im 54 my names deb
Have been diagnosed with
High grade ovarian cancer apparently i had it for a while but only noticed my mass after
A long cough thought i had a hernia so that was a bit of a shock. Ive had my kidneys function test yesterday and am due to have my pre assessment for chemo next week any tips on what to expect during chemo ???? Many thanks deb x
Hi Deb and welcome to the club no one wants to join!
Chemo is generally pretty do-able these days. You will get pre meds before your infusion including anti sickness and steroids. The infusions can take hours, so check if you should take a sandwich (drinks are usually on offer). Check if you need a mask and if someone can go with you. It can be very boring, so take a book or magazine.
Once your infusion is done make sure you have instructions and meds to take away. Follow your instructions to the letter! Don’t skip anti sickness pills because you are feeling ok…it’s much harder to get under control once it starts. Keep your preferred laxative to hand because anti sick medication is really binding!!
You may feel tired, woozy and weak. Rest, drink lots of water. By week 3 of the cycle you should feel much more normal.
You should have the number of your chemo unit…anything you are not sure about, just ring.
Best of luck, let us know how you are going xx
Lyndy covered “ what to expect “ very well, I just wanted to add one thing about my experience. Mine was not detected for a long while either, and I was very sick and in pain when I started chemo; chemo actually made me feel SO much better. I know it’s different for those who had mild or no symptoms, but for me it felt like a godsend. I hope your treatment goes well with minimal uncomfortable side effects!
thank you x
It was the same for me as well. After feeling really poorly with constant vomiting, the chemo was such a relief and I felt so much better.
thanks im taking anti sickness tablets at the moment just feel so sick - and reslly weird but ive completely gone off tea and coffee x
Hi Deb. I’m sorry you must deal with OC, but I am glad you found the Ovacome forum. So many kind ladies on this site. I was very nervous about my first chemo because I did not know what to expect. I thought I would immediately vomit. That certainly wasn’t the case. I have been through two series of chemo infusions and, thanks to the pre/chemo infusion and prescribed meds, I have not had a problem with nausea (knock wood). Because a steroid is often included in the pre/chemo infusion, I feel great the day after chemo. I suggest buying frozen booties for your feet and frozen mittens or a frozen pad you can place your hands on during chemo. I forgot my booties a couple of times, and the nurses strapped cold packs on my feet and hands. I believe this helped me keep neuropathy in my feet to a minimum and I have not had trouble with hand neuropathy. Also stock up on products to help fight constipation. Colace and Senokot tablets helped me. Drink plenty of fluids after chemo. You will get through chemo okay. Also, I found that eating very lightly the day before and after chemo seemed to help my stomach cramps some.
Best wishes from New Orleans Louisiana,
Sashay
thank you so much sashay2020 ill keep that in mind x😊
Hi Deb,
As Lyndy said "Welcome to the Club no one wants to join" So glad you found this site and reached out these Ladies are wonderful. I'm a bit of a newbie 1 year last week since my last treatment I'm 3B low grade still blessed to be NED. Speaking for myself my fear of the chemo was worse than the treatment in my case I didn't have any side effects I was on full dose Taxol/Carbo every 3 weeks a total of 6 infusions the side effect cocktail that they mix in the IV bag along with the Benedryl they add knocked me out I was given steroids to take 3 days after although they worked I was a bit wired but my house was very clean ha the 4th day I was tired, rest when you hit that wall then I was fully functional I found the 5th and 6th treatment to cause a lot more fatigue I used the cooling cap that was important to me lost about 10% of my hair everyone is different took a couple Tylenol my head felt like a giant slurpee but it was brief. You've got this!
hi lyndy
Thank you for your message this helps me
a lot - did you have surgery ? Debulking i
believe its called?
Its not nice to be in this position but so nice to hear from someone who has been through it and out the other side
Please keep in touch
Take care
Deb x
Hi Deb
I had debulking surgery which wasn’t as bad as I anticipated yes, it is overwhelming glad you found this site these ladies are great!
thank you ladies for all your comment s x
Lyndy has said it all really. You'll find the nursing staff very supportive and you'll be given lots of information to take away with you. I was given truckloads of anti-sickness meds but didn't really need them and I learned to tell the hospital staff not to give me any more, as once they leave hospital premises they can't be re-used. I got through it all with no problems other than an infection in a tooth (it must have been lying dormant for years, but reactivated when my immune system was suppressed). That was treated with antibiotics and my oncologist lowered my dose after that. I completed chemo in November 2006. Still here 16 years later, no recurrence!
oh well done
that gives me a lot of hope thank you x
I cant wait for chemo my stomach is soo bloated i cant sleep due to it
Thank you and take care lots of lovely ladies
On here 😊
Hi
Sorry you've been dealt this hand, Deb. I'm glad you've found this site tho. The ladies will keep you going and have all the answers for any question big or small.
Mine was a late discovery and I went from being inoperable to ned. I had a complete response to chemo, so then did have debulking and more chemo to mop up.
Chemo wasn't actually that bad. I didn't suffer any nausea. I had a tiny bit of peripheral neuropathy that went away with the first cycle. I would feel fine for two days after and side effects (feeling like I'd been run over by a truck) would hit me on day 3, 4 and 5, but is doable. I'd then pick up again each day and I'd be fine two weeks out of every three. Emotionally it was a bit of a roller-coaster but ladies here would get me back on track.
