Discovery and symptoms

Symptoms of ovarian cancer (OC) are often misdiagnosed for gastroenterology (GI) issues. And OC is often not diagnosed correctly until stage 3 or 4! (there are only 4 stages) OUCH!!!! IF I may offer any advice, be proactive with your healthcare professionals especially IF YOU HAVE ANY familial history of any cancer!! Or, if you experience any of the symptoms I have listed at the very bottom, don't be shy to ask your doctor to investigate your symptoms as being related to cancer. What could it hurt? I didn't want to jump to conclusions like CANCER, but I should have ..... just to rule it out. I think my "pride" got in the way because I didn't want doctors to think, "Well who is she to suggest...She is just one of those patients trying to self-diagnose..... or Cancer, what does she think? She's just telling me how to do my job...." I wanted to trust them and their brilliant ability to become a doctor.

Lord, please give wisdom to the doctors who saw me. Help them to recognize cancer symptoms. I pray that by being their patient they will better understand how to approach "strange cases" and learn how to treat and test subsequent patients with similar complaints. AMEN, to Your glory LORD!

Have you ever had the thought, what if I get cancer?or, is that pain possibly a sign of cancer? what would happen to so-and-so if I got cancer? Although the questions crossed my mind fleetingly, I didn't really think about having cancer because I didn't want to be a worry wort or a hypochondriac. I secretly thought "Oh the doctors would surely figure that out, silly girl! Don't jump to conclusions. Trust. I must have something like an intestinal or stomach issue that is fixable or require long-term medicine."

During the same time that these pains started (Labor Day 2011) I had a an inguinal hernia (in the lower pelvic area) so I didn't know what pains were attributable to what. I had symptoms like - bad period cramps that never ceased, a pulled muscle feeling in my right side abdomen, a runner's "stitch" in my right side, sharp "gas" pains and bloating that was never relieved by antacids, a feeling like I couldn't fully empty my bowels, feeling full even upon waking in the morning -- even one grape for breakfast made me feel like I had eaten a 5 course meal, and I had difficulty breathing because my diaphragm felt like it was being squeezed.  After the hernia repair surgery (November 1), the symptoms of whatever else was going on grew and grew and I requested the doctor give me a CT scan. That was just after Thanksgiving.

The CT scan alerted my doctor enough to call me within a couple hours of the test (I was told to expect results in 24-48 hours) and she told me "check yourself into the hospital." She said I had internal bleeding, fluid around the liver and an inflamed bowel. I had no idea what that meant...Are my bowels going to explode, am I going to bleed to death in half an hour or what! We checked into the ER, stayed about 5 or 6 hours, had a lot of blood drawn, 2 pelvic ultrasounds, identification of 2 small cysts -- one on each ovary, a suggestion to follow up with hernia surgeon tomorrow and a GYN follow up to watch the cysts. Then we left with a bill of about $10,000.

I didn't hear from the doctor who told me to "check yourself into the hospital". That was weird to me so I called the office 2 times to see what was protocol - was she going to follow up with me or should I follow up with her.

I had a colonoscopy and endoscope Dec 9. They took a biopsy of the stomach and the bowel. The report came back "no need for further investigation". The doctor prescribed pills and told me to see the GI if the pains persisted.

I returned to my GP's office the week before Christmas and complained of a "severe bruise" pain in my cleavage area and that the pain was growing into my left breast. They took a chest x-ray and the doctor said, "You have fluid in the chest. Not in the lungs. I don't know what to do, Debbie. I just don't know what to do for you. The test results are all negative. I see a common denominator here -- fluid is everywhere." RED FLAG! RED FLAG! RED FLAG!

I asked if she could order the follow up ultrasound for my cysts. She scheduled it for me. She sent me home and told me to follow up in a few weeks and if the pain got too bad go to the ER. It was the end of December. People (doctors) were on vacation. They were gone for what seemed years at a time. Day to day for me was painful. Waiting from Friday afternoon until Monday morning to call the doctor and try to get in again to see WHO SHOULD I SEE NEXT? was excruciating. The pain pills felt like baby aspirin for an open heart surgery.

