hi, just been told my mum has cancer. problem is she doesn't know how advanced she is and i'm waiting for the oncologist to give her the proper info. it hurts i'm not telling her but we don't have enuf information to give her proper info anyway. we've been spoken to by someone who isn't a specialist in cancer so feel it'd be unfair to give info that may be inaccurate. i don't know where to get support. we've been waiting for oncologist to contact for two weeks now.. who can i speak to? thanx for reading..

When I found out I might have ovarian cancer my OB-GYN referred me to my oncologist. So maybe call whoever told you that your mom has cancer and they should refer you to someone. Good luck!

I'm so sorry! Good luck to you and your mom. I hope she can get good help and put thins behind her.

thankyou for your replies. still waiting for someone to talk to my mum. it's been two and a half weeks now and still nothing..

I don't want to scare you, but 2.5 weeks is too long to wait. You better become a squeeky wheel that requires some attention- so to speak! Camp out in the doctor's office if you have to and at minimum put his number on speed dial until you get the help you need. If she has ovarian cancer the early you start treating it the better.

All the best to you and your mom. <3

I don't want to scare you, but 2.5 weeks is too long to wait. You better become a squeeky wheel that requires some attention- so to speak! Camp out in the doctor's office if you have to and at minimum put his number on speed dial until you get the help you need. If she has ovarian cancer the early you start treating it the better.
that's what i think too. i've been loud and that seems to be only reason they gave us ANY info.. mum goes for a scan tuesday and results wednesday. scary stuff. i contacted macmillan nurses online and you're supposed to be offered their help from diagnosis. they've been fabulous.

Hi Julie

I felt I had to reply to your post as I found myself in exactly your position this time last year with my Mum and it was the hardest time of my life.

As you can see I am in the UK also, my Mum had swelling around her abdomen and presumed she was just putting on weight due to the menopause but upon mentioning it to her GP she wanted it investigated further and found that she had a large ovarian cyst that they wanted to operate and remove to analyse further. Also, her CA125 levels came back high, so she was referred to our local cancer unit for gynae cancer. This sent all of our worlds upside down (before she was even diagnosed).

Well, she had the surgery (within 3 weeks of going to her GP), removed the cyst and performed a frozen section there and then to determine wether it was malignant, unfortunately it was and they removed the cyst, lymph nodes, appendix, omentum, and performed a full hysterectomy on her. We found out same day of her op that it was malignant but it took a couple of weeks longer to find out at what stage her cancer was.

Those weeks were bloody tough going but you know, we got the results we all prayed for and she had stage 1A and required no further treatment not even chemo. We were so lucky but I wanted to post this for you as it gave me and my Mum enormous comfort to read good news stories when we were going through it.

Now that was a year ago and she is now fit as a fiddle but she is still in remission and has to be checked regularly, better to be safe than sorry.

I hope everything works out well for you both, if you want to know anything more or just to talk about it, just post here and I will try to reply ASAP

Hi Julie

I felt I had to reply to your post as I found myself in exactly your position this time last year with my Mum and it was the hardest time of my life.

As you can see I am in the UK also, my Mum had swelling around her abdomen and presumed she was just putting on weight due to the menopause but upon mentioning it to her GP she wanted it investigated further and found that she had a large ovarian cyst that they wanted to operate and remove to analyse further. Also, her CA125 levels came back high, so she was referred to our local cancer unit for gynae cancer. This sent all of our worlds upside down (before she was even diagnosed).

Well, she had the surgery (within 3 weeks of going to her GP), removed the cyst and performed a frozen section there and then to determine wether it was malignant, unfortunately it was and they removed the cyst, lymph nodes, appendix, omentum, and performed a full hysterectomy on her. We found out same day of her op that it was malignant but it took a couple of weeks longer to find out at what stage her cancer was.

Those weeks were bloody tough going but you know, we got the results we all prayed for and she had stage 1A and required no further treatment not even chemo. We were so lucky but I wanted to post this for you as it gave me and my Mum enormous comfort to read good news stories when we were going through it.

Now that was a year ago and she is now fit as a fiddle but she is still in remission and has to be checked regularly, better to be safe than sorry.

I hope everything works out well for you both, if you want to know anything more or just to talk about it, just post here and I will try to reply ASAP

Thankyou so much. It's so hard for the patient and it also hard for the family,partners and friends supporting them too.Knowing how to be there for them is important. I felt so alone although we have close family unit and that felt strange. I contacted macmillan nurses. The consultant has to agree it's appropriate for them to become involved so hopefully they will. They were fab tho and answered lots of questions for me. They shud be proud of wot they do. This kind of communication is comforting too. Thankyou for all your replies. It means a lot...

