Any Use for my Cancer diary?

[MargaretJ]

I have kept a cancer diary since I was diagnosed. Is it of any use to Ovacome when I die? My oncologist has suggested it might be otherwise, like my body, it will go to the Medical school at Leeds.

[sarah1963]

Hello Margaret

I hope your diary continues for a long time to come!! I am sure you have a lot of helpful advice if like me you have had a number of different chemo drugs and know all about side effects etc.

How are you at the moment?

Regards

Sarah

[MargaretJ in reply to sarah1963]

It contains no advice but is a record of symptoms, medication, my state of mind etc!¬ I am hoping that it will prove of use to someone doing research, or someone writing a book who may find it a useful primary source. I did 2 years of a D Phil and gave up because I had insufficient data from primary sources (at 60 I felt I was not prepared to spend any more money on it). I keep it for my own benefit but fgeel that someone doing research might be able to get something out of it that I have not seen. I have also updated friends round the world by email so I am planning to print those off and addthem to the diaries together with my hospital file so that they have a complete "picture" of someone with OC. My oncologist thought that Ovacome might have some kind of archive for such thinbgs. I amd a control freak and I am about to create a "cancer" file fully labelled so that, when they have to clear my house my children will be able to do it with minimum effort and fuss.

[MargaretJ]

Sorry I am a really lousy typist and this site has no spell checker! LOL

[sarah1963]

It sounds a very useful record. Having cancer seems such a fruitless exercise so it is good to be able to put the experience to some use. I don't know whether it should be put in the hands of researchers or professionals but I am sure there is someone out there who could put it to good use.

Are you a survivor?

[MargaretJ]

My O C is incurable! I have just heardcthat my new tumour is pressing on the bowel and I see the surgeon on Nov 3 rd to discuss removing it. I am finding the experience fascinating. Especially seeing the CT scan and having it explained. I now know what my liver and pancreas look like, and the tumour too!