Hi All, i have been dignosed with stage 4 Ovarian Cancer last year and attended my first Ova Care Patient Day yesterday in Galway hosted by OvaCare. I had signed up for a few before that but was unable to make it and to be honest was a little scared by the notion of being overwhelmed by information.
Well, I should have gone sooner , what a amazing host ( Ovacare) and the women and men in the group well very welcoming, honest, open, informative and above all safe. I really enjoyed and engaged because it was a instant feeling of OvaCares motto ' Together we are stronger '. The speakers varied from the patients stories, two very brave, honest and strong women with very different stories and very different journeys to the doctors in the field of ovarian cancer. The Doctors spoke the language of medicine and spoke with facts, knowledge and above all experience, I was pleasantly noting the audience engaging and lapping up the complex and sometime upsetting information that was presented and dialoguing with the doctors using the medical language and understanding of complexity of ovarian cancer.
Over all I have to say that I am delighted that OvaCare existes for women all over Ireland.
Welcome to the Ovacare Family. I to was at the Galway Patients Day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience from start to finish. I only spoke to you for a minute when you asked me if you could used some of my Patient Story through your art please go ahead I would be honored .I hoped to get time to talk to you but the day just flew by and I had a taxi booked to take me to the train station at 4 oc as I had travelled down from the midlands the day before but it was so worth it. I hope we will meet again at another Patients Day or Coffee morning.
hi Phil, I really thought you spoke very well at the patient day last weekend- I was so impressed with both the speakers. Well done ,you are giving me hope and a new community to be in.
I think i used your quote in my art a few hours ago did you say ' I got up this Monday' ? if so I have used it -thanks a million - I will show you at the next meeting we attend.
Sinead. I am delighted you attended the Patient Day in Galway. Wasn't able to travel - was a bit 'ify' and tired following treatment last Mon. I know from attending 3 different days, that the openness of the women is wonderful and so supporting. The medics who speak to us and present papers - give us the strength to continue and keep up hoping that the 'cure' for our own diseases will be soon.
Best wishes.
While I have never met Kittie , I feel she is a new friend since I met her on this wonderful website,,,, so I hope you will become another new friend.
I am looking forward to reading & seeing the reports on this site.
Daisies, hi and thanks for the reply - I knew that I needed a community to relate with and I'm so glad i found you all. I hope you are well enough to make the next one. I will see you at a future meeting and hope your feeling a bit better.
Hi Sinead. Sounds like the Galway patient day was another success for Ovacare. I wasn't able to attend but have been at the last 4 and found them great days. Look forward to catching some of the talks on the website - but that's only half if it. It's meeting other women and talking to someone who knows where you're at.
I'm in a similar boat to yourself. 40, stage 4. I'm 2 years down the line and after 2 lines of chemo and doing very well at the moment. Have only met 1 or 2 girls my age and have found that element of this difficult. When you're younger and with a young family - there are issues that the " older" ladies (I hope I haven't offended anyone!) may not have. I'm in cork and if you ever fancied meeting up - or com g to one of the ovacare coffee mornings - I'd love to say hi. Stay well. X
Hi MissFitz, thanks so much for your mail, id love to meet up as i have my consultant in Cork and get my chemo in Limerick as I'm from there. So next time I'm in Cork i will let you know?
I get the younger age group situation as its not so common in younger women.
Actually the next Ova Care patient day is in Cork in Feb some time so hope to see you there or before.
take care you yourself and your little family
kind regard
Sinead
Hi Sinead, welcome, I am glad you got a lot of information and help at the Ovacare Day in Galway. Do try and come along to our next coffee morning in Cork which should be in Feb. We are all different ages groups, I am certainly over 21 plus and my family are grown up. Nevertheless we all jell pretty well together here. Of course there are issues that the younger members have and it makes me so greatful for what I have now. While we are all fighting this beast, I do realise that younger members do have different worries and needs to mine. Maybe some time could be given to this at the the next information day in Cork. Possibility the group split up into two groups for a half an hour of so would be a suggestion.
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Hi Suzuki, thanks for the mail, I hope to be in Cork for the next patient day so hope to meet you there. I really loved the patient day in Galway and I want more.
I think no matter at what age you get cancer its always hard and its all learning from one another is the key. I was just so interested to meet ladies with ovarian cancer as I have not got that chance in over a year since I was diagnosed.
I hope that you are doing well and we will chat at the next one
all my best
sinead
What a lovely reply, thank you Sinead, yes I agree we dont get to meet or chat in the chemo units etc and the information days are so important to us. You take care and if there if ever anything bothering you, ask on here for advice
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Ovacare Patient Day
Today was the last day of chemo for me ....