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Tanya (tanya)


October 31, 2006


Portland, Maine


April 7, 1975


Ovarian Cancer


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


September 2006


Stage 1


07


Grade 1


No


Taxol (chemical name: paclitaxel)


Cancer Survivor


Waiting for test results!!


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


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.


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.


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

April 11, 2007

Oy!Views: 254

Hello everyone!

It’s been too long since I last posted…is moving x-country a good enough excuse??

Things are a little closer to normal right now…I’m once again sitting at my computer 1st thing in the morning drinking way too much coffee. Very good news…I have a job, with benefits! I start next week as a veterinary assistant with a great animal hospital near here. We only have one car right now so it’ll be interesting for a few weeks, but Irvin’s thrilled since I’m not a walking nut-case anymore. My checking account is over-drawn and I have 2 bills late…not to mention the medical bills that are literally piling up on the floor. I don’t even open them anymore. Don’t ask, I have NO idea what I’m going to do. I was actually contacted by someone from the Anderson Cooper show from CNN yesterday…we’ll see what happens.

No news on the cancer side of life right now, for me anyway. I feel great so I’m trying to not think about it. Sadly a close family friend is not doing so well, in the high stages of pancreatic cancer. She’s fought like a pit-bull for years, and has a 6 year old granddaughter she’s been raising, and an amazing husband. It’s just not fair. June, Chris and Raven…if you’re listening, we’re all fighting along with you.

Funny, I feel a little removed from my cancer right now….maybe it’s the move, or maybe I’m just trying to forget. Or maybe I just need a break. I’m still going to try to get my poodle into therapy training so I can start bringing him to the hospital here to visit patients; maybe then I’ll start making connections here. I’m always going to be a part of cancer awareness one way or another in hopes that what I’ve gone through will help others in some way.

My brother sent me this link about ovarian cancer and the fact that 1/3 of women don’t get the treatment they need, including those on medicaid! If there’s one thing I’m most pissed-off about, rightly so, it’s the complete lack of decent health care for too many people. THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN IT’S TIME TO VOTE!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070409/ts_nm/cancer_ovarian_dc

Fun photos Irvin took when we got hit with an April snowstorm last week…we were probably the only ones in Maine happy! (ok, Eros was ecstatic…it was his first snow!)

eros1 eros2 eros3

Tanya – so glad you are getting settled in up there. GREAT photos! I love them. I hope you get to go on CNN. i think it is just horrible that people have to worry about insurance when having to deal with cancer and your case is unbelievable. Happy you are back online.

Hello out here. So nice to hear from ya.
I am sure all will go well with you and the family.
Hope to see you once again among us.
Let us know when we can see you on TV.

Hug Sherri

Strangest thing ever… my brother sent me the exact same article! Do you want to help me fight the good fight? I’ve got a project. email me at slockwoo underscore knits at yahoo dot com.

Glad you posted. Thanks for the dog photos! Take care!

Absolutely great to hear from you! Glad the trip went well and you are getting settled in. Pictures are great.
It sounds to me like you’ve turned the corner in your fight with cancer. Great!
Hugs!
Karen

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Tanya's Stats

Posts: 34
Photos: 6
Events: 1
My Supporters: 7
I Support: 4
Comments: 167
Views: 8077



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