How I've Changed from having Cancer this last year

Though it seems like years ago, it has only been six months since I was diagnosed with Stage 3c Ovarian Cancer. My cancer was so advanced that I was given just three months to live unless chemo treatments could stop it. I have always known that I had many allergies and chemical sensitivities and had serious chronic fatigue with my adrenal glands quitting for 15 years, but I had still expected to live another twenty years. Now, here I was in the hospital on my 71st birthday undergoing tests for cancer and having to face that I might soon be leaving my husband, family, and friends. When my little granddaughter drew pictures for me of her future family, I cried. My heart ached to continue to be with everyone.

These last six months have been filled by me with many prayers for the faith and strength to make it through four chemo treatments and ovarian cancer surgery. Instead of me focusing on helping others, I also came to rely on others prayers and support to help me face what I knew I must do. I was especially overwhelmed by all the love and care my husband gave me day after day. I have never felt so loved.

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.