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Name:
Tanya (tanya)

Member Since:
October 31, 2006

Location:
Portland, Maine

Birthday:
April 7, 1975

Type of Cancer:
Ovarian Cancer

Medical Term for the Type of Cancer:
Right Ovary: Atypical proliferative (borderline) serous tumor with multiple foci of invasive low grade serous carcinoma. Left Ovary: Same thing, just micro-invasive.

Diagnosis Date:
September 2006

Stage of Cancer:
Stage 1

Tumor Size:
07

Grade of Tumor:
Grade 1

Lymph Node Involvement:
No

Chemotherapy:
Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel)

Profile:
Cancer Survivor

What I Hate Most About Cancer:
Waiting for test results!!

Cancer Symptoms:

None really, maybe a little bloating and abdominal pain. This is the scary thing about ovarian cancer; few women have any symptoms at all.

Surgery Description, Dates & Side Effects:

I’ve had 3 surgeries total. The 1st was laproscopic when they discovered I didn’t have endometriosis, what they originally thought I had. That’s when they discovered that the 2 huge tumors were either cancerous or pre-cancerous. On the 2nd surgery they removed the 2 tumors and managed to save my ovaries, but the patholgy sent to Johns Hopkins came back showing a 6 mm invasive carcinoma in my right ovary, and the left ovary had a micro-invasive tumor. On January 29th, 2007, I had a total ovarian hysterectomy.

Chemotherapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Paclitaxel(Taxol)/Carboplatin(Paraplatin) combination, intravenous, 4 treatments total, 3 weeks apart. My first treatment was Oct. 17th. The side effects weren’t been too horrible. Days 3-6 I felt really bad, but I never vomited! I just felt VERY weak, and VERY sick. I was so pale I scared myself in the mirror, and sometimes I felt so bad I couldn’t even talk. I had HORRIBLE constipation like never before, and I still have heartburn, which I never got before.

Hormone Therapy Description, Dates & Side Effects:

Bio-identical HRT in the form of transdermal creams: includes Bi-estrogen, Progesterone, and Testosterone…started March 2007.

No side effects to speak of so far! I highly recommend seeing a HRT specialist to look into bio-identical HRT. After reading “What your doctor may not tell you about menopause” I refuse to go on the “conventional” synthetic hormones most doctors prescribe.

Tanya's Cancer Blog

December 1, 2006

Great news!!! Views: 114

Well, it’s Friday evening and I’m feeling ok! Well, I still feel nauseous and my fingers are numb, but usually I’m still feeling pretty crappy now, so I’m very grateful. I took a hot epsom salt bath and laid on my bed for an hour, and suddenly realized I was starving! I had a craving for pork chops with applesauce (one of my mom’s specialties), so she ran right out and made me a huge, wonderful dinner. Best mom in the world she is! Something about mom’s home-cooking that will heal anything.

And the even better news for the day is the results of my CA-125 test. That’s the cancer antigen/tumor marker blood test I mentioned last time. Anyway, anything under 35 is considered safe, and mine came back at 8! It’s not the most accurate test in the world, but the best one for ovarian cancer. Tell me if I’m wrong, McPhee doctors, but I guess it means the chemo/surgery are working to beat the cancer. Just the right amount of positive reinforcement I needed.

Thanks to everyone for all of your wonderful comments. It’s so nice to hear from people that I haven’t spoken to in years….Kate, I still think about that trip too!

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Posted on December 1, 2006 at 4:59:59 PM by Tanya ( Link to this post.

Great news!!!, Post a comment.

5 comments)

Sweet, does that mean were going hiking soon?. I’m home now, back in AZ on the 12 of dec. The prayers are also helping, right? Those are such good news, keep it up.

Posted on December 2, 2006 at 5:33:54 AM by Alex (unverified)

Hello! This is Ariella (hipgrandmas daughter)..just wanted to drop you a note to let you know that you are often in my thoughts! my mom loves you and has shared a bit of your story with me…I am glad you are almost done with your treatment..then you’ll have a whole lifetime to sit back watch all of your dreams come true. Sounds silly, but I have a good feeling lots of great things are in store for you.
Thanks for being a good friend to my mom.
Love, Ariella

Posted on December 3, 2006 at 6:38:41 PM by Anonymous (unverified)

YEAH! So glad to hear that all is well! I am free from school Monday the 11th, lets get together and celebrate!
love & hugs, Kristin

Posted on December 4, 2006 at 8:45:13 AM by kristin perrin (unverified)

Atta girl! Great news. I am so happy for your good news. I think of you often.

Posted on December 4, 2006 at 3:15:22 PM by Anonymous (unverified)

Yeah Ta, go get ‘em, those little bastard cancer cells. No match for you are they.

You’re such an eloquent writer. I almost think that I am reading an adventure novel where you are traveling through the altitudes and cold of the Himalayan Highlands to reach the lush valley of Shangri La.

Posted on December 6, 2006 at 7:28:42 PM by Peter (unverified)

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