CA125 and Driving Myself Crazy!

[DHope]

This is my first post and I hope it’s not too long-winded. I came to this wonderful website because I’m driving myself crazy. My wife had ovarian cancer, the first time over eight years ago. She was so lucky and it was stage 1B and she was six years cancer free. Well we thought we were free and clear of this monster.And then it was found again after a spike in her CA 125. So she went through chemo again and it’s been a year cancer free. She’s been having her CA 125 taken and it seems quite different then the numbers that were her baseline the first time. It started creeping up until it went from 13 to 40 and we were very worried. So she had a CT scan and it was clean. So the doctor decided to check her every month which is absolutely crazy making. Recently the numbers have been creeping up again and she’s going to have another CT scan. My questions are, do the numbers change after a second recurrence to maybe be at higher baseline as far as anyone is familiar with? And how do I handle my meltdown every time she gets her blood test anticipating all sorts of crazy scenarios. I try saying I have no control, I trust the doctors, live in the moment, etc. But it’s not easy. I’m sure all of you are very familiar and I would love to know what people do to talk themselves down. Thank you so much.

[Nblisa]

Hi DHope!

I’m sure you know that other non-cancerous issues can cause a rise in the CA125. Everyone is different, but my scans tend to not show cancer until my number is in the 200s. I think it’s just as hard mentally for the cancer patients loved ones. If I wasn’t the one with stage 4 cancer, and it was someone I loved, I would totally flip out. As the patient, I’ve gradually learned over the 5 years since I’ve been diagnosed, to not cross bridges until I get to them. I don’t want to waste the time I have left dwelling on something I have no control over, or something that may not happen. It’s the dwelling on imaginary things that get me the most upset. When I find myself thinking like that, I focus on keeping busy and doing things I enjoy. It’s been a long process to get to this stage, and once in a while I will get very upset. I don’t allow myself to stay upset for more than about 5 minutes. We don’t ignore the cancer, but we also don’t allow it to take our lives away early. I’m not one who likes to travel, or go on a fancy vacation. I’m happiest when I get to spend time with my husband or other members of my family, doing normal everyday things. We might cook together, go shopping, or go for a walk. Right now my husband is fixing up a greenhouse for me that we inherited from a relative. Will I get a chance to start seedlings next spring? Who knows. At least I will be able to start tomatoes early this year.

[DHope in reply to Nblisa]

Thank you so much!

[Alicel]

The cat scan is important

They may tell the whole story

Ct scan not exact

[Alicel in reply to Alicel]

I meant ca125 not exact scan is more important

[joann86]

Hi DHope , I understand how incredibly difficult this must be for you and your wife. I'd recommend also calling the SHARE ovarian cancer Helpline and talking to one of our trained peers. You'll be connected with someone who's gone through a similar experience and can give you some guidance and support. The number is 866-537-4273. Please give them a call if you can- I think it'll really make a difference. Please keep us updated on how things go. Wishing you and your wife all the best.

[DHope in reply to joann86]

Thank you so much!