Hi Kathy
If Sophie is the one I think she is, she is pregnant and leaving next week I think. I have different nurses all the time but they are all nice and friendly. Did you have your surgery at Calvery and if so who was the surgeon and chemo doctor?
My brother has cancer of the oseophogus (can't spell) and it was too large for surgery plus he is now in his 70's so he has just been having a homeopathic diet and it has become dormant - he was diagnosed about 12months ago so he is doing well. His wife had surgery for a tumor in her bowel and could not have chemo and has been following the same diet and has been fine. So there are remedies out there that work for some people. Have you heard or tried Flor Essance? That is supposed to be good and I have just started to take it.
Hope it is good news with your CA125 marker. I am still waiting for my results from my last blood test.
All the best
Jenny Reeve
Dear Jenny
Who did your surgery and who is your oncologist ? I had my surgery at Calvary by Dr John Miller - I am disgusted with the way I was treated at Calvary hence my reason for leaving. After I had my surgery ( radical hysterectomy and debulking ) I had many problems and they wanted me out of there before I was ready. For starters I was a 29 year old who had, only a few months earlier, just given birth to my first child. To all of a sudden have to face the fact that I had a terminal illness, along with the fact I no longer could have children plus menopause hitting straight away - I was mentally a mess. My bowels had not started working again and even still they wanted me out. I was in so much pain mentally and physically and couldn't understand how they could be trying to send me home. I went home (after having a breakdown) and was in so much pain that I ended up back in hospital as I had a bowel obstruction. Not that long after I had recovered from this I came down quite sick. I went back to hospital again where I felt like I was being treated like a hypochondriac, they did tests and found nothing so sent me home. I went to another hospital where I was treated with high doses of antibiotics and within a few days a large blood clot came out of me - I started feeling better straight away. I hate hospitals and like most people I wish to avoid them when I can, so it was an insult to me for doctors to not listen when I said I wasn't well. As far as I am concerned we know our own body better than anyone and we know when something is not right. Over a month ago I came down ill again and I was too scared to go back to this hospital. I spent a week in bed very sick before my husband literally had to drag me in there. Once in there my own oncologist did not come and see me for the first few days, even though I was told by the nurses she was in seeing other people on my ward. I had to ask the nurses to ask her to come see me and she came storming in the door asking me 'what my problem was'. After being treated like this I decided I needed to find another oncologist - one who cared about what I was going through mentally as well as physically. I can't help it that I get very scared every time I come down sick and I don't know if my time will be over soon. I left the hospital and then ended up in Flinders that night and when I gave them my release form, from Calvary, Tabitha hadn't even put on there what I was being treated for .... The doctors at Flinders ran more tests on me that night in emergency than Calvary did over 3 days. I thought the whole point of having Private Health care was so you always had your own doctor to deal with. I found that I had to do my own research on my cancer as I wasn't given the right information by them. At one stage I had small lumps appear along my scar line and for months I was told they were ingrown hairs. It turned out they were fluid filled lumps from my tumour. I know I should of changed hospitals as soon as the first instance happened but I was so lost as to what I should be doing that I just kept going back. I look back now that I understand my condition and feel so angry with myself that I didn't change hospitals sooner. My new oncologist is very understanding and honest and I feel safe in her hands. She gave me all her phone numbers and email address and she answers you every time - unlike Calvary where a lot of time my phone calls never were answered. I am not writing this to turn you off Calvary I was just one of the unlucky ones who had a bad experience there and to tell you the truth Sophie was the main reason I kept going back. In the end I would always ring her for advice and she was fantastic, along with the rest of the wonderful nurses there. I heard along the traps that oncologists get paid commission for each chemo they give to patients from the pharmaceutical companies ( not sure if this is true ) but it would explain why my doctor lost interest in me when I chose to stop chemo as it was no longer working for me. Reading back over this it makes me sound like I was a difficult patient and I can honestly tell you I was not. I was just scared for my life and did everything I was told to do by my doctors. I just want a doctor who actually wants to save my life, not treat me like just another number.
I did try the Flor Essance you wrote about but found no change in the time I was using it. I am seeing a naturopath at Unley called Lyn Crossman and she is absolutely fantastic. She provides me with supplements to help keep your immune system strong and help fight the cancer. She is a very positive person and works with what treatment you are having. My other doctor at Stirling, Dr Sinclair Bode, is still the most amazing person I have met through this whole journey. He mentioned to me about trying Resveratrol as some people have had good responses to this - it is something you have to order off the internet. Lyn and Sinclair are both there for their patients when ever you need them and they always find the time to answer all your questions with the correct answers !
As we all know what works for some people may not work for others so we need to give anything a go. I never thought I would see the day that I used alternate therapies and now I wished I had met Lyn and Sinclair when I was first diagnosed .... everything could be so different now !
Keep fighting this battle
My thoughts are with you
Kind Regards ....... Kathryn Seiffert