Good News a week after starting anti-cancer medication!

One good thing now is that I have hair. Actually, I never completely lost my hair before the new hair began to grow. It is gray and nice and thick like it used to be.

Another thing that I'm really happy about is that I am adjusting to the Lynparza anti-cancer medication, and it is only taking the week they assured me it would take.  It was a tough week, but I am now feeling more like myself. It is wonderful to no longer have the sense of anxiety and depression. I'm glad that the muscle and joint pain, headache, and nausea are just minor now. I don't have any diarrhea and the irritated gums are less and are being helped by using a baking soda mouthwash and the minor heartburn by pepcid medication. Oil and lotion are easing my dry itchy skin, and my decongestant and antihistamine are not only helping my allergies, but are also keeping the lung inflammation at a minimal level. So, though I don't feel as good as I did without the medication, it is livable now and my energy is even increasing. Yesterday, I walked nearly a quarter of a mile. The only thing which has become worse is that I have little sense of taste and little appetite. Since this removes the temptation to overeat, that really isn't too bad.   

What happens after Ovarian Cancer surgery?

I am recovering well from my ovarian cancer surgery nearly two months ago. I am able to go for a couple of walks each day, alternating walking a few yards with riding while my husband pushes me in the wheelchair. I can dust mop a little at a time, make my bed, unload the dishwasher once a day, wash a few loads of laundry each week, and heat up food for myself in the microwave. I can do things on the computer till 6 p.m, and I can finally eat a regular meal without feeling nauseous.  Best of all, I'm only feeling really tired instead of that overwhelming sense of exhaustion with shakiness, brain fog, nausea, depression, and anxiety which I've experienced these last couple of months. 

I'm grateful that my four chemo treatments have destroyed most of the cancer, and all visible cancer was removed during the surgery. I really would love to say "I'm cured" and that my struggle with cancer is over, but that isn't true. As happened to me, often ovarian cancer isn't discovered until near the end stage. Though it hadn't penetrated any of my organs, the cancer had spread throughout my entire abdomen by the time we knew it was there and began treatments for my stage 3C ovarian cancer. It is therefore likely that, at some point, the cancer will return somewhere in my body. Combined with the fact that I have the BRCA gene mutation which means that I am unable to suppress tumor growth, I have a much higher chance of having more cancer in the future.