Stage 1C, what the heck do I expect now?

So my surgery was Tues, Im finally feeling good, not better, GOOD. This has all been a whirlwind of events (as some of you have read in my other posting in the general sect. My post op apt was pushed back to monday bc we lost power in alot of areas bc of this storm on and off for several days. Good news is, through all this, I will be allowed to go and be with my husband so my treatment whatever that is will continue on in OK...I was hoping to find out what my treatment would be bc the wait is killing me...I think emotionally surg was ok, ive done it before...but this journey isnt over in one quick fix and Im learning to deal with these emotions...as there are many right now...

[dawnlyn]

Girlygirl

When do you go back to the doctor?  After my surgery that was when I was told what came next.

I was staged 1A and I go to the doctor every 3 months for checkup and have a CT Scan every 6 months.  I think for 2 years but doc said he might back off of Scans every 6 months if first two come back clear.  No Chemo at this time.

I personally think the emotional ups and downs are sticking with me, which I think is pretty normal for us.  I want to let you know that I am thinking of you....I am sending you positive energy.......

Take care and love,
Dawnlyn

[girlygirl28]

Thank You. Well I know he said I will have to do chemo, 6 rounds, there will be bloodwork (before my chemo), f/u ct scans I forget how far apart...I can't remember what he said about the chemo, carbo something and taxol are standard...but the more i read the more scared I get, I didnt think that with stage 1 you would have to do chemo. My emotions are all over the place & the thought of losing my hair, how the heck will I cope, then I also read somewhere (google) that sometimes you just take cistaplatin..or something?! I need to do some imformative homework, but as much as I sit her trying to rest, my mind is going a mile a min and the best word I can come up with is Overwhelming...

[survivor_susie]

Hi,
I'm a stage 1C survivor.  I did chemo.  6 rounds.  It was NOT bad.  I continued working full time, exercising at the gym, etc.  Please don't get too worried about it.  Our chance of survival is 90% for stage 1C's who take chemo.  I'm SO glad I did it. Ovarian cancer is a nasty beast.  We're lucky to have carbo and taxol to help us fight it.

Best of luck to you!  

[dian07]

Hey there, kiddo.  This is a tough trip you are about to take but you are young and it is doable.  I was diagnosed IC at 55 years of age.....certainly if I could do it so can you.  That was three years ago......I am getting 6 month checks and will have my next in Oct...it is scary but "oh well.....".  You have no choice but to buck up and move ahead.
It's great you will be with your husband.....you have children also if I remember correctly.  This will affect more than you.....my grown, or nearly grown, children reacted with desperation and fear....my husband was terrorized by this disease.  We are all different in our reactions.....they will follow your lead.  You can do this.....you are so lucky this was found early......actually; you aren't lucky....you have ovarian cancer.....it is to your credit it was found early.....you deserve a trophy for pushing until you found out what is going on!   A very wise and strong woman you are!
Hang in there....hang in here and keep us posted!
Where are you.....at Fort Sill?  I used to live there.  
Peace.
dian

[marie3B]

You mentioned cisplatin.  If you have the choice between cisplatin and carbo, the carbo won't damage your kidneys as much.  They have been getting the same results.  Ask your onc.  As far as the hair, it comes back fairly fast.  It is fun to watch it return.  You become a hair farmer, growing your new crop of hair.  Good luck to you and keep us posted.  Marie

[dian07]

