Update

Well I had called the doc yesterday and talked to her nurse, I should be starting chemo around the 11th of November, so may be over by Christmas with the chemo anyway. Should have CT scan next week. Will probably have port in place by first week of november. At least now I feel like I am getting somewhere. The waiting and not knowing was driving me nuts.

Also checked with her about path reports done in her office on my first visit 9/9/02. They had done a pap. I had pap done just on 7/30/02 and it came back neg. Well theirs came back with dysplasia and neoplasia or cancer. What gives here??

Too bad it didn't come back till after my surgery. Surgery 9/12/02, Had TAH/BSO for possible ovarian cancer, but ended up with endocervical adenocarcinoma. What if I hadn't had the problems they found on the ultrasound and the elevated CA-125. I thank God every day for helping me to find this before it got too out of hand. At least I hope it isnt too far out of hand.

(((Jane)))

I'm glad you and your doc have come up with a plan of care. It's just nice to know what's going to happen when, isn't it?

As far as the PAP, well, try to remember that the PAP is only 80% accurate. Do you know if they used the ThinPrep at either of your PAP's? That seems to give a lower false-negative rate. With the ThinPrep, the sample of cells is placed into a vial of fluid and shipped off, instead of the old way of placing them on a slide and fixing them.

Also, when the cell sampling is done, you can only get cells from what you scrape. So, typically the outside of the cervix is sampled well, and maybe the very lower part of the internal cervix. It's very hard to get cell samples from way up inside the cervical canal, so unless some of the "bad" cells get sloughed off and work their way down to be discarded (skin is always in a state of slough) and happen to get picked up during the sampling, well, they can be missed until things are more advanced. So, especially with the adenocarcinomas, it can be hard to pick it up early on a PAP. And the lab can only read what's sent to them. It's frustrating, isn't it. I had a normal PAP in Sept 2000, then in Dec 2000 it was abnormal. The biopsy was normal. Fortunately, my doc and I had the presence of mind to push forward further and have the LEEP which found the dysplasia (I had a history of abnormal PAP's).

Here' a Jane. I do hope your treatments are done by Christmas. But if not, then at least early in 2003 you should be done and you can start out the new year cancer-free ! Good luck!

The port will be very helpful. I love mine. I hope too you are through with Chemo by Christmas, but if it takes a little longer, remember--you're zapping those cancer cells so they never dare to come back. Keep us updated!

{{Jane}}

I'm so glad to see that you now have a treatment plan in place. It sure does help to actually be "doing" something.

I hope all will go well for you throughout your treatments and the side effects (if any) will be minimal.

Please keep us posted on how things go for you and we'll all be keeping you in our thoughts and prayers.

{{Hugs}}

Vicki