My partner has pretty much all the symptoms of ovarian cancer, with the marker going up. We have been to two cancer specialists both saying “they don’t think it’s anything to worry about”

but her symptoms are getting worse and I’m really worried about her. Has anyone else had this happen? And what did you do to get the drs to do something straight away instead of taking their time. I’m worried by the time they realise they were wrong that it will have progressed too far for them to act on it. The only one that knows it’s something serious and is trying to help as much as he can is her gp

These are her symptoms so far:

2 cysts one on each ovary that are not going away and growing

constant severe pelvic and abdominal pain (her gp has her on strong slow release pain killers for pain management)

bloating, indigestion and changed bowl movement

constant nausea

hot flushes/night sweats

constant thick discharge

getting full easily and losing appetite

Any advice would be much appreciated as we are stuck for what to do from here!

I'm absolutely terrified my Mum has cancer. She is 62 years old.

Last week my Mum went to the ED with severe pain in her leg. They found that she had a massive blood clot and didn't know what could of caused it. She then had a CT scan which revealed a large 11cm mass on her right ovary that had spread to her belly button. They then took blood tests for tumour markers which all came back normal. The doctor said to us that they would of expected it to be very high in a malignant case but sometimes bloods can still come back normal.

She then had an ultrasound and the sonographer said that the mass was worrying but no fluid was present and the doctor said in most but not all cases fluid is usually present with malignancy. She also had an abnormal urine test but the doctor didn't discuss it.

Mum is now booked in for a biopsy tomorrow and won't know the results for two weeks. Apart from the DVT (which we have a strong family history of) Mum doesn't really have any symptoms at the moment.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?. Could it still be cancer?. I'm so terrified. I can't eat, sleep or even think right now. We have no family history of breast or ovarian cancer.

Thanks Sue ❤️

I am part of a team of cancer researchers and psychologists at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) running free online mental health programs for those who have finished their primary cancer treatment (i.e., surgery, chemo, radiotherapy). Our programs focus on developing skills to cope more effectively with difficult emotions - which we know don't simply stop when treatment comes to an end!

We understand that it isn't always easy to reach out for mental health support (especially in the context of COVID-19), which is why our programs can be completed online and from your own home.

Our current 2-week online program ("Flexible Thinking") tackles thoughts around worry, rumination, and catastrophising. You can follow this link to take part: https://is.gd/cancope_flexible_thinking.

Our next 2-week program ("Doing Things Differently") will be running within the next month. 

Here is our Facebook page, where we post regular updates: https://www.facebook.com/cancope.page/

Please reach out if you have any questions about our programs! (e.g., over Email: psych.cancope@monash.edu or you can message me privately. If you live outside of Australia we can also call you on WhatsApp!) 

Thank you everyone :)

Conny

—

THE CANCOPE STUDY

Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health | Monash University, Clayton, VIC

Ph: +61 404 353 956

I was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in October 2017 and had major surgery on 18 December 2017. I had the mass removed, lost a part of my bladder, small and large bowel and removal of my spleen. months chemo and 6 months targeted therapy.

A month or so after the completion of my chemo I had a PET scan showing I had spots on my liver and my CA125 was escalated. So I decided to have my first trip to Norfolk Island in April) May 2019 for 4 weeks. I spent another 2 weeks in Brisbane with my dad who passed quietly in hospital. On my return to Perth another PET scan was performed and low and behold NO spots and my tumour markers were excellent! In remission says my oncologist! F*#k how did that happen! He was as shocked as I was. So I'm back on NI ... reckon this place has improved my health, stress levels, diet etc.

Forgot to mention had a double mastectomy in 2013 .. on my 60th birthday !!

I'm over the moon ... But (always a BUT) still in the back of your mind and any health disruptions takes me back to being diagnosed. Not any easy road and really f#$ks with my head. I'm sure you can all relate.

But in the meantime I'm trying to be healthy, happy, relaxed on my little island in the South Pacific.

Please, everyone, take care and try and live in the moment.

Cheers Sharon

I'm new to the board. Diagnosed Stage 3C High Grade Serous Epitheleal Ovarian/Peritoneal 5 months ago. Inoperable, Platinum resistant so now on Caelyx palliatively. I feel well at the moment but have had one bowel obstruction already.

I have lots of complications and issues that the doctors seem to have no clue how long I have to live. To be honest, I haven't asked him yet and I intend to on Wednesday but I'm not sure he really knows. The consensus seems to be that I might have two week, two months, two years, two decades, not a clue.

My question to you lovely ladies is this: how do you live and plan with the unknown? Do you plan for twenty years in optimism? Do you live each day like it could be your last? I find it difficult because if this really was my last day there is no way I would do the dishes. But if I have two years, well then the dishes probably need to get done. Does this make sense?

Naturally I would love some certainty (or maybe I wouldn't) but that isn't going to happen with most of us so I guess some hints on living with the uncertainty would be wonderful.

Thanks and keep on living life!

Robyn

📞 Our Support Team is available on 1300 660 334 or support@ovariancancer.net.au

📖 For general resources, visit: https://ovariancancer.net.au/how-can-we-…/support-resources/

I’m 56 and I’ve just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer three days ago, but  I don’t know what stage it’s at just yet.

My doctor has sent off a referral to Brisbane and marked me as urgent. I just have to be patient now and wait for an appointment.

It came as a shock, but I guess that’s the same for everyone.

I’d been having digestion issues, constipation, needing to urinate more frequently, and that’s why I went to the doctor.  When she was examining me and pushed on my abdomen she felt something.

She ordered blood tests and sent me off for a CT scan  I didn’t even know we had a CT machine in our small town but I was lucky we did.

When I went back for my results she said I’m sorry but it’s ovarian cancer. I have what appears to be a 6.5cm growth on my ovary. Hoping it might be a cyst and not cancer I asked about the blood tests.

She had done one to look for cancer markers in the blood. Apparently normal would be about 30 U/ml and mine was 420 U/ml.

I have 1001 questions but for now the most important one is how and when  to tell my family.

I’m the sole carer for my grandson and it’s his 15th birthday on Saturday, then Easter, so definitely not until after that. But do I tell them before I get to see a specialist, or wait until after that? How do I break the news? I want to be as calm as possible when I tell them, so rehearsing something beforehand is probably best, but I don’t know what to say. Any advice would be wonderful, as I’m emotional and clueless right now.

I am pleased to find this forum as I have just been diagnosed. Actually it is three weeks today I went to the hospital with terrible pain in my side. What a shock to find out I have an active cancer in my ovary and several seeds of cancer in my abdomen. Off to see oncologist surgeon in sydney next Tuesday and don't know yet what stage etc. I am. All very new and scary