In the early days the oncologist would get me to do a CT scan if the ca125 was creeping up in consecutive 3 monthly visits. For example it may have been 6, then 12 and then 20. That was enough to say it was back. I’ve had so many scans because it has been 15 years since I was diagnosed. I have always visited a doctor every 3 months, never been longer than that, even when I have been in remission.
In terms of teaching, I also teach different levels of Mathematics to the 17/18 year old students. I love both Chemistry and Mathematics, but Chemistry is definitely my passion and the whole school knows me for it!
My treatment is at the Sydney Adventist Hospital in Sydney, Australia. There’s an Integrated Cancer Centre there that is where all involved, even some that don’t know me, get together and discuss individual cases. I know I’ve been the subject of discussion quite a few times over the years. I’m very thankful for the care that I have received from everyone there.
@jenelleseaman I can just imagine that you've been a topic in these medical discussions with your original diagnosis. Since you return so frequently (still every 3 months?) to Sydney Adventist Hospital you must know just about everyone in the Integrated Cancer Centre. And they know you.
Yes, I know what you mean about having a passion for a subject matter. The students always know when their teacher loves the subject they are teaching. It sounds like one of those employment opportunities that the salary is almost a bonus because you love it so much. I say "almost" because of course you should be paid well for teaching.
In the early days the oncologist would get me to do a CT scan if the ca125 was creeping up in consecutive 3 monthly visits. For example it may have been 6, then 12 and then 20. That was enough to say it was back. I’ve had so many scans because it has been 15 years since I was diagnosed. I have always visited a doctor every 3 months, never been longer than that, even when I have been in remission.
In terms of teaching, I also teach different levels of Mathematics to the 17/18 year old students. I love both Chemistry and Mathematics, but Chemistry is definitely my passion and the whole school knows me for it!
My treatment is at the Sydney Adventist Hospital in Sydney, Australia. There’s an Integrated Cancer Centre there that is where all involved, even some that don’t know me, get together and discuss individual cases. I know I’ve been the subject of discussion quite a few times over the years. I’m very thankful for the care that I have received from everyone there.
The only way that they can know if I have cancer now is by having a PET scan. When on chemo I have had one every 3 cycles, where a cycle is a month. When the scan has been ‘clear’ it’s 6 months, just because I didn’t want to know! I counted … I’m up to 35 CT scans and 13 PET CT scans.
I teach Chemistry to Year 11 and 12 students. These kids are 17/18 years old, and in their final years of secondary education. I get them ready for university! I’ve taught some great kids, and have many friends who always ask me how I’m going.
@jenelleseaman Wow, that's surely a high count for CT and PET/CT scans. You must be an expert now at lying very still during these scans. It's not pleasant to keep returning for a scan. I get very anxious before my CT scans wondering what they will find.
Somehow when you mentioned that you teach I was envisioning you with very young children. Students in the 17/18 years old range is a whole other experience. How wonderful that you have them in their final year and get them ready to go on to university. I've worked with kids in these age group and while it can be challenging I really enjoyed it. It's so good that you are making such a positive impact on these students' lives and I'm sure they are thankful for all you do for them when they move on to their young adult lives.
The only way that they can know if I have cancer now is by having a PET scan. When on chemo I have had one every 3 cycles, where a cycle is a month. When the scan has been ‘clear’ it’s 6 months, just because I didn’t want to know! I counted … I’m up to 35 CT scans and 13 PET CT scans.
I teach Chemistry to Year 11 and 12 students. These kids are 17/18 years old, and in their final years of secondary education. I get them ready for university! I’ve taught some great kids, and have many friends who always ask me how I’m going.
I was first diagnosed in 2010 as stage 3c ovarian cancer. Had a radical hysterectomy with debulking and then 6 cycles of carboplatin/ paclitaxol adjuvant chemotherapy. The cancer returned in 2014 and again and again…
I am up to the 8th line of chemotherapy. I am on carboplatin/ Caelyx at the moment. I have had 50 cycles of chemotherapy in total, I have the next in 2 weeks. Another PET CT scan will tell me if I’m done with the chemo, or not! My ca125 has not been higher than 10 for the last 6 years even when I have had cancer.
I’ve always said that every day is a good day, because it’s what God planned for you. There’s no such thing as a bad day. There are definitely hard days, but somehow I have always come out the other end knowing that I have coped, and sometimes even been blessed.
At the moment I’m wondering how much more of this I can cope with, and I’m praying that the scan this time will be clear. The question is also for how long? I keep trusting God for what He has in store for me. I am definitely a miracle, living as long as I have with the disease recurring so many times. My oncologist calls me his Champion! I know I give hope to others, even though my journey has not been a pleasant one. But as I have said, I have also been blessed along the way with successes that I would not have believed possible. My faith in the One True Living God is what keeps me getting out of bed, and teaching high school students every day.
