Letters Along My Journey: My Experience with Cancer and Chemotherapy

by Angeline Graser

Overview

What is your first thought when you hear the word cancer? It's probably not a good one. Cancer changes us, some of us for good others for bad. Ovarian cancer changed me. I became stronger, determined and empowered. From being a listener I became a writer. This book is about my journey through Chemotherapy. As I told my story to family and friends, I discovered that besides being concerned, they were starving for information. This topic and what a person is experiencing along the way was new to most of them. It changed the direction of my life and helped others to look at cancer from a new perspective. You'll laugh with me, maybe you'll cry, but hopefully you'll be come a wiser person.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781449095925
Publisher:	AuthorHouse
Publication date:	06/21/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	108
File size:	137 KB

Read an Excerpt

Letters Along My Journey

My Experience with Cancer and Chemotherapy

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By Angeline Graser

AuthorHouse

Copyright © 2010 Angeline Graser
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4490-9590-1

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Chapter One

The Discovery Of Ovarian Cancer

Late January, 2008

Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know what has been happening to me lately.

It all started with my going for my annual Pap checkup in November. I mentioned a spotting problem that just started. You see, for my fiftieth birthday, Mother Nature decided to stop my monthly periods. Hallelujah! So, my doctor, Francisco A. Estevez, MD, ABFP, checked me out. I always like it when the doctor tells you to relax while your butt is nearly off the table after having to slide down until he tells you to stop; your feet are in the cold metal stirrups (why don't they give you socks to keep your feet warm?); you have a gel-covered, latex-gloved finger doing you know what while at the same time he is pushing down on your stomach, feeling for something. (Men, have you ever tried this? What, you would be too embarrassed?) Ah ha! He agreed something was going on. He ordered an ultrasound to see just what was happening. Upon receiving the results-tuberous mass in the uterus, eleven-centimeter cyst on the right ovary, and a small cyst on the left-he set up an appointment with a gynecologic oncology doctor by the name of James Fiorica, MD, of the First Physicians Group of Sarasota, whom he knows is one of the best. He sent my results to him before my first appointment. On my first appointment at the gynecologic oncology physician's office in December, his nurse practitioner, Maggi Tabano, ARNP, took a sample of the uterus tissue to send in for a pathology report. I was told they could not touch the cyst and possibly disrupt anything because of its size. Upon Dr. Fiorica receiving the results, my appointment was scheduled, and he explained what I needed done: a hysterectomy. The results showed the uterus tissue was benign but the cysts needed to be removed and sent out for further testing.

I had a hysterectomy January 21. My son, Christopher, thought it was quite apropos, as it was his birthday. Dr Fiorica removed every conceivable part in that area, fourteen bits and pieces to be exact. I donated all remaining tissue not needed for the pathology report to H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Inc., for use on further cancer research. My gynecologic oncologist is affiliated with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute, Inc. I am more than glad to help further research for new treatments and finding a cure. The consent form I signed, titled "Total Cancer Care: A Partnership with High Risk and/or Diagnosed Cancer Patients for Life," gave me a good incentive also. I was informed that sometimes, cancer patients can feel as if they have been "singled out" by this disease. Yet, in the state of Florida alone, nearly 100,000 cases of cancer are found each year. This is mind boggling. Then stop and think, if each state has a similar average number of new cancer cases each year, just how many people in the United States alone are getting diagnosed with cancer each year. Unbelievable! Cancer is a tough disease to treat because a lot of cancers look alike. If they study the medical histories, clinical records, blood, and tissues from thousands of patients, they might find better ways of treating cancer. They think there is a lot of information stored in your blood and in your tumor that can change the way they treat cancer in the future. They hope this study will answer many questions that doctors have not been able to answer before. There are more than two hundred types of cancer, and they hope this study will help physicians decide what type, how much risk, and the best treatment for any cancer. The procedures of this study entail answering a set of questions regarding past medical history, diet, risk factors, and any kind of treatments you may have had in the past. They then study your answers and review your medical records to see what you and other cancer patients have in common; store excess tissue removed at the time of your surgery; and collect tumor samples at the time of your diagnostic biopsy, additional blood samples at the time your doctor orders your laboratory tests, and urine samples in the preoperative period prior to tumor resection. All of these procedures are part of what you are already having done by doctor's orders, so you are not going out of your way to do it. If research on my donated tissue, blood, and urine may help to discover future treatments for a cancer like mine, or maybe a cure, then why would I think twice about participating? The survival rate of ovarian cancer is so poor; I just had to do my part. That is who I am.

