I found this website today at work and you can image my suprise when I found other people talking about PPC. My 43 year sister was diagnosed with PPC Stage 3 with a CA125 count of 2129. She admitted herself to emergency when she could no longer stand the pain and after 6 months of feeling like she was a hypocondriach and a medical doctor who just kept perscribing anti inflams and pain killers for what he told her was riadiating back pain from an old injury. She began having difficulty with bowel movements in July 06 and he perscribed dietary fibre, her belly started swelling in August, and the pain continued. By early November she was a mess, and feeling like she was crazy, her anxiety was causing panic attacks and the doctor perscribed Ativan more symptoms more drugs more of the doctor ignoring her symptoms.
She had partial hysterectomy in 2005 but was left with her ovaries. In May 2006 she had a hemoragic cyst on one of her ovaries which was needle aspirated and a CA125 was done which registered as 6.
She is now just had her 4th chemo treatment out of the 6 she is scheduled for. She is unable to tolerate the Taxol so she can only take carboplatin. She tolerates the chemo as well as can be expected and has her down and out period for for about 2 weeks of 4 and then back she goes for the next. She has little or no appetite at the best of times and is disapearing before our eyes. She is so brave mostly for her 10 and 11 year old children. On a more positive note, her CA125 is down below 500 now!
The oncologist is looking at 2 possible causes, genetics and exposure to asbestos. There is genetic testing going on now and if they can rule that out the will look at the possibility of exposure to asbestos throughout her career for the past 19 years.
I guess I just need to vent for now. I am trying to be strong, but I find it hard at times, its just her and I left, our Mom died in May 2005.
She has now been experiencing a bowel blockage and pain in her right side. She is scheduled for a cat scan next week to see what is causing it. We have fingers crossed that its nothing more that a simple blockage.
Well that's my vent for now, thanks for reading. I would like to hear from anyone who has been going through the same frustrating and scary late diagnosis.
Thanks, Bigsis from Canada