Sorry about the soap box.
Within 10 days of my first chemo my hair started to come out....by the fist-full.  There was nothing I could do about it.  I knew it would happen so before chemo began I went and bought an expensive, beautiful wig.  I wore it very seldom as it itched and made me sweat like crazy!  
The day of chemo I was fine.....after chemo my husband and I would go out for dinner and I loved it.  My chemo took about 6 hours each time.....they did it slow and I am glad for that.  I could read or watch mindless TV programs.  
After chemo I was given a shot of Neulasta to help my bones produce white blood cells. It worked.  It also made my long bones torture me a few days later.  Still, I am glad for Neulasta.  My oncologist gave me pain meds to help.  I also got something for sleep as the pain would wake me.
You absolutely must trust your oncology team as they are there to help you at every corner.  Any concern you have will also be a concern of theirs.
Nausea was also an issue for me.....not everyone had the bone pain or nausea....I did.  I was given meds via IV prior to each dose of chemo....I was also given oral meds and suppositories for nausea; those eliminated long term nausea but the miracle for me was a concoction my pharmacist compounded for me.....it was a cream I applied to my wrist at the first sign of nausea .... the effect was immediate......it allowed the other meds time to work......it was a miracle for me!   I remember sitting on the stool with diahrea and throwing up into the trash can.....my compounded cream was in the kitchen!  It was such a stupid situation all I could do wassit there throwing up and  laugh.... and laugh I did!
Humor was my crutch in all of this......I laughed at anything and everything that was remotely funny, stupid, bizaar.....I really do think that laughter got me through a lot of this.
I was finally able to understand why anyone would want a bald head....it is wonderful!  No bad hair days and it is so easy after a shower to simply dry your head and you are done!  Hair does return and in my opinion is not as wonderful as we pretend it is!  My son had  trouble at first looking at me without my hair so I wore the wig when he was home....eventually he saw how difficult it was for me trying to make things easier on him and he felt awful (it took him long enough!) .....my grand-daughters got a real kick out of "gramma's bald head!"......eventually I was not only comfortable with my baldness but proud of it!
Day three after my chemo found me wiped out.....no energy......barely able to sit up at times.  Nauseaus and achy in my bones.  Remember, I was 55 at the time.  Others were able to continue work through all of this.....heck, one of us continued to work out at the gym!  That shows you how different it is for each.
You are beginning a journey that will make you a much wiser and a more spiritually understanding person.....you can do this.  When you come out on the other end of this you will be a champion.
Stay in touch.....share your questions, fears, anger and angst with us.  Some of us have been where you are, others are walking the same path right now......we are all here to hang on to and help eachother.
Please do stay in touch.
Peace.
dian

[girlygirl28]

Thank You all...You ladies are truely amazing, you are always there with answers. I can't express how much that means to me right now!

Do you always HAVE to do taxol at this stage?

Whats the diff between carbo and cistaplatin?

[manneca]

i was diagnosed with stage 1B. Had my surgery on March 31. At this stage, chemo is optional. Did four rounds beginning May 5. Completed July 3. (first CT scan yesterday--clear)

I didn't have nausea unless I forgot my pills. Was given kytril (four tabs, 2x per day) then another one which I never took. kytril is really, really expensive (like $40 per pill), but totally worth it. I tried to get as many samples as I could.

Was given prednisone to take the night before and the morning of. Kept me awake and manic for two to three days.

Chemo was long, long. I had benedryl and an anti nausea IV first then carbo and taxol. Took five hours.

The first couple of days after were great. Then I would go down hill. No energy. I worked part time from home. About 10 days after, I would begin to feel better. The first week after I didn't exercise, but tried to walk every day I could.

Took neupogen for the first two then was switched to neulasta. The neupogen was four shots taken beginning a week after chemo and each day thereafter. Made my bones really ache. Neulasta was much better. One shot the day or so after chemo. Bones hurt but not as much.

My real problem was constipation. Really bad constipation. I finally got over it by taking miralax the night before chemo and the miralax 2x/day (twice recommended dose) and then ducolax max dose every day for about five days. Then I was back to semi normal. (I'm still dealing with constipation)

Drink lots and lots and lots of water. I gained weight during chemo. I'm now trying to lose some weight.

Two and a half weeks after last chemo, I got on a plane for Mongolia. Spent three weeks in Mongolia and South Korea.

I am getting stronger and exercising more. Am trying to run (am 62) but it's a long slog.

Blessings. You were like me really lucky that the oc was caught really really early.

[girlygirl28]

Youve blown me away!! Thank You for that. Everyone that loves me, tells me what a fighter I am. Right now, I just feel sorry, scared and not in fighting mode. I remember being diagnosed with Endo Stage 4 in 2003 after many years of telling the drs that SOMETHING was seriously wrong but everyone said, "i was too young"..well I proved em wrong when they had to do an emergency lap. I had to push this time too bc I KNEW this wasn't ENDO...I had no clue it was THIS though...and I still can't say the word, when does this become real and you snap out of this sorry stage..my husband said IF we needed to he would buy me the most amazing wig...I can't even say the word..I just cried...

you ladies truely are amazing! I can't say it enough!