I used to jokingly say,  "Doctors have a p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e because they are practicing on people." I hope that I am not coming across as putting down doctors because I know of some very fine people who are doctors and some doctors who have saved lives and some doctors who sincerely care about their patients. Where would we be without doctors these days? Honestly? We have so much to be thankful about when it comes to doctors. Still, they did not make our bodies, they have only studied them. God is our body Maker and He knows how to fix them. I just wish some doctors would acknowledge God and prayerfully ask God,  "How can we fix this one? Show me the way!"

Perhaps doctors approach the body like a mechanic approaches fixing a car -- let's try to fix the "minor" things first to see if it takes care of the problems instead of starting with the most expensive repair. I didn't have all the symptoms but I have enough family history and symptoms that there should have been red flags for at least one of the doctors!!

I met with the GYN and the GI after the ultrasound (1st week of Jan). If your GYN is sending you to the GI and the GI is sending you back to the GYN and they keep saying your symptoms are more GI or more GYN, demand a "CA125 blood test". Although this test is only an indicator of oc and certain other types of cancer at least you can rule it out early!! Don't be afraid to suggest to the doctor that s/he should be checking you for that. I should have done that back in September. Hind sight is always 20/20, huh?!

My GYN did suggest to me a blood test but I don't recall her saying CA125. She ordered a 2nd CT scan. The GI ordered blood tests and prescribed pills. The GYN called on a Thursday at the end of the day and gave me the news that I needed to see a GYN Oncologist surgeon and she gave me a name. Surprisingly my GP called the next day (Friday) at the end of the business day to tell me similar news - "the 1st CT Scan revealed some things that had been overlooked. Here are 2 options - continue with meeting the GYN oncologist or ..." My mind tried to process what she was saying.

One week later I started my 1st chemo treatment.

I am still processing what is happening in my body. I thank God for every person He has put in my path. Everyone is very encouraging. I have to remember that THIS IS a fight. It just seems weird to say that because God IS IN CONTROL. My question to God is, "How can we fight/fix this together?  Show me the way."

Beautiful day today!

David takes a motorcycle ride down the street to get the mail!

Post chemo

Today is Tuesday. Mom left this morning after being here for nearly 5 weeks. Boy, we will miss her, but she will be back. My dear friend Linda came in last night to take over as caregiver to me and David! What a blessing for someone to sacrifice their time to do such a meaningful yet remedial job. God's blessings are upon my entire household!

Nice day for a walk to the mailbox. See the tree behind my head--looks like hair!

Saturday - the day after chemo - I felt pretty good. It was like trying to get ready to go away on vacation and wanting to come home to a clean, tidy house! The house had been cleaned, the laundry was caught up, the grocery shopping was finished, etc. I wasn't sure how long it would be before I felt any energy to do anything. Saturday night my energy level started to wane. Sunday morning I was feeling pain and thankful for the anti-nausea medication. Although I was given doses of anti-nausea meds during chemo that are supposed to last 3 days, we started more anti-nausea meds Saturday morning. I slept most of the day and barely had an appetite for much. We were blessed by a neighbor who brought over a favorite dish of mine -- southwest tofu bean salad. And for the superbowl another dear friend brought Papa Murphey's veggie pizza for dinner! Monday was more of the same of Sunday - nausea, sleep, aches and pains, only 1 bout with vomiting. If the bowels don't keep running, the result is vomiting. So staying on top of bowels is vital, but the meds are blahhh. As people continue to remind me, "meds are my friends, meds are my friends." I'm not usually one to run to the medicine cabinet for a headache so this is a different mind set for me. These meds are helping my body rest and heal. It's all so crazy. Crazy prayer request....Lord help these bowels to mooooooove!

PRAYER ANSWERED!!!! Thank you friends for honoring such crazy prayer requests!! Thank you GOd for making them mooooove,

Forever grateful to YOU!!
Your bald daughter

Sleeping beauty never looked so good!