I've just finished 4th line chemo, it's been really gruelling but I've managed to get through it.
Part 2:
My CA125 has gone down from over 1400 to just over 300 - not brilliant I know but I'm hoping it'll buy me a few months before symptoms start up again.
Part 3:
It's my 65th birthday today - and I'm still alive!! Something I never thought I'd achieve after diagnosis and surgery in 2010.
Part 4:
My ileostomy (stoma) HATES chemo and now that it's finished, it should settle down a bit which means I hopefully won't have to get up two or three times a night to empty a bag of poo (sorry if tmi!), somehow this is so much worse than getting up that often for a wee!
Part 5:
I see my oncologist in two weeks and I'm really hoping she'll say "Yes, you can go on holiday"!!
And finally and best of all, Part 6:
I'll definitely be here for the birth of our first grandchild in September!
Love to all
Cathy xx
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cathysal
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Happy birthday cathy. Hope you get the ok to go on holiday and come home all refreshed so you can do lots of baby sitting duties for the new baby.
Love Ally xx
Wow, what a fantastic post! I just had a long conversation with an OC friend about attitude and your attitude rocks!!! I hope you are having a fantastic birthday - after all that you deserve a holiday. I so hope you get that too. Very best wishes, Cxxx
Hi Cathy! Well done for all those achievements......hope your birthday was absolutely fab! Hope the stoma settles down and that you get a lovely long remission as well as a beautiful new grandchild.
Happy birthday Cathy. It was lovely to read such a cheerful post.
I do hope that you get the all clear for your holiday.
Love
Zannah x
Yay! That all sounds wonderful - especially the simply being alive, at such a milestone. Well done you! Not easy grinding through chemo at any stage, but 4th time around deserves big applause! Happy birthday Cathy!!
Love
Sue xxx
Happy birthday Cathy, love from Sandra and Paul xx
Thank you so much everyone for your birthday and good wishes. I had a lovely day yesterday and am now just sooooooo looking forward to regaining my strength and getting out and about again. I can hardly wait for the birth of our grandchild - I had just about given up hope of it ever happening but thankfully my son finally met my lovely daughter-in-law and got married last year.
Barbara, Line 4 was Carbo/Taxol again, I had it twice and then had Topotecan. This time though I had it for three weeks and then one week off rather than once every three weeks and that regime seems to have had quite good success at bringing down my CA125 which had been racing up at an alarming rate.
Love to all
Cathy xx
ps - Part 7 should have been: Hopefully before too long I'll feel well enough to start again putting on my eyeliner, lippy and wig so that I no longer resemble a bandana-wearing hard boiled egg!!
Second, thanks the lovely uplifting and inspiring post. It just goes to show that we can have cancer and get on with having a great life.
Third, fantastic news about your longed-for grandchild and what an achievement to be looking forward to meeting him/her in September. There's something very special about being a grandma.
Fourth, fifth and sixth, Enjoy every minute you can - eyeliner or no eyeliner. Your beauty shines through even though you might think you resemble a bandana-wearing hard-boiled egg. I'm sure there's no reason not to enjoy a holiday and recharge the batteries. Having just spent 5 fantastic days in the Highlands of Scotland I can promise you there are wonderful places to visit in the UK even if your condition is such that the oncologist fears for you going further afield.
Seventh, may you enjoy many more birthdays, grand-children and holidays.
Cathy, congratulations for all your achievements. It´s really a victory after all you have gone through to reach 65 years and see you first grandchild. So, a happy birthday and I wish you many more with your family and friends.
Belated birthday wishes, Cathy and it was so lovely to read your inspirational post.
Like you, I'd given up all hope of ever becoming a Grandma, and after almost ten years of marriage, my son and DIL had Ollie. He's now three years old and the light of my life. I hope you have many happy years to enjoy the wonderful gift of your first grandchild.
Wishing you a rather belated Happy Birthday, Cathy.
Love your post, it's great to find things to be happy about. Hope the stoma soon settles down!! Enjoy your new grandchild when he/she arrives .It's so nice to be a Grandparent. I didn't think I'd live long enough to see my 7th grandchild born let alone the next 3 after that - I'm just sooo grateful. Next "milestone"? My Daughter has been fundraising for the last 18 months as she and 3 of her old school friends, who will all be 50 this year, are celebrating by going on a sponsored, professionally organised cycle challenge to Sri Lanka next month. I'm so pleased that I'll be here to see her off and welcome her back . (It's no good - I've got to add a "touch wood - I could get run over tomorrow, tee hee!!)
Best wishes, Solange
Hi cathy, what's wonderful birthday post. A very happy if belated birthday. Keep the diary full of wonderful treats, and get away as soon as the onc says 'yes', even if it is only up the road, it's somewhere different to relax. Enjoy your grandchild, and give everyone lovely memories, they are so important. If your grandchild is local count yourself even more lucky.... Mine are all miles away, (2 in Los Angeles!).
Keep positive and live life to the full when you get your strength back.
Thank you again everyone for all your good wishes. The sun is shining and I'm just back from having a scone and a cuppa with my son - my goodness doesn't life feel good when you start to feel like a normal human being again!
Solange, the very best of luck to your daughter and her friends - what a wonderful achievement that'll be. It's terrific that so many people put so much time and effort into fundraising and I'll bet you're very proud of her.
I'm so looking forward to joining all you grannies out there - everyone says how wonderful it is and all being well, within the next couple of weeks, my intention is to get into town and buy some little outfits so I'm prepared for the new arrival. It's great to feel I can make plans again and I intend to make the most of it while I can.
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Shingles!
Last Avastin tomorrow 
Crying 😭 
Scared about chemo effects, and the future...
Currently on Avastin. Hands seizing up badly and Painful stiff shoulders. Anyone had the same? 