Healing from this surgery is quite different from the ones I have had in the past. The outside body feels pretty good, other than tenderness on the left side of the incision. Dr. Fiorica said that this is internal bruising from all the work that he did inside. This tenderness will heal with time. I can be awake and about for between four to six hours at a time. But then, my body requires sleep for sometimes up to eighteen hours. The inside heals at a different rate than the outside, a much longer, slower process. It needs all the energy it can get to do its thing. So, I have learned to rest often during the day, and I don't mean catnaps. I put my head down and am out for a solid three to four hours sometimes. I also cannot sit for long periods of time because of where the work was done. I walk around the house or lay in bed listening to CDs. Slowly I am increasing my sit-up time so as not to tax my energy.

The pathology report on all the parts removed was not what I expected. The ovaries and some of the surrounding tissue came back malignant with stage III ovarian cancer. Wow! No known cause and no known cure. What? The good news was that it had not spread to the lymph nodes, but chemotherapy is still needed. I guess this is good news. If chemotherapy can be considered good news! An appointment was made with a doctor specializing in cancer treatments that Dr. Fiorica trusted and is friends with. I trusted his choice of the cancer doctor to send me to as I figured he most likely would not be friends with a doctor who did not do good work. Also, I do not have any family or friends who have had ovarian cancer, so I could not procure any physician references. When time is of the essence, checking the yellow pages for a doctor specializing in cancer treatments and going for the unknown when the mind is whirling with the word "cancer" did not seem like a feasible option. I trusted my doctor the first time, so I figured the best would send me to the best. I have always been a trusting person, and God has never let me down.

I went to the Florida Cancer Specialists' clinic and met with one of the doctors, Brian T. Berry, MD, who specialize in hematology and medical oncology. He explained my stage of ovarian cancer. They do not know why some women get ovarian cancer. I do not have a family history to indicate a genetic predisposition to it. Therapy is based on the stage of the cancer. The gynecologic oncologist removed all the cancer he could find. The minimal residual cancer left is what we are treating now. The cancer can spread to any part of the body due to the normal pelvic washing of the body. We will be doing a CT scan of all the major organs to determine if the cancer has spread and to have a baseline for future scans.

I have a slow/aggressive type of cancer. It is slow, as it takes its time sauntering around looking for a new home before getting down to serious business and only likes moving to familiar areas to grow. Thus, it went from one ovary and its related parts to the other. But, once established, it gets aggressive. For example: the cyst on the right ovary started out at eleven centimeters in November and came out a little over twelve centimeters. The left ovary's small cyst grew to six centimeters in two months. This also makes chemotherapy tricky. Chemotherapy can only destroy fully developed cancer cells, not the cells in the incubation stage. So, after my last chemotherapy treatment, I will have to have periodic CT scans and possible further chemotherapy if cancer reappears. I will be starting, in the near future, three-hour IV drips consisting of Taxol (Paclitaxel) and Paraplatin (Carboplatin), along with nausea medicine. This will occur every twenty-one days for six sessions. The goal is to prevent the cancer from reappearing or delaying it.

You know the TV commercials you see from the pharmaceutical companies regarding their new product and the list of possible side effects it may cause. Well, the two drugs I will be taking have some pretty scary side effects that have occurred in various users. Taxol (Paclitaxel) has caused reddening of the skin; itching; fever; rapid or troubled breathing; chest pain; fast heart rate; abnormal heart rhythms; very low or increased blood pressure; sudden swelling; hives; rash; decreased white blood cells, which can make me more prone to infections; lower numbers of red blood cells leading to tiredness; shortness of breath; paleness; dizziness upon standing; complete hair loss; joint and muscle pain; inflammation and soreness; sores in the mouth area; numbness; or tingling or burning in the hands and/or feet, which can indicate nerve damage. Paraplatin (Carboplatin) has many of the same side effects mentioned above, along with decreased platelets making one prone to easy bleeding and bruising, nausea and vomiting, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vision changes, changes in taste and confusion, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, constipation, and stomach pain. Good grief! With all of these to watch for, it makes one afraid to leave the house. Also, it makes one wonder what is worse: cancer or the drugs you have to take. I need to eat as regularly as I can, get plenty of rest, and do some light exercises, stay away from stress and anxiety (Right! How is one not to think about all that might happen to you with those side effects?), and keep thinking positively. Okay, folks, keep praying for me. I am going to need a lot of strength to get through this.

