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870040 tn?1252615119

Living with Decisions

Hi All,
I'm helping my Mom (58y/o, stage 3C, dx in 2004) with battle against ovarian cancer. its just been so hard lately. I think she is going to be fine. Its just been so much to do and so many complications to troubleshoot. We just finished radiation a week ago, and will start chemo (hopefully) in two weeks. Apparently, there can be a reaction between the radiation and the chemo agent she is suppose to use.

She had a second debulking surgery this summer. Our regular gyn onc recommended no surgical intervention. But the second opinion 'research' oriented doctor said it was fine. Turns out we should have listened to our gyn/onc. The surgery opened the tumors and those cancer cells started floating around and growing in other places within the perotinal. Neither doctor told us about this consequence. I really wished we would have pushed for more specific reasoning as to why the secondary debulking was not recommended. My Mom is overweight, diabetic, and our gynonc doctor seemed to make it more about those types of body habitus factors than the actual procedure. We felt like she was saying we didn't 'deserve' a second shot because of Mom's weight and other conditions, and that the disease would kill her anyways, so why try? Anyways, the research/academic doctor performed the surgery, and did not do a good job. She opened tumors that she could not remove. I really feel mad that the the doctor who performed the surgery did not explain the consequence of this happening--that the cancer cells would flow in the cavity and start growing wildly. I feel really badly that we pushed to have this surgery that has now made her life full of pain related to the cancer.

Anyways, no real medical questions to ask today. Just wanted to say hello, and reach out to some people in the same situation as me.  Its hard, and tiring, to do so much caretaking, but she will get better. That's a brief introduction of me and my Mom.

Bus Gal
2 Responses
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870040 tn?1252615119
Thanks for your message. The radiation therapy was mostly palliative. The tumors were pressing on her nerve plexus and causing her extreme pain. The radiation was to shrink the tumors and alleviate some of that pressure that was causing the pain.

hope you are doing well and looking forward to learning more about you all and the boards.

Helpful - 0
155056 tn?1333638688
Sorry to hear that your mom is going through all of this.

Radiation, is so unusal for treatment of OvCa as radiation usually only treats a small designated area and as you have mentioned there are now cells scattered throughout her perotenial cavity.  Have they advised why the radiation?  

Best of luck to you and your mom and let us know how your mom is doing.
Helpful - 0
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