1st time blogger

[kittie]

I am 55 years old and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer last october 3 weeks after surgery, l started 18 straight weeks of chemo in mid november which l finished in march.I got through the chemo pretty ok but over the last few weeks l have being feeling very low so much so my GP put me on antidepressants a week ago still waiting for them to kick in, he also took bloods which came back clear.Any advise

[Hidden]

Welcome kittie,

Well you have been through a lot and the hospital and treatments are over so now you must feel as if you are lost and that is a natural reaction. Most of us will have gone through this. What I would suggest if you are near a Cancer Support Centre such as Arc House or a centre in the hospital you attended do go there. You will receive great benefit from doing this. If you can take light exercise start slowly for ten minutes a day and build up time. Give yourself a little treat now and again even going to your local shopping centre and sitting down and having a coffee. I found it important to get out of the house. I know people expect you to feel ok when treatment is finished but that is not the case at all. Do go back and read my blogs and the other ladies as well. It will give you some insight and let you know that we all get ups and downs. If there is a a gynae liason nurse where you got treatment, she would be delighted to talk to you. If you are in the Cork area and want to meet up for a cuppa, would be delighted to do so.

[kittie in reply to Hidden]

Hi Suzuki,

Thank you for answering my blog ,l have spent the afternoon reading over all the blogs l also found patient days from Dublin and Cork which l intend to look at,my surgeon is one of the speakers at the Dublin conference so it will be good to know what she says. Your right l am spending to much time in the house that is going to change. I have found a Cancer Support Centre near the hospital l attend, I will be at the hospital in 3 weeks to get my port flushed and l intend to call in then. Unfortunately l live in the midlands so coffee is out at the moment but you never know our paths may cross some day .

[Hidden]

Hi there, kittie,

I have gone to the information days down here and found them fairly good. That is good that you found a support centre near the hospital. I have a friend living outside Dublin and she finds by the time she drives and parks to her nearest centre in Dublin, its just too much for her, so I understand where you are coming from. I am really lucky to be fairly near a centre and my hospital.

As I said, it is after the treatment is over, you suddenly feel alone as the routine of chemo is finished. At the same time there is also the fear that any sudden pain you get is it again. At least that is how I felt but everyone differs. I had two dogs one was old and one a rescue and wouldnt walk, so I went and got a lively dog and that helped me get out and walk. It does take a while to recover from surgery my gp told me recently any surgery is foreign to the body and then chemo on top of it but you are doing well now. Dont be too hard on yourself.

Best wishes

[daisies]

Hi kittie, I see some response to your blog made already. It is natural to feel depressed at times. Was having a bad time, and went to ARC house - which gave me the time & place & opportunity to verbalise how I feel. Know I have to ask my consultant the difficult questions now, but can face it and am now prepared. Talking to someone who is not family and more importantly, who is trained for counselling, is good.Getting out and about is a great way to help deal with problems. Hope you are feeling a bit better now - stay strong. Daisies

[kittie]

Hi Daisies,Had a good day ,2 of my sisters came down to visit so I was out and about for a few hours. l am only learning to use the computer so l was delighted to come across this web page.It is great to be able to talk with women who are going through the same illness as me that what it is a horrible illness.I havent found out what stage my cancer is at l might ask my consultant when l see him in August. Kittie.

[poohbah in reply to kittie]

Hiya Kittie and welcome to this blog. After my first set of chemos I too found it difficult to be normal and believe that I could get on with life. I think that after all we have been through and the literal 'violence' of it all that it is difficult to pick up the pieces and belive that we can be normal again. So, what you are going through is very normal I think so you are not odd or abnormal. Being diagnosed ,operated on and being treated for cancer are a huge ordeal so it sounds to me that you are doing well. As Suzuki said getiing the confidence to be out and about away from the house are a good start. I am on treatment at the moment and just back from a 3 night girlie trip in the north of Ireland - gosh it was just great and really put a pep back in my step! So, get out of the house often first and soon you will be ready to go a bit further!

As I am always saying, this blog is a great help to me and I hope you will get the comfort that I get from talking to all these women in the same boat.

I live in the midlands and think we may have had the same surgeon!

[kittie]

Hi poohbah thanks for replying to my blog, at least l now now what lm going through is normal. I read Suzukis blogs the other day and yours today ,you both are an inspiration to me with what you went through and are still going through.I had my surgery in Dublin if you had yours in Dublin we more than likely had the same surgeon. I to live in the midlands and

I had my chemo in a midlands hospital you are probably attending the same hospital now