Janelle, thank you for your reply! Question...if your CA125 never went above 10 how do they know when there is active cancer? How often have you had scans? I have my labs checked every three months but they aren't planning to do scans until I reach the one year mark from ending chemo in August. At first they said I'd have scans in six months but then they changed it to a year. My treatment is at Mass General Hospital in Boston so I am pretty confident in their expertise but it does seem that some medical centers do things differently.
I have found taking the focus off myself and being able to help others very beneficial.
You also have to be flexible with your plans! I try and tell my oncologist when I want to have the chemotherapy treatments! I try and fit everything around school, but that has proved a little difficult with the last set of treatments, simply because I had to keep going past 6 cycles for the first time.
I don’t teach full time. The school that I teach at is also very understanding, and will give me time off if needed. My students know a little of what I go through - they don’t have the life experience to understand fully. In fact no one really understands what I go through. One of the things I have realised about suffering is that it can be extremely lonely, because of that. That’s the reason why a forum like this is so helpful.
@jenelleseaman Thank you for sharing our much this forum means to you. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share, your beautiful photos, and what is meaningful to you as you live your life each day. It's wonderful that your school is flexible with your schedule. What is the age of your students and what do you teach?
Thank you for your warm welcome. I find it very helpful to hear what other women's experiences have been with this unplanned journey. I'm still working although I will probably retire if/when I have to go through another round of treatment. Exercise helps, as does reading, seeing friends, doing the things I enjoy and trying to laugh and have fun despite this new component of my life. I'm a person who likes to plan and have had to rethink some of that. My spiritual practice keeps me oriented on the present which helps so much.
@amywells Thank you for sharing with us. It's always good to talk about the things we do to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to live our lives each day. Do you presently work full-time?
I have found taking the focus off myself and being able to help others very beneficial.
You also have to be flexible with your plans! I try and tell my oncologist when I want to have the chemotherapy treatments! I try and fit everything around school, but that has proved a little difficult with the last set of treatments, simply because I had to keep going past 6 cycles for the first time.
I don’t teach full time. The school that I teach at is also very understanding, and will give me time off if needed. My students know a little of what I go through - they don’t have the life experience to understand fully. In fact no one really understands what I go through. One of the things I have realised about suffering is that it can be extremely lonely, because of that. That’s the reason why a forum like this is so helpful.
Thank you for your warm welcome. I find it very helpful to hear what other women's experiences have been with this unplanned journey. I'm still working although I will probably retire if/when I have to go through another round of treatment. Exercise helps, as does reading, seeing friends, doing the things I enjoy and trying to laugh and have fun despite this new component of my life. I'm a person who likes to plan and have had to rethink some of that. My spiritual practice keeps me oriented on the present which helps so much.
I was first diagnosed in 2010 as stage 3c ovarian cancer. Had a radical hysterectomy with debulking and then 6 cycles of carboplatin/ paclitaxol adjuvant chemotherapy. The cancer returned in 2014 and again and again…
I am up to the 8th line of chemotherapy. I am on carboplatin/ Caelyx at the moment. I have had 50 cycles of chemotherapy in total, I have the next in 2 weeks. Another PET CT scan will tell me if I’m done with the chemo, or not! My ca125 has not been higher than 10 for the last 6 years even when I have had cancer.
I’ve always said that every day is a good day, because it’s what God planned for you. There’s no such thing as a bad day. There are definitely hard days, but somehow I have always come out the other end knowing that I have coped, and sometimes even been blessed.
At the moment I’m wondering how much more of this I can cope with, and I’m praying that the scan this time will be clear. The question is also for how long? I keep trusting God for what He has in store for me. I am definitely a miracle, living as long as I have with the disease recurring so many times. My oncologist calls me his Champion! I know I give hope to others, even though my journey has not been a pleasant one. But as I have said, I have also been blessed along the way with successes that I would not have believed possible. My faith in the One True Living God is what keeps me getting out of bed, and teaching high school students every day.
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@jenelleseaman I can just imagine that you've been a topic in these medical discussions with your original diagnosis. Since you return so frequently (still every 3 months?) to Sydney Adventist Hospital you must know just about everyone in the Integrated Cancer Centre. And they know you.
Yes, I know what you mean about having a passion for a subject matter. The students always know when their teacher loves the subject they are teaching. It sounds like one of those employment opportunities that the salary is almost a bonus because you love it so much. I say "almost" because of course you should be paid well for teaching.
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1 ReactionIn the early days the oncologist would get me to do a CT scan if the ca125 was creeping up in consecutive 3 monthly visits. For example it may have been 6, then 12 and then 20. That was enough to say it was back. I’ve had so many scans because it has been 15 years since I was diagnosed. I have always visited a doctor every 3 months, never been longer than that, even when I have been in remission.