[crecco]

Carbo/taxol is the standard treatment for ov ca. Yes the thought of all of it is scary. It is that fear of the unknown. But the chemo is not really all that bad. We sure have it a heck of a lot better than people did just 20 years ago. Yes the hair loss thing is traumatic but when you stop to weigh the difference, it becomes a little easier to deal with. If the chemo will save your life, then what is a few months without hair. But do not worry as you are not alone in those thoughts. All of us have had the same feelings that you are having. Granted chemo is not anything to throw a party about, but I found it was not near as bad as I was expecting. I am sure that you will not feel real well. I did just fine the first few days and then felt like **** for about the next week. I also had a few days of diareah, but then I slowly started feeling better. After like the first 2 or 3 treatments, the side effects gradually started to ease up. By the time I was finished I felt better than I had when I started. Actually I felt better than I had in months.
  Being scared and sorry is just normal. But I am so glad that they found it early. You should make it through everything with flying colors. The others are right, you hair does start to come in pretty quick. I had to do 8 rounds instead of 6 and mine was coming back in by my 5th treatment. And like Marie said, it is kind of fun watching it come back in. The first time mine came back just like normal, but this time I have become a blond all of a sudden. Now if it would have just come back curly!.
  I know that you will do just fine andyour chances of beating this completely are excellent. So focus on that.
Please keep us up to date on what is going on and remember that we are here for you.
Yes it is an emotional roller coaster but it sounds like you have a great husband who will be there for you and a Dr who wants to do what he thinks is best.
  You can do it!
  Chris

[yrrek]

Hi, I was DX'd 1c as well.  I had to have only four rounds of taxol/carbo with one IP of cisplatin.  The reason that was told to me about having chemo was because of the c.  The c means it was found in the washings after surgery.  Those darn cancer cells are microscopic and if they found it in the fluids in our abdominal cavity then there is a small chance that some of the cancer could of got left behind, so chemo is needed as an insurance that all the cancer can be eliminated.  I finished my chemo April 10th of this year.  My hair is back and looks great.  I am still tired but feeling stronger every day, I am a nurse and work four 12 hours shifts in a row and then four off so that is probably making me tired.  I do have some neuropathy in my hands and feet caused by the taxol.  It is not so bad and I do not take anything for it.  I just have periods where my hands and feet will tingle or be numb.  This condition could be temporary or permanent.  I could not work through chemo, too sick and tired but had good days and I would refer to my list that I made "things to do on high energy days":) Hair falling out kind of hurt and was more creepy then I thought, but you get used to your bald head pretty quick.  I just wore hats out doors.  These ladies gave you good info.  Drink lots of water, take laxitives to help with constipation caused by the meds you take for nausia.  Everyone is different and reacts differently, you will figure out what works for you.  You will get through this and we are very fortunate to have caught this **** early, keep remembering that when you feel pucky and when you see your bald head:)  Our chances are very good for recovery and to not have reoccurances, sometimes I feel guilty about that when I am on the site reading and talking with all these great, strong women.  But cancer can also be empowering, it has helped to really look at my life differently and to get my priorities straight.  I am a much calmer person now.  I had my blood drawn yesterday, will have a CT scan on Monday and will see my onc on Friday.  I am nervous now but hope for good news.  Waiting is hard and so is the unknown, hang in there.  Your surgery is over, you did fine through that and the same with chemo:)  Please let us know how you are doing.  Much love, Kerry

[ricaa]

hi i have also grade 1 stage 1c, and my doctor suggest me to go on chimio taxol/carboplatin for 6 treatments.
i have a rendez vous with him tomorrow , i will take his advice. i am afraid that if i do not take this , my ca125 level will be more high and afraid that the cancer is stronger. i can go every 3 months for a blood test instead but i am too scared in case it got worse. i will order some supplements for cancer to gethealthyagain.com
i hope it will help during my treatment. (some people try this before chimio and after they decide if they will go with it)
my boyfriend is against any chimio treatment but he will respect my decision.
good luck to you and i read all the comments people wrote to you and it makes my decision more positive.
ciao