English Community

Ladies, I'm a Stage 4 LGSOC terminal. I'm taking Letrozole and have a scheduled CT every 3 months. 
I'm only 43. I'm a mother of a 13 year old son and a wife. I want to show up for my family but I'm struggling. It is in the forefront of my mind the moment I wake up. Tell me some of your best practices to help me give my family the best version of me.
Thank you

-------------------------------------------

Hello @KarenMK. I'm very sorry to hear of your diagnosis and the prognosis you have been given. I believe this may be your first post to the community (my apologies if I'm incorrect). Assuming yes, then I wanted to welcome you on behalf of all the Teal Sisters who are here and who lend their voices to each other. I appreciate you sharing your story. It is not always easy to be so vulnerable. 

So many of us know the challenges that come with this disease, especially the struggles (physical and emotional) that we experience. I understand your comment that it is the "forefront of your mind the moment you wake up". How could it not be? I do however want you to know how much strength and resolve you are showing by asking how you can be your best for your family. Your ask isn't about you, it's about others. That takes a lot of courage and selflessness.

While I'm not sure I can claim these to be 'best practices', perhaps it's about authentic connections and managing your own energy vs trying for perfection. It can include being open about your needs, accepting help when you need it, staying present in small moments, and practicing self-care to manage physical and emotional fatigue. Perhaps consider that you may have an image of what it means to give your family the best version of you, however they may have a separate image of what that means. Communication may help to bridge those expectations. 

I'm not sure if you have participated in any of OCC's "Teal Tea's" however there are two upcoming this month. There's one on April 28th however you may benefit more from the one on April 29th as it's geared more towards 'younger' people. You can find the sign up for both on the main OVdialogue page OR click on the EVENTS tab at the top of this page. You may gain some additional insight into your question from other participants.

Teal Sisters....what sage wisdom can you share with KarenMK? 

#Supportandencouragement

-------------------------------------------

Yes I agree communication is so important. Expressing our needs Others being their for us
Courtenay
Sent from my iPhone

Thank you for your kind words and advice ❤️ I love what you said about authentic connections and managing your own energy vs trying for perfection. That is very good advice! Everyday is different- energy levels, brain fog, stress, anxiety - and taking it at face value is a good place to start  

I'm wanting to get into a routine including meditation, journaling or yoga maybe to help set my day  

I am new to this page so I haven't had the chance to check out the Teal Teas yet but definitely will. 

-------------------------------------------

@KarenMK ... please continue to ask questions of this group. There is a LOT of wisdom amongst the Teal Sisters here. I know many folks do meditation and journaling and have expressed how helpful it has been for them. Also anything you can do that is 'movement' related, that can help with quieting the mind can't be a bad thing right?!

Thanks for sharing additional details of your diagnosis as well. I truly believe that cures are around the corner. Let's hope for a very, very, very slow progression for you and that the cure arrives sooner than we can all imagine.

I appreciate @LeslieA also mentioning the support she received from a counsellor and how she got connected. I also was given that option (I'm treated out of PMH in Toronto) and gladly took up that offer. She has been a great resource for me and I can be more vulnerable with her than I can be with anyone else. She has provide me with some techniques to help address my anxiety when it rears it's ugly head. If you are interested that may be something to explore through your oncologist or GP. As well, OCC offers 1:1 Peer Support too. These are individuals with lived OVC experience. Here is the link on the OCC website (sometimes my copy/paste links don't work as a direct click/go however you can also copy/paste into your browser):

https://ovariancanada.org/resources/peer-support-programs

I'm happy you found this group. We will all do our best to support you in whatever ways you need. 💙

#Supportandencouragement

-------------------------------------------

I hear you 🩵 I'm in a very similar situation, and it's so heavy to carry every day. I have HGSOC and I'm platinum resistant and will be on treatment the rest of my life. Can I ask if your doctor describe this as terminal or more of a chronic illness? I asked my Oncologist and was told they use the term "chronic. " since there are still options out there, and more coming which gives more hope to hold onto.  Hearing it that way really changed my perspective. What's helped me is focusing on small, meaningful moments instead of trying to feel strong all the time. Just being there really does matter. You don't have to be the "best" version every day. The  version of you that shows up is already enough 🩵 I'm happy you reached out. 

-------------------------------------------

The LGSOC is treatment resistant. My CT 3 months after taking 6 rounds of chemo was already showing growth. They put my case to the tumour board to see if it was even worth trying chemo. Low Grade is extremely rare (only between 2-5% of ovarian cancers are LGSOC) and unfortunately due to that they do say terminal but say we will treat it as a chronic illness. The only good thing is low grade grows very slowly so the prognosis is 5-10 years and no more chemo 

-------------------------------------------

My cancer came back within 3 months of my last round of chemo. My Prognosis is 1 to 2 years as it's fast growing. I try not to think of myself as a statistic and live my life to the fullest as hard as it is. Some days are harder than others. I'm on weekly Paclitaxel and bi weekly Avastin since Aug 1, 2025. My last CT Scan Feb 20 showed slight progression.  My next  CT is April 14Th,  if there's more progression then I start another type of chemo or a Clinical Trial. I've learnt to take it one day at a time and enjoy the small moments and cherish them. We spend as much time as we can with our children,our grandchildren and the people we love. We had to change the way our retirement looks like. We travel in between chemo for 5 days at a time. We recently brought our grandchildren to Walt Disney in Florida. Looking forward to meeting you at Teal Tea. I really find this group, the Teal Tea and the Ovarian Cancer Group really helpful as we are all very similar and understand each other. Take care 🩵

-------------------------------------------

@Cole thank you for continuing to share your journey. You've definitely shown what Teal Strength looks like...taking things a day at a time and cherishing all the moments you can. How joyful it must have been to go to Disney with your grandchildren. It is something I'm sure they will never forget. 

You mentioned "The Ovarian Cancer Group". I googled that but couldn't find that directly. If you have a link to that group would you be able to share? I'm always interested in resources that folks are using. Thanks.

I will send lots of positive energy your way over the coming week and leading up to April 14th 🤞

#Supportandencouragement

-------------------------------------------

Hello KarenMK,

   I am glad that you have reached out to us here, as we embrace you warmly and understand your sorrow very well. I hope that you will use this space to share whatever is on your mind and in your heart because that can help. There are sisters here who know the shock and grief of this disease and there is comfort in not feeling alone. 
   It is understandable that this illness is on your mind from the moment you wake up, as it is part of a natural grieving you and (likely all of us have experienced). In my view, allowing these important emotions to be expressed in your way can eventually make space for quality time with your family. 

  I needed a counsellor to deal with my sorrow and found her through a local cancer agency. I also wrote down how I was feeling when it seemed overwhelming. Some people find friends or other supportive avenues. It is often one day at a time and savouring those precious moments as they occur. 

LeslieA 

-------------------------------------------