If you have been told she has cancer then by all means do not sit around waiting weeks for someone to respond to you!

Not being harsh, but your mother deserves the best treatment she can get and ASAP in this case.

You mother needs to know exactly what is happening to her so IF it is bad she needs to start fighting (mind/thoughts & soul) right away)

There is lot's of support on this site. I am sure we all pray for your mother.

There is hope no matter what, and they have made great strides/advancements. Just know in your heart and thoughts that she will be just fine!

Good luck

Hi. Been told that the oncologist she has is very high up in his field and he got her a bed immediately and the surgeon is the best. Things are moving now thank goodness and she's had a drain put in today which means she'l be able to eat again. The relief is immmeasurable. More treatment next thursday and I'll be chatting with sister on the ward tomorrow. Thanks everyone...

Hope your Mum responds well to her treatment, sending lots of positive thoughts your way. :angel:

hi. thanks for your thoughts.. mum had biopsy last thursday. she's got a clinic appointment on 16th june. i don't know if theyre discussing the results then or if it a check up as she needs fluid draining off so often.. i want a macmillan nurse to get involved so she can guide us.. if it's THAT appointment then i'd like to be there cos dad can't cope n not sure he'd go in with her. dad doesnt want me to ask for macmillan nurse anyway so i'd have to find somewhere else to speak to her. will she find that weird? totally lost on how to get a nurse anyway cos it seems i'm beating my head against a brick wall about this. is it supposed to be this difficult? not even sure where mums cancer is now as theyve told her they think its in the stomach tissue so she said she thinks thats it then.. tough one to hear. not a lot i can say cos i'm not an expert n only getting tiny pieces of info. hope all is fine with you.. love julie x

I also have ovarian cancer, diagnosed first time in 1998, Had total hysterectomy and omentum removed. I had 5 years with NED( No Evidence of Disease), then it came back in my naval. IN the second surgery they took my spleen and several inches of my intestine. I had IV chemo after both surgeries. I had a reaction to the Carboplatin so I had to switch to Gemzar and Topotecan...and I never thought I would finish. well 2 years later I have tumors next to my liver. They are using breast cancer drugs now, Tamoxifen, Femara and now Faslodex. Sometimes I get scared, usually before a CT scan, but you must stay positive. I've lived with this for 9 years and I plan to be an ooooooolllllddddd lady! Hang in there and stay positive.
Linda

wow 9 years.. i do think that being positive can blast those cells. i'm sure they did a programme on it.. about visualisation. one child pictured them like a computer game n stomped on them. and recovered.. amazing.. mum not too gud. bit of a shock to her to feel so ill cos she never gets anything. well come wot may we'l be there to hold her hand chat be moaned at whatever she wants.. i think you're a very strong person n KEEP UP THE GOOD FIGHT..

Hi Julie andall those others that are suffering from the dreaded word C. I have had for 4 and 3 quater years ' Im a erson that never wants to give u I love live even though its not been easy. I have been lucky to have chemo 6 months then another 6 months then after 3 years another new treatment 6months and just finnished radiaation,2 lots of 6. Im still here Have lost heas of weight. But I just cant give in; I LOVE LIFE AND HAVE BEEN LUCKY Of late I have got very tired and am letting my daughter care for me, It is sometime not easy,At the moment my daughter and children are staying with me to care for me,So many women are not looked after by their doctors, My Dr overlooked O Cancer untill it was to late and burst, I was realy angry BUT OF COURSE you have to take them to court wwhich takes time and money. And you only have the energy for yourself Its great that you are heling your mother.. I wouldnt be here if my daughter didnt care for me, Kee going dont ever give u I WONT FLOSSIE N Z

you sound like a fantastic fighter. i hope u're proud of that.. no one wud take my mum's symptoms seriously. if only i'd known her symptoms are textbook shes had em for two yrs... i can't let myself get angry bout that tho right now. just concentrate on mum. but... cos i'm here doing the caring i think she wont open up.. ya know like she think its too much. she starts then stops. any advice u can give me i'd be so grateful for.... keep fighting love julie x

My mom just started taking topotecan. She is a 5 year survivor. They just found out that her chemo wasn't working, so they switched her to this. She has had diarrhea really bad and got very dehydrated last week to the point of mental confusion. Did you have a lot of side effects with this med? Thanks,, and best wishes to everyone here...:wave: Jitterygal