ovarian cancer

There are so many parts to this - what to pack, how you will get there, who will stay with you, what cocktail you are getting…..
The best advice I received was to use ice-gel packs for my hands and feet to try to ward off future neuropathy. (Three years later I barely have an issue with this.) My husband would change them out every 20-30 minutes for me. I did not use the ice cap and did lose my hair, but was prepared for that with a wig and soft caps. Dress comfortably. Maybe consider buying a chemo shirt with zippers for easy port access. (The staff loved it.) The Benadryl pre-meds threw me for a loop and I just gave in to it. Bring or ask for a blanket as you may get cold. Also, your immunity may be affected due to changes in blood counts so ask if you and your loved ones should get your annual vaccines, restrict your socializing, or mask. The infusion center staff was always informative and helpful; these are special people who choose to do this job. Your reactions may differ from others. I was fortunate in that I never threw up, but I had a diminished appetite for a few days after each infusion. Smoothies and soups were best during those days. Then I “came back” and felt more like myself before the next infusion.
Go to trusted cancer sites for suggestions and overviews about chemo; you’ll know when to stop reading as they will become repetitive. I’m sure that other Gyn Onc patients will weigh in here as well.
Good luck!’

@ffr
Thanks so much. All new for me- in my 82 years- I have never been sick or in the hospital so I really don't know what to expect. Your comment are so appreciated.
BZD

It was also my first major illness & hospitalization. And I’ve been medically phobic my entire life so it was like a cruel joke. My mantra was One Day at a Time. Sometimes, One Moment at a Time.
Sadly, I didn’t find this forum until well after my treatment. But OCRA and SHARE have been great resources as well. I was able to get matched with a 1:1 mentor via OCRA and she has been a gift. Both groups offer educational webinars and support groups. If it’s your thing, check out their websites. Or maybe a friend or relative can do this for you and share what’s relevant.

To add to the mix, I tell people to keep a journal of symptoms so you can talk to your oncologist about what happened after each cycle. I had trouble remembering. I also wrote down if my temperature spiked, as well as my weight each day, but that is because of other surgeries.
You have a very steep learning curve ahead of you. Write down questions you want to ask your oncologist. Don’t be afraid to ask them anything.
The treatment will finally end. Look forward to that day. You will return to a new normal eventually. Your support group around you will be important. Make sure you tell them what’s going on. If it’s taxol/carboplatin it always took a week for me to feel better, but days 3/4 were the worst.
As has been mentioned, everyone is different. You will respond in the way that your body is tuned to cope. I have relied on God’s grace for me for over 15 years, with more recurrences of the disease than most other ladies. It has returned yet again, which means more chemotherapy for me too. I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

@jenelleseaman Thank you for your informative reply. I start those drugs next week. I, too, am keeping my faith and family close. This is all so new to me. I am so grateful for my supportive husband of 60 years. The best thing is that we have travelled the world and I had a wonderful art career so have no regrets- no-"I wish I could have.....". God will help see me though this.

Barbara, like you OC is my first serious illness. I’ve been through one course of chemotherapy and will soon be starting again for my first recurrence. Like Janelle I found it useful to keep a journal of symptoms/reactions to chemo. It helped me to be open with people and to let myself have the painful emotions when they came instead of listening to the voice in my head telling me I should shut them off. Getting outside everyday and having a good supply of books also helped. Weird as it sounds I actually started to look forward to seeing the staff when I went for treatments. This forum has been so helpful…I hope you keep us up to date on your experience.

@barbarazabcik I see you are getting lots of welcomes and support from others in our Gynecological Cancers support group. I'd like to personally welcome you to Mayo Clinic Connect and to this support group.

If you are up to it, I think you might get some benefit from reviewing other discussions in Gynecological Cancers on ovarian cancer. The members that have already posted here as well as others share and support one another as well as offering information and tips.

Here are a few ongoing discussions you might like to read and perhaps post your own thoughts or questions.

-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/platinum-resistant-ovarian-cancer-treatment-options/

-- https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/recently-diagnosed-with-serous-borderline-ovarian-tumor/

What has your oncologist told you about ovarian cancer? Do you know what kind of chemo treatment you will be getting and when it starts?

@amywells thanks for the suggestion. My first round should be 6 hours....seems like a long time but Dr wanted to do the infusion slowly. Also- I have never done any drugs (not even prescription) so I wonder if that will affect me- like hit me harder. Another concern is that my boobs (little) have gotten big and tender-everyone says it's hormones. and my feet sometimes swell. other than that- I feel ok.

When I was first given Taxol my arm reacted, and got extremely hot and painful. Eventually the nurse looking after me worked out that I could tolerate it if I had a saline solution added to it to dilute the mix. She also started slowly and increased the speed gradually. If my arm started to hurt, she would bring it back again. It took longer, but it was the only way I could tolerate the drug.
When I had Taxol again, a few years later, I had a port-a-Cath, so it was no problem.
Try that trick if you have problems.

@barbarazabcik My first infusion was also over the course of six hours...they want to make sure you don't have an allergic or other adverse reaction (they give antihistmines and steroids first). After the first time my treatments took 4-5 hours from start to finish. Regarding never having taken prescription drugs...seems like that would be a real advantage...your liver and kidneys must be in tip-top shape!