I was offered toast for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch, so started to take porridge in the morning. It's better to have something in your stomach while it's all going in. Drink plenty before you get there too. I found i was glad of the sit down for all those hours because leading up to it, I'd run round doing lots of jobs and getting stuff out the way so i could free up time to recover from the side effects.
My hair started falling out two days before second chemo and my daughter shaved it all off and I then went for hats and scarfs. It's handy having chemo in the winter 😊 i bought a halo wig and a normal but never wore them. Can post them to you, if you'd like xx
Visualise the chemo melting all the cancer away. The mind is a powerful thing. I finished my last chemo and now feel completely back to normal but with the added bonus of fully appreciating the little things in life. The time goes quick and you'll be through the other end before you know it!
Love and hugs
Jayne
thank you i like that thought visualise it melting away 😊 thank you i have bought
Some scarves and hats what colour is the wig 😘
Hiya, I've just tried to post pics but it's a bit difficult on here, do you want to private message me your number and I'll sent you pics on WhatsApp x
hi wher do i find private message on this site sorry this is new
if you are a wig person as opposed to a scarf person, bear in mind modern fibre wigs are brilliant and you need to get things in place fast as hair can fall out very quickly. Your hospital will advise you. There are loads of wig websites. Try looking at Simply Wigs, if interested. I actually rather like wearing a wig. Less trouble than my own hair! If your hair starts to fall, getting someone to shave it off with electric shaver is best.
I’m with Trickysite with take on wigs! It has really cheered me up, but it took me time to find the ‘right’ wig lady for me - I found my second one on Facebook.
thank you rosado xxx
thank you i have a shaver ready 😘
I didn’t shave mine. I just stuck a little bamboo chemo hat on after my hair had been cut short, and tried to ignore it. It was a pretty dark time for me but I have found a lot of joy in my wigs and my hair has grown back on my surgery break and it makes me smile every day, well it just does!
Hello Deb.
What a shock for you. Bless your heart. Great you’ve joined this forum as the ladies in here will understand & are so supportive.
My High Grade Serous stage 3b was diagnosed in Feb 2018 when I was 51. When I was diagnosed, I was thinking I may not make 52 but here I am at almost 56 & doing well.
The ladies have already given you so much great advise ( the analogy of the cancer melting away is great to focus on when you’re having a tough day or even when you’re having a good day). Try to take one day at a time - you will have good & not such good days. Allow yourself to feel however you feel - it’s part of the healing process.
For me, I looked forward to chemo days - sounds weird but the nurses were fabulous, I felt pretty well on those days & knew I was another step towards getting better. Only you can decide if you’d like to use the cold cap - I admire all those who persevere with it, but, for me I decided I would be going through enough so decided against it.
Please keep in touch & let us know how you’re getting on.
Be kind to yourself & take good care, Lynne xx
Good luck with your Chemo xx
I’d reiterate the constipation advice. Also , on day 3 I had awful stabbing pain all over. Ended up taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen every 4 hours for three days.
Good luck. You’ll be through it before you know it.
Hi Deb. I am so sorry you have had to join this club but you will find the most supportive compassionate women on here all trying their best to help each other. I agree with everything everyone else has said. I can share one other tip to help with the constipation. I was advised to juice every day and boy did it work! I never had to take any laxatives. The components of the juice are as follows:
Cabbage, Carrot, Celery, beetroot, apple, small piece of ginger, a small piece of fresh turmeric root ( if not, then just a 1/4 tsp of powder). It does not taste too bad, but honestly, taken every morning it really works. Plus, it has the added bonus of boosting immunity and helps with inflamation post surgery. I took this drink twice a day but you can start with once a day and see if it helps.
Wishing you all the best. You are going to be absolutely fine. You will be surprised at how resilient you really are and you will be through the worst of it in a heartbeat. Good luck x
thank you for your message and juice ingredients x
Dear Capricornd,
Thank you so much for your post and sharing your experience. I can see that members of our forum community have replied to your post, I hope this provides you some good advice and support.
You asked about what to expect during chemo, you may be interested in our information booklet on Chemotherapy which is available on our website. If this is of interest to you, please see the link below.
ovacome.org.uk/chemotherapy...
Please know that we are here to support you so if you would like to discuss anything or just have a friendly chat, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. You can contact us via support@ovacome.org.uk or on our support line on 0800 008 7054/ 07503 682 311, we are here 10am- 5pm Monday to Friday.
Best wishes,
Sorcha
Ovacome Support
Hi Debs, I'm sending you my love and healing thoughts. I was in your exact same position last year. I'm still here after chemo and surgery. Be strong and be very kind to yourself. Keep posting. We are out here fir you. Love
thank you mdmbovary xxx
Ovarian Cancer active again on liver first recurrence plus ascites new chemo carboplatin and caelyx
Can you have two different types of Ovarian Cancer at the same time? 
Radiotherapy in ovarian cancer
New ovarian cancer diagnosis
Battling ovarian cancer (recurrance)