You fashion-conscious ladies who stay current with the fashion magazines, I will need your help on how to wear scarves fashionably (pictures will help). Nancy, who I did not know had a form of cancer and is from the office of one of my clients I work with, is sending me some of the scarves and hats she used after her various treatments. I will be getting with the American Cancer Society, and they will show me how to use makeup so as not to scare anyone when all the hair is gone on my face. I wonder if men who get cancer no longer have to shave every day. And do they have to draw eyebrows on for vanity reasons? Too bad it isn't October; I always wanted to go as Uncle Fester for Halloween. After my first chemotherapy session, we will shave my hair off. Everyone says this is the smartest way for two reasons: it puts me in control of my recovery and eliminates globs of hair lying around or clogging drains when it does start to fall out in patches.

Last but not least, survival rate: Depending on what you read, stage III ovarian cancer has a 19 percent to 47 percent survival rate if it does not spread to other organs or lie in wait. For the small number of women who are fortunate enough to have their cancer diagnosed before it has spread beyond the ovary, the chance for cure is 85 percent to 90 percent. However, for the majority of women in whom the disease has spread beyond the ovary, the chance of living for five years after the diagnosis is between 20 percent and 25 percent. This has Christopher, my son, scared. After he talked with a friend and her mother, who is an occupational doctor, about my condition, he came by me sobbing, not wanting me to die, to be around to see him graduate, get married, and have children. I was doing pretty well until then. We have to take one day at a time and make the most of each moment together. My son will try to go with me to all doctor appointments and chemotherapy sessions, stay well informed, and keep an eye on me. I have purchased from the health food store some energy powder to make drinks to help me get through the bad days when energy starts lagging. Buy individual packets, if possible, to taste first before buying larger quantities. The first kind I purchased was not to my palate's liking no matter what I added to it. Now, everything depends on how my body accepts the chemotherapy, how healthy I can stay, how positive I can remain, and how many prayers the Lord is bombarded with.

Once I have the results of the CT scan and have had my first chemotherapy session, I will let you know what it was like. I will try to stay upbeat.

Thanks for all the prayers. I will need them for some time to come.

Love to all, Angeline

Chapter Two

First Chemotherapy Session With Effects

Early February, 2008

Hi to all of you, I am back with an update on the next phase of my recovery.

On Thursday, February 7, I went for a CT scan of my major body organs. I got two bottles of banana-flavored barium sulfate to drink. Banana favored, ha! It only smelled banana flavored. The nurse who gave it to me said to drink it through a straw so it doesn't touch the taste buds. So, I found the fattest straw I had, put it all the way back to my throat, and drank the stuff in two gulps. It did work that way. I only got the taste when I pulled the straw out. I then quickly proceeded to brush my teeth and mouth. I had to fast for four hours, so this was my lunch. Ugh! I couldn't wait to get real food in me when the test was finished. They give you an IV so they can insert the dye for the test. When injecting the dye, they stated I would feel some tingling. The only thing I felt was my butt getting very warm. It is amazing how fast this stuff goes through your veins. I got injected twice, so I had hot buns twice. The sliding table you get to lie on is only twenty inches wide. It is not the most comfortable thing to lie on and not made for people of ample girth like me. When you move into the machine, you are told to hold your breath until told again to breathe. They must think that everyone has a lung capacity like an opera singer. It was a very long time to hold one's breathe, and I did take the deepest one I could. I almost didn't make it. And I had to do this four times. What fun!

On Tuesday, February 12, I had an appointment with Dr. Berry at the cancer clinic to go over the CT results. These are the findings: heart and arteries are in great shape; lungs and thyroid gland are also in good shape, with only a small nodule present on the left lung and thyroid (nothing serious, just need to be watched for growth); liver is normal with several variously sized cysts present, which will be watched also; spleen, gallbladder, pancreas, and kidneys are all normal. The only worrisome news was a small tumor found on the right front of the brain, which will require an MRI for further characterization. I told the doctor that my grandmother and one of her sisters died from brain tumors. So, I am now scheduled for the MRI on Friday, February 15. I figure by the time I get done with all this testing, I will know what is going on inside my body and what to keep an eye on.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Letters Along My Journey by Angeline Graser Copyright © 2010 by Angeline Graser. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Testimonials....................vii
Introduction....................xi
Prologue....................xiii
1. - The Discovery Of Ovarian Cancer....................1
2. - First Chemotherapy Session With Effects....................11
3. - Getting Ready For Second Chemotherapy Session....................21
4. - Second Chemotherapy Session With Effects....................29
5. - Third Chemotherapy Session With Effects....................39
6. - Fourth Chemotherapy Session With Effects....................47
7. - Fifth Chemotherapy Session With Effects And Near Death Experience....................55
8. - Sixth And Last Chemotherapy Session With Effects....................69
9. - Working On The Road To Recovery From Ovarian Cancer....................77
Epilogue....................81
About The Author....................87
About The Book....................89