New member of your club

Hello
I posted here once before my operation, due to elevated CA-125 results (321). Looks like now I get to stay! :-)
Just wanted to introduce myself. I'm 40 years old, always healthy, no symptoms (other than very minor 'hindsight" ones, and even those wouldn't be considered symptoms), and no real family history.
My husband and I are very happy, no children by our choice, love to travel, and have four (yes four) cats.

The word "cancer" coming out of the docs mouth after surgery, really upset my husband. My MIL thankfully,was there to hold him.
I am ready to deal with this, and I hope that I can bring him up to my level of positive mindset for our future battle. Anyone have any advice on that?

Oh, and how does it feel to have a port installed?

I look forward to learning more, and eventually helping others as I learn.
Nice to meet you ALL!

Sosorry to have this occasion to meet, but am very glad to get to know you. I never had problems with 'occasional' IVs but the initial carbo/taxil treatment for ovarian did a number on my poor hands. When I recurred, I requested a port. The installation was no problem and I hardly know it is there any more. I had my first IV treatment through the port 24 hrs later. It was a very wise decision for me. I have it inserted in my left chest near the clavical directly above the breast. Unless you are speaking of an IP port, then someone else will come along shortly and give you particulars for that.

I wish you the best of fortune, health and strength and hope you are dancing with NED very soon and for a long time. As for your husband, mine is in denial and refuses to address anything unless I insist other than immediate treatments and scheduling. It makes for a very lonely journey and I rely on the support of good friends very much.

Blessing to you and your hubby.

dear wolfgang37...your story and diagnosis sound very similar to mine. first of all, take good care of yourself while recuperating...rest a lot and don't overdo it. because i had a bad reaction to taxol twice, i am only receiving carboplatin i.v. every 4 weeks and i don't need a port. had surgery to install an i.p. port but the dr. punctured my bowel during the procedure (luckily no harm done), so had to have it removed...i think i have too much scar tissue and adhesions. the i.p. port, i understand, is usually inserted during the abdominal surgery.

my husband has been wonderful throughout this. he takes me to every chemo treatment and diagnostic test. takes over household duties for the few days after chemo when i feel the worst. for the rest of the time, i usually feel great...hard to believe i have cancer! we don't really talk about it very much. i am really trying to get my life back to normal...doing the things i used to do, like driving my daughter to the subway every morning, grocery shopping, taking day trips with my best friend, going to the mall or anywhere by myself. for the first few months after surgery, i stayed home most of the time, only going out for short drives with my husband. it's great to have my confidence back.

i'm sure your positive mindset will inspire your husband to join you, body and soul, on this journey. remember, this recuperation time, then possibly 6 months of chemo (or whatever) are all about you and living a healthy lifestyle, taking extra care of yourself. there will be limitations for you...you will have to learn to say "no" to things you would normally do. you can vent here anytime and ask anything. best wishes to you and your husband.

Well . . . I'm truly sorry you get to stay, even though there are many wonderful ladies here!

Surgery was my only treatment, so I don't have any advice beyond that except to TAKE IT EASY and allow yourself time to heal. Get plenty of rest and STAY POSITIVE!

Remember,

Hugs!
monami

Thanks Faithfirst - I think you responded to my first post as well! I'm glad that you have good friends to rely on. It really helps. I hope that your husband comes around!
Thank you too Mischief! But it is so HARD to take it easy after the surgery! I am going absolutely bonkers! :-) I will try to rest though.
I think it will be a chest port, as the chemo will be full body and not focused. It just sounds strange to walk around with an opening like that.

There's nothing open with a chest port. It's inserted just under the skin so it can be accessed, and mine's not really noticeable, except for the scar.

I'm a fluffy sister with a large chest so I went through quite a bit of pain with my port, especially when I went braless. I was not the norm with the continued discomfort, but it did finally go away and now the only time it hurts is if I accidentally hit it or scratch too hard over it.

Unfortunately I can't help you with your DH, mine has been a rock from the beginning.

Welcome to CC, I'm sorry you had to join us but glad we can be here for you.

Welcome Wolfgang,

It's unfortunate that you have had to join this club but you will always have support here. I'm lucky to have a husband that has been there for me ... when I was diagnosed I was the one in denial .. to the point that I did not have chemo after surgery (I was that scared that I convinced myself I could beat this without chemo). Unfortunately I was fine for about 9 months before I recurred ...the rest as they say is history.

I was 41 when diagnosed, no one in my family has ovc history, very healthy, into exercise, etc... even the gyno/onco reassured me that it was most likely not cancer but something that had to be removed. When I awoke from surgery my husband was the one to tell me it was indeed cancer ... he was crying and I was in denial.

I never had a port installed although it was suggested by the chemo nurses. So I can't say much on that subject. I think your husband will soon start to realize just how strong you are and hopefully will be there by your side to encourage you on. Although my husband has always been there (and still is) he has a pessimistic outlook while I am the opposite (too much!) so we kind of balance each other out.

He is scared, as you are too. But as my husband often tells me, I have the disease and may die from it but he's the one that will be left alone to grieve. Give him time but he doesn't prove to be there for you, know that you are always welcome to come and 'talk' to us here. s

Well wolfgang I'm sorry that you had to join our club but at least we have a great group of ladies here; so Welcome.

I have a port on my right side inserted under the skin above my breast. I'm fairly slender so it is a noticeable with certain tops but getting it was the BEST thing I could have done. I have great veins but the chemo was so painful that my arm ached for 5 weeks after my first treatment. With the port, I didn't have any kind of pain like that.

The port procedure was easy! I was awake but very relaxed and it only took a few hours. I have it flushed every month and am planning to have it removed in September (13 months after it was put in).

Good luck with your treatments!

I have one of the newer types of ports -- inserted on the upper underside of my arm, rather than the upper chest as most of them are. And it has been a lifesaver, since my veins are hard to access in normal circumstances. I would recommend a port for anyone.

Aside from me, two of my brothers and one sisterinlaw have had ports in (I'm the only underarm one), and we all agreed it was the best move we made during our cancer treatment.

You have about 24 hours of discomfort, but not much pain, and it takes about a week to forget it is there. The entire procedure to insert takes all of 20 minutes, if that, and they "twilight" you (give you "happy juice") so, while you are aware of what they are doing, you really don't care.

The underarm port is now being used more and more, particularly for women who are heavy-set and/or big-boobed. You usually don't have the option of going without a bra, particularly if you continue working, and the underarm port doesn't cause as much irritation and possible infection as the chest port does.

I have not had any problems with mine, and now, two years after getting it inserted, and one year after completing treatment and getting an "all clear," I am due to get it out (another 20 minute procedure) on August 30th.

It is well worth having this "extra" procedure -- you have enough to worry about without getting black and blue arms and feeling the pain. Once they access the port (a small pinch, nothing like even getting blood drawn -- they even have numbing cream for that), it is very easy to manipulate your IV, etc. during chemo, without the after-bruising!!!

Welcome Wolfgang,
Sorry you are having to joing this group, but it is the best place to come at this time. It is scarey receiving a cancer diagnosis. So many things go through one's mind. It is hard on those around us. Our men want to protect us from bad things and to fix things when they do go bad. They can't fix this. Many men are really scared for us and it takes a while for them to "catch up" to where we are. One thing that helps is for them to go to our appointments. Encourage him to ask the questions he has.

s
Jane