Going Back.........

This picture was taken of Beth & I in Mexico, April 2008.  One week later my world would be changed as I was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer.  You would never know from the picture that my right ovary was 8lbs and the size of a basketball and my left ovary was the size of a softball.  I did "blow up" much more in the 2 weeks before I had the surgery, in fact I looked like I was due to delivery a baby anyday!  The cancer was contained and not in any major organs, ie.liver, kidney ,lymph nodes.  In doing the "wash" of my body cavity they found some cancer cells floating around.  So I began chemo.  9 months of chemo....lost my appetite my hair, was tired all the time..but never lost the will to fight.  Since the majority of my family has died of some form of cancer I was tested to see if I carried the gene mutation BRAC1..BRAC 2.   Low and behold I was a carrier...so I took the most obvious... to me way of dealing with it and had a double mastectomy , not 100% of never getting breast cancer, but sure knocking down the odds.  Reconstruction, shingles, cellulites, hospital stays, honestly these new ones have put me thru alot and looking back, not sure if it was worth it!!!  Ok, lets jump ahead 3 1/2 years....every 6 months I've had cat scans and blood work.  I always get anxious right before I have to go, and the last time was April 11, 2011 (funny how dates stick in your mind)  My oncologist, Dr Fata told me that my CA125 was 13..and all was "ok".  Of course Bob and I heaved a sigh of relief and Bob told the Dr. how nervous I always am before seeing him.  Dr. Fata said to me, "No, Marcia, the stress is worse than the cancer" and gave me a big hug.   


Now I'm home from a family vacation and getting ready to go to Maine for a wedding and my stomach hurts and I tell Bob I think I might have a hernia.  After a few days I finally call my Dr and get in to see him.  He thinks that it might be diverticulitis or irritable bowel, asks when my last cat scan was and gives me a prescription.  Later that night my phone rings and I saw that it was the Dr.  Knowing he wasn't calling to see what I fixed for dinner, I was alittle scared.  He highly suggested I go to the hospital the next day to have some blood work done.  Ok, so the next day I go.  That night another call from him, this time telling me that my CA125 was 119 and that means "something is going on somewhere".  and now I need to go have another cat scan.  So now we are back to Monday Aug 8,2011 when I'm told the "CANCER HAS RETURNED".  My reaction was to hit the table and tell the Dr,"You TOLD ME I was ok just 4 months ago".  Now looking back, Abby and I laugh cuz the poor Dr. came over and hugged me then opened the door and asked for the social worker to come in ...not sure what he thought I was going to do.    So even thou I don't have any ovaries, it is still called ovarian cancer since that is where it originated....Will put this post up on the blog, thou I will add more to it later tonight as I'm sure you all are wondering what a CA125 is and I need to call Beth to tell here I just put her picture in a bathing suit up on this site for all to see..............................