Cure?

[Lily-Anne]

I have just been on a site, a US site which says that cuaght in one ovary and not spread recovery rate is 85/90% now although I have done lots of research I've just realised that means if mine hasn't spread beyond the left ovary, lab report says tube clear, that I'm still not going to be 100% okay post op and chemo, is that correct?

[Hidden]

No, Liy-Anne - that's not correct.

No one can predict what will happen to you. I don't quite understand the stats you are quoting, but stats are irrelevant anyway. They are based on very old data, and fairly unscientifically collected too. The satistical likelihood that applies to my case says I should be dead - I'm 3+ years into compete remission and staying that way!

Support your immune system as much as you can, and forget the stats. Having had a cancer, you are obviously at risk, but if you can do the healthy things for mind and body you will be less likely to succumb to a recurrence or another cancer.

Very best wishes,

Isadora.

[Whippit]

Dear Lily-Anne

I'm not sure looking at web sites and stats is helping you much.

Cancer is a serious disease and in our case nobody knows how it will go. Generally cancer caught at Stage 1 and 2 can be managed better than Stage 3 or 4. Having said that we're all individuals and the disease affects us in different ways. If you can you need to clear your head and concentrate on keeping as fit and well as you can. We're not statistics.

As I mentioned just now - I hope this week goes well for you. We'll all be thinking of you and looking forward to hearing that you've made a good recovery and are moving on from what has been a traumatic time.

All the best with the op. xxx love Annie

[wendydee]

Dear Lily-Anne

Mine was caught in time, I was so lucky.........so far! I have been well for almost ten years now. Forget the statistics and concentrate on the only statistic that matters: YOU

Good luck with it all. Let us know how things are going.

Love Wendy xx

[Hidden]

Dear Lily-Anne

I've been looking at your blogs and questions and wondering if anything I might say could help, given the excellent support you've been having from "the super sisters". A few things come to mind.

I was told by my consultant that there was an 80% chance that I'd have no recurrence after my TAH etc for Stage 1a. I also bear in mind that the stats are based on the past and don't reflect more recent improvements, eg in surgical technique, which I believe boost the chances for all those caught in the early stages.

I've also stopped doing that aimless google searching which just tends to throw up dodgy or irrelevant (to your case) information that leaves you terrified. Please try to resist the temptation. Yes, I do still keep my eye open with regard to treatment developments. I think that's a more positive approach.

Once I'd given myself plenty of time to recover from my surgery I gradually built up my exercise. Before all this I was never terribly enthusiastic but now I'm so glad to be able to do it and I feel so much better both mentally and physically so I can't recommend it highly enough. Do at least some of it with other people, it's much more enjoyable. It's now 7 months since I finished chemo and I feel great.

I was already going through the menopause at the time of my surgery so I can't comment on early menopause but I'm sure you'll find ways to manage it. I must check out Isadora's tip on your menopause question.

Wishing you all the very best on this journey.

Love

Linda

[HWIOM]

Hi Lily-Anne

I agree with everyone else that you should ignore stats - you aren't a statistic and what will happen to you is entirely unique.

However, if I understand your question the 85%-90% recovery rate does not mean that the people who recover are only 85%-90% as well as they were before - it means 85%-90% of them get better and 10%-15% do not. I haven't seen the stats you saw so I don't know what the 10%-15% refers to, but it could be that they have a recurrence, for example.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the best with your treatment.

Helen

[pixinafix]

Hello

Statistics can be false comforters as you don't know which category you'll be in - the 85% ok or the 15% not ok. There's no 'mainly ok' where oc is concerned. A lot seems to depend on how you react to chemo if you have it, so somone with a worse diagnosis such as 3c may do better than somone with a better diagnosis such as 1a.

The healthy lifestyle seems to help, or at least make us feel more able to cope. Do look at your diet, exercise levels and stress reduction once you're up to it.

Christine

[ladygooner-uk]

this is reminding me of the old quote ( dont remember who to attribute it to-) there are lies, damned lies and statistics.

no one can tell you how your body will respond to the treatment/ op/ cancer- some people live with it for years with no treatment, some succumb within a short time despite a lot of input.

its the same as anything, we know the stats for being knocked over in the street, but we carry on crossing the road.

for me the key is to carry on living my life, with a nod in the direction of cancer, when I need to.

Please dont do the google check thing -it will only cause confusion, my onc told me not to do internet searches on oc until I had been diagnosed 6 months, which turned out to be a really good move, as afterwards I was able to distinguish the rubbish from the relevant info.

good luck, take care of yourself!

sue

x

[Lily-Anne]

Thanks everyone, wish I knew why some people have chemo, some don't, some have TAH, some don't, I feel out of depth, but will be guided by my consultant now, I'm not used to that sort of submission. I used to be a research journalist so research urges kind of kick in, but I'm so tired and the decision is now made. I'll just have to play it by ear and hope I can stop being such a wimp tomorrow.

LA xx

[Hidden in reply to Lily-Anne]

I'm a former librarian so I understand the research instinct. You could try directing it towards something else as a distraction - the history of cakes or the best day spas within 50 miles... You never know when you'll need that.

No you're not a wimp and you'll be amazed at how well you cope with this; but we won't be. We always knew you could do it.

Love

Linda

[ladygooner-uk in reply to Lily-Anne]

Hi Lilly Anne

Don't be so hard on yourself, its a rubbish thing that's happened to you, and I know what you mean about repressing your need to be in control, as I like to research everything. I found that I ended up controlling stuff I could- such as diet, and hair loss.

Your question about why some people get chemo/ ops are down to the staging and spread of the cancer, can you ask your onc or nurse- they are very good at answering questions. A very very dear friend who is sadly no longer with us told me to write down questions as I thought of them, then take them to your appointment to ask.

Remember that you are still in shock, so you are trying to assert control over an aspect of your life that you have never even considered before, never mind have to surrender to " the system".

Thinking of you

Sue

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