Just An Update on HG Serous Ovarian Cancer

When you get that initial diagnosis there’s so much to take on board, and you have to do it quickly! For me that was 16 years ago. I was 48 years old. You are right, the Taxol/carboplatin gave me a 3 year break. It was a shock when I found out it was back, in quite a few places.
I have stayed as positive as I can, trusting in Christ who knows what is best for me, even if I don’t understand. Phil 4:6-7 and Romans 12:12 have been very special. I came across something in a children’s novel that said “You can’t choose how you feel, you can choose how you act. Choose courage.” That has been my prayer ever since.
People tell me that I give them hope. That’s why I try and help others with my own personal experience, because I understand, and I have had more than most! I will keep you in my prayers Linda.
By the way, Stage 1A is the best possible result for a good long term outcome.

@jenelleseaman Yes!! I’d love to see the photos.

@lindybowers Linda, first I’d like to share that you did what we all here recommend for one another. You did and still advocate for yourself.

As @jenelleseaman shared Stage 1a is encouraging. The cancer you were diagnosed with is an aggressive as you said. You are doing everything you can including chemotherapy and eventually radiation therapy.

Hearing the word “cancer” is a shocker. When I talked with my doctor after hearing I had cancer my mind was in an altered state. I got lost on my way home, making a wrong turn in my car, on a familiar route. When I finally “woke up” in a neighborhood I didn’t know I thought - where am I anyway? I straightened myself out, made it home, and then just collapsed.

You are the best judge of what you can do for yourself. Age is just a number and from what you’ve written here I’m envisioning you as a very healthy and active 76-year-old woman.

I am now almost 7 years out from my initial diagnosis of endometriod endocarcinoma FIGO Grade 1, Stage 1a. I had a recurrence in the vaginal cuff 4 1/2 years ago. I had radiation therapy - external and brachytherapy for the recurrence. My physical exams and imaging have all been NED (no evidence of disease) since then. I still wonder and worry that something microscopic is growing in my body. With time, that worry doesn’t occur as frequently.

When I worry, and I do, I let the worry be there. I don’t try to push it away or distract myself for too long. I tell myself “just because I think this does not make it true”. I also look at my worried nature as a bit of a catalyst. I don’t sit with anxiety very long. I allow anxiety to be there, and figure out what the anxiety is telling me. Is there something I need to do? For me, that something can be moving my body. Going for a walk, stretching, doing yoga.

We are here for you and our support group has women with a lot of experiences that will help you.

Do you have a spouse, family members or close friends for support? A mental health therapist?

@jenelleseaman Thank you for welcoming reply. And for pulling my head out from the doom & gloom of this aggressive cancer. But I was fearful to learn the cancer came back to vaginal cuff. I researched all the details of my particular cancer then when I saw him for the first time after surgery earlier this week on May 4th 2026, I deliberately told him that this high grade carcinogen sarcoma p53 has me very concerned for my survival, and he had his back to me typing things onto my chart on the computer, and he replied, "Yes, it also has me very concerned, too, that is why you are having chemotherapy & radiation," I'm glad he and I shared our thoughts. I'm doing poorly recovering from the first round of chemo. Peripheral neuropathy is bad. And when he suggested he lower the dose of 175 mg of paclitaxel. I knew what he meant without saying it. He'd want to switch me over to docetaxel. I told him I'm tough and hope I develop a tolerance to paclitaxel. It's 9 days since 1st chemo and my intestines feel weird/slow motility & feels bloated, but like Im wearing a really tight girdle 5x too small pushing painful pressure over my intestines as they shift into the open space of the removed uterus. I believe I am struggling with some level of side effects from Taxol (paclitaxel), and oncologists may prescribe docetaxel (brand name Taxotere) as a viable alternative. Both are taxanes, but they have different chemical structures and toxicity profiles. Oncologists typically switch from paclitaxel to docetaxel for the following reasons: Hypersensitivity Reactions: Taxol is formulated with a solvent called Cremophor EL, which frequently causes acute allergic reactions. Docetaxel uses a different solvent (polysorbate 80) and may be better tolerated by patients who experience severe hypersensitivity to Taxol. Peripheral Neuropathy: While both drugs can cause nerve damage, some studies and clinical observations suggest docetaxel may have a lower incidence or less severe presentation of peripheral neuropathy (numbness and tingling) compared to paclitaxel. Treatment Schedule: Docetaxel is often administered every three weeks, whereas Taxol is frequently given weekly. A switch may be made to manage the cumulative dose and patient quality of life. Other Potential Alternatives If docetaxel is also not tolerated or if the primary issue is the solvent, doctors might consider: Nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane): An albumin-bound form of paclitaxel that contains no solvents, significantly reducing the risk of allergic reactions and often allowing for higher doses without the need for premedication steroids. Ixabepilone (Ixempra): A non-taxane chemotherapy (epothilone) that works similarly to taxanes but may be effective when cancers become resistant to them. You said the cancer came back in quite a few places. What did you do when this news hit you? What treatments? Where are you now in the journey? You are a window perhaps into my future. Praise God that I found you. Thank you for your prayers. Linda

@lindybowers I was diagnosed with HGS ovarian cancer, stage 3c, in August 2010. I had taxol/carbo every 4 weeks. The infusions were very difficult each time, with my veins reacting to the taxol. I had to have the taxol diluted by saline and I could never get to the top speed. Consequently, the infusions were always longer than supposed to be.
It came back in 2014. It was in lymph nodes spread throughout from armpit to lower abdomen. That time I think I was in shock, and just existed! I had carboplatin only, every 3 weeks. The same thing happened in 2016, with only carbo.
The cancer was back straight away in 2017 and I was given weekly taxol. That gave me another 3 years. It came back in 2021, so I had weekly taxol again. The problem this time was that the cancer grew between cycles 3 and 6! I was advised that surgery was my only option.
July 2021 I went to hospital to have 3 lymph nodes removed. One of them was growing on the outside of the pancreas and through the wall of the small intestine. That was problematic! I ended up having to have a second surgery called a Whipples procedure which removed more than just the lymph node!
The cancer returned in 2022, 2023 and 2024. Each time I was given Caelyx/carboplatin. In 2024 I had to have 9 cycles because the cancer was still there after 6.
I was diagnosed with sarcoidosis in May 2025 and have had biopsies done to confirm that. It’s an autoimmune disease that behaves like cancer, but it’s not. My oncologist advised watch and wait until this year.
I’m on topotecan at the moment. The infusion is for 3 consecutive days, every 3 weeks. I’ve just completed the 4th cycle. That means I have had a total of 55 cycles so far, with no end to this regime in sight.
Throughout all that I have kept teaching. I have a reduced workload because of the chemotherapy though. Teaching has helped me stay sane and God has blessed me in ways that I thought would never be possible.
When people ask me how can they pray for me, I tell them I need courage. That’s why that quote meant so much.