 

I love crackers too @Alwayslearning, as well as bread and desserts and pasta and ice cream and so on….ugh. Love it all and definitely treat myself here and there. 

@MissERP, it sounds as through things are smoothing out for you now. I hope you like your new gyne-onc. Our relationships with our medical team are so vital, aren't they? 

Best thoughts to everyone out there!  

@LeslieA I hope you enjoy trying Gina Livy's program. I did a session well over a year ago, and I liked her general concept. I still follow it loosely, but I have also been working with a dietitian since January, and have a better grasp of things now when it comes to food choices and diet, etc. I have learnt how to make sure I get enough protein and fibre in a day (the fibre part wasn't really something I had focused on until working with my dietitian).

@MissERP good for you! I've read so much about how important protein is and fiber too. Glad you've found a helpful approach with a dietitian. I know I need to up my protein plus I'm trying very hard to eat my fiber rich foods. I know what they are. I just have to be more disciplined.

@Alwayslearning Halloween in the city sounds fun! I don't have any plans this year yet, and well last year I was still in shock and I just took my one sister around town trick or treating. 

Yes, it has taken me a fair bit of discipline to make sure I get enough fibre and protein too. I started having bowel movement issues from the medications I am on back in March and had to really focus on fibre as a result. I decided to start a glp-1 last month, and that caused some issues for me, but this week I am finally getting back to normal. 

@LeslieA it sounds like we are sharing similar weather. How fortunate are we to have the beautiful sunshine. I missed my outside walk yesterday. I did my 45 min weight program (we are Peloton members and I've been cycling through various "Split" programs which target different parts of the body over a 4 or 5 day program). I had a late lunch and then I sat down and watched a tv show (Star Trek - Strange New Worlds). Guilty pleasure. Today the sun is shining again and I'm not losing the opportunity to get some natural vitamin D so I'll be off for a walk in a few hours. Just waiting for the morning chill to dissipate. 

I remember you mentioning the Gina Livy program before and I did take a look at it. If you can find a program that resonates and works for you then I'm all for it. It sounds like you are really enjoying it.

I did a menopausal reset program over 10 years ago in Toronto and have carried the learnings from that for years (the balance of protein, carbs and fats as you mentioned). I have also been using an APP to track what I eat during the day. I love it. One of my friends introduced it to me. It's called, "Lose It". I know there are many similar type apps out there but this one is easy and it has some wonderful features e.g., you scan the UPC code from an item and it will record that. Makes things a lot easier. It's helping me to really focus on what I eat, when I eat it and how to better increase protein. I'm trying to eat with a caloric deficit that's right for my height, weight, age etc. The goal is to ensure I'm not over consuming calories but combined with my exercise, it will hopefully help me control my weight. The APP enables you to track exercise, steps, water consumption etc. Lots of options based on your interest. The only time I stopped using it recently was when I was on vacation because heck, I wasn't going to deny myself anything!!

I hope your sunny weather continues. Nothing better than the 'beams' warming our bodies.

#Resources

@LeslieA I forgot to say I'm so glad to hear your 'one month in' on the increased dosage of Olaparib is going well. Let's hope your bloodwork shows positivity as well!!

Hi everyone!  Those crackers sound delicious!  I never got on the sourdough train because it was too much commitment for me!  😂.  I do enjoy it though!  But don't eat a lot of breads, but a fresh loaf I would probably inhale, so best not too. 

I flew into Toronto today to spend the weekend with my sister and my mom again.  Thought I better come before winter.  I will not be here in winter!  😆 so another quick trip here for me then back home.  Can't believe it's almost Halloween!

@Meinvan I've learned to make sour dough focaccia (rosemary and sea salt with rosemary from my garden). I could eat the entire thing in 24 hours. I will bake one if my mother-in-law is visiting because she LOVES bread. Otherwise, I tend to shy away or I'll make a loaf, cut it in half and freeze. Nothing better than it warmed with some olive oil and balsamic. Gosh, now I'm hungry!!😆

Welcome back to Ontario. You've picked a great weekend to be in town with this gorgeous fall weather. I hope you enjoy your visit with you sister and Mom. Also, no you don't want to be in Ontario in the winter, unless of course you love the winter sports!!!

Safe travels while here and back home.