In terms of teaching, I also teach different levels of Mathematics to the 17/18 year old students. I love both Chemistry and Mathematics, but Chemistry is definitely my passion and the whole school knows me for it!
My treatment is at the Sydney Adventist Hospital in Sydney, Australia. There’s an Integrated Cancer Centre there that is where all involved, even some that don’t know me, get together and discuss individual cases. I know I’ve been the subject of discussion quite a few times over the years. I’m very thankful for the care that I have received from everyone there.
@jenelleseaman Wow, that's surely a high count for CT and PET/CT scans. You must be an expert now at lying very still during these scans. It's not pleasant to keep returning for a scan. I get very anxious before my CT scans wondering what they will find.
Somehow when you mentioned that you teach I was envisioning you with very young children. Students in the 17/18 years old range is a whole other experience. How wonderful that you have them in their final year and get them ready to go on to university. I've worked with kids in these age group and while it can be challenging I really enjoyed it. It's so good that you are making such a positive impact on these students' lives and I'm sure they are thankful for all you do for them when they move on to their young adult lives.
The only way that they can know if I have cancer now is by having a PET scan. When on chemo I have had one every 3 cycles, where a cycle is a month. When the scan has been ‘clear’ it’s 6 months, just because I didn’t want to know! I counted … I’m up to 35 CT scans and 13 PET CT scans.
I teach Chemistry to Year 11 and 12 students. These kids are 17/18 years old, and in their final years of secondary education. I get them ready for university! I’ve taught some great kids, and have many friends who always ask me how I’m going.
Janelle, thank you for your reply! Question...if your CA125 never went above 10 how do they know when there is active cancer? How often have you had scans? I have my labs checked every three months but they aren't planning to do scans until I reach the one year mark from ending chemo in August. At first they said I'd have scans in six months but then they changed it to a year. My treatment is at Mass General Hospital in Boston so I am pretty confident in their expertise but it does seem that some medical centers do things differently.
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1 Reaction@jenelleseaman Thank you for sharing our much this forum means to you. I greatly appreciate your willingness to share, your beautiful photos, and what is meaningful to you as you live your life each day. It's wonderful that your school is flexible with your schedule. What is the age of your students and what do you teach?
@amywells Thank you for sharing with us. It's always good to talk about the things we do to take care of ourselves so that we can continue to live our lives each day. Do you presently work full-time?
I have found taking the focus off myself and being able to help others very beneficial.
You also have to be flexible with your plans! I try and tell my oncologist when I want to have the chemotherapy treatments! I try and fit everything around school, but that has proved a little difficult with the last set of treatments, simply because I had to keep going past 6 cycles for the first time.
I don’t teach full time. The school that I teach at is also very understanding, and will give me time off if needed. My students know a little of what I go through - they don’t have the life experience to understand fully. In fact no one really understands what I go through. One of the things I have realised about suffering is that it can be extremely lonely, because of that. That’s the reason why a forum like this is so helpful.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
2 ReactionsThank you for your warm welcome. I find it very helpful to hear what other women's experiences have been with this unplanned journey. I'm still working although I will probably retire if/when I have to go through another round of treatment. Exercise helps, as does reading, seeing friends, doing the things I enjoy and trying to laugh and have fun despite this new component of my life. I'm a person who likes to plan and have had to rethink some of that. My spiritual practice keeps me oriented on the present which helps so much.
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionI was first diagnosed in 2010 as stage 3c ovarian cancer. Had a radical hysterectomy with debulking and then 6 cycles of carboplatin/ paclitaxol adjuvant chemotherapy. The cancer returned in 2014 and again and again…
I am up to the 8th line of chemotherapy. I am on carboplatin/ Caelyx at the moment. I have had 50 cycles of chemotherapy in total, I have the next in 2 weeks. Another PET CT scan will tell me if I’m done with the chemo, or not! My ca125 has not been higher than 10 for the last 6 years even when I have had cancer.
I’ve always said that every day is a good day, because it’s what God planned for you. There’s no such thing as a bad day. There are definitely hard days, but somehow I have always come out the other end knowing that I have coped, and sometimes even been blessed.
At the moment I’m wondering how much more of this I can cope with, and I’m praying that the scan this time will be clear. The question is also for how long? I keep trusting God for what He has in store for me. I am definitely a miracle, living as long as I have with the disease recurring so many times. My oncologist calls me his Champion! I know I give hope to others, even though my journey has not been a pleasant one. But as I have said, I have also been blessed along the way with successes that I would not have believed possible. My faith in the One True Living God is what keeps me getting out of bed, and teaching high school students every day.
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Like -
Helpful -
Hug
4 Reactions